Unihertz's titan 2 elite secures $3m in kickstarter pledges, satisfying demand for physical keyboards

In a remarkable display of consumer interest, Unihertz has garnered over $3 million in Kickstarter pledges for its latest offering, the Titan 2 Elite. This smartphone's standout feature is its physical keyboard, a design choice that has proven to resonate with those craving a tactile typing experience.

A new era of physical keyboards

With an estimated 6,000 backers, the Titan 2 Elite's success underscores a growing trend - a renaissance of sorts for physical keyboards in smartphones. This nostalgia-fueled demand sees many harking back to an era before touchscreen virtual keyboards dominated the market, while others simply prefer the added precision and feedback offered by physical keys.

The Titan 2 Elite boasts a 4.03-inch AMOLED display, both standard and Pro models sporting 12GB of RAM and storage options of 256GB and 512GB respectively. Both variants are powered by MediaTek Dimensity application processors, the standard model utilizing the Dimensity 7400 and the Pro model leveraging the Dimensity 8400, both produced using TSMC's 4nm N4 process node.

Camera capabilities include a 50MP primary sensor and a 50MP telephoto lens, accompanied by a 32MP front-facing selfie camera. The phone's battery is a 4050mAh silicon-carbon composite anode unit, capable of fast charging at 33W.

Availability sees the standard model shipping in July, with the Pro variant due out in October. Both will launch on Android 16, promising ongoing system updates up to Android 20 and security patches until 2031. Priced at $389 for the standard model (20% off the listed $489) and $479 for the Pro variant (20% off $599), the Titan 2 Elite is a compelling option for those seeking a physical keyboard in their next smartphone.