Is the BlackBerry Kopi the budget device that's been sorely missing?

Is the BlackBerry Kopi the budget device that's been sorely missing?
Don't be a Kopi cat

It's no secret that BlackBerry isn't having the best of times at the moment, but news of the potentially budget BlackBerry Kopi could ease the pain slightly - although like everything from the Canadian firm recently it's rather late.

Details and photos of the Kopi were passed to BGR from a "close source", and it will apparently slide in beneath the BlackBerry Q5 handset the firm launched back in May.

According to the report, the Kopi will actually have a faster processor than the Q5, but misses out on 4G connectivity. There's a win for battery fanatics however, as the Kopi will have a removable power pack - like the higher end Q10 and Z10.

A screengrab supposedly taken from the Kopi reveals it's running the latest version of the firm's new BlackBerry 10 operating system - v10.2.

BlackBerry Kopi - LEAK

Credit: BGR

Too cheap, too late?

In terms of design it appears from the leaked photos that the BlackBerry Kopi isn't that dissimilar to the Q5, with a chunky plastic case and bezel-heavy front encompassing the firm's famous QWERTY keyboard.

There's no word on a potential Kopi release date or price, and with BlackBerry in such an unstable position at this moment in time it may not see the light of day.

BlackBerry Kopi - LEAK

BlackBerry Q5 and Kopi (credit: BGR)

A cheap BlackBerry 10 handset was really needed at launch to encourage the kids rocking cut-price Curves to upgrade to another BB handset, instead of making the switch to a low price Android or Windows Phone device.

BlackBerry is currently beginning to roll out its larger Z30 handset, but with reports suggesting another handset - dubbed the Americano - is also on the way, the Canadian firm may be biting off more that it can chew in this tricky period of transition.

John McCann
Former Global Managing Editor

TechRadar's former Global Managing Editor, John has been a technology journalist for more than a decade, and over the years has built up a vast knowledge of the tech industry. He’s interviewed CEOs from some of the world’s biggest tech firms, visited their HQs, and appeared on live TV and radio, including Sky News, BBC News, BBC World News, Al Jazeera, LBC, and BBC Radio 4.

Latest in BlackBerry Phones
BlackBerry Torch
How I retrieved 10-year-old photos from a classic BlackBerry Torch
BlackBerry
OnwardMobility shuts down and ends the 5G BlackBerry dream
BlackBerry Key2 LE
Blackberry 5G won't ever release, report claims
BlackBerry Pearl
5 things BlackBerry phones got right (and 5 things they didn’t)
BlackBerry Key2 LE in a hand
BlackBerry 5G phone is still coming – and possibly soon
Astro Slide
Waiting for the Blackberry 5G? The Astro Slide could be a good alternative
Latest in News
Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses
Samsung's rumored smart specs may be launching before the end of 2025
Apple iPhone 16 Review
The latest iPhone 18 leak hints at a major chipset upgrade for all four models
Quordle on a smartphone held in a hand
Quordle hints and answers for Monday, March 24 (game #1155)
NYT Strands homescreen on a mobile phone screen, on a light blue background
NYT Strands hints and answers for Monday, March 24 (game #386)
NYT Connections homescreen on a phone, on a purple background
NYT Connections hints and answers for Monday, March 24 (game #652)
Quordle on a smartphone held in a hand
Quordle hints and answers for Sunday, March 23 (game #1154)