Official roll out of BlackBerry 10.3.1 begins, brings BlackBerry Blend, Assistant and thousands of apps

BlackBerry has started rolling out BlackBerry OS 10.3.1 globally for Blackberry 10 devices including BlackBerry Passport, BlackBerry Z3, BlackBerry Z30, BlackBerry Z10, BlackBerry Q10, BlackBerry Q5, BlackBerry Porsche Design P’9983 and P’9982 smartphones. BlackBerry Classic that was released recently in December comes pre-loaded with BlackBerry 10.3.1.

The latest update brings with it several new enhancements and features including BlackBerry Blend and BlackBerry Assistant as well as improvements in BlackBerry Hub, battery, camera, calendar, multimedia and much more. The new OS version will also give the user access to thousands of apps through two app stores – the BlackBerry World storefront and the Amazon Appstore. The BlackBerry 10.3.1 also features an instant action bar and updated icons.

BlackBerry Blend will let you access your BlackBerry phone’s messaging and other content such as documents, contacts, calendar and media on your computer or tablet. It works on many OS including Windows, Android, Mac and iOS.

 BlackBerry Assistant is an intelligent voice-activated personal assistant like Google Now, Siri and Cortana. It can be used for text and voice commands and assists the user in managing both work and personal tasks such as email, contacts, calendar and other apps.

Then there’s the BlackBerry Hub with Instant Actions. It helps the users to better manage all their conversations including texts, emails, phone calls, BBM and social media. With Instant Actions users can instantly organize their Inbox without accessing each individual message and quickly change their communication mode from email to SMS, voice call or meeting invitation.

The BlackBerry 10.3.1 update also brings with it other features including time saving keyboard shortcuts, new camera functions, boost to battery life, better sound media, ability to add songs, photos or videos to favorites for quick access, new meeting mode option and weekly agenda view in calendar and BBM meetings to work smarter.

BlackBerry 10.3.1 has started rolling out in Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Asia Pacific. Download notification will be received in the BlackBerry Hub.

 

Source BlackBerry

Official roll out of BlackBerry 10.3.1 begins, brings BlackBerry Blend, Assistant and thousands of apps

BlackBerry Passport Arrives in India, costs INR 49,990

Within a week of its official unveiling at three simultaneous events held in Toronto, London and Dubai, BlackBerry’s new flagship the BlackBerry Passport has been launched in India. The smartphone is available for pre-order exclusively on Amazon’s Indian site up to October 10.

BlackBerry Passport is priced at INR 49,990 (about $810) in India which is at par with the prices of many current flagship Android phones in the market, but its price is much more compared to iPhone 5s which is being offered at heavily discounted prices by e-commerce sites in India. However, customers who pre-order the BlackBerry Passport through Amazon will receive a gift card worth INR 5000 and 5000 Jet privilege miles.

The BlackBerry Passport is the size of an actual international passport and has an unusual square-shaped 4.5-inch touch screen display with resolution of 1440x1440p. The handset also has a unique 3-row QWERTY keypad doubling up as a touch sensitive swipe-pad. Other specs include Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 SoC with a quad-core processor clocked at 2.2GHz and Adreno 330 GPU for graphics. The BlackBerry Passport will have a 3GB RAM, 32GB internal storage expandable up to 128GB, a 13 megapixel rear camera and a 2 magapixel front shooter. The handset will come with the latest BlackBerry OS 10.3 with voice assistant, android app support and pre-loaded BlackBerry World and Amazon Appstore.

BlackBerry Passport Arrives in India, costs INR 49,990

Unlocked BlackBerry Passport available for $599, company announces many new features

BlackBerry has officially announced its new flagship smartphone, the BlackBerry Passport on Wednesday, September 24 at three simultaneous events held in Toronto, London and Dubai. The device is available unlocked for $599 just as BlackBerry CEO John Chen had said earlier this week.

The BlackBerry Passport (unlocked) is available through ShopBlackBerry.com in Canada, US, UK, Germany, France soon after the launch at ”special introductory rates”. You can get the handset in Canada for $699, in UK for £529, in US for $599 and in Germany and France for €649. You can also buy the unlocked device through Amazon.com but the retailer has not announced its price yet.

Canada’s Telus is offering the BlackBerry Passport at an introductory price of $200 until October 1 after which it will be available at the regular rate of $250. The exclusive carrier for US will be AT&T. BlackBerry announced that the handset will be available in over 30 countries by the end of the year. These include Canada, US, UK, France, India, Austria, Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, Italy, Singapore, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Australia, Switzerland, Russia, Spain, Romania, Saudi Arabia and the other parts of the Middle East, Nigeria, South Africa, Vietnam, Mexico, Venezuela, Slovakia, and Colombia.

Special features of the BlackBerry Passport include:

• The innovative touch-enabled Keyboard


• Massive 3,450 mAh battery with 30 hours battery life


• Big square 4.5-inch 1440 x1440 resolution screen


• Natural Sound technology that gives high audio and call quality


• The new BlackBerry 10.3 OS that comes with the BlackBerry Assistant


• BlackBerry Hub with Instant Action feature that allows users to perform actions such as deleting a file or managing the inbox just by tapping the related icon etc.


• Two appstores preloaded – BlackBerry World and Amazon Appstore and users will get 1 free Android app everyday out of thousands of Android apps giving them access to games such as Minecraft, Temple Run 2, Candy Crush Saga, Cut the Rope 2 and Pinterest. The BlackBerry OS 10.3 update will enable users of other BlackBerry 10 devices to download this too.

Other features of the Blackberry Passport include 2.2GHz quad-core Snapdragon 801 CPU and Adreno 330 GPU, 3GB RAM, 32GB internal storage expandable up to 128GB via microSD card, a Nano-SIM card slot, a 13MP rear OIS camera and a 2MP front-facing camera. The dimensions of BlackBerry Passport are 128×90.1×9.3mm and its connectivity options include 3G, 4G LTE, Bluetooth 4.0 LE, Wi-Fi a/b/g/n/ac, Micro-USB + Micro-HDMI via SlimPort, USB OTG, NFC, GPS, GPRS/ EDGE, DLNA, Glonass.

Unlocked BlackBerry Passport available for $599, company announces many new features

BlackBerry Passport might be coming to T-Mobile

If you are a fan of BlackBerry, you must be eagerly waiting for September 24 when the company is expected to launch its next flagship smartphone, the BlackBerry Passport. BlackBerry has said in its blog, “On September 24, all eyes will be on BlackBerry as we host exclusive, invite-only events in Toronto, London and Dubai to show off… well I guess you’ll have to wait and see.” Also saying, “Save the Date. See the bigger picture.”

Although the company has revealed many features of the BlackBerry Passport till now, it has not yet announced when it will be available in the market and it’s pricing. According to information received by BlackBerry OS, the device will hit the stores on October 1 in Canada, Europe and UAE and will cost about $800 or €650. Its US launch seems to be scheduled for later.

Now OurBerries has posted a picture of a BlackBerry Passport handset carrying a T-Mobile logo on its back. This means that T-Mobile might offer the new Blackberry flagship on its network when the phone is launched in the US. Fans may recall that BlackBerry and T-Mobile are not on the best of terms after the feud between them a few months back.

T-Mobile had tried to get its customers to turn in their BlackBerry phones and swap them for the new iPhone 5s. This resulted in some altercation between the CEOs of the two companies and BlackBerry did not renew its contract with the carrier.

The leaked picture indicates that the two companies might have patched things up and that T-Mobile is really going to offer the new and unique BlackBerry Passport. On the other hand, the image could be doctored. We will have to wait and see.

The Blackberry Passport will sport an unusual 4.5-inch square LCD display with 1440 by 1440 pixels resolution and a QWERTY touch-sensitive keypad. It is expected to have quad-core 2.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 CPU, Adreno 330 GPU for graphics, 3GB RAM, 32GB internal memory with microSD card slot for expansion up to 64GB, 13MP rear camera, 2MP front camera and a powerful 3450mAh battery. The device will run BlackBerry 10.3 OS.

BlackBerry Passport might be coming to T-Mobile

Blackberry Passport may support 4K video recording soon

Canadian tech major Blackberry is launching its new flagship, the BlackBerry Passport this month. A new report suggests that the BlackBerry is testing out the 4K video recording feature on its Passport phone. However, this feature will not be available on the device at the time of its launch in September.

According to CrackBerry, if the testing is successful, then the 4K video recording feature will be added to the BlackBerry Passport along with the BlackBerry 10.3.1 OS update. This information has been shared by @DHabkirk on Twitter. He has also posted a screenshot supporting the claim.

New 4K Device Screen Support in 10.3.1? No. 4K Video Recording on the Passport, yes. pic.twitter.com/juVQ04tP4o

— DHabkirk (@DHabkirk) August 29, 2014

Previously leaked specs indicate that the BlackBerry Passport will have a 13MP primary rear camera with auto-focus, optical image stabilization, f/2.0 lens, back side illumination and an LED Flash. The camera will have 1080p HD video recording at 60fps, 6DOF video stabilization, 5x digital zoom, continuous and touch to focus, and image stabilization.

The addition of 4K video capture feature to the BlackBerry Passport is not really surprising as the camera module in the device has been rumored to support 4K.  A few months back, BlackBerry had mentioned on its blackberry.icanmakeitbetter.com site that it was toying with the idea of adding the 4K video format to the smartphone.

You can have a look at the video below to see the BlackBerry Passport in action at 1080p:

Blackberry Passport may support 4K video recording soon

Full specs for BlackBerry Passport leaked

The BlackBerry Passport has been popping up in the news ever since BlackBerry’s CEO John Chen showed it to the world last month. It has been a long time since any BlackBerry smartphone has generated so much interest. BlackBerry Passport is slated to launch officially next month.

We have already seen hands-on videos of the device that was rumored to have the codename ‘Windermere’. Apart from the fact that it has an unusual 4.5” square screen and a QWERTY touch-sensitive keypad, no other specifications were available. Now thanks to N4BB, we get a peak at the full specifications of the BlackBerry Passport.

Display: 4.5-inch LCD display with a resolution of 1440 x 1440 pixels (453 dpi). It has an aspect ratio of 1:1 and is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 3 cover.

Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 chipset with 2.2GHz Quad-Core CPUs (MSM8974-AA) and Adreno 330, 450MHz GPU for graphics.

Memory: 3GB RAM and 32GB internal storage expandable up to 64GB via microSD card.

Cameras: A13MP f/2.0 auto-focus primary Camera with OIS, 1080p HD video recording at 60fps and an LED Flash. A 2MP fixed-focus front-facing camera for selfies with 720p HD video recording.

Connectivity: FD-LTE, HSPA+, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS and NFC. Ports include USB 2.0, USB 3.0 as well as Cabled-Video Out, HDMI, VGA and DisplayPort all supported by SlimPort adaptor. The device has a Nano SIM card slot. BlackBerry Passport will run on Nano SIM.

Battery: BlackBerry Passport sports a huge 3450 mAh non-removable battery with a life of 19 hours usage and 8 hours standby.

Advanced Sensors: Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Magnetometer, Time of Flight and Ambient light are available.

As already mentioned earlier, BlackBerry Passport will be available in two color options, White and Black and is set for release in September this year. Pre-registration for the smartphone has already started a few days back.

Full specs for BlackBerry Passport leaked

BlackBerry Passport fits snugly in your pocket, gets Singapore certification

We recently saw a video showing off BlackBerry’s new soon-to-be launched Passport smartphone.  Although people are eagerly waiting for the BlackBerry Passport because of its unusual square screen and QWERTY keyboard, there is a feeling that the smartphone may be a little too big for their pockets due to its wide shape. However, a picture posted by @halobandit on Twitter and reported by n4bb shows a man sliding the BlackBerry Passport in his pocket. This means that the device can easily fit in a pant pocket. So the apprehension is needless.

Take a look at the picture posted by him:

Those who had doubts about its portability after watching the pics and videos of the BlackBerry Passport can rest assured that the width of the handset should not be a problem at all.

Another news trickling in is that the BlackBerry Passport has received certification for Singapore. A device with the codename SQW100 which is the Blackberry Passport, has been approved by the Singapore government’s Infocomm Development Authority (IDA) for use in Singapore.

It is worth noting that BlackBerry Passport has already received the FCC and GCF certification sometime back. Pre-registrations for the phone have started and the device is expected to be launched next month.

BlackBerry Passport fits snugly in your pocket, gets Singapore certification

BlackBerry Passport gets GCF certification

BlackBerry’s upcoming flagship smartphone BlackBerry Passport has generated a lot of buzz among smartphone consumers. The device is going through the process of getting various certifications ahead of its September launch. After passing through the FCC, it has now obtained the GCF certification. GCF has posted a tweet announcing this.

New! GCF-Certified Mobile Phone from @BlackBerry Find out more at http://t.co/u4yI7UPOrj

— GCF (@GCF_Certified) July 31, 2014

BlackBerry Passport sports a square 4.5-inch QHD touchscreen with a 1440 x 1440 resolution (pixel density 453ppi)  offering a great viewing experience and a 3GB RAM. Other rumored specs include 13MP rear camera and 3MP front-facing camera. The high capacity battery of 3450mAh will keep the smartphone running throughout the day. Its operating system is BlackBerry 10.3 and it would come with the BlackBerry Assistant

The smartphone boasts of a unique three-row touch-enabled QWERTY keyboard. It also has a virtual 4th row on the screen that automatically displays the virtual keys of numbers and symbols based on the context of what you are typing. For instance, if you are typing an email, the symbol ‘@’ will appear in the virtual key row or if you are surfing the web, the symbols ‘: ‘and ‘/’will be displayed.

Pre-registrations for the BlackBerry Passport have already begun. Those who are interested can register at the link provided and get more details about the smartphone. This is not a pre-booking or a pre-ordering of the device but just an expression of interest in the soon-to-be-launched phone. You will be notified about the details and availability of the smartphone through email.

The BlackBerry Passport is expected to launch sometime in September but its pricing has not been revealed yet.

BlackBerry Passport gets GCF certification

High Sales of BlackBerry Z3 in India and Indonesia, Report Claims

The new BlackBerry Z3 has released in the market of Indonesia and India just few days ago. The CEO John Chen has confirmed high sales of BlackBerry Z3 in these two countries during an interview. However, the sales rate has not announced yet by the CEO.

Because of good screen size, affordable price and long battery life, BlackBerry Z3 has good demand in last few days. The Smartphone is powered by 1.2 GHz dual core Krait 200 CPU with 5” HD display for the users but the price is under $200.

Blackberry’s new partnership company Falconn has made the Smartphone BlackBerry Z3 but upcoming Smartphone product is going to move from them. At the same time, he also mentioned that Blackberry Classic and BlackBerry Passport will release in the market soon.

However, both Blackberry Classic and BlackBerry Passport price will be higher than BlackBerry Z3. However, the CEO has not said anything about the price of the two upcoming Smartphones of the company during the interview.

High Sales of BlackBerry Z3 in India and Indonesia, Report Claims

Watch the BlackBerry Passport in action in a leaked video

The upcoming BlackBerry Passport is an unusual smartphone having a square 4.5-inch QHD screen with a resolution of 1440x 1440. The handset was unveiled by BlackBerry’s CEO John Chen himself recently. Now a leaked hands-on video gives a good idea about the smartphone.

A unique feature of the BlackBerry Passport is its three-row QWERTY keyboard and a virtual 4th row above it on the screen that automatically shows the numbers and symbols based on what you are typing. For example, the @ symbol is displayed when you are typing an email or the ‘: ‘ and ‘/’ are displayed when you are surfing the web. If you have made a mistake, you can just swipe back to delete it. According to BlackBerry, this ‘smart’ keyboard will enable users to type ‘faster than ever before’.

Now, a video has been uploaded on YouTube showing how the BlackBerry Passport operates. It shows how the QWERTY keyboard also works as a touchpad. The touch-enabled keyboard enables you to scroll the apps, emails and web pages by just brushing your fingers lightly over the keys. You can double-tap the keyboard to position the cursor wherever you want it on the screen.

You can watch the video for yourself here:

The BlackBerry Passport features a 3GB of RAM and a powerful 3450mAh battery. For better sound, it has stereo speakers and four microphones on board. The smartphone has the BlackBerry 10.3 OS and comes with the BlackBerry Assistant.

The BlackBerry Passport is expected to be launched sometime in September this year but its pricing is not yet known.

 

Watch the BlackBerry Passport in action in a leaked video