Club Benefits
I’ve reviewed hundreds of phones in my career, but QWERTY keyboard phones are my biggest guilty pleasures. Honestly, there’s a reason why they’ve become so rare — but whenever I come across one, I’m pulled back to the early days of the smartphone.
The BlackBerry Passport remains one of the most iconic keyboard phones ever made, and it’s what inspired the Unihertz Titan 2. While that Android-powered phone brought back nostalgia when I tested it out last year, it simply wasn’t enough to convince me to drop my slate phone.
Well, Unihertz is back at it, and the Titan 2 Elite is an even more compelling package — so much so that I ditched my Galaxy S26 for a week to see if this refreshed BlackBerry Passport clone could win me over.
Article continues belowUnihertz Titan 2 Elite: Specifications
| Header Cell - Column 0 | Unihertz Titan 2 Elite | Unihertz Titan 2 |
|---|---|---|
Display | 4.03-inch (1080 x 1200) AMOLED | 4.5-inches (1440 x 1440) |
Refresh rate | 120Hz | 120Hz adaptive |
Rear cameras | 50MP main, 50MP telephoto | 50MP main, 8MP telephoto with 3.4x optical zoom |
Front cameras | 32MP | 32MP |
Chipset | MediaTek Dimensity 7400 | MediaTek Dimensity 7300 |
RAM | 12GB | 12GB |
Storage | 256GB | 256GB |
Battery | 4,050 mAh | 5,050 mAh |
Charging | 33W wired | 33W wired |
Operating system | Android 16 | Android 15 |
Size | 4.64 x 2.95 x 0.41 inches (117.8 x 75 x 10.4 mm) | 5.43 × 3.49 × 0.43 inches (137.8 × 88.7 × 10.8 mm) |
Weight | 5.75 ounces (163 grams) | 8.28 ounces (235 grams) |
Colors | Black, Orange | Black |
Smaller, way more compact size
I am so tired of big phones. That’s why I’ve taken to using the iPhone 17 Pro and Galaxy S26 as my daily drivers, rather than top-of-the-line models like the iPhone 17 Pro Max or S26 Ultra. Because of that, I can’t get over the size of the Titan 2 Elite because it’s noticeably smaller and lighter than the original Titan 2.
In a world of oversized slabs, the compact nature of the Titan 2 Elite is a refreshing change — made even better by the fact that I can actually use it one-handed. Its squarish 4.03-inch AMOLED display allows my thumb to reach all four corners with ease.
Even with its diminutive footprint, the build quality feels fantastic thanks to its aerospace-grade aluminum construction. While the black model I have is sleek, the orange version gives off a distinct iPhone 17 Pro aesthetic with its flat edges and rounded corners.
Typing is pretty satisfying, but could be smarter
Much like the iconic BlackBerry keyboards of the past, the Titan 2 Elite features sculpted keys that are easy to distinguish as my thumbs glide over them — offering that satisfying, tactile feedback I crave. Unihertz has also brought back some of its more innovative features, such as the touch-sensitive keyboard. This allows me to scroll through web pages and galleries or precisely place the cursor exactly where I need it just by swiping over the keys.
At first, I struggled with the lack of a dedicated number row, but I appreciate that they are incorporated into the physical layout via the “alt” key rather than being relegated to a virtual row on the display. However, while the predictive text feature populates three options as I type, the Kika-keyboard software still struggles with reliable auto-correction.
Handles the basics with ease
Functionally, the Unihertz Titan 2 Elite performs just as well as my Galaxy S26 when it comes to everyday tasks. Even with its square display, apps are generally laid out appropriately. Whether I’m replying to emails, surfing the web, or playing the occasional game, the MediaTek Dimensity 7400 chipset handles everything I throw at it.
However, there are specific instances where the unconventional display size becomes problematic. For some reason, video reels on Instagram and TikTok are cropped, which often cuts out subtitles. You can see the effect in the photos above. Currently, the only way to get the aspect ratio into a more traditional 9:16 layout is to enable "mini mode." The downside, of course, is that this shrinks the layout significantly, resulting in a lot of dead space on the screen.
While some might find this annoying, it really only impacts vertical video. Games like Age of Origins load perfectly well, actually giving me a wider view of the world map than what I get on my Galaxy S26.
Camera performance is still a struggle
The toughest part of convincing me to make the Titan 2 Elite my daily driver is its underwhelming camera performance. There’s a 50MP dual-camera setup on the back: a main shooter that does most of the heavy lifting, along with a telephoto lens that appears to offer 2x optical zoom.
Don’t get me wrong, the shots from the main camera are decent when there’s ample lighting, but they become a complete mess under low light — and the photos above are proof enough. At the same time, I’m not impressed by the soft video recording performance, which also struggles to maintain focus.
When you’re used to the excellent point-and-shoot reliability of flagship cameras that require virtually no editing, it’s hard to go back to this.
Bottom line
I told myself a long time ago that I’d never go back to a phone with a physical keyboard. Yet, the Unihertz Titan 2 Elite is easily the best QWERTY phone I’ve used in the last decade — largely due to its unconventional size. If it were as bulky as the previous Titan 2, I wouldn’t be nearly as impressed.
Right now, the phone is live on Kickstarter, where you can snag it for $369 with an early bird pledge. I think it’s worth a shot, provided you can overlook the underwhelming low-light camera performance and soft video recording. I’ve lost count of how many people have stopped me to ask about the keyboard, but they always seem even more impressed by its compact design.
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