BlackBerry Passport to arrive in September

BlackBerry is still alive and kicking in the smartphone market, at least in terms of intentions if not market share, and the company will be launching a major handset by the name of Passport this September.

This phone was previously known as "Windermere", and the spec was rumoured last month, with the handset boasting a 4.5-inch screen with a 1440 x 1440 resolution, offering a very sharp 453 dpi.

Mobile Syrup has confirmed that spec, and the fact that the phone will have a touch-sensitive keyboard panel to facilitate easier auto-correction -- along with the launch event in September, of course, which CEO John Chen said would happen in London.

The previous spec spillage also pointed to this handset having a 13 megapixel camera, and a 3,450 mAh battery which should mean the Passport will offer a lot of longevity away from the power socket.

While the device does actually sound quite neat -- particularly for those who like a traditional QWERTY BlackBerry with full keyboard -- the company really has its work cut out to make itself relevant in the smartphone market again. In terms of the UK, according to Kantar's latest figures (for April), BlackBerry has slipped to a 1.6 percent share of the smartphone market, way behind Windows Phone which is in third place at 9.5 per cent.

The company is also looking to push an alternative strategy of lower-end handsets such as the BlackBerry Z3 which was recently launched in Indonesia.

Published under license from ITProPortal.com, a Net Communities Ltd Publication. All rights reserved.