BlackBerry Passport officially launches in PH

We’re right here at the local launch of the square-shaped smartphone, the BlackBerry Passport. This handset made for the working professional flaunts a 1440 x 1440 resolution, LTE connectivity, 3GB of RAM, and  a Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 CPU.

BlackBerry Passport specs:
4.5-inch IPS (1440 x 1440) display, 453ppi
Corning Gorilla Glass 3
2.2GHz Qualcomm MSM8974AA Snapdragon 800 quad-core CPU
Adreno 330 GPU
3GB RAM
32GB internal storage
up to 128GB via microSD
13 megapixel AF rear camera w/ OIS, f2.0 lens, LED flash
2 megapixel fixed-focus front camera
4G LTE, HSPA+, 3G
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 (non-removable)
BlackBerry 10.3 OS
128 x 90.3 x 9.3 mm
196g

We’ve previously wrote about why the company made a square smartphone, and they have made some strong points. The BlackBerry Passport has been seen in the gray market for Php32K, but it is now available in store shelves for Php35,790. It will also be available through Smart Communications and Globe in the coming weeks.

Stay tuned for our first impressions and hands-on.

The post BlackBerry Passport officially launches in PH appeared first on YugaTech | Philippines, Tech News & Reviews.

BlackBerry Passport officially announced

Lazada Philippines

BlackBerry has officially announced their latest smartphone that sports a three-row QWERTY keyboard, 4.5-inch square touch display, and powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 quad-core CPU – the Passport.

blackberry passport_1

BlackBerry Passport specs:
4.5-inch IPS (1440 x 1440) display, 453ppi
Corning Gorilla Glass 3
2.2GHz Qualcomm MSM8974AA Snapdragon 800 quad-core CPU
Adreno 330 GPU
3GB RAM
32GB internal storage
up to 128GB via microSD
13 megapixel AF rear camera w/ OIS, f2.0 lens, LED flash
2 megapixel fixed-focus front camera
4G LTE, HSPA+, 3G
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 (non-removable)
BlackBerry 10.3 OS
128 x 90.3 x 9.3 mm
196g

blackberry passport_2

The BlackBerry Passport (unlocked) has an introductory price of US$599 (~Php27,000) and will be available through BlackBerry’s carrier and/or distributor partners in more than 30 countries around the world, including the Philippines, before the end of the year.

sources: BlackBerry, Inside BlackBerry

The post BlackBerry Passport officially announced appeared first on YugaTech | Philippines, Tech News & Reviews.

BlackBerry explains why they made a square smartphone

BlackBerry recently announced a new smartphone with an unconventional shape – the BlackBerry Passport. It takes on a 1440 x 1440 display resolution giving it a square build combined with its trademark physical keyboard. The phone received mixed responses afterwards which made the company release an explanation regarding this odd form factor.

BlackBerry-Passport-Spreadsheet-productivity

Samples were previously given as to where the Passport would prove useful. Now BlackBerry adds more reasons why they went with this design. One of the main purposes is to maximize reading. BlackBerry noted that the screen is 4.5 inches which is twice as wide as the screen of the iPhone 5S.

“Based on academic typology, the optimal number of characters on a line in a book is 66 characters (current rectangular smartphones show approx. 40 characters and BlackBerry will show 60 characters,” the statement said. “BlackBerry Passport offers its size and aspect ratio to accommodate these characters.”

One thing people are complaining about is its lack of a full keyboard as other important keys like Shift and Caps were omitted. The company defended the Passport and said that it helps writing efficiency and speed since “when you are looking to type stories or notes, your virtual keyboard doesn’t cover most of your screen.”

Obviously, the Passport isn’t aimed at a wide range of consumers. It has its specific target market and that’s what’s BlackBerry is most likely targeting to find its own new niche. If you were in a field of work that would make the Passport useful, would you find yourself getting one?

BlackBerry Passport specs:
4.5-inch 1440 x 1440 touch screen display, 453ppi
Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 quad-core CPU
3GB RAM
32GB internal storage
up to 64GB via microSD
13 megapixel rear camera w/ LED flash
2 megapixel front camera
LTE, HSPA+
WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n
Bluetooth 4.0 LE, w/ A2DP
GPS, A-GPS
3,450mAh non-removable battery
BlackBerry 10.3 OS

{Source}

The post BlackBerry explains why they made a square smartphone appeared first on YugaTech | Philippines, Tech News & Reviews.

BlackBerry explains why they made a square smartphone

BlackBerry recently announced a new smartphone with an unconventional shape – the BlackBerry Passport. It takes on a 1440 x 1440 display resolution giving it a square build combined with its trademark physical keyboard. The phone received mixed responses afterwards which made the company release an explanation regarding this odd form factor.

BlackBerry-Passport-Spreadsheet-productivity

Samples were previously given as to where the Passport would prove useful. Now BlackBerry adds more reasons why they went with this design. One of the main purposes is to maximize reading. BlackBerry noted that the screen is 4.5 inches which is twice as wide as the screen of the iPhone 5S.

“Based on academic typology, the optimal number of characters on a line in a book is 66 characters (current rectangular smartphones show approx. 40 characters and BlackBerry will show 60 characters,” the statement said. “BlackBerry Passport offers its size and aspect ratio to accommodate these characters.”

One thing people are complaining about is its lack of a full keyboard as other important keys like Shift and Caps were omitted. The company defended the Passport and said that it helps writing efficiency and speed since “when you are looking to type stories or notes, your virtual keyboard doesn’t cover most of your screen.”

Obviously, the Passport isn’t aimed at a wide range of consumers. It has its specific target market and that’s what’s BlackBerry is most likely targeting to find its own new niche. If you were in a field of work that would make the Passport useful, would you find yourself getting one?

BlackBerry Passport specs:
4.5-inch 1440 x 1440 touch screen display, 453ppi
Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 quad-core CPU
3GB RAM
32GB internal storage
up to 64GB via microSD
13 megapixel rear camera w/ LED flash
2 megapixel front camera
LTE, HSPA+
WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n
Bluetooth 4.0 LE, w/ A2DP
GPS, A-GPS
3,450mAh non-removable battery
BlackBerry 10.3 OS

{Source}

The post BlackBerry explains why they made a square smartphone appeared first on YugaTech | Philippines, Tech News & Reviews.

BlackBerry explains why they made a square smartphone

BlackBerry recently announced a new smartphone with an unconventional shape – the BlackBerry Passport. It takes on a 1440 x 1440 display resolution giving it a square build combined with its trademark physical keyboard. The phone received mixed responses afterwards which made the company release an explanation regarding this odd form factor.

BlackBerry-Passport-Spreadsheet-productivity

Samples were previously given as to where the Passport would prove useful. Now BlackBerry adds more reasons why they went with this design. One of the main purposes is to maximize reading. BlackBerry noted that the screen is 4.5 inches which is twice as wide as the screen of the iPhone 5S.

“Based on academic typology, the optimal number of characters on a line in a book is 66 characters (current rectangular smartphones show approx. 40 characters and BlackBerry will show 60 characters,” the statement said. “BlackBerry Passport offers its size and aspect ratio to accommodate these characters.”

One thing people are complaining about is its lack of a full keyboard as other important keys like Shift and Caps were omitted. The company defended the Passport and said that it helps writing efficiency and speed since “when you are looking to type stories or notes, your virtual keyboard doesn’t cover most of your screen.”

Obviously, the Passport isn’t aimed at a wide range of consumers. It has its specific target market and that’s what’s BlackBerry is most likely targeting to find its own new niche. If you were in a field of work that would make the Passport useful, would you find yourself getting one?

BlackBerry Passport specs:
4.5-inch 1440 x 1440 touch screen display, 453ppi
Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 quad-core CPU
3GB RAM
32GB internal storage
up to 64GB via microSD
13 megapixel rear camera w/ LED flash
2 megapixel front camera
LTE, HSPA+
WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n
Bluetooth 4.0 LE, w/ A2DP
GPS, A-GPS
3,450mAh non-removable battery
BlackBerry 10.3 OS

{Source}

The post BlackBerry explains why they made a square smartphone appeared first on YugaTech | Philippines, Tech News & Reviews.