After introducing the Passport, BlackBerry has yet to release a new high end device. The recently announced BlackBerry Classic and BlackBerry Leap smart phones are still running on a rather dated dual-core Snapdragon processors but they run on their latest BlackBerry 10.3.1 OS on top.
For those who need more power, here comes a new high-spec BlackBerry which looks like another variant (possibly cheaper) of the Passport.
With the code name BlackBerry Oslo/Dallas, the upcoming device gets a similar Passport form factor which has a wider width. Instead of a serious business look, it gets a silver colour body that uses both metal and plastic. Just like the Passport, it gets a QWERTY keyboard with 3 rows that also doubles up as a trackpad.
Spec wise, it gets a similar 2.2GHz MSM8974 processor from the Snapdragon 801 range, that’s mated to 3GB RAM and is powered by a 3,450mAh capacity battery. At the back, it also gets a 13MP main camera with optical image stabilisation.
The device is said to be running on BlackBerry OS 10.3.2.2.150 and it could be launched specifically for the EMEA and APAC markets. For those who find the BlackBerry Passport too wide to handle, this new device doesn’t seem to differ much in terms of handling. For a more traditional BlackBerry size and form factor, the Classic would probably be the better option. If only they gave it better internals.
