Unihertz Titan 2 Elite: The keyboard smartphone wins on Kickstarter

Lorenz Keller

26/3/2026

Translation: machine translated

Pictures: Lorenz Keller

Thousands of pre-sales, millions in sales - the keyboard smartphone from Unihertz is a surprise success on Kickstarter. And this despite the device's price tag of 500 to 600 francs or euros.

For years, smartphones with physical keyboards were considered a niche phenomenon. Unihertz has been catering to fans of real keys since 2019, when the Chinese manufacturer unveiled the fifth generation, the Titan 2 Elite, at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona. The pre-sale on Kickstarter shows this: The niche has grown considerably.

Five years of Android updates for the first time

As Unihertz launches all its products via Kickstarter, comparisons can be drawn. For example, the predecessor model Titan 2 raised around 1.6 million francs or 1.8 million euros last year. With the Titan 2 Elite, it was over two million francs or euros after just 48 hours.

There are two reasons for this success. Firstly, Blackberry-style mobiles are experiencing a revival. This is also demonstrated by other projects such as the Clicks Communicator, which has also met with a great response from the Community.

Secondly, Unihertz is positioning itself as a reputable supplier for the first time. The manufacturer delivers the device with the latest Android 16 and promises updates for years to come. The Titan 2 Elite will receive new Android versions up to Android 20 - i.e. for five years. Plus security updates until 2031.

The first hands-on at the MWC with a pre-production model also showed that Unihertz is in a different league in terms of quality than before. I found the device and keyboard elegant and of high quality.

Delivery from June

Thanks to the Kickstarter campaign, all the details about the device are now known - including the price and launch date. The manufacturer only mentioned a few specs at the trade fair

There are two versions to choose from: the Titan 2 Elite and the Titan 2 Elite Pro. The first model will be delivered by the manufacturer from June and regularly costs around 500 francs or euros. The second will be available from October at a price of just under 600 francs or euros.

There are three differences between the variants: the cheaper one has the Dimensity 7400 processor, 256 GB memory and a 50-megapixel main camera without optical stabilisation. Unihertz has equipped the more expensive Pro model with the Dimensity 8400 processor, 512 GB of memory and the same sensor with OIS.

The remaining specifications are identical, such as the 4-inch AMOLED screen with a refresh rate of 120 hertz and maximum brightness of 1600 nits, the 4050 mAh battery and the 12 GB RAM. There is also a fingerprint scanner on the side, a memory card slot, eSIM support and a red additional button that can be freely programmed.

Important to know: Only the QWERTY keyboard layout is being sold on Kickstarter, but it can also be switched to many other languages. So you can type with the German or French keyboard layout - the labelling is simply not correct. The manufacturer promises that versions with QWERTZ and AZERTY will follow.

Unihertz is shipping pre-orders to EU countries, but not to Switzerland. However, the device is likely to appear in our range with a slight delay - just like many other models from the manufacturer.

Lorenz Keller

Senior Editor

Lorenz.Keller@digitecgalaxus.ch

Gadgets are my passion - whether you need them for the home office, for the household, for sport and pleasure or for the smart home. Or, of course, for the big hobby next to the family, namely fishing.

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