Unihertz Titan 2 GBAtemp review
Hardware
Product Information:
Nowadays, most smartphones have a tendency to be same-y looking slabs, mostly differentiating themselves with the specs and back panel. There have been attempts to switch up the market, such as with the Humane Ai Pin and the Rabbit R1, but these didn’t really pan out as the developers expected.
Smartphone manufacturer Unihertz is taking another approach, by integrating a feature that we are all familiar with and one that has worked in the past: a physical keyboard. In fact, the company has released smartphones with keyboards in the past, and the Titan 2 is their latest model. And as with its past releases, Unihertz is going through the crowdfunding route for the Titan 2 .
Caution is advised as usual with such campaigns, but Unihertz has a decent track record in fulfilling its campaign pledges. The Titan 2 has already exceeded its funding goals, indicating strong interest in such a phone. We’ll take a closer look at it in this review.
Content and specs of the Unihertz Titan 2
The Unihertz Titan 2 will retail for $400 (but started at $230 for Super Early Bird pledges on Kickstarter) and should come with the following items for retail units:
- Unihertz Titan 2 smartphone
- Screen protector
- TPU case
- Headphone adapter
- SIM ejector pin
- Power adapter and cable
- User Guide and Warranty
There’s only one variant of the Titan 2 and it packs the following specs:
Unihertz Titan 2: a Blackberry in all but name
The obvious comparison of the Titan 2 will be to that of a Blackberry Passport. It packs a conspicuously similar look, but with modern specs. Despite the similarities, this new phone does not feel like a cheap copy.
In fact, I was positively impressed by the hardware, especially considering its relatively affordable cost. It feels polished, even with the early prototype used in the review. The faux leather on the back panel, the matte metallic sides and even the square corners make it look and feel like a premium device.
I was initially concerned about the Unihertz logo above the screen, but it is not as conspicuous as I thought it would be. That said, the company could use a less reflective material for this area, as this would enhance the overall minimal look of the device.
Another potential point of concern is the phone’s dimensions. It’s a chonky boi for sure, but being squat in nature actually makes it fit better in my pants, without the risk of sticking out like regular smartphones tend to do.
While I am generally more than satisfied with the hardware, there are a few gripes that I wish Unihertz considered. There is no expandable storage, which can feel restrictive. In addition, the single speaker offsets the audio, and the device would have hugely benefited from having another speaker at the top. Despite having the real estate to include one, the Titan 2 has no headphone jack. That said, the retail units should come with a USB-C to headphone jack adapter, which is a welcome inclusion.
On the hardware side, the Titan 2 can indeed be considered as a Blackberry in all but name and that's a compliment considering the lack of phones with physical keyboards these days.
The Titan 2 as a daily driver
After unboxing the Titan 2, I was eager to put it to use, and for the last few weeks, it has served as my daily driver. I can definitely say that it has been a fun experience, something that can’t be said for most smartphones.
Despite its unusual display aspect ratio, it is very usable, with the touch-sensitive keyboard allowing you to scroll without having to use the display’s touchscreen. Even if the display isn’t a fancy OLED one, it does output faithful images, and controls are fluid. With global 5G connectivity, you can use it on most networks, and the 5050mAh battery with 33W fast charging supports make it easily usable for a whole day. My time with the Titan 2 has indicated that it indeed works well as a daily driver, even with the early prototype I used.
Of course, the main draw is the keyboard itself. Typing is made more engaging, although slower than swipe-typing like on Gboard, and all keys are responsive. The adjustable backlight is handy, especially in poor lighting conditions. If, like me, you use your phone to take notes and edit documents often, the experience is enhanced. It’s not really designed for single-handed typing, but using your two thumbs to type is a fun, nostalgic experience that most phones don’t offer. In fact, I found using the keyboard more intuitive and more enjoyable than Unihertz's own Titan Slim.
Using a phone with a physical keyboard will eventually be down to personal preference, but I much prefer physical controls over virtual ones (so Unihertz, if you can make a gaming phone with actual controls, please don’t hesitate). It’s appealing to a niche audience, and it’s delivering on its promise of bringing physicality to the smartphone experience.
While its wider screen is well-suited for reading articles and editing documents, the Titan 2 isn’t the best device to watch videos on. Unless you have a video with an aspect ratio matching the screen’s 1:1, most videos will be letterboxed. It's not impossible to watch videos on it, and I have watched a couple of short YouTube videos, but lengthier ones feel restricted on the Titan 2’s screen. In addition, the single speaker isn’t great for more “cinematic” experiences.
Likewise, while the device is capable of some gaming, the screen size isn’t optimal for doing so. The keyboard indicates the potential to revive physical controls while gaming on a phone, but the keys are quite close to each other and don’t offer the best experience as a controller. In addition, the keys aren't recognised as physical input in Android games. (But still, Unihertz can make a dedicated smartphone with physical gaming controls and I hope they do!)
Furthermore, some apps don’t like this odd 1x1 aspect ratio and won't function as needed. Luckily, Unihertz has integrated a “mini mode” that switches the display into a vertically-oriented one for such cases.
What's interesting with the Titan 2 is the inclusion of a 410x502 rear screen. It can mirror notifications, show you the time, access the camera and also has a compass feature. While I don’t think it’s particularly necessary, as you can just flip the phone over to see the actual screen, it is handy for taking pictures with the main camera. The latter is serviceable and is capable of taking decent pictures.
Unihertz Titan 2: sometimes weird is fun
With its uncommon square screen dimension and keyboard keys, there is an initial learning curve when using the Titan 2. This is especially the case for using layers on the keyboard (such as to access symbols and numbers), and I think Unihertz needs to do a better job at onboarding users with a simple tutorial.
For one, the physical keyboard and its layers are best used with the pre-installed Kika virtual keyboard. Using another app like Gboard will recognise hardware input, but you won’t be able to easily access emojis, for example. I had to learn this through trial-and-error, which is not convenient.
Then there are the two programmable keys, which are handy to access apps such as the camera or to switch to mini mode. But again, Unihertz didn’t make this functionality very clear and should step up in this regard.
Furthermore, the early prototype doesn’t have Google Play certification, which led to some apps not being accessible. Unihertz told me that the phone is in the process of receiving a range of certifications which should be completed by August, and I hope it does before consumer units ship in October.
Unihertz has indeed been updating the phone to optimise its software features, such as making swapping between layers quicker and more intuitive. The company has told me that they plan to support Titan 2 with upgrades to at least Android 17. While they won’t be updating it as regularly as mainstream brands, Unihertz will release essential security patches and system updates occasionally.
The Unihertz Titan 2 is decidedly a weird phone to have in 20,25 and it carries its weirdness with pride; and that’s for the best, because sometimes, weird is fun. It is a looker, with its chonky appearance and that elusive physicality. By simply taking it out of my pocket, I’ve received comments such as: “What phone is this?!”, “It looks like a Blackberry!”, and “I want one!”. These aren’t comments you would generally receive with most smartphones.
If you want a different smartphone that’s not totally alienating, the Unihertz Titan 2 is definitely worth considering. The Kickstarter campaign is live until July 24, and units are expected to ship in October.
Verdict
- Responsive and practical physical keyboard
- Premium build quality
- Affordable
- Crowdfunding risks
- No expandable storage
- Single speaker
