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Why BlackBerry doesn’t care if you think its new smartphone looks hideous

Updated Dec 19th, 2018 8:49PM EST
BlackBerry Passport Design Explained

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The new BlackBerry Passport phone is not going to win any awards for beautiful design. But then again, it’s not supposed to — it was designed specifically to appeal to BlackBerry diehards who want a phone primarily for productivity purposes and who don’t care what it looks like.

In a new blog post explaining the Passport’s design, BlackBerry says that the device has been “designed from the ground up for the working professional in mind” and lists several different types of professionals who will want a device that combines a large display with a physical QWERTY keyboard to help them get more work done.

BlackBerry also touches on its decision to give the Passport a square display instead of the standard rectangular one by explaining that it’s been crafted specifically for reading eBooks, webpages and PDFs.

“Consider how IMAX screens start with a more traditional 16:9 aspect ratio projection for conventional movie trailers and then expand to their true dimensions (and the audience goes, ‘ooh’),” BlackBerry writes. “The Passport is like the IMAX of productivity, and you don’t have to sacrifice screen real estate, vertically or horizontally.”

Nonetheless, we do have to wonder about one aspect of the Passport’s design that might give professionals pause: How comfortably it will fit into your pants pocket. As you can see from the picture below, the Passport has some very sharp corners and is much wider than other flagship phones on the market, so we’ll be interested to see whether it’s comfortable to sit down with the device in your pocket or if the Passport’s corners will constantly jab you.

 

Check out BlackBerry’s full post explaining the Passport’s design by clicking the source link below.

Brad Reed
Brad Reed Staff Writer

Brad Reed has written about technology for over eight years at BGR.com and Network World. Prior to that, he wrote freelance stories for political publications such as AlterNet and the American Prospect. He has a Master's Degree in Business and Economics Journalism from Boston University.