BlackBerry DTEK50 Review

Last year’s PRIV was a mixed bag and a letdown for many of the brand’s fans, but not BlackBerry is back with a new (and very different) smartphone. Rumor has it that one (or even two) more are coming by the end of the year, but until then let’s take a look at the DTEK50.

What we have here is in many ways the exact opposite of the PRIV: full-touch candybar form factor instead of a slider, regular 1080p display instead of dual-curved QuadHD, rebranded hardware instead of a custom BlackBerry-engineered design.

Yes, it’s true: save for the back plate, the DTEK50 is identical to the Alcatel Idol 4 (not to be confused with the more advanced 4S). This was disappointing for many, but I think it’s the right idea. Maybe not the best choice of device to “borrow”, but it’s the right idea for BlackBerry to focus on the software and security side a...