Are there still any phones with a physical QWERTY keyboard?

Are you looking for the best phones with a physical keyboard? Your options are slimming down. There are still some devices you might want to consider if this is a feature you absolutely need, though. We’ll go over the best available options here.

The best phones with a keyboard

• BlackBerry KEY2
• BlackBerry KEY2 LE
• Unihertz Titan Pocket
• Unihertz Titan Slim
• iPhone plus Clicks Creator Keyboard

Editor’s note: We’ll regularly update this list of the best phones with physical keyboards when and if new ones launch. Of course, that is if they do.

BlackBerry KEY2

The BlackBerry KEY2 is getting really old. It launched back in 2018, yet it’s still one of the best phones with a keyboard. This gives you an idea of how the market for physical QWERTY phones is at the moment. If you can deal with a phone this old, running a Snapdragon 660, and running Android 8.1, it’s still a pretty nice phone.

The keyboard received a facelift, featuring keys that are 20% larger than the ones on the KEYone. There’s also the Speed Key, a dedicated key on the bottom-right of the keyboard that lets you quickly jump to any app you’d like, from wherever you currently are on the screen.

Aside from the Snapdragon 660, specs on the Key2 include two rear-facing 12MP sensors and 6GB of RAM (which actually isn’t too bad, even in 2024). You can also get at least 64GB of onboard storage, although some versions sold outside the US can have 128GB of storage. It comes with a 3,500mAh battery inside, which is now considered pretty small. Some excellent software security features include a Private Locker feature to place photos, files, videos, and even applications inside. You can only access this phone section with a fingerprint, PIN, or password.

The BlackBerry KEY2 was a bit of a niche device. Still, it will undoubtedly please hardcore BlackBerry fans or anyone who wants a solid QWERTY keyboard on a smartphone. It works with GSM wireless carriers, including AT&T and T-Mobile, and can still be found. That said, it’s getting nearly impossible to find it brand-new.

Key2 specs:

BlackBerry KEY2 LE

The BlackBerry KEY2 LE launched as a cheaper version of the KEY2, also in 2018. It looks more or less the same, although it sports a plastic instead of a metal body. Most of the changes between the two can be found under the hood, with the LE model offering less power. It has the Snapdragon 636 chipset, 4GB of RAM, and 32/64GB of storage.

The phone packs an even smaller battery at 3,000mAh and has a different dual-camera setup with 13 and 5MP sensors. It has a 35-key physical keypad with a fingerprint scanner embedded into the space bar. Other specs include an 8MP selfie camera and expandable storage.

You can still find it, but again, it won’t be easy to pick up a new unit. Regardless, it should be cheaper than the Key2 and is definitely one of the best phones with a physical keyboard. Again, it is getting very old, though, so don’t expect it to blow your mind.

Key2 LE specs:

Unihertz Titan Pocket

Mostly known for its tiny devices, Unihertz seems to be a company that likes to fill in markets other manufacturers ignore. The Unihertz Titan Pocket keeps phones with physical keyboards alive, offering pretty decent specs and features for a very reasonable price. Not to mention, this is one of the newer phones you can get with a physical keyboard. It was released in 2021.

Aside from the well-made physical keyboard, you’ll get a rugged construction, an octa-core processor, 6GB of RAM, 128GB of storage, a 4,000mAh battery, and a 3.1-inch screen with a 716 X 720 resolution. It comes with Android 11. This isn’t a very recent Android version these days, but it is as recent as you can get from phones with a physical QWERTY keyboard.

If you prefer a slightly larger device, you should also look at the Unihertz Titan ($319.99 at Amazon). It’s older, but it’s still a good option when so few of them exist.

Titan Pocket specs:

Unihertz Titan Slim

If you don’t like rugged looks, Unihertz has something much sleeker and elegant. It’s also the newest phone with a physical keyboard, with a 2022 launch! The Unihertz Titan Slim has a very similar design to BlackBerry’s Key2 devices, which is definitely nice. That said, it definitely has different internals.

The unit features a Helio P70 chipset, 6GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage. The 4.2-inch 768 × 1,280p screen is a bit tiny, but you get a full QWERTY keyboard that will keep your fingers off the screen while typing. You’ll also get nifty features like a fingerprint reader, infrared, dual-SIM support, and a 4,100mAh battery.

It’s no champion, but we can (sadly) say it is pretty much the latest and greatest for those who love physical keyboards on smartphones. It seems odd to say it.

Titan Slim specs:

iPhone and Clicks Keyboard case

If you really want a phone with a physical keyboard, and you don’t want to buy what could be considered an antique in the modern world of tech, then this is your best bet. This isn’t technically one of the best phones with a physical keyboard, though. It’s a keyboard case.

The trick is that its availability is very limited, and it’s not yet available for Android phones. The Clicks Keyboard case is only available for the iPhone 14 Pro models, all versions of the iPhone 15, and the iPhone 16 Pro versions.

This is one of the most expensive iPhone cases around, too. It costs $139-$159, depending on the phone it is made for. We had some time to play with it during CES 2024 and were pleasantly surprised by it. The tactile feedback is excellent, and the backlit keys make it easy to type in the dark. It works as a pretty good iPhone case, too.

The state of physical keyboard phones

Years ago, most of us had entirely written off the idea of a phone with a physical keyboard, as the category was all but dead. Not wanting to let go, BlackBerry started pushing back. The revival of the physical keyboard began with the BlackBerry Priv but didn’t truly heat up until the BlackBerry KEYone and KEY2’s arrival. Unfortunately, the trend didn’t last, and hope is undoubtedly dying now.

TCL stopped making Blackberry phones, which left the brand languishing. Still, it had a fresh new owner in OnwardMobility, which promised it would offer a keyboard-toting 5G Blackberry phone. Sadly, the new company shut down in 2022, and all plans for a new BlackBerry phone were also canceled.

A crowdfunded phone, the ASTRO Slide 5G, successfully raised good money in 2020, and it had an expected October 2021 release date. The device reached some backers, but most were disappointed by the outdated tech, and many were still waiting for it in 2023. Fxtec released the Pro1, and in 2019, also made an Indiegogo campaign for a successor, the Fxtec Pro1 X. It’s now amazingly hard to get, and most don’t think it is a worthy acquisition.

Still, the market for phones with a physical QWERTY keyboard continues to die off slowly, and some of you might be better off picking a good keyboard app, or a Bluetooth keyboard, instead. If you still want a device with an actual keyboard, though, the ones above are your best bets, which seems rather sad. That said, we believe by now it’s time to give up, and the best option is to get an iPhone and a Clicks Keyboard case.

FAQs

As you can see, you don’t have many options to pick from. Maybe it’s time to finally let go of phones with physical keyboards. At least for now, it would be worth checking out our list of the best Android phones and best budget phones.