In brief: Is there still a demand for phones with physical keyboards? A Kickstarter for the Unihertz Titan Slim definitely suggests so. The project blasted past its $50,000 goal in one day and is currently just shy of half a million dollars with 27 days left to go.

Developer Unihertz is a veteran when it comes to funding unconventional phones such as the tiny Atom and Jelly on Kickstarter. The Titan Slim might not be a super-small device, but its BlackBerry-style physical keyboard will make it stand out in the crowd.

This isn't the first Titan phone; it is joining the rugged Titan, which is a fairly hefty device, and the Titan Pocket, a smaller version of the original. Unihertz calls the Titan Slim the sleekest, most modern phone it has ever made.

Backers can secure a Titan Slim for around the equivalent of $249, which is 25% off the usual amount. It's obviously not going to offer flagship specs at that price: a 1,280 x 720 4.2-inch screen, no 5G, a 2019 Mediatek Helio P70 chipset, and cameras you wouldn't want to catch memorable moments with, but it does have fingerprint and face unlock capabilities, dual-sim support, and that physical keyboard with remappable keys.

After plans to launch a new BlackBerry phone were killed off earlier this year , those who still yearn for phones with physical keyboards are left with few options. It seems many like the look of the Titan Slim, despite some mixed reviews . With 27 days left to go, 1,915 backers have pledged $481,210—almost ten times the $50,000 target.