GoKawiilBack in the 2000's -- pre-iPhone -- the BlackBerry was a productivity powerhouse that constantly demanded your attention, whether to punch through your email inbox or message contacts over BlackBerry's BBM texting service. Now in 2026, Unihertz's $490 Titan 2 Elite feels much like a modern-day BlackBerry, and its smaller screen actually keeps me from doomscrolling.
I've spent weeks testing a prerelease edition of the Titan 2 Elite with early software. I like its adorable design, which gives a "small phone" feel. Its 4-inch square-ish screen feels like holding a 4:3-aspect-ratio TV. The relatively compact display is great for doing all the things I used to do with a BlackBerry, like reading websites, checking email and using the physical keyboard to type my way through all of it.
But watching video -- especially vertical video -- is frustrating. Since most applications and websites are now built with rectangular phone displays in mind, it does become a bit challenging when the phone's square display doesn't work as well for showing off content.
While there are quirks that Unihertz is attempting to solve through software updates, the Titan 2 Elite evokes a nostalgic keyboard feel while still running modern Android apps. But there are a few things worth calling out for anyone comparing the Titan 2 Elite to other keyboard phones we're waiting for, like the upcoming $500 Clicks Communicator.
The keyboard has ridges along its keys, making it easier to feel around for letters. Joseph Maldonado/CNET
How the keyboard feels
The Titan 2 Elite's keyboard -- the real star of a phone like this -- is quite good, but not entirely perfect. The keys are all a nice size, making it easy to tap out messages without worrying about mashing multiple keys at once. In fairness, nailing the exact keyboard pattern that BlackBerry perfected back in the 2000s is no small feat. The Titan 2 Elite's keys have a ridge that helps you feel the letters, and tapping the alt key lets you access the numbers and symbols.
Something I did have to remember from the BlackBerry days was the adjustment period to the physical keyboard's specific layout and symbol placement. For instance, I wish the punctuation symbols were larger on the keyboard. While muscle memory eventually kicks in for the letters, I typically need to hunt for symbols like the @ in email addresses (it's on the far right, on the P key).
If you use the asterisk frequently, its location right above the alt key creates a minor traffic jam. This made me type more slowly on the physical keyboard than I do on a touchscreen. But it's a more precise feeling and doesn't constantly try to autocorrect as my iPhone does.
This Unihertz Titan 2 Elite came in black, but the phone is also available in orange. Joseph Maldonado/CNET
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