BlackBerry said it would talk about new handsets this week and it has kept that promise. The company today announced its second Android-powered smartphone, it has a very unusual name, it’s called the DTEK50. BlackBerry touts it as “the world’s most secure Android smartphone.” Pre-orders for the handset are now open in the United States as well as in a handful of markets across the globe.
The BlackBerry DTEK50 has a 5.2-inch full HD display with a special Oleophobic coating to keep fingerprint smudges at bay, a 13 megapixel rear camera as well as microSD card support up to 2TB. BlackBerry doesn’t hype the specifications in the press release because it wants customers to know that this handset is all about security.
DTEK50 has several software features that provide more security than an average Android handset. Malware protection in built-in, users get greater control over app permissions, the promise of security patches being delivered the same day Google releases them and the handset encrypted all user information.
The handset runs Android 6.0 Marshmallow and BlackBerry has made additional improvements to harden the OS, that’s coupled with the company’s Hardware Root of Trust and Secure Boot processes to provide greater security.
Those who are interested in picking one up can pre-order the DTEK50 from ShopBlackBerry.com starting today for $299. The handset will be available in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Spain, Italy and The Netherlands. DTEK50 will also be available from Best Buy, Amazon, and B&H in the United States. Global availability will be announced in the coming weeks.