blackberry passport review
Post on 14-Jun-2015
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BlackBerry Passport
Review in pictures
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It’s W I D E
There’s no other way to put it – it’s W I D E. Unless you’re accustomed to using
one of those tablets with voice-calling capabilities, you’ll find it a tad
uncomfortable to hold
The keyboard on the stubby handset is positioned low on the fascia, and while
typing two-handed, the device feels top heavy – something that takes time to
get used to
The design inspiration for this device comes from the globally-recognised symbol
of mobility that goes by the same name
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Bomb-proof build
The Passport boasts solid build quality. The steel frame that reinforces
the device is visible around the sides, and adds a bit of flair to the looks
The metal keys on the right also add to the premium feel
The three-row QWERTY keyboard at the front looks quite elegant and
clean since there are no symbols or numbers
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Fair and square
The Passport offers a square 4.5-inch
screen carrying a resolution of 1,440
x 1,440 pixels
Thanks to those square dimensions,
it becomes easier to work with
documents, presentations and
spreadsheets, and browsing the web.
(Judging by the X-ray, this person on
the left suffers from an increased
heart rate by looking at the
Passport’s price tag)
The screen is razor-sharp when it
comes to visuals and the colours look
nice and vivid
Display settings allow you to tweak
the white balance and colour
saturation
Sunlight legibility and viewing angles
are good too
DIS
PLA
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A no-fuss camera app
The 13-megapixel shooter boasts some cool features like optical image stabilisation and 1080p video recording at 60fpsThe camera app is pretty basic in terms of the features but offers modes like burst, panorama and HDR Offers a nifty Time Shift mode that starts shooting images in quick succession even before you actually hit the shutter key, and allows you to save the best one of the lotAs a new feature, the app now recommends modes depending upon what you’re trying to shoot
CA
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… but this baby can shoot
The Passport’s camera isn’t the
fastest when it comes to app
launch and shooting times
But makes up for it by delivering
very good results
It can churn out lovely images in
daylight, while it can also serve
up very good results when
shooting close-ups and HDR
Low light images aren’t as noisy
as we’re accustomed to seeing
with other devices, and while
they’re usable, suffer from lack
of sharpness
CA
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Sunlight
Low Light
The touch-enabled QWERTY
The keys on the keypad don’t include
any numbers, symbols or special
characters, and a smaller virtual
keyboard appears below the screen
whenever you’re in a text input
screen for this
The touch-enabled QWERTY
functions as a large touchpad that
recognises swipes in four directions.
So you can scroll up and down
through lists and web pages by just
running your finger lightly over the
keys in the desired direction
When it comes to entering text, the
Passport throws up three word
suggestions above the virtual
keyboard when you start typing and
you can just flick upwards on the
QWERTY from below the desired
suggestion to enter it into the text
field
US
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INT
ER
FAC
E
Flicking through the Passport’s pages
Version 10.3 of BB OS
10, comes pre-loaded
BlackBerry Hub, a
dedicated area on the
leftmost side of the app
drawer that displays all
your email and social
accounts in one place
The BlackBerry World
storefront includes
most staple apps
Android app support
with the preloaded
Amazon Appstore
boosts the ecosystem
significantly
US
ER
INT
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FAC
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Loads of new features
BlackBerry Assistant is
the brand’s answer to
Apple’s Siri and Google
Now, letting you control
the phone via voice
Instant Actions lets you
delete or archive any
message quickly
BlackBerry Blend lets
you control your
Passport and view its
contents on another
device such as a laptop
or tablet
US
ER
INT
ER
FAC
E
Always in a hurry to catch a flight
Taking care of performance is a 2.2GHz quad-core Snapdragon 801
processor, paired with 3GB of RAM and an Adreno 330 GPU.
Day to day performance is commendable, with no freezes and very smooth
operation. Graphics-heavy games didn’t display any lag or stutter
24.5GB storage available to use out of 32GB. MicroSD card slot present and
USB OTG supported too. Tons of other connectivity options available
PE
RFO
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But in no rush to kiss a power socket
The 3,450mAh battery
lasts quite long
Gave us just about eight
hours of run time in our
video playback test, but
performs much better in
actual usage
Can be stretched into
the second day if usage
is low, but should last a
day comfortably even
with heavy usage
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At a glance…
4.5-inch, 1,440 x 1,440 pixels (453ppi)2.2GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processorAdreno 330 GPU3GB RAM32GB in-built storage with microSD slot13MP primary camera with flash, 2MP front cameraBB OS 10.33,450mAh batteryNano-SIM, Wi-Fi ac dual-band, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS, NFC, DLNA, USB OTG, Miracast
Pros and Cons
Standout designSolid buildUseful software features, including BlackBerry HubAndroid app support, with pre-loaded Amazon AppstoreCapable cameraSmooth performanceGood battery life
The form factor and QWERTY keypad take time to get used toUncomfortable to hold and pocketScreen not apt for viewing widescreen videosCosts a pretty penny
Pricing & Verdict
“The Passport is the best BlackBerry yet and has a lot going for it – including a standout design, great build, an innovative text input mechanism, useful software features, a capable camera, smooth performance and solid battery life. It isn’t perfect, but is in a league of its own and is unmatched as a work partner. Go for it if you can stomach the price and need a reliable workhorse.”
Price: Rs 49,990
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