BlackBerry KEY2 Lite may be unveiled at IFA 2018

BlackBerry KEY2

San Francisco: A budget version of the newly-launched BlackBerry KEY2, which is likely to be named BlackBerry KEY2 Lite or KEY2 LE, may be launched at the upcoming IFA 2018 in Berlin, Germany.

"TCL -- the manufacturer behind the BB brand -- has sent out `save the date` invites for an IFA event. It will be held on August 30 and while it offers no official details on what will be announced, there is only one rumoured phone in our database -- the BlackBerry KEY2 LE," GSM Arena reported late on Monday.

Similar to Key2, the physical keyboard experience would be the smartphone`s main USP.

"KEY2 will have less processing power on tap -- the Snapdragon 660 chipset will be swapped out for a 636 and RAM capacity will drop to 4GB (still better than the Keyone)," the report added.

The device is expected to replace the 12+12MP dual camera set-up of KEY2 with a 12MP+5MP model.

The KEY2 Lite is faintly reminiscent of the BlackBerry Q5, which was a cheaper alternative to the flagship Q10. Like the KEY2 Lite, the Q5 had a playful, colorful aesthetic, and lower-spec internals, according to The Next Web portal.