Some reactions have also been mixed about BlackBerry Passport, but we are sure we’ve seen some improvements and features that differ BlackBerry Passport from predecessor and competitor.

With a Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor with 3GB of RAM it will fire up on good news for Solid performance in daily usage. While this might not be the fastest smartphone available today, multitasking works fine on Passport, and applications run seamlessly. Compared to previous models, like the Z30 with less powerful hardware, this Passport is a huge leap in terms of processing power and general speed.

Among all the features, the most striking part of BlackBerry Passport is its display. The 4.5-inch square display uses an IPS LCD and sports vivid colors with excellent viewing angles. With a pixel density of around 453 ppi, text comes out sharp and clear, hence making it perfect for reading documents or browsing the web. It shows more on the screen compared to what it would show on standard rectangular displays. That can become especially useful during business functions involving extended reading or editing processes.

The design of BlackBerry Passport is both innovative and polarizing. Its measurements at 128 x 90.3 mm make this model wider compared to any current smartphone available in today’s market, which tends to be quite uncomfortable for handling single-handedly but may grant enough screen estate needed when doing some productivity-based gestures. Build quality is commendable: solid in hand, thanks to an aluminum frame and Gorilla Glass front. However, there are a number of reports that it doesn’t comfortably fit into pockets or one-hand use due to its width.

One of the biggest and most striking features of Passport is its physical keyboard. It’s really great for typing, which many users have missed in the modern touchscreen-dominated market. The touch-sensitive capabilities of the keyboard mean that one can scroll through content without having to touch the screen directly, hence adding another layer of functionality to increase productivity. This is extremely useful when typing out emails or navigating through long documents.

Coming in with a non-removable 3450 mAh battery, the battery life in BlackBerry Passport is quite sensational. A user can get an uptime of up to 18 hours of talk time while running on 2G and up to 23 hours when running on 3G. The device could further support up to 84 hours of music playing; that’s a whole-day thing without having to replace for a number of really hectic working professionals on-the-go.

On the rear is a 13-megapixel camera with OIS and the 2 megapixel on the front. The camera isn’t the best camera phone in the market for photography but when you compare other flagship phones from Apple or Samsung, it’s just fine for the photography and video calls you probably use it for. Under good lighting conditions it can take decent photos, however it generally fails when the lighting is low.

BlackBerry Passport won’t be for everyone, mostly because of its very unconventional design and limitations when it comes to app availability. However, that doesn’t take away much from the fact that it is an amazing device engineered precisely for business users looking for advanced productivity features: great build quality, a wonderful display, innovative keyboard, and quite decent battery life make Passport a noticeable player in the increasingly competitive smartphone arena.