Up close with the BlackBerry Classic

Micah Singleton and Sean O'Kane of The Verge get their hands on the new BlackBerry:

BlackBerry is returning to its roots. Today the company announced the release of the BlackBerry Classic, its latest smartphone with a full QWERTY physical keyboard and an optical trackpad, bringing back the best thing about the company that once dominated the smartphone market.

I was a Blackberry user for several years before I switched to the iPhone 4s. I still miss the physical keyboard and straightforward productivity my Torch gave me. If I were to ever return to the brand, this would be the phone to do it. It’s just beautiful.

As it is, Apple has their firm grip on my dollar and a seated spot in my pocket. The interconnectivity between my Apple devices and the wide selection and availability of productivity apps from the App Store makes it impossible for me to switch. Maybe I’ll go with Ryan Seacrest’s Typo 2 iPhone keyboard as a “halfway” solution.