BlackBerry Evolve, Evolve X now official: Are they worth the asking price, though?

Android Authority

The BlackBerry Evolve X.

• BlackBerry licensee Optiemus Infracom has launched the BlackBerry Evolve and Evolve X for the Indian market.
• The two phones share several features, such as a 4,000mAh battery, 6-inch full HD+ screen, and 64GB of storage.
• The Evolve X also has a Snapdragon 660 chip and wireless charging, while the Evolve has a Snapdragon 450 chipset.

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We’ve known for some time now that BlackBerry brand licensee Optiemus Infracom was planning to launch two BlackBerry devices. Now, the company has revealed the BlackBerry Evolve and Evolve X for the Indian market.

The two phones share a number of features, including 64GB of expandable storage, a 6-inch full HD+ LCD screen (18:9), a 4,000mAh battery, USB Type-C connectivity, a rear fingerprint scanner, and a 16MP selfie snapper.

Both phones are equipped with BlackBerry’s DTEK app for privacy and security tweaks, while the BlackBerry Hub is also included for a unified communications inbox (combining SMS, social media, and instant messaging conversations).

Read: BlackBerry Key2 review — Convenience is key

But take a look at the rest of the spec sheet and it’s clear the Evolve X is the high-end model here. It’s equipped with an upper mid-range Snapdragon 660 chipset, 6GB of RAM, a 12MP f1/.8 and 13MP f/2.6 dual camera setup (the latter is presumably a telephoto snapper), and wireless charging.

Switch to the standard BlackBerry Evolve and you’ve got a less powerful Snapdragon 450 chipset, 4GB of RAM, and a dual-13MP camera setup. Optiemus hasn’t provided aperture or other technical details for the latter, which suggests it might not be as impressive as the Evolve X camera setup.

Are they worth the price tags?

The BlackBerry Evolve.

As for launch details, the BlackBerry Evolve X will be available from the end of August for 34,990 rupees (~$509). If that’s a little too steep for you, then the standard BlackBerry Evolve will be available from mid-September for 24,990 rupees (~$364). Both phones will be exclusive to Amazon India.

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Compared to a few other Snapdragon 660-equipped phones, the Evolve X seems somewhat overpriced. For 26,000 rupees (~$379), you can grab the Nokia 7 Plus, while the Xiaomi Mi A2 has a European price of 249 euros (~19,868 rupees). Then again, the Evolve X has wireless charging, but many see it as a bonus, rather than a must-have feature.

Meanwhile, the standard Evolve also seems a little pricey compared to fellow Snapdragon 450-toting handsets. Xiaomi’s top-end 4GB/64GB Redmi 5 costs 10,999 rupees (~$160), while the 4GB/64GB Moto G6 costs 15,999 rupees (~$233). You’re getting higher resolution rear cameras and a bigger battery with the Evolve, but does that really warrant a $150 difference?

What do you make of the new BlackBerry phones? Would you buy them? Let us know in the comments section.

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