Win an IOU for a BlackBerry KEYone from CrackBerry Kevin!

By CrackBerry Kevin
last updated

Winner's Announcement: Click Here to see who won!

A few weeks ago Daniel Bader wrote many kind words here on Android Central letting you know that CrackBerry Kevin was coming out of retirement to celebrate 10 Years of CrackBerry and to cover the hell out of the BlackBerry "Mercury" launch.

Fast forward through a crazy few weeks of editorials, youtube videos, tweets, instagram photos and even an onstage appearance at BlackBerry's press event and it feels to me like CBK never left. It's been a helluva fun month!

More exciting than CBK having tech blogging fun again is that the newly-christened BlackBerry KEYone has shaped up to be helluva good phone. Having used one now for a few days now, I think it's a phone that BlackBerry users past and present will absolutely love, and many who have never touch a keyboard before may even find themselves developing a crush on if they give it a try. The hardware build quality and design is top notch. The physical keyboard is fantastic to type on (having a fingerprint sensor in the spacebar is brilliant), the battery life is amazing, having the same camera sensor as the Google Pixel means it takes fantastic photos, and despite having a keyboard there all the time the screen size itself as you use the device is BIG (prior to the KEYone I was using the Pixel XL, DTEK60 and iPhone 7 as daily drivers). This finally is the no compromise BlackBerry I have been waiting on for YEARS. Running on Android, I finally have the app ecosystem I need and it's also giving me the features of BlackBerry I've always loved.

Enter to Win an IOU for a BlackBerry KEYone from CrackBerry Kevin

Clearly, I'm gushing all over for my new BlackBerry KEYone. And I know there a LOT of former BlackBerry users here on Android Central who used to be highly active on CrackBerry (I'm glad when you left you found your way over to the best Android site and community in the universe!). In the spirit of our CrackBerry 10 year anniversary, the return of CBK and the fact that I'm legit in love with a BlackBerry again, I want to give a KEYone away to an Android Central reader.

To enter, you just need to fill out the form below! We'll run this giveaway through to the end of March and I'll announce the winner here on Android Central on April 1st. Open worldwide! As soon as the KEYone becomes available for purchase I'll buy and one send it to you myself.

*Required field

Rebuilding the BlackBerry Community Bottom Up!

With a giveaway of this nature, we typically make it really easy to enter - just asking for you to leave a simple comment to enter. This time around I am asking for more, for a reason. I want to be able to get to better know and communicate with all of the biggest BlackBerry and Android fans in the world. First Example - I want to know what city you live in. If I'm visiting, I want to be able to send out an email to all the fans living there - you never know, maybe we can make an impromptu meet up happen to talk tech. Second Example - Occupation. So we can better plan our content, I'd love to get a better sense of everybody's background in this community: are we students, IT admins, entrepreneurs, business professionals, teachers or ??? If you're on social, I'd love to know your handles so we can follow you there too. The data will not be shared, and only your name and email address is mandatory to enter, but knowing more about you will help reforge a stronger BlackBerry community!

Enter now. Good luck!! And if you ever want to swing by CrackBerry.com for a visit, don't be shy. The team over here at Android Central is CRUSHING it on all the coverage, but nobody will get mad if you spend some time hanging out on both Android Central and CrackBerry :)

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84 Comments
  • Nice prizes as usual
  • Awesome.. Mobile Nations had great coverage at MWC this year.
  • I miss the feel of my 9650...I may be checking this out when my upgrade comes around in October..Will be able to see any preliminary issues. I could use a phone like this for work and play
  • The 9850/60 is still one of my favorite BlackBerry's to date. The Passport and Priv surpassed that standard. Hopefully the KEYone continues the upward trajectory.
  • I have been wanting a new blackberry forever, i worked for sprint when the priv launched so i never got a chance to own one. I work for LG now and i would still rock this sevice on the daily!
  • Big Thank you to Kevin for this! Would love to own a brand new Mercury! :D I love taking photos and recording videos. If the KEYone lives up to its camera sensor. It will take fabulous photos and clear videos. Definitely submitting any and all details I can. A droid a day keeps the Apple away
  • I would die from crackberry overdose if i win. Thanks Kevin.
  • Great Kevin. Seeing as I didn't win the KEYone on the CrackBerry site that I visit as well all the time, maybe I'll be fortunate enough to win the one you're giving away here. Have used BlackBerry phones for 20 years while working and would love to get one back. Good luck to all though.
  • Thanks for offering this give away, Kevin.
    You mentioned the screen size being big in use and that's my one real reservation about this phone. I would love a PKB but a screen size under 5" would be ridiculously small to me. The phones I use now are 5.5" and 6". Can't imagine going smaller at this point. I know, while the VKB is onscreen the effective screen size is a lot smaller but still...
  • You nailed it. Screen size kills it right away. Nobody goes down after up...nobody...doesn't matter who made the phone or what it has otherwise.
  • I am going to go down to 4.5" for the KEYone. Virtual keyboards are the WORST! With physical keyboard shortcuts, you don't need screen space for swiping and tapping on icons so in real world application, I don't need more screen space. Plus, it makes much more sense with Nougat's multitasking.. a virtual keyboard will get in the way of whatever is at the bottom portion of the screen.
  • So your keyboard is on screen 100% of the time?
  • Every product has its unique features buddy
    the phone made for professionals fully considering compactness and productivity
    although it has much power Its not a phone to watch movies or gaming https://www.xda-developers.com/opinion-the-blackberry-keyone-is-not-for-...
  • So, that's the odd thing. My last few phones were Google Pixel XL, iPhone 7 Plus and DTEK60. I was expecting to pick of the KEYone based on the photos and think the screen was small and that I was losing out. Yet somehow, in use, screen doesn't feel small at all. Feels plenty big. Doesn't feel like a compromise. At least to me. Suggest you try it when you get a chance and see what you think!
  • Did anyone ever tell you - REALLY - that size doesn't always matter??! I'd rather have smaller and perfectly formed than large and generic....anytime......from my Blackberry or any other digit twiddling 'device'....
  • Every product has its unique features buddy
    the phone made for professionals fully considering compactness and productivity
    although it has much power Its not a phone to watch movies or gaming https://www.xda-developers.com/opinion-the-blackberry-keyone-is-not-for-...
  • I guess now BB is fully aboard the Good Ship Android I should pop my face in here more often. Trying out Android on a ZTE Grand X4 and have no major issues with the OS but I do still love BB10 for its fluidity and intuitiveness, I am going to have to learn to do without it soon I guess. Anyhow, thanks once more for the give-away and daring me to step foot into Android Central, the water's not so bad here ;)
  • Thanks Kevin and Mobile Nations
  • Well since I struck out on crackberry I'll try here. The more I look at that phone the more I like it. Pretty slick .
  • The KEYone is the first BlackBerry Android offering to truly get me excited! Pick meeee!
  • Phone is DOA already. Why? Nobody goes back down on screen size once up. Under 5"? Really? Couldn't give me 10 of those phones...
  • See comment above.
  • Been using BlackBerrys since 2005! Long live BlackBerry 👌
  • I'd rather not, yuk blackberry!!
  • Looking forward to winning it
  • would be really awesome to win a KeyOne :)
  • Awesome giveaway! i never used BlackBerry before, Thankyou for this opportunity to win the KeyOne! Good luck for evryone!
  • I feel kind of guilty entering. I haven't really joined the community yet. At least as a BBQ carrying member. So here's an offer. If by some stretch of the imagination I'm the winner, I'll trade this with someone for a DTEK60. A CrackBerry purist would appreciate the this more than I.
  • I'll take you up on that. I'll straight up buy you a brand new DTEK60. :)
  • Great giveaway! I never used a BlackBerry before, but I love to have a phone with a PKB again. The last PKB phone I had was the Palm Windows Treo. I watched the KEYone presentation twice and I loved what I saw. I love to win the KEYone!
  • Black berry tour 9630 from 2009 to 2012 miss physical KB the most switched carriers and O.S to andriod and havent looked back. Samsung and LG and been liking LG over Samsung but the priv had my interest but the KB was a huge turn off. But im really interested in the mercury. Just wish the specs were better.
  • Best. Giveaway. Ever. The easiest one I have ever seen. Moreover it's worldwide and for Blackberry KEYone! Thanks for such a nice giveaway. Always wanted to get my hands on a Blackberry device. I hope to win. :) Cheers.
  • I want to win
  • This looks like very cool and my Note 5 camera lost some functionality after update plus touchscreen is getting ... touchy. Plus I like trying new stuff. I had the first OnePlus One. It was good until it wasn't. 🤓
  • Pretty cool
  • I really hope I could win this! I made the jump to android because my Passport was very slowly on its way out. I was one of the early Note7 users left with having to settle yet again for another device.
  • Wow, pretty cool giveaway for an emotional occasion.
  • Love it! I sure hope i win this!.. after watching a bunch of "Hands-on" videos around youtube, I can see A LOT of thought and engineering genius went into the design. I CAN'T WAIT to get my hands on one of these!!!!!!! This will be my phone until the KEYtwo comes out! Haha! :D (that is, if the KEYtwo keeps the same design)
  • I still miss the PKB from my Palm Pre...
  • YESSSS!!! the clickiness of those gel keys was the best!!!! by far the best keyboard on any phone
  • As far as I know this beauty won't be available in my country so participating in this "contest" is a good option :)
  • Phone looks nice!
  • Gr8.
    Wish to win
  • Thanks, great article and I hope to win!
  • Can we enter everyday or is it just a one-time entry?
  • Just a one time entry.
  • It's nice to see blackberry making a comeback
  • I know, right?! Wasn't expecting to see 2017 start this way for BlackBerry but loving it. Solid phone!
  • Nokia is also coming back.
  • Oh I am not reported I just check the sign what its really and it saves as reported ,,,not able to set back
  • So excited for this device. I even prioritised watching the live stream over my studies lol. Thanks so much for this giveaway Kevin. I'll be keeping my fingers crossed for a week. :D A droid a day keeps the Apple away
  • Thanks Kevin
    We changed to android for work and lost my keyboard and hub. Would love to win and put my sim in a new BB..
  • I'm currently using a DTEK50. It's been great so far, but I won't kid myself here, I've become less productive with the van than I did with my passport's pub. KEYone should be a return to form. Can't wait until I win it.
  • I can't edit my comment for some reason, that should have read VKB not van. Also, PKB not pub. Damn autocorrect
  • I'm currently using the moto z play and I can say that it has very good battery life due to the snapdragon 625, same with this upcoming KEYone. Can't wait for this KEYone to be my primary phone.
  • KEYone looks to be a great phone. All the apps. Cool form factor. Great camera. Long battery life. Two of this phone will be in our household soon.
  • Blackberry as a company doesn't seem to care about corporate customers anymore. We pay for support and there's seems to be no way to open tickets with them. Yes, we have a few blackberry stragglers and we are going to migrate them to iphones.
  • Check my comment in top of this comment section....
  • Honestly Speaking as blackberry say's "Consumers are secondary to Blackberry!!!!" in market where consumer is the "Boss". Consumers can make you no. 1 or they make you disappear. Even though they are selling the security suites to someone those are also called "consumers", it does not matter weather it is big enterprise corporate or government bodies. Sorry but one more truth Blackberry are secondary to consumers, and they have proved it.
  • Honestly Speaking as blackberry say's "Consumers are secondary to Blackberry!!!!" in market where consumer is the "Boss". Consumers can make you no. 1 or they make you disappear. Even though they are selling the security suites to someone those are also called "consumers", it does not matter weather it is big enterprise corporate or government bodies. Sorry but one more truth now "Blackberry are secondary to consumers, and they have proved it".
  • Check My Comment in Top
  • I really loved the fingerprint scanner on the spacebar in the new Blackberry KEYone. and it's camera is equivalent to the Google pixel.
  • Glad I entered! Looks like my chances here are a lot better than on CrackBerry (do I get better odds for spelling CrackBerry correctly?)
  • Bases on that criteria I'd say about 1 in 10 chance of winning! :P
  • Hope I win :)
  • Let's try this KeyOne!
  • I'd love to win it!
  • Send me that "Major Key"one #DJ Khaled'sVoice
  • Now on Android Central!
  • One Blackberry to rule them all!
  • Expect to see how the chinese product perform
  • I'll certainly be purchasing one of these for myself and my girlfriend. I'm happy this contest is running!
  • I'm in, for a real venture into the Androids world.
  • O yea I can't wait when is key one available. Ppse drown in heavy rainfall now I'm using china android so to transfer to key one is no problem as is also china build ;-) but better.
    Who ever will will be the Lucky one :-)
    Canada have the great one so android could have the Lucky one.
  • Who ever win will be the Lucky one :-)
    Canada have the Great one so Android Central could have the Lucky one.;-)
  • Dumped my PRIV (too big, and wasn't thrilled with the build quality or shallow press keyboard), and went back to my Bold 9900. LOVE that device, but it's getting long in the tooth for practical, everyday use. Can't wait for the KEYone!!! My dreams have come true (well, almost). Come on April!
  • Hope I'll win. it will be the right upgrade to my classic
  • I was a long time BB10 user, as I went from the 9900 to the Z10, to the Z30, at which point I lost all interest in BB as the apps were just not there anymore... So I switched over to a Samsung S6 edge plus about a year ago, and I must say I do like it... But again, I would like to be reintroduced to the world of BB, and the KeyOne sounds like a good starting point !
  • I am a blackberry user since 4 years using the z10. I have used qwerty phones in the past and love the feel of a physical keyboard. With the z10 clearly showing its age it would be great to upgrade to the KeyOne so that I can enjoy the very best blackberry has to offer once again.
  • This phone looks great :0
  • The powerful nature of the BlackBerry KEYone would be a great help to improve how I work.
  • Keyone Look really cool i do miss Blackberry & the awesome physical keyboard my all-time favorite BB device's were the Curve & Bold model .
  • 1-The truth is BlackBerry doesn't change its style and proudly not losing its unique identity to worlds fade.
    2-Productivity is the main cause for introducing smart phones to world.
    3-Black Berry's main focus is in productivity and not fully into entertainment.
    4-So They give KeyOne.
  • I hope to won it