Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Phones
  3. Android
  4. Mobile
  5. News Round Ups

Miss physical keyboards? Unihertz is creating a rugged phone that has one

Unihertz's rugged phone with a keyboard launches July 30 on Kickstarter

By
Add as a preferred source on Google
Image used with permission by copyright holder

While there are some great keyboard apps that improve the screen-tapping experience, a physical keyboard remains the best way to type on any electronic device. Unfortunately for keyboard fans, smartphones with keyboards have been slim pickings in the last few years, with the BlackBerry Key2 and KeyOne being your only real options. Thankfully for fans of real buttons, Chinese manufacturer Unihertz is launching a rugged phone with a built-in keyboard — the Unihertz Titan.

The BlackBerry influence is undeniable. The Titan looks very much like a blend between BlackBerry’s more recent phones, with a wide design that’s reminiscent of the BlackBerry Passport, and the two-tone coloring of the KeyOne. A square 4.5-inch LCD display sits above the physical keyboard and runs a 1440 x 1440 pixel resolution.

Image used with permission by copyright holder

But look a little closer and there’s more to the Titan than just its BlackBerry influences. Where BlackBerry’s phones are sleek and executive, the rugged Titan is aiming for a more adventurous crowd. Like its little brother, the Unihertz Atom, the Titan has a rugged build with a reinforced look. Unihertz claims it is shockproof and packs an IP67 rating for water and dust resistance.

Recommended Videos

The Titan is powered by a 2GHz octa-core processor, and will pack a monstrously large 6,000mAh battery that should provide strong battery life. Its business acumen is confirmed with dual SIM support for world-hoppers, global LTE support, NFC for Google Pay, and the convenience of wireless charging. Around the back, there’s a single 16-megapixel camera lens, and an 8-megapixel selfie lens around the front.

The Unihertz Atom will be running an unspecified version of Android, and it’s likely to be the custom skin we saw on the Atom, with a few additional apps on top of mostly stock Android. The real draw will likely be the price, though. Unihertz will be offering a limited number of Titans at the reduced price of $199, making it one of the cheapest ways to get an Android phone with a physical keyboard. The Titan will launch through a Kickstarter campaign on July 30. As ever with crowdfunding platforms, though, be wary of putting your money down. Unihertz is a fairly good bet though, having released both the Unihertz Jelly and the Unihertz Atom over the last couple of years.

Updated on July 18, 2019: We’ve added specification and camera details to the article, as well as the launch date.

Mark Jansen
Mark Jansen
Former Mobile Evergreen Editor
Mark Jansen is an avid follower of everything that beeps, bloops, or makes pretty lights. He has a degree in Ancient &…
Topics
The Minimal Phone 2 looks dramatically better than the original, and I’m genuinely here for it
Plastic is out, metal is in, and Minimal Phone 2's renders suggest the digital detox phone concept finally has the hardware to match its ambition.
Electronics, Mobile Phone, Phone

I've been following the Minimal Phone since its initial crowdfunding days. The first iteration had the right idea trapped inside the wrong body, I’d say. Plastic build, no 5G, an underwhelming camera, and e-paper ghosting that frustrated early adopters; all these issues kept the phone from reaching a wider audience. 

Now, founder Armen Youssefian has posted what appears to be a 360-degree render of the Minimal Phone 2 on X, and from what I can see, the team has done its homework.

Read more
The EU says TikTok still isn’t doing enough to protect kids
Regulators say the platform's privacy settings don't go far enough under the Digital Services Act.
TikTok Creative Featured

The European Commission has accused TikTok of falling short on protecting minors, saying the platform's current account settings don't meet the child safety standards required under the Digital Services Act (DSA). The findings are preliminary, but if upheld, TikTok could face a fine of up to 6% of its global annual revenue.

Why the EU thinks TikTok isn't doing enough

Read more
Qualcomm is set to ratchet up chip prices in September, and your next gadget upgrade could bear the brunt
The price hike could touch every Snapdragon-powered device category.
The new Qualcomm Snadragon 8 Elite Gen 5

I want you to sit with this for a second. Qualcomm, the company whose Snapdragon chips sit inside your Android phone and tablet, your Windows laptop, your Meta smart glasses, your Galaxy Watch, and your wireless earbuds, reportedly sent a letter to every major customer telling them prices are going up by double digits. 

The price hike will be in effect from September 1, 2026, a recent Bloomberg report claims. Essentially, all the companies placing their chip orders after that will pay a higher price. 

Read more