Why the New DTEK60 Is the Best BlackBerry Smartphone in Years

BlackBerry is back, with a feature-rich Android smartphone that sports a virtual keypad. Here’s what makes the new DTEK60 the best BlackBerry handset in a long time.

The DTEK60 comes with a familiar BlackBerry design, complete with rounded corners, a slim profile and just a few physical buttons along the spine. While that might not appeal to smartphone owners who long left the BlackBerry behind, it will appeal to longtime BlackBerry customers who still see value in its corporate-focused design.

BlackBerry has gone with an outstanding display in the DTEK60. The smartphone ships with a 5.5-inch screen featuring quad-HD resolution. According to BlackBerry, its smartphone delivers 534 pixels per inch, making it one of the higher-quality displays on the market.

BlackBerry is offering Android Marshmallow in the DTEK60. And since the company didn’t modify the operating system all that much, users will find support for Google Chrome, the Google Play apps marketplace, YouTube and other services. It’s unknown why BlackBerry isn’t offering Nougat, the latest Android flavor, in its device.

The BlackBerry DTEK60 ships with several security features, including a fingerprint sensor that, once activated, can unlock the device and help users make purchases with Google’s Android Pay. An encryption feature baked into the operating system protects pictures and bank information. And the DTEK60’s software comes with a built-in password repository, accessible via the fingerprint sensor, where users can securely store everything from credentials to important records.

The DTEK by BlackBerry app is arguably the smartphone’s most important security feature. The program automatically monitors both Android and installed apps and informs users when their privacy might be infringed. In addition, the app can analyze programs to give users an overall security rating, along with suggestions on how to improve that rating. DTEK by BlackBerry will even inform users when malicious apps are running amok on the operating system.

Nestled on the BlackBerry DTEK60’s side is a button called the Convenience Key. On the software side, users are encouraged to set up the key and assign most-used applications, tasks and other features to it. Then, when users click on the Convenience Key, the operating system automatically displays those apps and tasks for easy access. It’s a simple but useful feature.

The BlackBerry DTEK60 ships with a large, 3,000mAh battery. Such a size translates to outstanding battery life that can last up to 24 hours of “mixed use,” according to BlackBerry. That makes the DTEK60 one of the longer-lasting smartphones on the market.

The phone might run an Android operating system, but BlackBerry has found a way to integrate some of its more popular apps into the software. For instance, users will find support for BlackBerry Messenger, the company’s popular instant-messaging platform. The DTEK60 also ships with BlackBerry Hub, a unified inbox for managing communication of all types, and BlackBerry Pop-Up Widgets, which let users quickly see things they care about.

The BlackBerry DTEK60 ships with the 64-bit quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor. On the graphics side, users will find the Adreno 530 GPU with a 624MHz clock speed. Add that to 4GB of RAM, and the DTEK60 should work well for both simple and sophisticated apps.

Despite its many high-end features, the BlackBerry DTEK60 is affordable, thanks to its $499 price tag. Better yet, for that price, customers will get a soft-shell case and a travel charger. The BlackBerry DTEK60 is currently available from the BlackBerry store. It works on both LTE and GSM networks.