Miss physical keyboards? Unihertz is creating a rugged phone that has one

While there are some great keyboard apps that improve the screen-tapping experience, a physical keyboard remains the best way to type on any electronic device. Unfortunately for keyboard fans, smartphones with keyboards have been slim pickings in the last few years, with the BlackBerry Key2 and KeyOne being your only real options. Thankfully for fans of real buttons, Chinese manufacturer Unihertz is launching a rugged phone with a built-in keyboard — the Unihertz Titan.

The BlackBerry influence is undeniable. The Titan looks very much like a blend between BlackBerry’s more recent phones, with a wide design that’s reminiscent of the BlackBerry Passport, and the two-tone coloring of the KeyOne. A square 4.5-inch LCD display sits above the physical keyboard and runs a 1440 x 1440 pixel resolution.

But look a little closer and there’s more to the Titan than just its BlackBerry influences. Where BlackBerry’s phones are sleek and executive, the rugged Titan is aiming for a more adventurous crowd. Like its little brother, the Unihertz Atom, the Titan has a rugged build with a reinforced look. Unihertz claims it is shockproof and packs an IP67 rating for water and dust resistance.

The Titan is powered by a 2GHz octa-core processor, and will pack a monstrously large 6,000mAh battery that should provide strong battery life. Its business acumen is confirmed with dual SIM support for world-hoppers, global LTE support, NFC for Google Pay, and the convenience of wireless charging. Around the back, there’s a single 16-megapixel camera lens, and an 8-megapixel selfie lens around the front.

The Unihertz Atom will be running an unspecified version of Android, and it’s likely to be the custom skin we saw on the Atom, with a few additional apps on top of mostly stock Android. The real draw will likely be the price, though. Unihertz will be offering a limited number of Titans at the reduced price of $199, making it one of the cheapest ways to get an Android phone with a physical keyboard. The Titan will launch through a Kickstarter campaign on July 30. As ever with crowdfunding platforms, though, be wary of putting your money down. Unihertz is a fairly good bet though, having released both the Unihertz Jelly and the Unihertz Atom over the last couple of years.

Updated on July 18, 2019: We’ve added specification and camera details to the article, as well as the launch date.