Blackberry Passport Release Date News: 'Hybrid' Phone Finally Hits US Market
Before the year ended in 2014, Blackberry finally announced one of the most anticipated handsets for BB fans. After its launch, the Blackberry Passport release date first hit markets in Asia where the phone maker has been doing well the past year.
But for consumers in the U.S. who have been waiting for the device, the wait is finally over.
According to a report by Value Walk, the Blackberry OS-powered smartphone will finally arrive to U.S. stores beginning on Feb. 20.
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In the report, AT&T will be the official carrier of the Blackberry Passport, and it is also the first network provider to get the device. However, for Verizon Wireless subscribers, the BlackBerry Classic will arrive shortly after. In the report, the device will be available in Verizon stores by Feb. 26.
But why is the Blackberry Passport one of the most sought-after devices in the latter half of 2014?
The Blackberry Passport can be considered one the "true" flagships for the Canada-based manufacturer. Some specs include a 4.5-inch IPS display with 1440 x 1440 resolution, 3GB of RAM, and a Snapdragon 801 chipset, which was considered a high-end SoC when the device was announced.
Other specs include a 13MP primary camera at the back, a 2MP front shooter, 32GB of internal memory and a microSD card slot that can support up to 128GB of storage. In addition, the Passport for AT&T has been redesigned to have rounder corners than the one pictured above.
But what separates the Passport from previous Blackberry models is the cramped QWERTY keypad just below the screen. Fans of the company's keypad back in the day would surely love to get a feel for the one – and this time in a touchscreen smartphone.
In the report, AT&T will offer the device at $199.99 on contract, $649.99 off contract, and $0 down payment through its Next plan.
