The Titan 2 Elite is the Unihertz keyboard phone I’d buy, and at $489.99 it’s $50 cheaper than the Titan 2. Both answer the same question: how much phone will you carry around for a real keyboard? The Titan 2 is the big, square, Passport-style slab with the bigger battery and a screen on its back. The Elite is smaller, lighter and newer, with a 120Hz AMOLED panel and a longer software promise, and it wins most of the spec sheet, though the Titan 2 still holds two cards the Elite can’t match.
I’ve been writing about phone keyboards since the BlackBerry Pearl, and when I tried the KeyOne at MWC in 2017, my test was simple: you have to really want a hardware keyboard to pay flagship money for one, and that test still applies. I haven’t lived with either Titan yet, so this is a call on hardware, price, software and carrier support, and for most buyers it isn’t close.
Titan 2 Elite: the pocketable one, and the smarter buy
If the Titan 2 is Unihertz’s Passport, the Elite is its BlackBerry Q10 or Classic: a narrow candybar with the screen up top and a phone-width keyboard below. At 117.8 x 75 x 10.4mm and 163g, it’s 20mm shorter, almost 14mm narrower and 72g lighter than the Titan 2. The aluminum frame gets six CNC passes and two anodizing steps, and the matte orange option is easy to find on a cluttered desk.
The screen is a 4.03-inch, 1080 x 1200 AMOLED at 401 pixels per inch and 120Hz. It’s a smaller window than the Titan 2’s, and webpages built for big phones will feel cramped, but you get deep blacks and smooth scrolling the Titan 2 can’t offer.
Unihertz calls the keyboard a more classic, phone-style QWERTY layout, with keys slightly smaller than the Titan 2’s and a new bottom row that puts Home, Back and app-switch keys around the space bar. The whole surface is touch-sensitive: swipe to scroll, move the cursor, flick up to pick a suggested word, or turn on mouse mode. Every letter takes a short-press and long-press shortcut, a long slide lights the backlight, and a red side key launches whatever you assign it.
Inside is MediaTek’s 4nm Dimensity 7400 with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. The second SIM slot takes a microSD card up to 2TB, and since there’s eSIM too, two lines and extra storage don’t cancel each other out. The 4,050mAh silicon-carbon battery charges at 33W. You get a 50MP main camera, a 50MP telephoto good for up to 20x zoom and a 32MP selfie camera, plus Bluetooth 6.0, NFC, an IR blaster and FM radio. There’s no headphone jack and no wireless charging.
Software is where the Elite pulls furthest ahead. It ships with Android 16, and Unihertz commits to five years of support with OS upgrades through Android 20. Want more speed? The $579.99 Titan 2 Elite Pro moves to the Dimensity 8400, 512GB and a stabilized main camera, but it won’t ship until December.
Kickstarter backers, all 8,836 of them, paid $349 to $389. Today it’s $489.99 on Unihertz’s store with a ship estimate of about four weeks, and it isn’t sold on Amazon US. Unihertz has also previewed AZERTY and QWERTZ keyboards for the Elite, but QWERTY is the only one you can order.
Price: $489.99
Where to Buy: Unihertz
Titan 2: the Passport is back, battery and all
The Titan 2 doesn’t hide where it came from, since its 4.5-inch, 1440 x 1440 square LCD matches the BlackBerry Passport’s screen size and resolution exactly, with a wide four-row keyboard below it built for two thumbs. That square panel is great for email, documents and chat threads, and awkward for anything shot in 16:9. Unihertz doesn’t publish its refresh rate, which tells you it isn’t the selling point.
The keyboard is backlit, takes shortcuts on every letter, and lets you swipe to scroll and move the cursor, and the red side key is here too. The Elite adds flick typing and mouse mode, so the Titan 2’s edge is simply size: bigger keys and more room between them.
You also get a 2-inch, 410 x 502 rear screen for notifications and a clock. A Dimensity 7300 runs the show with 12GB of RAM and 512GB of storage, though there’s no microSD and no eSIM, just dual nano-SIMs. The battery is the big one at 5,050mAh, with the same 33W charging. Cameras are a 50MP main, an 8MP telephoto and a 32MP selfie shooter.
The cost is bulk at 137.8 x 88.7 x 10.8mm and 235g, and it’s black only. It shipped with Android 15 and now has Android 16, but Unihertz only commits to Android 17, with security patches released occasionally. One owner on Unihertz’s own store says his phone is still on the March 2026 patch, which you’d want to know before paying $539.99.
That’s the Unihertz store price, while its 7,019 Kickstarter backers paid $229 to $269 and Unihertz once pitched it at $399. Amazon US has a listing, but the only offer is a used unit at $885.99, which is a lot to pay for someone else’s thumbprints.
Price: $539.99
Where to Buy: Unihertz
Head to head: Titan 2 Elite vs. Titan 2 specs
| Spec | Titan 2 Elite | Titan 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Price (Unihertz US store) | $489.99 | $539.99 |
| Main display | 4.03-inch AMOLED, 1080 × 1200, 401 ppi | 4.5-inch square LCD, 1440 × 1440 |
| Refresh rate | 120Hz | Unihertz doesn’t publish it |
| Rear screen | None | 2-inch, 410 × 502 |
| Chip | MediaTek Dimensity 7400 (4nm) | MediaTek Dimensity 7300 |
| RAM and storage | 12GB LPDDR5, 256GB UFS 3.1 | 12GB LPDDR5, 512GB UFS 3.1 |
| microSD | Up to 2TB (in the SIM 2 slot) | No |
| SIM | Dual nano-SIM plus eSIM | Dual nano-SIM, no eSIM |
| Battery | 4,050mAh silicon-carbon | 5,050mAh |
| Charging | 33W wired, no wireless | 33W wired, no wireless |
| Rear cameras | 50MP main, 50MP telephoto | 50MP main, 8MP telephoto |
| Front camera | 32MP | 32MP |
| Keyboard | Backlit, touch-sensitive QWERTY; scroll, cursor, flick typing, mouse mode | Backlit, touch-sensitive wide QWERTY; scroll, cursor |
| Programmable key | Red side key | Red side key |
| Software | Android 16; five years of support, upgrades to Android 20 | Android 15, now updated to 16; plan runs to at least Android 17 |
| US carriers | T-Mobile, Verizon (activate SIM elsewhere first); not on AT&T’s device list | T-Mobile, Verizon (same SIM step), AT&T and Cricket authorized |
| NFC, IR, headphone jack | Yes, yes, no | Yes, yes, no |
| Bluetooth | 6.0 | 5.4 |
| Size | 117.8 x 75 x 10.4mm | 137.8 x 88.7 x 10.8mm |
| Weight | 163g (5.7 oz) | 235g (8.3 oz) |
| Water resistance | No IP rating published | No IP rating published |
| Colors | Black, orange (matte) | Black |
| Kickstarter | 8,836 backers, $349 to $389 | 7,019 backers, $229 to $269 |
| US availability | Unihertz store, ships in about four weeks | Unihertz store; Amazon US has only a used offer |
Where the two phones really differ
Keyboard feel. The Titan 2 has the roomier board, and if you have big thumbs or write long emails all day, that’s its best argument. The Elite’s keys are smaller and its layout is new, so Titan veterans will relearn where Shift and Enter live, while anyone coming from a Bold or Curve should settle in faster.
One-hand use. This is the Elite’s easiest win, because at 75mm wide and 163g, you can thumb out a reply with a coffee in the other hand. The Titan 2 is nearly 89mm wide and 235g, and that’s two-handed territory.
Battery. The Titan 2 carries 1,000mAh more, and while the Elite claws some back with a 4nm chip and an AMOLED panel that leaves black pixels dark, if you want to stretch two days between charges, the bigger tank is the safer bet.
Software. The Elite’s promise runs three Android versions further than the Titan 2’s, and that’s the gap I’d weigh most. People keep keyboard phones for years, and the longer runway is the one you’ll still be happy with later.
US networks. Both work on T-Mobile and Verizon, with the same Verizon catch: activate a new SIM in a Verizon-certified phone first, then move it over. AT&T is the split. The Titan 2 is authorized on AT&T and Cricket and sits on AT&T’s approved device list, while the Elite doesn’t, and Unihertz tells owners of its other models to use T-Mobile or Verizon.
Who should buy the Titan 2 Elite, and who should buy the Titan 2
Buy the Titan 2 Elite if you want a keyboard phone you’ll carry every day, you’re on T-Mobile or Verizon, and a better screen and longer support count for more than battery size. It’s also the one if you want eSIM and microSD together.
Buy the Titan 2 if you’re on AT&T or Cricket, need 512GB out of the box, or live in email and documents where a square 4.5-inch screen and a wider keyboard earn their keep.
Skip both if you watch a lot of video, edit photos on your phone or need a headphone jack. A $489.99 keyboard phone is a bad trade if the keyboard isn’t the reason you’re buying it.
Titan 2 Elite vs. Titan 2 FAQ
Can you buy the Titan 2 Elite on Amazon?
Not in the US. It’s $489.99 on Unihertz’s own store, with a ship estimate of about four weeks, so order now if you want it before the holidays.
Which phone gets software updates longer?
The Elite, and it’s not close. It ships with Android 16 and Unihertz promises five years of support with upgrades through Android 20. The Titan 2 is only promised Android 17.
Which one has the bigger battery?
The Titan 2, with 5,050mAh against the Elite’s 4,050mAh. Both charge at 33W, so the Titan 2 buys you runtime, not faster top-ups.
Should I wait for the Titan 2 Elite Pro?
Only if you need the power. The $579.99 Pro moves to the Dimensity 8400 with 512GB and a stabilized main camera, but it won’t ship until December and costs $90 more.
The decider
The Titan 2 Elite at $489.99 is the better keyboard phone for most people, and it’s the one I’d order. It’s smaller, lighter and $50 cheaper than the $539.99 Titan 2, with a better display, a newer chip and a longer upgrade promise. The Titan 2 is the right call only if you’re on AT&T or want the biggest keyboard and battery Unihertz makes. If you want the Elite’s size with more power, the $579.99 Elite Pro is the step up, as long as December works for you.
Price: $489.99
Where to Buy: Unihertz
Neither Titan is sold new on Amazon US. If you’d rather add a keyboard to the iPhone you already carry, these keyboard cases are on Amazon. The Clicks case for the iPhone 17 Pro Max adds a physical keyboard below the screen and keeps wireless charging, at $109.43:
Price: $109.43
Where to Buy: Amazon
Akko’s MetaKey does the same job for the iPhone 17 Pro Max and iPhone 18 Pro Max for about half the price, at $55.99:
Price: $55.99
Where to Buy: Amazon
