BlackBerry Key2 images leaked ahead of expected launch on Thursday

Physical keyboard and dual cameras, with 6GB RAM and 64GB storage

The BlackBerry Key2 will, as expected, offer a physical keyboard and dual cameras according to leaks ahead of its official launch today.

The BlackBerry Key2 has been designed and will be manufactured by BlackBerry's hardware partner TCL Communications, and will be shown off at an event in New York on Thursday.

Notorious tipster Evan Blass has shared images of the QWERTY-equipped device, which suggest that the new smartphone won't be too dissimilar from its KeyOne predecessor, but should be more powerful.

The BlackBerry Key2 will retain the company's physical keyboard, and there appears to be a mysterious new button at the bottom right of the keyboard next to the symbol key.

The KeyOne's silver and black two-tone colour scheme has been binned in favour of a an all-black front and back, and it looks like the rubberized texture on the phone's backside - reminiscent of the BlackBerry Z30 - now extends all the way to the top of the handset.

And it looks like TCL will equip the Key2 with a dual camera, although the specifics of the setup have not yet been revealed.

The images don't give much else away but do confirm that you'll find a USB-C port at the bottom of the Key2, and a 3.5mm headphone jack up top.

If earlier rumours are to be believed, the incoming BlackBerry Key2 will also feature a 4.5in 1080x1600 touchscreen, 6GB RAM, 64GB built-in storage expandable up to 128GB via microSD, a 3,360mAh battery and Android 8.1.

Google's operating system will no doubt also come topped up with BlackBerry's usual array of software features such as BBM, its privacy-focused DTEK app, its 'Boost' charging technology and its handy Messaging Hub.

Meanwhile, alleged benchmarking results for the Key2 have cropped up on Geekbench, all-but-confirming that the handset will sport an eight-core Snapdragon 660 processor and 6GB of RAM.