When Blackberry announced its Passport smartphone, no doubt many were a bit surprised, maybe even a bit perplexed, especially with regards to the device's odd square shape. Indeed, the handset's 4.5-inch square display screen is definitely unique when compared to other smartphones currently available in the market.
Despite getting 200,000 orders within 2 days after its release, Blackberry's Passport has gotten mixed reviews. Some early feedback mentioned the device's unfamiliar design, its bulky size (which sometimes occupies much space in a bag or pocket), and the difficulty felt by users in trying to operate the handset using only one hand.
However, that has not dampened Blackberry's enthusiasm at all. As a matter of fact, the company is as excited as ever in exploring and releasing other unconventional devices in the foreseeable future.
Blackberry has always have been a company that makes rather unexpected product choices. And it is definitely sticking to its identity. According to Ron Louks, President of Blackberry's Devices and Emerging Solutions, the company plans to release one quirky device every year, and he further hinted that the next unconventional product is already getting positive initial feedback from wireless carriers. And given the nice reception experienced by mobile maker's Passport handset, it is very likely that the device will produce at least one more generation or upgraded version.
The Passport may be getting 200,000 orders within 48 hours, but realistically speaking, Blackberry needs to do more in order to get more market share (the company currently has less than 1 percent). And while it has sold more than 2 million handsets during Q2 2015, that figure is still lower compared to last year's 5.9 million devices.
Blackberry knows it is not going to dethrone market leaders Apple and Samsung anytime soon. Apple has sold 10 million iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus units in just three days, while Samsung is expected to sell 15 million units of its Galaxy Note 4 within the first month of release.
Needless to say, those numbers are hard to top. But by going against the flow, i.e. introducing unconventional devices in the market, Blackberry might be saying that it does not have to go toe to toe with the leaders. The company just have be itself and establish a special niche in the market for its customers.
The Blackberry Passport is available on Blackberry's online store for $599.00 unlocked. The device will be offered at Amazon before the year's end. To find out what other Blackberry devices are available on the market, you can start comparing Blackberry phones here.
