To meet price expectations, it looks like BlackBerry is releasing a slimmed-down Key2

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The BlackBerry Key2 hasn’t been out that long and there’s already a successor looming on the horizon. It appears BlackBerry took note of how many reviewers mentioned the $650 unlocked price as being slightly steep, and a cheaper version is in the works.

This will bring the iconic, and honestly, great keyboard to more users, hopefully. The device is loosely referred to as the Key2 Lite and has a codename of Luna. It’s almost identical to the Key2 but with a few key changes.

For a start, the chassis will be plastic to shave off some of the cost, rather than the excellent aluminum one that was used in the premium Key2.

Alleged BlackBerry Luna, a.k.a. the "KEY2 Lite" (Lite and not Mini 'cuz they supposedly have the same form factor). Said/shown to come in red, blue, and copper. pic.twitter.com/fMza9pAAZC

— Evan Blass (@evleaks) July 18, 2018

The veritable leaker Evan Blass got some images of what this will look like. According to him, it will be available in three colorways: red, blue and copper.

You can probably expect some shaving down of the internals also when it launches, probably a lower-specced Snapdragon chipset and lower RAM/storage. That will make it more in line with the price band they’ll be targeting.

This move to release a Key2 Lite reminds me of another time BlackBerry released a cut-down version of their flagship, back when the BlackBerry Q5 was released after the BlackBerry Q10. Lots of similarities here, with the lower priced device having a playful, colorful aesthetic and lower specs.

The Q5 didn’t do well in the market, as it shipped with the unpopular BlackBerry 10 OS when most of the market was using Android. That’s not the case here, BlackBerry’s implementation of Android is done well on the Key2, with only minor tweaks to boost productivity.

*This plastic 'Berry is said to launch late August / early September, perhaps at IFA.

— Evan Blass (@evleaks) July 18, 2018

I loved the physical keyboard on the premium device, and I hope that it doesn’t change much (apart from a couple minor bugfixes) on the Key2 Lite. It was versatile enough that I wrote my full review on the device, something that I wouldn’t dream of on a touchscreen-only device.

We don’t know any details about cost or release date as yet but have reached out to BlackBerry to see if we can get any information.

Would you cop a new, price-conscious BlackBerry? Sound off below.

For more mobile and tech news, see:

• Apple confirms with repair documentation that its previous faulty keyboards are now fixed
• New rumors about Samsung’s Galaxy Tab S4 reveals no home button and a 12-megapixel camera
• The world’s largest mobile phone factory is set to open in India and Samsung is footing the bill

Joe Rice-Jones

Maker, meme-r, and unabashed geek with nearly half a decade of blogging experience at KnowTechie, SlashGear and XDA Developers. If it runs on electricity (or even if it doesn't), Joe probably has one around his office somewhere, with particular focus in gadgetry and handheld gaming. Shoot him an email at joe@knowtechie.com.