BlackBerry Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY) (TSE:BB) has added another reviewer to the list of fans of its square-shaped Passport smartphone. One reviewer says he’s “hooked on the clunky new BlackBerry passport” and that it’s the “world’s first male-gendered smartphone.”
Men like the BlackBerry Passport
In a report on the National Post, Jonathan Kay said “numerous strangers” have gone up to him to ask about his BlackBerry Passport in the weeks he has carried it around. He also said that all of them are men and that the women who see it “seem vaguely horrified by the thing.”
The reviewer said the Passport feels just as fast as the iPhone 5 for most typical smartphone tasks like browsing the web or using Twitter. He noted some lag in some of the more advanced features of the camera, but he said the Passport made up for that lag in the quality of the photos it takes.
Curing BlackBerry’s problems
Kay also likes the addition of Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN)’s Appstore, which he said is a partial answer to one of the biggest issues he had with BlackBerry since the BB10 operating system came out. The Canadian company had huge holes in its native app offerings, but he said being able to use Android apps directly on the Passport is “extremely promising.”
The reviewer also pointed out that the square shape of the phone demands a change in the way it is used. For example, he said he was used to one-handed use with his iPhone, but the Passport requires two hands. He added that while that sounds like a drawback, it actually is a good thing because it prevents him from using it in situations when he really shouldn’t be, like when he’s stuck sitting in traffic.
Praise for the Passport’s keyboard
In addition, he said using the Passport with two hands for ten minutes was better than the “30-second one-handed snippets” he usually took on his iPhone. He said the smartphone makes productivity tasks like checking email much faster. He also likes the big keyboard, adding that he has actually written entire articles on the Passport.
Kay also likes the touch-sensitive sweep-scrolling feature that’s part of the keyboard, calling it “a brilliant technological innovation.” He also likes the gestures it supports.
BlackBerry’s Passport is BIG
The reviewer does point out that the phone is very big, however, and he thinks this is why men seem to like it and women don’t.
