BlackBerry KEY2 Durability Test: Perfectly Uneventful

Despite what the smartphone market seems to say, BlackBerry remains steadfast in its iconic QWERTY feature. As proof of that, it recently launched the KEY2 to succeed last year's KEYone. The BlackBerry KEY2 definitely addresses some of the pain points users raised about its successor but one thing the company has been relatively silent about is the aspect of durability. Fortunately, we have JerryRigEverything's Zack Nelson to give us that answer and, even more fortunately, it seems that BlackBerry has learned its lesson well.

For those who might have forgotten, the BlackBerry KEYone had a bit of controversy when Nelson put it through the wringer. Specifically, the screen easily detached from the body during his bend test, revealing barely any adhesive to keep it in place. This has given rise to other such reports, which BlackBerry both acknowledged and downplayed at the same time.

Naturally, Nelson was curious if the BlackBerry KEY2 has sufficiently addressed those complaints. But first thing's first, he has to go through the other tests. The burn test is, of course, negligible as always. The scratch test is as you might expect for Gorilla Glass, even if it's just Gorilla Glass 3. Suffice it to say, you're phone will be safe and sound in your bag with your keys.

As for the bend test, the BlackBerry KEY2 passes with flying colors, not even yielding a bit. Even the back rubber cover doesn't give even if it lifts up a bit. BlackBerry has done almost anything and everything to make Nelson happy, even including a 3.5 mm headphone jack.

The BlackBerry KEY2 definitely checks most of the boxes of modern smartphones, save for the CPU. The question, however, is whether there is really still a market for such smartphones today. BlackBerry thinks so, which means will keep seeing them for a bit longer.