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We're live from MWC 2019 in Barcelona!
The show floor at Barcelona's Fira Gran Via may not officially open until Monday, but there's plenty happening at Mobile World Congress this weekend. We're on the ground in Spain to bring you all of the news as it happens, including live coverage of a Microsoft event tomorrow (February 24th) at 12PM ET/6PM CET. In addition what's expected to be the reveal of HoloLens 2, we're counting on huge announcements from the likes of Google, LG, Sony, Huawei, Nokia and more. Keep it locked here for all of the details, and follow along at our event hub, via the link below. In the meantime, check out what you can expect this week in our preview of MWC 2019.
Greetings from CES 2019!
It feels like CES only just ended, but we're back in Las Vegas for the 2019 edition and we couldn't be more excited. Just like always, there will be plenty of cars, TVs and smart appliances. But, we're here to separate the wheat from the chaff and bring you only the best (or at least the most interesting) tech from CES 2019. The show floor hasn't even opened yet and already several companies have made a splash -- including Apple, which continues to skip the event in any official capacity. But that hasn't stopped it from grabbing some attention. Of course, you don't want to miss out on all our liveblogs, our three epic days of live stage shows which all culminates with the official Best of CES awards on Thursday at 8pm ET / 5pm PT.
Blackberry’s KEY2 LE is available for pre-order in the US
Blackberry unveiled its KEY2 LE at IFA in August and now it's available for pre-order in the US. Pricing starts at $450, but if you were looking to snag the champagne or red versions of the phone, we've got bad news. The champagne color will cost you $50 more and the red version won't be available in the US, at least for now.
CEO who sold encrypted phones to drug cartels pleads guilty to DoJ
In March, the FBI arrested Vincent Ramos, the founder and CEO of Phantom Secure, for allegedly modifying phones and selling them to criminal organizations including drug cartels. Now, Ramos has pled guilty to these charges.
Facebook sues BlackBerry over voice messaging patent infringement
In the latest battle in the patent war between Facebook and BlackBerry, the social networking giant is suing the phone maker over alleged infringement of six patents, including one related to a voice messaging feature in BBM Enterprise. Facebook asked for a trial to resolve the matter and is seeking unspecified damages in the suit, which it filed in San Francisco federal court.
BlackBerry’s KEY2 LE is cheaper, brighter but watered down
It's barely been three months since BlackBerry (rather, TCL Communications) launched the KEY2, and the company is already ready to unveil a new variant here at IFA 2018. "It was always our intention to bring two variants of the KEY2 line," a spokesperson told Engadget. The KEY2 LE is a "more accessible" version of the original, with a thinner, less-boxy design and bolder color options. It's also $200 cheaper than the KEY2, but that obviously comes with some trade-offs.
What to expect at IFA 2018
Of all the annual meetings of tech-obsessed minds, IFA is perhaps the most unpredictable. You know everyone and their mother is going to CES to set the tone for the year, and MWC is all things mobile. At IFA, though, you never quite know what surprises lurk behind the floor-to-ceiling displays of kitchen appliances that dominate the halls of the sprawling Messe Berlin conference center. History and rumors give us some idea, however. Naturally, we'll be on the ground to bring you all the important news, but these are some of things we expect to see announced at this year's show.
BlackBerry KEY2 review: The undisputed keyboard king
Last year's BlackBerry KEYone was a something of a surprise: It brought Android to the classic BlackBerry form factor in a way that felt valuable. Sure, it was mostly a love letter to the brand's die-hards -- it also proved that physical keyboards weren't out of mileage just yet. This year's KEY2 is even better. If you were never a BlackBerry person, you won't find much here to change your mind. But if on some level, you still long for the days when great physical keyboards reigned supreme, your smartphone search ends here.
A closer look at the BlackBerry KEY2's new dual camera
It'll still be a little while yet before the first BlackBerry KEY2s wind up on people's doorsteps, and we're currently putting our review unit through its paces. For now at least, we've grown quite fond of the thing: even a few Engadget staffers who haven't used BlackBerrys before have found value in having a full, physical keyboard and that Speed key for super-fast multitasking. (Perhaps naturally, others here have come to regard the thing with equal doses of bemusement and skepticism.)
BlackBerry KEY2 hands-on: A stylish approach to privacy and multitasking
Last year's BlackBerry KEYone was a love letter to fans as much as it was a capable smartphone, but I think we can all agree it wasn't perfect. It was chunky. Performance was purely adequate. The keyboard some getting used to, even for long-time BlackBerry fans. It's little surprise that TCL — the Chinese company in charge of building BlackBerrys now — would try to address all those issues. What is surprising is just how elegant the end result wound up being. We recently spent a little time with the just-announced BlackBerry KEY2, and while it's still clearly not for everyone, this is the most capable, polished attempted at an Android-powered BlackBerry yet.
Senators want to know how Facebook shares data with device makers
If you're concerned that Facebook may have shared more of your data with device makers than you were comfortable with, you're not alone. Senators Richard Blumenthal and Ed Markey have sent a letter to Mark Zuckerberg asking him to answer questions on Facebook's approach to sharing data with device partners like Apple, BlackBerry and Samsung. They want to know how it distinguishes between hardware companies and app developers, which companies have had access so far (including through exemptions), and what safeguards it has in place to both prevent abuse and give users a chance to opt out.
Report: Facebook gave Apple, Samsung broad access to user data
Facebook may have violated a 2011 FTC consent degree by giving Apple, Samsung, BlackBerry and other device makers detailed access to user data, according to the New York Times. The social network struck partnerships with at least 60 device makers so that they could offer messaging, "Like" buttons and other features without the need for an app. However, an NYT reporter found that the BlackBerry Hub, for one, was able to glean private data from 556 of his friends, including their religious and political leanings and events they planned to attend.
BlackBerry’s ‘Key2’ smartphone will be revealed on June 7th
BlackBerry Mobile's KEYone was the first TCL-made smartphone under the venerable brand to really feel like a BlackBerry. That's not least because of its physical keyboard, a rarity these days that delivers what BB fans may have been craving since the brand's heydey. Otherwise, it was a decent but not groundbreaking phone, but now we're going to see what BlackBerry Mobile has in store for its successor. On June 7th, the company will unveil the Key2 at an event in New York City.
BlackBerry sues Snap over map and messaging patents
Facebook isn't the only company facing a patent lawsuit filed by BlackBerry: the Canadian mobilemaker has also sued Snap for patent infringement. BlackBerry is accusing Snap of infringing on six of its patents issued between 2012 and 2014, two of which are also in its complaint against Facebook. According to the court documents Mashable found, those infringement claims affect Snap Map and the ephemeral app's messaging technology, which BlackBerry says copies the tech it uses for BBM. In BlackBerry's complaint against Facebook, it said it invented the core aspects of modern messaging, so it's not surprising that that particular aspect is also part of its lawsuit against Snap.
BlackBerry wants you to shill in return for prizes
Let's say you're in charge of marketing BlackBerry phones. You don't have nearly as much cachet as you did in BlackBerry's heyday, and all the social media buzz tends to surround the latest Galaxy or iPhone. What do you do? If you're TCL, it's simple: turn the fans into marketers. It's launching a BlackBerry Smartphone Fan League that rewards the faithful for sharing social network posts, creating original posts about their phones, filling out surveys and recruiting more into their fold. Participants earn points they can use to enter weekly and monthly contests, and they'll also have access to closed beta tests for new features.
BlackBerry and Microsoft team up to make work phones more secure
BlackBerry and Microsoft may have been bitter foes before their smartphone dreams came crashing down, but they're becoming close allies now that they're focused on services. The two have unveiled a partnership that helps you seamlessly use Microsoft's Office 365-capable mobile apps from inside BlackBerry's more secure, contained Dynamics space. Ideally, this gives you the best of both worlds: you can work on that Excel file across devices without making your IT manager break into a cold sweat.
FBI arrests CEO of company selling custom BlackBerrys to gangs
Custom, extra-secure BlackBerry phones remain a staple of the criminal underworld, and a recent bust just illustrated this point. Motherboard has learned that the FBI arrested Vincent Ramos, the founder of the well-established phone mod seller Phantom Secure, for allegedly aiding criminal organizations that include the Sinaloa drug cartel. The company altered BlackBerry and Android devices to disable common features (including the camera and web browsing) while adding Pretty Good Privacy for encrypted conversations. And it wasn't just turning a blind eye to the shady backgrounds of its customers, according to investigators -- it was fully aware of who was involved.
BlackBerry's post-phone future includes IoT security
BlackBerry hasn't been shy about shifting its focus away from hardware and toward technologies you can find inside others' devices, such as self-driving cars and secure comms. If you need any further proof, though, you just got it: BlackBerry has struck a deal with Swiss electronics maker Punkt to secure an upcoming range of Internet of Things devices. In theory, the embedded security tech will ensure they can connect to your home or office network without creating glaring vulnerabilities. Details of the devices themselves weren't mentioned, but it's safe to presume they'll be more advanced than the power accessories and cordless phones that represent Punkt's current lineup.
BlackBerry sues Facebook for violating messaging patents
BlackBerry has filed a lawsuit against Facebook for infringing the patent on its messaging technology in a Los Angeles Federal Court, according to a Reuters report. The lawsuit calls out Facebook, WhatsApp as well as Instagram for their use of instant messaging. To be clear, the suit has been filed by BlackBerry and not TCL, the maker of BlackBerry-branded handsets since 2016.
BlackBerry calls 2017 a success amid reports of soft sales
TCL unveiled the Blackberry KEYOne at MWC 2017 and now, a year later, we have an idea of how well it sold as well as a glimpse into the company's outlook going forward. IDC's Francisco Jeronimo says that just 850,000 BlackBerry devices shipped last year, a very low number that's well behind those of companies like Apple and Samsung. But according to The Verge, who spoke to two members of the BlackBerry Mobile team, the company considers last year's sales a success.
