BlackBerry, a pioneer in mobile communications, has revealed the uniquely designed Passport handset. The device is characterized by a square screen and a keyboard that smoothly blends physical keys with innovative touch-enabled gesture controls.
Company representatives assert that the BlackBerry Passport creations are specifically intended to benefit users who demand efficiency and productivity at work. These features aim to cater to the unique needs of their key market segments such as the financial services, government, and healthcare sectors.
Despite a recent decline in sales of BlackBerry handsets – all of which operate on the company’s proprietary operating system – analysts speculate that the new device may appeal, not only to loyal BlackBerry patrons but also to other tech enthusiasts, albeit, there could be substantial challenges in winning over the latter.
Undeterred by the challenges, the Canadian technological giant remains determined and focused. The release of the BlackBerry Passport is seen as a component of the broader turnaround strategy, initiated under the leadership of John Chen who stepped in as the chief executive officer in November.
The Passport’s unusually wide screen allows users to conveniently view the full width of documents in larger type compared to rivals.
In addition to its unique square screen, the BlackBerry Passport boasts of gesture-sensitive keyboard buttons which facilitate the use of characteristic BlackBerry shortcuts that were previously available only on all-screen devices. Users can swiftly delete words by swiping left on the keys or control the cursor direction by slowly sliding the thumb along the keys.
Another innovation is the feature that allows users to select from three anticipated words that appear near the bottom of the screen. This handy functionality reduces the need to type out the entire text.
Users can select a word from the options above by flicking up on the left, middle, or right-hand side of the keyboard.
The BlackBerry Passport also comes armed with exciting new features as part of the BlackBerry 10 OS 10.3 operating system. These include access to the Amazon Appstore, BlackBerry Blend, BlackBerry Assistant, and a powerful 3,450 mAh battery.
BlackBerry Blend allows users to control their Passport device from a larger connected device.
BlackBerry is also focusing on heightening security measures to protect user data. They’ve introduced a tougher encryption level to safeguard messages sent through its BBM messaging app from any eavesdropping or data manipulation. Further, the company plans to expand encryption to voice calls made between BlackBerry devices in the future.
This article was updated in 2025 to reflect modern realities.
I am Martin Odinuwe, a logo identity designer, Graphic designer, Video editor and a professional videographer based in Abuja, Nigeria with over five years experience. I am currently a consultant with Reachout Multiservice company ltd a multimedia company in Abuja
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