BlackBerry Launches Square-Screened Passport Phone

New submitter Andrewkov writes: BlackBerry released its new Passport phone today. It has a square 4.5" screen and a physical keyboard, and it's aimed at corporate users. The company hopes the larger size, Siri-like voice recognition, 30-hour battery life, and improved security will buoy its market share. Early reviews are not terribly favorable — the Wall Street Journal says BlackBerry is still behind on the software, and "The bulky, awkward design and the unfamiliar keyboard make it hard to justify finding space for it in a pocket or bag." The Verge said, "[T]he Passport got in the way of getting work done more than it helped." Re/code calls it a phone only a BlackBerry user will love.

Comments

As a BlackBerry user

[MyFirstNameIsPaul]

I can tell you the only BlackBerry I enjoy using is the 9900/9930. It's the best work productivity messaging tool I've found. It's not a toy, like my Samsung personal phone.

Lacking developers.

[blueshift_1]

What it comes down to is that it just lacks the development community. People will only spend the time developing apps if it is going to make them money... and with the majority of the user base in android and iOS devices, it's just more reasonable to develop for those platforms. Not to mention, the square screen means you'll have to pretty much rethink the whole layout of you apps. But I guess it'll be useful if you're just going to check your email or make changes in a calendar (I guess it is true that blackberry users are probably only going to do that anyway).

Re:Lacking developers.

[MightyMartian]

If Microsoft, with all its vast resources, cannot make a dent in the iOS-Android duopoly, I fail to see how a company that has basically been swirling around the drain for six or seven years is going to even carve out enough of a niche to stay alive.

Re:Lacking developers.

[CastrTroy]

Especially considering I haven't heard much criticism of the current generation of Windows Phones, except for that pertaining to lack of apps. The general consensus seem to be (as far as I've read) that Windows Phone is actually quite a good product. From the development standpoint, I've played around with it, and actually find it much easier to get started with than Android or iOS. The only reason I can figure that they aren't succeeding is because of the lack of apps, which leads to less users, which makes it less attractive to developers. It's a circular problem. Blackberry has other sorts of problems. Not only are there no users, but from what I've heard, developing apps on it isn't easy.

Re:Lacking developers.

[ArhcAngel]

The PRIMARY reason to use a BlackBerry device is because I don't want the NSA or 4chan all up in my business.

WTF?

[gstoddart]

Who has been asking for square screens? And other than people who are die-hard fans of the company, who wants anything from Blackberry?

My brother was visiting recently, and his POS BlackBerry (no idea what model) wouldn't charge from a standard USB, it kept complaining it needed a special cable.

Seriously guys, WTF is the point of using a standard connector if you need a magic cable or charger?

Sorry BlackBerry, but I think this is just one more product which the market nobody really wants.

The Playbook I bought my wife was a steaming pile of useless.

I certainly won't be buying anything from BB anytime soon.

Awful awful timing of launch

[presidenteloco]

Trying to launch one week into the shadow of the massive iPhone 6 launch?

Guaranteed burial and gross embarassment by comparison.

Execution matters, and now we'll see an execution.