Is it hip to be square? Blackberry reveals odd new handset design it hopes could save the company

Blackberry has revealed a radical new handset - and it is square.

The odd shaped device is is set to go on sale in December, and is called passport.

It features a physical keyboard - but also a large screen.

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BlackBerry CEO John Chen shows off the new Passport phone after the company's annual general meeting. It will launch in September.

AMAZON'S FIRE PHONE

The Fire handset was unveiled by Jeff Bezos at a special event in Seattle.
'It's time to whip the crown from Apple,' said Mr Bezos before showing off the new handset for the first time.
The Fire will use head-tracking technology to make images on the smartphone's display appear to be 3D with a feature called 'dynamic perspective'.

However, Blackberry has remained tight-lipped about the device.

New boss John Chen announced during BlackBerry’s quarterly earnings report that the company’s next phone will be called Passport.

Previously known as ‘Windermere‘, the often-leaked QWERTY device will sport a 4.5-inch 1440×1440 pixel display and what is believed to be a touch-sensitive keyboard panel for easier autocorrection.

Chen announced that the Passport will be announced at an event in London in September, but wouldn’t divulge any more information, according to MobileSyrup.

He also said that BBM for Windows Phone will launch in July.

It comes just a day after news broke that BlackBerry is set to offer 240,000 Android apps to its smartphone users in a surprise deal with Amazon.

 

The deal will allow BlackBerry to add a vast array of consumer-focused apps to its devices, and to focus on developing enterprise and productivity applications.

However, many believe the move could be a last roll of the dice for BlackBerry after its devices suffered poor sales.

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could Amazon save Blackberry? BlackBerry is set to offer 240,000 Android apps to its smartphone users in a surprise deal with Amazon, it was revealed today

BlackBerry customers using devices powered by its 10 operating system will be able to access popular Android apps such as Groupon, Netflix, Pinterest, Candy Crush Saga and Minecraft.

The apps will be available on BlackBerry 10 devices from this fall, when the company rolls out the BlackBerry 10.3 operating system, the statement said.

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The Passport (right) is set to go on sale in September alongside Blackberry's touchscreen phone the Z3, and the 'Classic'.

The move is the latest by the smartphone pioneer to streamline its focus as it attempts to reinvent itself under new Chief Executive John Chen as BlackBerry phones have lost ground to Apple Inc's iPhone and Samsung Electronics Co Ltd's Galaxy devices.

Chen wants to remain a competitor in the smartphone segment, but is focused on making BlackBerry a dominant force in machine-to-machine communications.

The company's QNX software already is a mainstay in the automobile industry, powering electronic and other systems in a wide range of cars.

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The announcement came on the same day Amazon launched fire, its $199 handset that will go on sale next month

BlackBerry already works with hundreds of large enterprise clients including corporations and government agencies to manage and secure mobile devices on their internal networks.

Chen intends to build on those ties and BlackBerry's touted security credentials to allow these enterprise clients to build and customize in-house corporate and productivity applications for their employees.

'Making the Amazon Appstore available on BlackBerry 10 devices will help BlackBerry continue to meet two essential needs: greater app availability for our smartphone users and enhanced productivity solutions for enterprises,' Chen said in the statement.