BlackBerry Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY) (TSE:BB) is testing a storable keyboard with a pivoting cover for its new smartphone, according to a report from BerryReview. The report said that the device under review will be launched sooner than expected, probably in the second-quarter of 2015 under the code name Visa and Victoria. The new keyboard feature was revealed through a patent that was filed in the United States Patent Office last week, on September 9th, patent #8,830,667.
Impressive technology
The patent noted that a keyboard portion is free to move from a deployed position to un-deployed position. “A cover pivotally couples to the housing and is configured to at least partially cover the keyboard portion when the keyboard portion is in the non-deployed position and to reveal the keyboard portion when the keyboard portion is in the deployed position,” says the patent.
The keyboard detailed in the patent has three rows, which could be similar to that of the Passport implying that it could perform trackpad functions. When a user displaces the keyboard, a row will be left to use as a trackpad, as well as revealing few important keys.
However, the design does not seem to add much benefit to the user because shifting the keyboard is not increasing the screen, but no further details are available as of now. It should be considered as just another device in development for now as was stated by CEO John Chen in the fourth-quarter 2014 call. It’s quite possible that the company might have filed a patent to get a legal claim on the technology for the future.
BlackBerry earnings preview
BlackBerry is preparing to release it’s 3Q earnings on Friday, September 26. Bill Maurer of Seeking Alpha said that company is all geared to come up with new gadgets and strategies. Analysts are looking for an adjusted loss of 16 cents per share in the second-quarter of the fiscal year, compared to a loss of 47 cents in the same quarter last year. Maurer expects the revenue to rise sequentially in the November quarter. Additionally, the number is not expected to drop drastically, maybe a marginal drop of only 17%, which is considerably better than the analyst consensus drop of 40%. Maurer is expecting the revenue to stop declining in the next fiscal year or even increase based on how well BlackBerry performs.
