Unihertz Titan Slim: Is it TOO Old Fashioned?
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 27 ส.ค. 2024
- TEAM SGG PATREON / somegadgetguy Unihertz Titan Slim Review! One of the last phones left with a keyboard! Arriving at a respectably low price for a communicator phone, is a keyboard TOO old fashioned these days? How many people might be left who still want physical keys? Does it even work? Let's take a look!
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#unihertz #smartphone #keyboard
I poke fun at tech "enthusiasts" that pan and trash phones with "alternative" and unconventional features in this video. If your only reaction is "ugh Juan's TONE", and you're a little crybaby clutching your pearls at me offering some positive reactions to a NICHE device, then you are EXACTLY the kind of person I'm making fun of in this video. Tech should empower people, and we should maintain and celebrate options like these for folks who genuinely prefer OTHER kinds of devices. This is even more important when the potential sales for a device like this might only be THOUSANDS of units. It's critical in our community that we look beyond our own preferences, and call out lazy "popularity" reviewing when we see it.
If you have legitimate critiques and wish to contribute to well rounded conversation on the merits of a device, I'll happily embrace that conversation. If you're just here to whine about my tone, you are INSTA-shadow-banned. No warnings.
Perfectly summed up
That entire stand point and genuinely hilarious impression got you a new subscriber. As someone who very much misses decent keyboard phones I really appreciate your view of appreciating what it is and who it's for while not making that your rallying cry. It's refreshing to say the least. 👍
I still miss the BlackBerry Priv. I love how the keyboard was hidden behind the screen. It's still a truly brilliant idea.
Yup. I really wish we could have gotten a Priv 2 with a better SOC. Imagine that hardware with an SD845 or 855... Sigh...
@@SomeGadgetGuyI'd have preferred an Android Passport with a better SoC, finger print scanner and cameras. It'd be a "shut up and take my money" situation if that had happened! (Titan OG doesn't count because after the keyboard the biggest thing with BlackBerry was security and I wouldn't trust Unihertz in the same way).
I prefer Key2 with a visible keyboard. But I have to say Priv was the most fashion, I've used Passport, Priv and Key2.
@@SomeGadgetGuyI would still use a priv if it had 5G tbh
I really miss having a physical keyboard on mobile devices. People with visual impairments like myself would probably like this phone. Having a tactile keyboard you can memorize makes typing quicker and cuts down on mistakes. And it's not always convenient using voice prompts-especially in public.
It's MISERABLE in public. I have none of those challenges, and I still have problems using those kinds of features in public.
Being visually impaired I own BB key1, Blackberry Key2 and now Titan Slim too. BB key2 has special place in my heart, it has not gotton any update since 2019 though, still its daily driver for me as i am habitual to its nicest physical keyboard. I had the same expectation from Slim, but its keypad is not as cumfirtable as key2. Moreover titan slim will not get *ndroid 12 update therefore we will not be able to use double finger tab gestures of talkback. I am getting used to titan slim gradually but its hard to leave key2 at home while walking away or going to office. Slim was not available here in India, therefore had to import it from Germany
back in the Blackberry days, I could type 90 words/min; combined with the shortcut feature, it was really nice. The Keyboard allows touch-typing without looking.
It's always about practicality and functionality. All screen is definitely better for the fun stuff, but...
I remember that weird physical keyboard cover for the older galaxy devices, it was cool how clipping it on would move the bottom of the display further up above the keyboard. It wasn't my cup of tea but there was just something refreshingly fun about make them feel like a different device. Wish more phone's had these case/keyboard + software support these days
Yup. I wish we saw companies make first party keyboard and dual display cases. It just sucks that not ENOUGH people would be interested in that to make them affordable.
Thanks for showing love to keyboard phones.
I really like how Unihertz keeps bringing out the fun devices and the physical keyboard still is a soft spot for me (BB10
Absolutely fair. We had blackberry really champion security. Unihertz definitely considers long term software a coat that's NOT included in the low price.
The keyboard shortcuts sound so intriguing honestly. This looks like it would be fun.
They really are handy. Once you train your thumb to find those keys, it's tough going back to traditional app drawers.
@@SomeGadgetGuy I love that this tech exists as an option. I hope awareness of it reaches the people who would be intrigued by it.
Same. It's SO niche now, has to be REALLY tough finding the folks who would actually like it.
Back in the day phones were unique. Manufacturers where all trying different things. Phones were like art. Now they're all just the same candy bar. Unihertz should keep going they'll inspire others to give us variety.
Keyboard shortcuts are always welcome 😁. I am just hoping that they can also make a variant that just has a tad more power. That's more just a personal want not necessarily a need. Thanks for the video Juan.
I'd love to see something like this even stepping up to the SD765 performance tier. Or a nicer Dimensity. Just a bit more OOMPH would be nice for larger documents.
@@SomeGadgetGuy A 765 or similar mediatek would be perfect.
We need a lot more of these. I barely touched my computer back in the blackberry days, now I hate evening messaging anyone with these crappy touch keyboards.
It kills me that tech reviewers basically circle what ever is most popular, and dont leave ANY room for features that people still want.
The touch keyboards aren't trash. Specifically if you're using Android. But I do see there's a market for people who use regular phone keyboards. But don't dump on phones like the pixel where the keyboard is extremely responsive with a great vibrative touch. I honestly think the phone in the video looks cool. I had a sort of Alcatel phone with the same premise back in like 2013 and it was dope. On a bad os. But dope
Dear unihertz. Maybe you would be interested in making a modern flip phone. Not the folding screen flip phone. You know, those with the t9 keys. Make it cute or aesthetic. We can attach lanyards and all. If you’re interested that is.
I love that you are advocating for different kinds of phones. And I also commend and love unihertz for filling in a niche.
I so miss my BB Passport.
Palm trēo was my first phone. A hand me down that will always have a special place in my heart
I rocked a Treo for a bit. I miss those days. The PDA world was CRAZY fun...
@@SomeGadgetGuy yeah. I remember dropping it a lot. I'm surprised it only stopped being useful because of a weird software or hardware fault
qwerty phones might be outdated but i hope more brands would bring this form factor back.
What i wouldn't give for a more modern take on a good QWERTY slider...
You're the keyboard psychologist. Great video for a piece of tech that's definitely not for me but I'm glad it exists.
Feel like too many tech "enthusiasts" keep (purposely) missing the point of a hardware keyboard...
No, this phone is not ‘too old fashioned.’ Many people love a keyboard. No question. I never did like typing on the screen. There is no tactile experience.
I've thought about this one......
I still use my old Blackberry sometimes....
It's gonna be nice to have an Updated keyboard phone....
Thanks for a Review
I really miss my old blackberries...
I still carry my old BB Q10 & Z10 - running on TMobile - they tried to End it - by getting rid of 3g - but - they made a deal with - Security Business to keep 2.5g called Edge... I can Call & Text without Google following me... :; I also use my Priv when I wanna surprise people - that's for always letting viewer's know that we don't all want the same phones....
Damn that's rad. I just saw VZW announce the end of their 3G network. Good on you for keeping those beauties running 👍
Another great video Jaun. I really appreciate your takes. Options for different people are a good thing, and we all deserve choices.
Physical keyboard will be always better than screen one. Once I tried it I'm never going back to sensor buttons. My first phone with such keyboard was BB KeyOne, served me 5 years but became a bit slow, now I have Titan Slim. The only thing missing is headphone jack which BB had. I hope this phone will serve me many years to come and hopefully there will be another keyboard phone for me to buy...
I have had my Titan Slim for about three weeks. I love this phone. This is the best keyboard Unihertz has made by far. Titan was good, as was Titan Pocket (I have all three), but Titan Slim is the best typing experience since BlackBerry Key2. I find myself using my iPhone 14 Pro Max less and less - usually reserved for when I want a high quality photo. If you liked BlackBerry, this is the best device you will find in 2023.
I'm so glad there's still ONE option left making this form factor. It kills me that there isn't ANY competition left.
I agree. I'm so glad at least we have this option. I find the pkb makes me want to communicate way more than all glass phones. So for me it's the best phone
I got a titan pocket as a secondary phone for mountain biking, but I've actually put my SIM into it and use it as my main device now. The small screen prevents doom scrolling and third party apps/keyboards really take advantage of the fifty billion buttons this thing has
RIGHT! Like, it's kind of a huge perk to have a device for folks that want to focus primarily on communication.
I always love Juan phrase " averaiiig conzooooomers " 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Too many techies keep whining about phones that aren't made EXACTLY for them, and then they try to hide behind this IDEA of "avuraj" which totally doesn't exist LOL.
People like what they like, and I'm glad their might an option for them.
I experienced Blackberry when it was full on Blackberry, OS and all. Typing experience was very different from what we were accustomed to; well, most of the world. Mine in the blackberry world is an experience too long to type, worthy of a video, I think. My question or concern would be the keyboard on this Unihertz. The initial look of it backs me say, if Blackberry were still around, I don't think that keyboard would win anyone over to it. But Blackberry isn't around, and this might be an option for some. Especially older people and their hands. Young man, you'll understand that one in the future.
Yeah it is a strange name. But I am very glad that this company exists and still makes phones.
I'm so glad theres ANY option left. It's refreshing to use actual keys again.
They need to do their own version of the Blackberry Priv. That would be awesome.
Some kind of slider like that would be rad. Priv, Torch, palm pre. Some variation on that theme would be fun.
Solid replacement for the Key2. This from a guy who had the Curve, Bold, Classic, Key 1 and Key 2
I think it's mostly familiarity for me. It's so close, but a few things have to be different.
Since 2016 I'm using BlackBerry, Passport, Priv (when it dead I was like 😭😭) and actually Key2 for 4 years in 2 months. I will never go back to a complet screen touch, never. I'm happy they still exist phone with physical keyboard. I think I'll buy one to try to keep my key2 as long as possible in switching cause I really love my dear BB. I know it willnever replace my BB but if some people buy it maybe Unihertz will continu to make a keyboard phone and listen us for upgrade next generation. Yeah we are a niche but we exist 😢
When I buy a phone I don't care about performance, small screen or 5G (I just use YT in podcast mod, text message, call, maps, Brave, mail, wather, bank and DI radio for music so...) and the jack is not the most important, I prefer an original esthetic. Priv was the most fashion but when it was close It looked like the others. I love when I use my key2 and people tell me "BlackBerry ? It still exist ?" 😂
I love texting without looking my phone and make no mistake 😁
I'd like to to see a review of the uni hertz tank!
I still love the whole idea of physical keyboard on a smartphone, but I never been tempted with Portrait keyboard layout. What I always prefer is Landscape keyboard layout, which is something that a company called Planet Computers always do. The latest Astro Slide 5G Transformer has a Mediatek Dimensity 800 SoC with 8GB RAM, two USB-C port, and a headphone jack.
@@terrancecloverfield6791 Planet Computers has finally do the shipping. I already saw some hands-on video of that phone recently.
I completely agree. The candybar form (vertical phone with keyboard at the bottom) is the only one for me. It's quick and efficient. No need to turn your phone to start typing or opening.a slider mechanism. I want my phone to be maximum efficient.
I had one for six months but stopped using it, my ring doorbell app didn't work on it, Instagram didn't work properly on it and it wouldn't let me log into my banking app with my fingerprint so I went back to my old Motorola which works perfectly.
Good review. I would add using the Fn key as a control key is super useful. Ctrl A selects all the text. I use that -a lot-. Ctrl F for find in a document as well. I use that also -a lot-. And of course Ctrl C copy, V paste, and Z undo. I've disabled the double tap to home button because that happens too often accidentally. Hitting the square and then somewhere on the home screen to go home is a fine work around. The key shortcut for speed dialing specific people (for me the hospital that i work at). Double clicking the speed key to take screen shot is also useful for me and single press to put phone to sleep is also useful because the sleep button on the right seems like it's better placed on the right. I don't use the keyboard as a track pad. It's not that useful tbh. Yep and head phone jack would be useful. The memory at 256GB is fine. The front facing camera is way way too bad. It's used in video calling that can be for work so a business phone should also have a good camera. It's so bad it gives you like a zombie version of yourself. Not the impression you want to make. The rear facing camera is better and functional but again it won't be the one used to save memories because it needs perfect lighting to be good but for work it's a pretty good auto focus camera. The weird keyboard layout is annoying and hopefully one day they can use a standard computer layout keyboard which would be better. Kika keyboard has no non english spell check and the word suggestions don't show long words completely. That is such bad software.
Cosmo communicator is also a keyboard phone that now even came with a NEW astro slide that I really want. I'm still waiting on my Pro 1 X keyboard phone. It's over 2 years late and counting though......lol.
I wouldn't mind more chunky phones if it meant no camera bumps and bigger batteries.
Same. I want that headphone jack back too LOL.
Is the keyborad better than the keyone? That keyboard was horrendous and I wouldn't go back to that from the iphone. But if it's close to a key2 I would.
I had all Unihertz Titan devices and I can affirm that the only one worth buying today is the Slim. Matter of fact it's the only keyboard phone worth buying at this point, because its the most usable one in 2023
Have you seen the FxTech Pro 1 and the Astro Slide 5G? They're both great, new keyboard phones.
@@KillingAddiction never tried the Astro, but I tried the Pro 1 and hated it.
@kboon can you tell me an about the quality of unihertz phones. I am kinda sceptical about the brand, haven't heard about it alot. My one plus 6t was amazing for like 5 years nothing went wrong with it, until I dropped and broke it's screen by accident. Do unihertz mobile work for years?
I have both the Titan and the Titan pocket I like both of those without any questions the Titan Slim remind me of the key 2 problem was the last phone stopped working after 2 months
That's a bummer. Did you get it replaced?
@@SomeGadgetGuy I ended up not replacing it because it did not have voice recognition so I did get a Android phone any of the Blackberry phones I purchased I could not update them at all so I decided to go with Android the two that I mentioned are there two best daily drivers that I have I got them because I was thinking retro these phones I have have voice recognition that is a plus for me
nice video they look interesting i got my x90 pro plus in yesterday!
NOICE! That's gonna be a monster camera!
cant wait for your vivo content too lol. 5g isnt as fast as samsungs and apple here tho on mint
Woah... Are you in the United States? Did you import it ?
It has the top notch modem. I wonder if there's certain bands that aren't covered because it's not meant for this market? I would have to think that that would be the issue.
@@michaelcorcoran8768 yea im in atlanta. i get fast speeds but like 4 times faster on iphone and samsung phones and yea imported got it from giztop been doing speed tests all over the place its prob because mint mobile doesnt have all of Tmobiles bands i dont think im not sure but i still love it
I still have my Blackberry Bold. Charge it amd turn it on occasionally, play a bit and then put it back to sleep
I think that I used Sony Ericsson M600i or something like that, it was touchscreen and keyboard.
But looking your review I realized I could never go back to harware keyboard. I am bilingual, and those languages are not compatible in writting system (Latin/Arabic).
It is a niche feature.
I'm still hanging on to my Blackberry Key 2. I guess the Titan Slim is next.
This phone has the most powerful camera
Watching from my trusty Key2LE
i think these phones are awesome even though I would never use them. I love seeing stuff like this
It's so refreshing to see some old school style hardware.
Watching this on my BlackBerry Priv 😊 took it out for a day in the wild, a few days ago 😇, and yet again I just can't put it down 😅
What I wouldnt give for a Priv 2 with more modern guts... Such a shame it never got a follow up...
@@SomeGadgetGuy definitely. Imagine if Unihertz does well enough to actually attempt it 😯 but it's a testament to old BlackBerry quality, tho - the fact this over 7 year old Marshmallow 1st android attempt can still get me through a 10 hour workday on a single charge (sometimes hehe 😅)
It just really sucks that Blackberry jumped in on the SD810. If they'd just waited ONE year to try, performance would have been WAY better.
Virtual keyboard plebs vs. Chad QWERTY phone owners
(plebs haven't seen astro slide 5g yet)
Great video bro
THanks buddy! Happy new year!
Not going to lie....I was/ still is disappointed when they release this because I had high hopes for it when they announced it & looking for a key 2 successor but in the end, I just feel in love with my key 2 even more despite lack of updates because titan slim is bulkier, no jack, not a better camera compared to key 2. Hopefully titan slim 2 is a thing that gets me interested.
No argument from me. The Key2 is STILL a fantastic communicator.
It would be a good smartphone (for the Blackberry die hard fans) but it's not 5G. The headphone jack I can live without but not it not having 5G. The voice impersonations at the beginning of your review were impressive.
I wonder why I've never seen Asus ROG Phone 6 reviews from Juan.
Because I'm one guy with a limited budget, and while I've done tons of work with Asus in the past on PC builds, theyve never sent me a review unit.
@@SomeGadgetGuy just curious on what you think of the phone, since it has a 384khz 32bit dac headphone jack.
It looks like something that would be cool to test.
I wish someone made a landscape Messenger(Photon Q/Droid) replacement
Want. So. Bad...
The Titan Husky? no need to make it feel self conscious
LOL we're embracing THICC, but I want that headphone jack...
i would be very interested in something like this, but honestly i think something like a case that i could put on my s23 ultra like they had for the old s8 and note 8 would be a lot better for me. s23 ultra also has a niche feature, s pen. love the s pen. also love physical keyboards on phones. to this day i hate typing on touchscreens. more physical buttons please.
Modular could be good, but making it is more expensive than folks often realize. The last clip on keyboard we got felt WAY worse than these keyboards built into the phone frame. Doing it is easy. Doing it well is more expensive.
@@SomeGadgetGuy i love when creators respond themselves. and i agree btw. doesn't mean it can't be done. i am probably going to invest in the Xreal air glasses along with some sort of half decent folding keyboard and either invest in something like the MX master mouse or just use the phone as a trackpad with the s pen. best i can do for the moment.
Have you seen unihertz tank? Incredible battery life
Yeah. That thing looks crazy. Again, another great example of a niche phone, built around one specific use first.
What do you do with your old tech? I know I would certainly love to take that Blackberry Key 2 off your hands :)
LOL sorry. That red Key2 is a museum phone for me. Pry it from my cold dead hands 😅
Of course the other demographic which is always overlooked by IT and designers, are those with disabilities, because we are a niche market.
I have mostly used phones which have keyboards I really loved my blackberries priv , key one and key two, now I'm having to use a Samsung and I hate it, I have to type using voice which I spend most of my time correcting, it's just made my overall experience really clunky and slow. So I am looking for a replacement keyboard phone before I give up on phones all together.
It is possible to set quick dial on certain buttons?
Yup. I show it.
It’s been a long time since my Sony Ericsson W950 with physical keyboard and jog dial now have a pixel 6 there are times when I miss physical keyboard and jog dial or the Navi roller of the Nokia 7110 I know showing my age sometimes touch screen just doesn’t do it and the headphone jack don’t get me started on how we could still have one
I've already muted three people on these comments who had NOTHING else to contribute but "hur hur, Juan just tries to be different", and refused to acknowledge that folks might actually miss these kinds of features. Those commenters won't be missed.
@@SomeGadgetGuy I always enjoy watching your content and hearing your views which to me are balanced and fair keep the faith
Could the keyboard do the ctrl-c, ctrl-v, undo or redo like bb keyone/keytwo?
Yes. Set the fn or sym to be a ctrl key
I'm willing to pay $100 more for an upgraded hardware...I also wish they would make the smallest of changes it to make it more uniquely UNIHERTZ and not BB rip-off.
I like the snark, I need the snark.
That's on brand for me LOL
Ah. Let me install a mobile Linux os on it. That keyboard would be awesome in a terminal.
Bruh... I might need to poke around and see how that might work... Haven't tried a linux build with anything lower power than an SD765...
@@SomeGadgetGuy
One of my toys is Ubuntu on a OnePlus one for the giggles 😂
Id be a good fit if it had a 3.5 and sd card slot 😂
I had bb since I started using cells from the bold to the key 2 , and had to buy a samsung lol I hate it!!!! I live in Canada and I'm waiting for my titan slim to arrive , I need the buttons lol. I just googled phones with keyboards and they popped up and were the closest to a bb I could find so thats how I found out about them.
It sucks right? There's a small market for this kind of hardware, but people deserve a good option.
@JuanBagnell yea it is a small market but that small market is very loud lol, that small market brought bb back to life a few times, we are the faithful few. I find unihertz didn't market the phone enough, but because they weren't charging a lot for the cell they prolly didn't wanna invest a ton in marketing, if they would have hyped the phone ppl would have frowned at the quality. But like u say it's for a certain user type. For me it's waaaaaaay more then I need. I text mostly with the odd call , I don't use tons of apps , it's more than enough for me. I liked the key 1 and the bold , so I'm hoping it's not super hard to get used too.
I got the Samsung galaxy and it's so thin it's hard to hold at the bottom the way u have too cause the buttons are at the bottom, so the titan slim being a bit thicker won't bother me. I really wanted the titan the rugged one , but I was afraid it would look too big , I worried it would look like an iPad. I'm in Canada so it is too much to send back . I wished I could see one in person cause I love the ruggedness of it , I'm a heavy equipment operator so rugged is good, but I still don't want something if it looks huuuuge. Is it stupid big ??
9:26 the icons for the keyboard there are all absolutely stolen from the real blackberry keyboard apk
i kinda want the uniherts jellybean or what ever its called lol
It's SO cute!
🔥🔥🔥
a mixed bag.
All phones are.
Don't you know that only screen/body ratio, cameras, and benchmark numbers are the only things that matter on a phone? Smh
I once saw a bezel, and then i projectile vomited across a denny's. I'm MOSTLY sure it wasn't the food...
🐐🐐🐐
Anybody has somez blackberry vibez?
I guess you can call them the black sheep of the mobile community.... Or.... The black berry?
Gotta chuckle to keep from crying, how much I miss phones like BB...
1:21 Juan's "complaining consumer" mocking voice never gets old to me! 😆
EDIT: 1:40 Woah, that textured back took me back to the LG V10 review. 🥲
YUP. The phone should just be made out of that back. The case has a great grip.
Any device with a physical keyboard should really have a wider profile for easier typing.
Width often isn't the issue. It's balance. How low the bottom row is, and where you hold the phone.