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BlackBerry's marginally upgraded, red-accented KEY2 is out today

And it costs $699.

The BlackBerry KEY2 Red Edition lands in the US today with double the storage out of the box (128GB). More of a stop-gap than a sequel, the handset also packs Hub+ software improvements and refreshed versions of the BlackBerry Hub and BlackBerry Calendar. Plus you get red earbuds to match the scarlet hues on the phone's front and sides (and in-between the keys on that touch-sensitive keyboard).

Other than that, you're looking at identical specs to the OG KEY2: 6GB RAM, a mid-range Snapdragon 660 chipset, a 4.5-inch 3:2 LCD screen, and a 3,500 mAh battery. But, at $699, it will still cost you almost $100 more than its nine-month-old predecessor, which seemed overpriced in the first place. We first saw the Android phone at MWC in February, and it launched in China last month. As for a proper follow-up, BlackBerry Mobile brand licensee TCL is moving away from an annual upgrade cycle, so you're looking at an ETA much later in the year.