The BlackBerry Passport has been formally unveiled, with the oddly sized smartphone set to hit retailers in the near future.
A device previously discussed by the former giant of the mobile market, the BlackBerry Passport has today been given its formal unveiling. The 4.5-inch phone packs a square display and a stretched out physical QWERTY keyboard.
“What amazes people when they use the device for the first time is the size of the display and the amount of content you can enjoy,” a BlackBerry designer said of the device.
They added: “We designed the device for people who want a functional product. A beautiful product.”
BlackBerry CEO John Chen added: “A lot of times when people look at this, they think it is a little big. When you show it alongside an actual passport, they get a sigh of relief.”
BlackBerry Passport Features
Taking its name from its unusual, squat dimensions, the BlackBerry Passport is built around a 4.5-inch square LCD display.
The phone is a beefy 3.18-inches wide, larger even than the 3.09-inch Samsung Galaxy Note 4 phablet. Although set to stretch your pockets, this added bulk has allowed BlackBerry to bestow the phone with an oversized physical QWERTY keyboard.
About more than its odd appearance, the Passport’s screen features an impressive 1440 x 1440 pixel resolution and 453 pixels-per-inch image density.
This isn’t the phone’s only premium component either. With 3GB of RAM, 32GB of internal storage and a 2.2GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor thrown into the mix, the Passport is BlackBerry’s most specs-impressive handset to date.
While a 3450mAh Lithium-Ion battery will keep the handset powered well into a second day of use. BlackBerry has claimed this battery will offer up to 30 hours of usage on a single charge. Adreno 330 graphics are set to further enhance the phone’s visual abilities.
Camera wise, a 13-megapixel, optical image stabilised primary snapper sits ‘round back while a secondary, 3.7-megapixel offering line up on the front. Audio hasn’t been overlooked either. BlackBerry claims the phone offers louder, crisper audio than even the HTC One M8’s BoomSound speakers.
The phone is powered by the company’s latest BlackBerry 10.3 mobile operating system. Although capable of running Android apps, the OS has a more directed, business-orientated feel to Google’s dominant platform. It also introduces BlackBerry’s new Siri rivalling voice assistant, BlackBerry Assistant.
As well as landing in a traditional black hue, a white BlackBerry Passport will also be made available through certain avenues.
BlackBerry Passport Release Date and Price
Having been out in the smartphone market cold for well over a year, BlackBerry has shown its intent to regain footing by handing the Passport a September 26 release. That means the phone will be on sale this Friday.
Here in the UK, the Passport will be available through Carphone Warehouse and Selfrdges.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
