BlackBerry Touts DTEK50 Android Phone’s High Security
The $299 DTEK50 Android smartphone has a 5.2-inch touch-screen display and is the second BlackBerry handset designed without the company’s traditional physical keyboard.
BlackBerry DTEK50 Smartphone
The DTEK50 features a 5.2-inch Full HD display with a scratch- and smudge-resistant cover glass, a 64-bit Qualcomm Snapdragon 617 octa-core processor, an Adreno 405 graphics processor, 3GB of memory, 16GB of on-board flash storage and a microSD card slot for additional storage up to 2TB.
Powered by Android 6.0
The consumer- and enterprise-aimed handset, which runs on Android 6.0 Marshmallow, also includes a 13-megapixel rear-facing auto-focus main camera with HD video recording, an f2.0 lens and 4x digital zoom, an 8-megapixel fixed focus front-facing camera with 1080 HD video recording and image and video stabilization, and a 2,610mAh non-removable lithium-ion battery with fast charging capabilities.
Broad Connectivity Options
The DTEK50 is a 4G LTE GSM quad-band phone that also includes WiFi, Bluetooth and Near-field Communication connectivity capabilities. The handset, which also includes a user-programmable convenience key, is 5.79 inches tall, 2.85 inches wide and 0.29 inches thick, and weighs 4.76 ounces. Also included are Android for Work features for incorporation by enterprise IT departments and users, as well as enterprise mobility management support.
BlackBerry’s Second Android Smartphone Model
The new DTEK50 includes built-in hardware security features like those in the earlier Priv (at left), including malware protection and data back-up, wipe and restore capabilities. Other included software allows users to control which apps get access to personal information or device features, such as the microphone or camera.
Built-In, Toughened Security
The DTEK50 smartphone lets users manage their security and privacy options and services through a special DTEK app that provides automatic monitoring of the operating system and apps so they know when their privacy could be at risk. The app also provides options for users to improve their privacy and data security on their devices when threats are identified. In addition, BlackBerry says it will deliver security patches for DTEK50 users on the same day that Google publicly releases information about them, unlike many Android phone vendors.
Features Full Data Encryption
The handset also includes a multi-step boot process that verifies that each component is fully secure before proceeding, ensuring that the smartphone has not been tampered with since the last restart. Additional operating system hardening is also provided to the Android operating system on the device, as well as FIPS 140-2 compliant full-disk encryption for user and business data on the handset.
BlackBerry’s Touch-Screen Intelligent Keyboard
The DTEK50 uses BlackBerry Intelligent Keyboard software to learn how users type and help them increase their typing speed and accuracy. The software also provides word suggestions in up to three languages, which users can then add quickly in the midst of conversations. Users can also swipe to delete a previous word or to toggle between letters, numbers and characters. The handset is available for preorder in the United States, Canada, UK, France, Germany, Spain, Italy and The Netherlands. Preorder customers through ShopBlackBerry.com will also receive a free BlackBerry Mobile Power Pack portable charger worth $59.99 as a special offer through Aug. 8.