Blackberry’s popularity has been declining over the years. Presently, the demand of Blackberry smartphones barely exists. The end of the era of physical keyboards has encourages blackberry to ditch it. The Blackberry DTEK 50 is the actual implementation of a Blackberry phone without a physical keyboard.
Despite exciting looks and definite promise, this device has failed to leave a mark in the market as the competition is far superior in terms of performance and functionality. The design of the phone lacks originality but it is not bad. However, it is nothing special as well. The basic black plastic body enclosed in a metal chamber is what the Blackberry DTEK 50 has to offer.
Two speaker grilles lie at the top and bottom of the screen. The back of the phone takes a little getting used to but after a while, it becomes very likeable. The rubberized coating on the back provides for a very good grip. Instead of the home button, Blackberry has provided what they call the ‘convenience button’.
The ‘convenience button’ is a customizable key that can be programmed by users. For example, the ‘convenience key’ can act as the shortcut key to the Email app. The 5.2-inch display is very easy to handle and easily fits the pocket. The volume rockers lie on one side whereas the power button lies on the other side. The full-HD IPS display is nothing exceptional, but it is quite decent. The viewing angles are quite comfortable and the high brightness levels of the DTEK 50 make it convenient to use the phone in heavy sunlight.
The BlackBerry DTEK 50 is powered up by a Snapdragon 617 CPU. 3 Gigabytes of RAM support the processor. This device also houses the Adreno 405 GPU. Gaming is super smooth with this device. Asphalt 8 runs efficiently without any lag at all. The basic performance of this device is not disappointing.
However, multi-tasking and day-to-day performance are not up to the mark. After a while, a lag can be observed while switching between apps and opening menus. If the number of apps installed on the device get high, the rate of performance suffers significantly. 16GB of internal storage is also a disappointment at this price.
A micro-SD card can always rectify this problem, but at least 32GB of internal storage was expected. Blackberry has not incorporated a custom OS in this device. Instead, the DTEK 50 features some modifications on the stock version of Android 6.0.1. The DTEK app is the most intriguing thing about this device.
This app details the permissions of every other app and lets the user decide what to share and what not to share. Also, the device features hardware with stern level encryption. This phone scores a lot of points in terms of security and privacy. Some other useful apps like the Hub(where many social networks can be viewed simultaneously) are also available.
The phone features a 13-megapixel rear shooter with an aperture of f/2.0. 1080p video recording is supported at 30 frames per second. The camera isn’t anything exceptional. Sometimes, the images captured are over-saturated and full of noise. On the front, there is an 8-megapixel shooter that has an aperture size of f/2.2. 1080p video recorded is supported by the front camera as well. The front shooter is good, but nothing extraordinary.
The BlackBerry DTEK is a device that has potential, but it could have been a lot better. At this price range, much better alternatives are available.
Price: AED 1300
