This Android smartphone with a QWERTY touch keyboard has already raised more than $2.1 million.
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While today best phones are all glass touchscreens ready to be swiped, when nostalgia strikes all we want to do is click our fingers on the touchscreen keyboard of a BlackBerry. Although BlackBerry discontinued its mobile lineup in 2016, phones with physical keypads are making a comeback.
At Mobile World Congress 2026, CNET Mobile Editor-in-Chief David Lumb got his hands on the Titan 2 EliteA Android smartphone made by Chinese smartphone manufacturer Unihertz. It features a fully backlit QWERTY keyboard that fits right in your pocket. On Tuesday, both the standard version and the Pro version launched on Kickstarter and have already surpassed the company’s $100,000 goal.
As of this writing, more than $2.1 million has been pledged by more than 4,500 donors.
The Titan 2 Elite lets you customize its AZ keyboard keys to create short- and long-press shortcuts that take you to different apps and help you edit text. You can even use the keyboard to scroll and move your mouse, an upgrade from BlackBerry’s trackball. As for the programmable red side button, it allows you to launch any application with a single press.
The Titan 2 Elite packs a keyboard and 4-inch screen into a modern Android phone – BlackBerry fans, start your engines.
David Lumb/CNETTo get your hands on an orange or black Titan 2 Elite, estimated to ship in June 2026, you need to pledge $396. This is reduced from the full price of $489 and is at least $403 cheaper than the iPhone17. Shipping to the United States is an additional $10.
For the Titan 2 Elite Pro, you have to pledge $486, plus shipping. Its total price is $579. Estimated delivery time is October 2026.
For standard and Pro phones, plans are available for couples, families (three devices), friends (five devices), and bulk buyers (10 devices).
The phones are currently undergoing certification by Google, the FCC, Conformité Européenne for EU compliance, UK Conformity Assessed and the Japan Approvals Institute for Telecommunications Equipment. These certifications are expected to be obtained by April, before testing and mass production takes place in May.
The Titan 2 Elite has dual 50-megapixel rear cameras and a 32-megapixel front-facing camera.
David Lumb/CNETThe Elite vs. the Elite Pro
The Elite and Elite Pro only differ in power and storage. The standard Elite comes with a MediaTek Dimensity 7400 chip, while the Pro offers a Dimensity 8400. For storage, you get 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage with the standard, and 12GB of RAM and 512GB of storage with the Pro.
Despite rising prices in the memory market driven by AI-related demand, Unihertz has decided to stick with 12GB of RAM. The company says that’s why the Titan 2 Elite costs more than previous Unihertz devices launched on Kickstarter.
The standard and Pro versions feature a 4.03-inch AMOLED display, a 50-megapixel rear camera, a 32-megapixel selfie camera, a 4,050 mAh battery, dual-band GPS, fingerprint and face unlock, Bluetooth 6.0, 5G global coverage, and support for two physical SIM cards and one eSIM. You can even swap one of your SIM cards for a microSD card, giving you 2TB of extra storage.
Both the Elite and Elite Pro will ship with the Android 16 operating system, for which Unihertz will offer five years of update support and security patches until 2031.
