BlackBerry has launched a new Android app compatible Passport phablet, alongside a new app that allows users to view messages and content from their BlackBerry smartphones on a PC, Mac, Android tablet or iPad.
The key feature of the Passport is a square 4.5-inch screen with a 1:1 aspect ratio, a display size wider than Samsung’s Galaxy Note 3, with a resolution of 1440×1440 pixels (453 pixels per inch), and a full physical keyboard underneath.
The BlackBerry 10.3 device runs Android apps from the Amazon Appstore, and includes a massive 3450 mAh battery, a 2.2 GHz quad core processor, 3 gigabytes of RAM and 32 GB of storage. It also includes a 13-megapixel camera with optical image stabilisation, which is also the key new camera feature Apple unveiled in its iPhone 6 Plus.
The new device was released a week after the company unveiled its executive $2373 Porsche Design P’9983 smartphone.
Alongside the new device, the Canadian tech company also unveiled a software package called BlackBerry Blend that allows users to connect their Mac, PC or tablet to a BlackBerry smartphone over USB, Wi-Fi or a mobile network.
Once connected, users can access BBM, text messages, email, calendar, their corporate intranet and important files from their smartphone on their PC or tablet over a secure connection, without needing to set up a VPN (virtual private network).
Andrew Sadauskas is a former journalist at SmartCompany and a former editor of TechCompany.
