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BlackBerry "PRESS" by TCL to debut at CES 2017

By JC Torres/

Well that went fast. It feels like only yesterday when BlackBerry put out the DTEK60. Actually it was just a few months ago, so not exactly an exaggeration. It was no secret that BlackBerry had one last smartphone up its sleeve, perhaps the last of its kind. A smartphone bearing its own, non-sliding physical keyboard has been expected, and it seems it's coming sooner rather than later. At CES 2017, right at the start of the year, BlackBerry and TCL will reveal what is perhaps the last keyboard smartphone, the BlackBerry PRESS.

The not so subtle hints came directly from the horse's mouth, no offense meant. By that, we mean TCL North America President and General Manager Steve Cistulli, who dropped a small video clip on Twitter to tease the device.

Given how he worded his Tweet, it is almost certain that it's going to be called the BlackBerry PRESS. BlackBerry definitely loves its uppercase letters.

Aside from having a keyboard, something that is confirmed in this teaser, not much is known about the smartphone formerly known as Mercury. It wouldn't be surprising to see late 2016 hardware specs on it though. Except perhaps for the screen, which was tipped to only be 1080p. But unlike its cousins, such as the BlackBerry PRIV (yes, them uppercase!), the PRESS' screen is expected not to be square, making it one rather long smartphone.

It's not going to appeal to everyone, perhaps even to BlackBerry's remaining loyal fans. But given what will probably be a piece of history, as BlackBerry's last formal smartphone, it will undoubtedly grab a lot press, pun totally intended.

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