However, it seems that BlackBerry has already started its outsourcing operation with these two new phones. These phones are made by the Chinese company TCL and they look quite similar to the Alcatel Idol 4 and Idol 4S and probably the reason for this is TCL. So is there anything special and different in these smartphones apart from the new software and the new sticker on the rear? Today we will review BlackBerry’s affordable smartphone DTEK50 and try to find answers to all the questions.
BlackBerry DTEK50 Look and Design
In terms of design and build quality, the DTEK50 looks a bit different. The front is mostly glass and the edges are made of metal. But the rear of the phone is made of solid plastic with a grainy texture that looks very odd. The rim of the phone has space for the stereo speaker grills except at the top and bottom. It looks like two shapes have been merged together.
While the phone is easy to grip, the dull grey rear panel of the BlackBerry DTEK50 reminds us of an anti-slip mat. This neither makes the phone look beautiful nor does BlackBerry’s attempt to give the DTEK50 a rugged look seem to be successful. The BlackBerry Leap of the same price feels more elegant in this regard.
There is no branding on the front of the phone and the phone looks completely plain with the on-screen Android navigation controls on the front. There is a power button on the left which is a little difficult to get used to while BlackBerry’s programmed ‘convenience key’ is on the left below the volume buttons. There is a 3.5mm audio jack on the top and a micro-USB port on the bottom.
The SIM and microSD card slots are clearly visible on the rest of the rim of the phone. On the rear, there is a camera and flash in one corner. While a big BlackBerry logo is placed in the middle. The battery is not removable.
Overall, we like the look of the DTEK50. This phone from a company known for making uniquely designed smartphones, seems to be the most common design and lacks a distinct identity. Another thing to mention is that the metal rim is sharper than the rest of the phone, which makes it difficult to hold while talking. But the lightweight of 135 grams makes it easy to hold and use the phone with one hand.
Blackberry DTEK50 Specifications
So far we have seen BlackBerry making phones with low-end specifications at a high price. Both Leap and Z3 were launched at a price close to that of DTEK50. And the specifications and features of these phones disappointed us a lot. Thankfully, that is not the case this time. BlackBerry has understood what are the essential requirements of a smartphone and that is why DTEK50 has been given the latest specifications.
The Qualcomm Snapdragon 617 processor seems a bit old but still works. This processor is seen in phones priced below Rs 15,000. Snapdragon 617 is an octa-core processor that comes with Adreno 405 GPU and wireless communications. The phone has 3 GB of RAM but only 16 GB of storage is provided in the phone. Storage can be expanded up to 2 TB via microSD card.
For the first time, BlackBerry has provided a full HD display in a phone of this price. The screen is 5.2 inches and its density is 424 ppi. The phone has a 13 megapixel rear camera and an 8 megapixel front camera. Both phones can record videos at 1080 pixels at 30 frames per second.
The phone supports LTE on Indian bands. It is a single SIM phone and the phone comes with a hybrid SIM slot. Apart from this, the phone has features like Wi-Fi 802.11 AC, Bluetooth 4.2, A-GPS, NFC and FM radio.
DTEK50 does not have a fingerprint sensor, whereas DTEK60 comes with a fingerprint sensor. This phone has a small battery of 2610 mAh. It supports Quick Charge 2.0 but like Blackberry Priv, you will need to buy a charger from the market.
The biggest feature of DTEK50 is that it runs on Android OS with BlackBerry’s security features. Our review unit was running on Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow which is not the latest version. BlackBerry claims to release the fastest security features as per the industry standard but it is not a strong start.
The software of DTEK50 looks quite similar to that of Blackberry Priv. But due to its price, many people could not experience it. But now this software can be experienced with Blackberry DTEK50. The good thing for Android users is that Blackberry has tried to keep the visual touch of its OS intact but the UI customization is not completely traditional. You will find the standard Android home screen, app drawer, notification shade, settings app and Google Play Store in the phone. All the navigation controls and conventions are completely standard Android based.
What we liked most about the BlackBerry Priv was the home screen widget that appeared when you swiped up or down on an app icon. The same is true here as well. Almost all shortcuts on the phone are one-touch, whether it’s enabling Wi-Fi or calling a contact.
BlackBerry has provided a lot of its own software to make its Android smartphone look different. The phone has BlackBerry Hub, Messenger, Search and DTech apps. These apps are not fully integrated into the launcher and hence BlackBerry Hub is provided as a separate app. But unlike BB10 devices, it does not open with just one swipe. But BB10 has a gesture feature that allows swiping up from the bottom of the screen and then swiping to the right to open the Hub.
All BlackBerry apps require the user to ask for a number of Android permissions when they are first used. The BlackBerry Hub works the same way it always has.
BlackBerry DTEK50 performance
As expected, the DTEK50 performs well as a mid-range smartphone. The phone has powerful components for general tasks and gaming. The large and sharp screen makes all types of content look good. And the stereo speakers make watching videos and playing games more fun. We found the volume to be a little low during calls but it works fine during normal use.
The phone performed well in benchmark tests and scored well on DTEK50. Apart from this, the phone did not heat up during use, which is a very good thing.
The camera performance of the phone was a surprisingly good package. Photos taken in daylight are detailed. Apart from this, the color reproduction is also good and especially in macro shots. Focusing is fast. However, autofocus does not work 100 percent every time. Photos taken in low light are of slightly poor quality.
On the other hand, battery life is a big drawback of this phone. The phone doesn’t last even a day with camera usage and video streaming over 4G. In our HD video loop test, the phone lasted for 6 hours and 57 minutes. This is very less for any phone in this price range.
Our verdict
No matter what the price and specifications of BlackBerry phones launched so far, they have been successful or not but they have always proved to be memorable. Some of them like BlackBerry Priv and Passport smartphones became the new identity of the company. DTEK50 has much better hardware than the previous budget BlackBerry. It seems as if TCL has fitted the BlackBerry logo on one of its products. For most customers, it is nothing more than just another Android smartphone.
But, it is definitely not a useless and disappointing device like the Blackberry Leap Car. You will get better performance, good screen and great camera in this phone. But these features and specifications are not enough to make it to our list of best smartphones under Rs 20,000 in the market. Especially the weak battery. If anyone would want to buy this phone, then it would be a company that wants to give phones to its employees for secure data. Or those who are old fans of Blackberry in India and Indonesia and want to go back to the old days.
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