Back in the 2000s - pre-iPhone - the BlackBerry served as a productivity powerhouse that constantly pulled your focus, whether to clear your email inbox or chat with contacts via BlackBerry's BBM service. Now in 2026, Unihertz's $490 Titan 2 Elite feels much like a modern BlackBerry, and its compact screen actually helps me avoid endless scrolling.

I've spent weeks testing a prerelease version of the Titan 2 Elite with early software. I enjoy its charming design, which gives a small-phone sensation. Its 4-inch square-ish screen feels like holding a 4:3-aspect-ratio TV. The relatively compact display works well for tasks I once did on a BlackBerry, such as browsing sites, checking email and using the physical keyboard to type through it all.

Yet watching video - especially vertical video - proves frustrating. Since most apps and sites are now designed for rectangular phone screens, it becomes tricky when the phone's square display does not suit content display as effectively.

While quirks remain that Unihertz aims to address via software updates, the Titan 2 Elite brings back a nostalgic keyboard experience while supporting current Android apps. Still, a few points deserve mention for anyone weighing the Titan 2 Elite against other keyboard phones on the horizon, like the upcoming $500 Clicks Communicator.

How the keyboard feels

The Titan 2 Elite's keyboard - the true highlight of such a device - performs well, though not flawlessly. The keys are all a good size, allowing easy message entry without hitting multiple keys together. Matching the exact keyboard layout BlackBerry perfected in the 2000s is no easy task. The Titan 2 Elite's keys include a ridge that aids letter recognition, and pressing the alt key reveals numbers and symbols.

One adjustment I recalled from BlackBerry times was the learning curve for the physical keyboard's layout and symbol positions. For example, I wish punctuation marks appeared larger on the keys. While muscle memory develops for letters, I often search for symbols like the @ in email addresses (it sits on the far right, on the P key).

If you use the asterisk often, its spot right above the alt key causes a small jam. This led me to type more slowly on the physical keyboard than on a touchscreen. Still, it offers a more accurate feel and avoids constant autocorrect like my iPhone applies.

Similar to some later BlackBerry models, the keyboard supports touch gestures, such as acting as a scrolling trackpad when viewing a site, and you can configure shortcuts as well. While typing, you can also double-tap the keyboard and swipe to shift the cursor - useful when editing in my notes app.

Unihertz keeps refining the phone's keyboard ahead of its launch later this year. During testing, a software update fixed an issue where I needed to double-tap a key to begin typing in a text field. Hopefully further tweaks will optimize this and other aspects over time.

The Titan 2 Elite runs Android 16, with a simple overlay close to stock Android - I appreciate opening the app drawer and using the keyboard to search quickly for needed apps. Unihertz intends to deliver five years of software and security updates for the Titan 2 Elite. That stands out compared to some makers like Motorola, who usually provide only two years of software updates and three years of security updates for their under-$500 phones.

The display is like a little TV

The Titan 2 Elite features a 1080p resolution screen with a 120Hz refresh rate, yet its square aspect ratio creates some quirks. For instance, it excels at reading websites, especially while scrolling via the keyboard's swipe gesture, but video viewing poses challenges. The software crops images awkwardly to fit vertical video. Maybe this acts as a bonus, reducing the urge for mindless TikTok viewing.

Most apps default to vertical orientation when holding the phone with the keyboard below the display. This fits since most phones stand taller vertically. When using an app like YouTube, I would prefer full-screen video. Instead, default full-screen mode switches to horizontal, requiring me to turn the device sideways - resulting in holding the now-vertical keyboard like guitar strings.

Apps like Instagram stay vertical, playing video with the top and bottom cropped, similar to issues on the cover screen of flip phones like the Motorola Razr.

The screen's square-like shape appears identical in either orientation, rendering some adjustments unnecessary. Accessibility settings manage rotation, but I would like these issues resolved more smoothly, perhaps via a quick button in an overlay or the Quick Settings menu.

A nice camera, but you'll want to know its settings

For an under-$500 phone, the Titan 2 Elite's cameras are solid, though they should not drive your purchase. They fall short of Google's $499 Pixel 10A, yet I appreciate the detail and color from the 50-megapixel wide-angle and 50-megapixel telephoto cameras. Photos default to 4:3 ratio, but you can switch to a more standard 2:3 orientation.

I captured the photo below on a sunny morning in Queens using the wide-angle camera. For such a small camera, the image shows strong detail - note the street and people at the cafe. Dynamic range stays limited, with shadows turning black.

Here is the same scene shot with 2x optical zoom on the telephoto lens. The tele image offers better exposure, yet details soften - observe the 33 St sign and tree leaf texture.

Usually, standalone telephoto cameras do not appear on phones under $650. So including one on the Titan 2 Elite is a welcome feature.

Photos appear softer indoors. At the Sweet Suite toy event in New York, I shot the image below of a Megazord Power Rangers display. Text on the packaging looks soft despite a static subject, likely from dimmer lighting and the small sensor.

The pattern continued with selfies. This photo was taken outside on a rooftop deck. The image shows good facial detail, likely thanks to bright sunset sun.

But the selfie inside the CNET office under artificial lights looks noticeably softer by comparison.

This level matches typical lower-cost phones, especially those I tested between $300 and $400. Since the keyboard is the main draw and the price does not match a premium camera phone, I am more willing to overlook camera limits.

The Titan 2 Elite will soon face more competition

It is a strong year for fans seeking a nostalgic BlackBerry-style device. The tested model includes 256GB storage and a MediaTek Dimensity 7400 processor. A Pro version at $580 offers 512GB storage and a stronger Dimensity 8400 processor. Both are open for preorder on Unihertz's site.

The Unihertz Titan 2 Elite, shipping in September, may arrive before the upcoming $500 Clicks Communicator, yet both provide an Android option reviving the clicky keyboard. The Unihertz adopts a more 2000s BlackBerry style, while the Communicator offers a modern RIM-inspired take designed by a former BlackBerry designer.

The Communicator comes from the firm behind keyboard cases for iPhones and Android phones. It is not an exact old BlackBerry copy but draws from the Clicks keyboard case for a Motorola Razr when closed, and runs Android 16 with the Niagara launcher (shown on the Razr). The Communicator uses a MediaTek Dimensity 8300 (MT8883) processor and 256GB storage, expandable via microSD up to 2TB. The Clicks phone adds modern features like a notification LED around a dedicated Prompt key, headphone jack, swappable backplates and Qi2 wireless charging support.

While we await later this year to compare the two, I am pleased both Unihertz and Clicks commit to longer software support than typical at this price. It reflects effort to refine keyboard phones, especially as many apps now favor rectangular slab designs dominant since BlackBerry exited the market. If these phones attract buyers, it should allow time to smooth remaining issues so BlackBerry fans can keep typing.