BlackBerry Passport Reviews Roundup

BlackBerry has officially unveiled its new smartphone. The BlackBerry Passport is a large, square handset with a 4.5-inch screen, and, as you would expect from a BlackBerry, a physical keyboard. With apps available from theAmazon Appstore, and an off-contract price of $599, the BlackBerry Passport is an intriguing proposition, but what do the reviewers think?

We have pulled together four early reviews of the BlackBerry Passport to offer you an overview of what is being said about this device around the Web…

Re/Code states that the wider screen leads to “a better experience for reading text,” but this causes problems when watching video, with “a lot of black space above and below the picture.” The reviewer talks up the innovative keyboard but concludes that while “the Passport brings some nice additions and the choice of a wide-screen phone … if you’re already invested in other platforms, there’s no reason to switch.”

CNET offers a mostly positive review, but suggests that “the Passport has a critical flaw,” this being the “squat, square chassis” that “makes for a cumbersome user experience.” There is praise for the physical keyboard and for the long battery life, but, in the end, the title of the review says it all: “A powerful, cumbersome love letter to physical keyboard fans.”

The Verge suggests the Passport is, “BlackBerry going back to its roots: making tools for getting work done.” It’s also called a “productivity powerhouse more comfortable in the boardroom than in the living room.” Criticisms include the Hub being “a great idea executed poorly,” and a camera which “takes pictures in the Passport’s square screen format by default.” Ultimately, in a mostly negative review, the Passport is described as “the best that BlackBerry can do, but that’s not enough.” High praise indeed.

Gizmodo states the Passport is “probably the best phone BlackBerry has ever made. But that doesn’t mean you’ll be buying one.” The operating system is described as “a hacked together version of Android and iOS with a little BlackBerry flavor tossed in,” but browsing the Web is a joy as “reading feels more comfortable.” The conclusion? “If you want to stand out, the Passport carries some ‘WTF is that?’ appeal, but its usefulness is outweighed by its setbacks.”

BlackBerry hopes needs the Passport to turn its fading fortunes around, but if the reviews are anything to go on, the company faces an uphill battle to do so. It’s clearly a thoroughly competent and usable smartphone, but that isn’t likely to be enough to persuade Android, iOS, or even Windows Phone users to switch away from their platform of choice.