BlackBerry fans around the
world tuned in to a once-in-a-blue-moon event and witnessed the unveiling of
the newest hardware from the Canadian outfit. Yes, the BlackBerry Passport is
here. For the believers, this is a momentous event; but the naysayers, it's just
another device thrown into the wall.
So what does the
odd-shaped handset has in store for us in the table? Check out, right after the
fold as we dissect everything you need to know about the device.
Display
The once leader in the smartphone
market is trying to relive its old glory by way of revolutionizing the
conventional rectangular form factor of smartphones. Of course, knowing that it
is of flagship caliber, it comes with a bucket-full of nifty features.
For the uninitiated, the BlackBerry
Passport hops in with a 4.5-inch IPS LCD display. The odd 1440 x 1440 pixel
resolution is something like you haven't seen before. Not even the LG L-Style
series could match its “squareness.” The display comes with a stunning pixel density,
approximately 453 ppi, with Gorilla Glass 3 treatment.
Hardware
In terms of muscle, the
new Passport armed itself with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 SoC which is comprised
of a 2.2-gigahertz quad-core CPU and an Adreno 330 graphics booster. Likewise,
the new BlackBerry handset also touts a beefy 3GB of RAM with 32GB of internal
memory. In case you need more space, the handset is supported with microSD card
slot.
Camera
The Canadian outfit is
also gunning for the camera-centric smartphone market. The Passport also boasts
a flagship-grade 13-megapixel camera sensor with Optical Image Stabilization.
The front panel also houses the 2-megapixel camera which is suited for your
selfie shots.
Connectivity
The BlackBerry Passport
has 128x90x9.3mm dimension. It also features the standard set of radios like
WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0 Low Energy, micro USB with micro HDMI via
Slimport, USB OTG, GLONASS, 2G, 3G and 4G LTE.
Battery
The company promises a
30-hour of juice with the Passport. It also claims the device has the best
battery performance in a smartphone to date with its 3450 mAh rating. All the
hardware is optimized with the latest BlackBerry 10.3.
Keyboard
The iconic keyboard is still maintained on the device's front panel. These keyboards are now
touch-enabled. The responsive touch allows you to flick-to-type and slide the
keys to move the cursor.
ProReceiver
The Passport is equipped
with quad-microphone system and powerful speakers that give you the best
"in-person" conversations. The Natural Sound feature will make your
conversations like you're in the same room with the person on the other line.
The
Wrap
The BlackBerry Passport is
one of the most concerted releases that the fallen giant has done in the past
couple of years. With great features like the tap-and-touch combination of keys
and touchscreen, the Passport might have an edge in the market. However, if the
device could make a good footing in the fiercely contested market is still a
question that we'll have to answer in the coming weeks.
BlackBerry Passport Specs
4.5-inch IPS LCD 1440x1440p display at 453ppi
Corning Gorilla Glass 3
Qualcomm Snapdragon 800
2.2GHz Qualcomm MSM8974AA quad-core CPU
Adreno 330 GPU
3 gigabyte RAM
32 gigabyte internal storage
up to 128 gigabyte via microSD card slot
13-megapixel AF rear camera w/ OIS with f2.0 lens, LED
flash
2-megapixel fixed-focus front camera
4G LTE, HSPA+, 3G, 2G
WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
WiFi Direct, Miracast
Bluetooth v4.0, A2DP, LE
NFC
FM Radio
USB 2.0
GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS
3,450mAh Li-ion battery
BlackBerry 10.3 OS
