The BlackBerry KeyOne was put to the test by YouTuber JerryRigEverything, who did find one unusual weakness in the handset. BlackBerry’s latest flagship, which was launched toward the end of May, did quite well in the tests — until it was put to the bend test.
BlackBerry KeyOne is pretty strong overall
During the bend test, the screen came out of the chassis easily, revealing that the adhesive is not strong enough to hold the screen in place. There have been a few reports of owners reporting similar problems in which the screen came out quite easily, notes CrackBerry.
The YouTuber performed various other tests, including putting the KeyOne’s Gorilla Glass 4 to some brutal tests. The glass, however, was tough enough to endure all the scathing. The KeyOne’s fingerprint scanner continued to work even after it was damaged. When a flame was held near the handset’s display for about 14 seconds, a black mark appeared on the screen, but the moment the flame was removed, the mark also disappeared, with no damage occurring to the phone at all, notes DigitalTrends.
After the guys at CNET became aware of the screen popping issue, they decided to test it for themselves. They carried out some extreme tests, including dropping it from different heights onto a variety of different types of surfaces, such as wood and carpet,. The phone was also bent with force at least four times, and it was then that the BlackBerry KeyOne’s screen popped out.
TCL acknowledges screen popping issue
BlackBerry, which was once the biggest smartphone maker, has been struggling as its last few devices have gone unnoticed. The Canadian firm decided to move out of the phone manufacturing business and has licensed the manufacturing rights to companies like Alcatel, a subsidiary of TCL China best known for manufacturing televisions. The BlackBerry KeyOne is different from other Android phones on the market, as it offers the much-loved QWERTY keypad and a premium Android experience.
TCL, manufacturer of the KeyOne, says that strong and durable materials are used in the manufacturing process, and the device has been through rigorous tests. The company stated that it is aware of the screen popping issue, but the issue is limited to a few handsets out of the thousands of KeyOne devices it has sold so far. The company also stated that it is working on the issue and trying to decide on additional adhesive to solve the problem and keep the screen in place.
TCL is acting BlackBerry users who have experienced the screen popping issue to contact it to get their device replaced, notes AndroidAuthority.
Demand for this $550 BlackBerry phone has been high in the United States. Both versions of the phone (one works on AT&T’s and T-Mobile’s networks, while the other works on Verizon) were already sold out on Amazon and Best Buy in the United States, and Canada also reported high demand for the KeyOne.
In a recent Twitter post, Steve Cistulli, the president of TCL Communication North America, admitted that “demand has been extremely high” for the handset, adding that the company is “working closely with our retail partners, ensuring additional stock is available ASAP so they can fulfill customer orders.”
