Blackberry Passport

 Rs. 43,190

Key Specs:

4.5 inch 1440x1440 resolution display (453 ppi) , 2.26GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 CPU, 3GB RAM,

32 GB internal storage, 13 MP rear camera, 2 MP front camera, BlackBerry OS 10.3, 3900 mAh battery

Pros:

Powerful hardware, cleverly designed keyboard, perfect screen for productivity, Blackberry Assistant delivers good results, crystal clear call quality

Cons:

Square design makes it awkward to use, heavy & bulky, Amazon’s app store lacks many Android apps, camera is sluggish

Three months back BlackBerry launched a mid segment touch screen device, Z3 which was a good attempt but was

not widely accepted. Now the Canadian giant has produced something odd, but interesting. This flagship model preserves the true spirit of Blackberry devices that is productivity, but in a whole new manner.

Built like a tank: At the outset it looks like a design mistake as it is unique in terms of smartphone ergonomics. But it is built keeping in mind Blackberry’s legacy;whose suit’s internal pocket is its real place.

However the professional business focused user, anyone who creates spreadsheets, presentations, etc. will love the design minus the handling issues as Passport will force you to use two hands otherwise it’s going to take falls frequently.

Its 5x3.54 inch body weighs 196 grams and is a task in itself to hold unless you are an NBA player. A button for Blackberry Assistant and volume rockers are rightly positioned on the right. The stainless steel frame and matte

plastic back feels solid and durable. It is one tough device we have seen after a long time.

The perfect screen for work:

The 4.5- inch IPS LCD display offers 1440 x 1440 resolution, which amounts to a dense 453 PPI and is a joy to look at. The viewing angles are amazing and colors are accurate. This display is optimised to read, create, edit spreadsheets, PPts, etc. as you can see 30% extra on Passport’s display as compared to a 5 inch phone.

However you have to compromise a little if you love to watch long videos on your phone as this is really not a

device for media consumption.

The new BB10.3:

BB10 is slowly turning into a stable and reliable mobile OS. The latest update brings some noticeable changes

such as integration of Amazon Store that give access to 2,50,000 Android apps, improved BlackBerry Hub, flat icons, Universal search, Blackberry blend for cross platform, Siri and Google voice counterpart Blackberry Assistant, new Camera UI and much more.

The true essence of a Blackberry device gets a little miss:

Blackberry keyboards don’t need an introduction and the keyboard on Passport goes one step ahead. It is decently touch sensitive and can be used to scroll web pages, mails, Twitter, Blackberry Hub or to move the cursor while typing.

However Blackberry messed up with the basic design and excluded the numerical keys for which you have to use an on screen board. The keyboard feels incomplete without dedicated numerical keys.

 A super performer:

Passport is packed with 2.26 GHz Snapdragon 801 CPU coupled with 3GB RAM. This combination makes it one

of the smoothest handset out in the market. Run any number of tasks simultaneously and you will not be disappointed.

The call quality on Blackberry devices is great and Passport is no different. We did not encounter any call drops during our two week's usage.

The 3900mAh battery gave us a 6 hrs 50 minute video playback on WiFi at full brightness and the phone survived for a day and half with a fair usage which included web browsing, BBM, whats app, e-mails etc.

Bottomline: Passport is not for playing latest games, shooting or watching videos or even to install each new app launched. It’s a phone with an innovative keyboard and a perfect design to carry out productive tasks.