A reimagined Blackberry smartphone - the Blackberry® KEYone - will be available to customers across Canada beginning tomorrow

TORONTO, May 30, 2017 /CNW/ - Today, TCL Communication, a leading global smartphone manufacturer and global smartphone licensing partner of BlackBerry Limited, is announcing that the award-winning BlackBerry KEYone will officially be on-sale in Canada beginning tomorrow, May 31. Starting at $199 CAD on a two year term, the BlackBerry KEYone will be available either in-store or online from Bell, Bell MTS, Rogers, SaskTel and TELUS. It will also be available unlocked for $729 CAD outright in June.

"The BlackBerry KEYone is unlike any other smartphone available to consumers today, offering a premium communication experience, ensuring that our customers enjoy the security, long battery life and great functionality that have made BlackBerry mobile devices so iconic," said Steve Cistulli, President and General Manager for TCL Communication, North America. "This is an extremely exciting moment for us at TCL Communication, and we're honoured to be able to offer this reimagined BlackBerry smartphone today to customers across Canada."

BLACKBERRY KEYONE PRODUCT HIGHLIGHTS:

    --  Built to last with a durable and sleek aluminum frame with a soft
        textured back for extra grip. Includes a 4.5-inch touch display
        featuring impact and scratch resistant Corning® Gorilla® Glass 4
        offering the best in resilience and durability.


    --  Reimagined communication experience thanks to an innovative Smart
        Keyboard that allows you to set up to 52 customizable shortcuts and
        transform each letter key for quick access to your favorite apps and
        most important contacts. Includes the world's first keyboard-embedded
        fingerprint sensor conveniently located in the spacebar and provides
        added device security and convenience.


    --  Distinct BlackBerry smartphone powered by Android, with the familiarity
        and functionality of Android(TM) 7.1 Nougat giving users access to the
        entire Google Play(TM) store and over one million apps.


    --  Includes the largest battery (3505mAh) ever found in a BlackBerry
        smartphone, offering up to 26+ hours of mixed use, and Qualcomm® Quick
        Charge(TM) 3.0 technology enables up to 50 percent charge in roughly 36
        minutes.


    --  Pre-loaded with DTEK(TM) by BlackBerry, offering constant security
        monitoring and protection of your operating system and apps by letting
        you know when your privacy could be at risk and how you can take action
        to improve it. The KEYone will also receive regular monthly Android
        security updates, ensuring you have the most safe and secure Android
        smartphone experience.
    --  Features a 12MP rear camera with an industry leading camera sensor (Sony
        IMX378) that captures sharp, crisp photos in any light. The wide
        aperture lens with large 1.55 m pixels and dual-tone flash ensures your
        photos will have superior color and clarity.

For more information and additional details on where to purchase the BlackBerry KEYone, please visit www.BlackBerryMobile.com.

About TCL Communication
TCL Communication Technology Holdings Limited (TCL Communication) designs, manufactures and markets an expanding portfolio of mobile and internet products and services worldwide under three key brands - TCL, Alcatel and BlackBerry. The company's portfolio of products are currently sold in over 160 countries throughout North America, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific, TCL Communication ranked as a top-10 global smartphone manufacturer by IDC. Headquartered in Hong Kong, TCL Communication operates nine R&D centers worldwide, employing more than 13,500 people across the globe. For more information, please visit www.tclcom.com.

TCL is a registered trademark of TCL Corporation. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Alcatel is a trademark of Alcatel-Lucent used under license by TCL Communication.

Trademarks, including but not limited to BLACKBERRY and EMBLEM Design are the trademarks or registered trademarks of BlackBerry Limited, used under license, and the exclusive rights to such trademarks are expressly reserved. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. BlackBerry is not responsible for any third-party products or services.

Qualcomm, Snapdragon and Adreno are trademarks of Qualcomm Incorporated, registered in the United States and other countries. Quick Charge is a trademark of Qualcomm Incorporated. Qualcomm Snapdragon, Qualcomm Adreno and Qualcomm Quick Charge are products of Qualcomm Technologies, Inc.

SOURCE TCL Communication