BlackBerry DTEK50: a secure Android phone for $300?

Secure Android smartphones, such as the BlackPhone range, haven’t had much success in the market. Still, that hasn’t deterred BlackBerry from releasing the DTEK50, being a full-touch Android smartphone with no physical keyboard.

The new phone features a number of security and privacy features, such as the DTEK security software (to track permissions and when apps access certain functions) and modifications to Android Marshmallow 6.0.

Aside from Android and a touch-only keyboard, the device also packs in a 5.2-inch full HD display, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 617 processor, 16GB of expandable storage, a 2610mAh battery and 3GB of RAM.

In an interesting move, the phone also packs a “Convenience Key” which can be customised for various functions.

In the camera department, we’re looking at a 13MP f/2.0 main camera with phase-detection autofocus and an 8MP selfie shooter with flash.

The DTEK50 is available from the BlackBerry website for US$299 and ships next month.

The company stressed that it was continuing to develop BlackBerry 10 however, with the release of 10.3.3 and beyond.

We’ve contacted BlackBerry South Africa’s local representatives and will update the article when we receive local release information.