I am going to make an admission here: I ordered the Passport BY MISTAKE. I was awaiting the end of the previews with my son at the movie theater and fiddling on my Samsung Note 3, and I twisted the phone to show him a picture of the Passport, and my thumb trembled on the 1-click purchase button. Screen changed to "Thanks for your Order"... 1-click is DANGEROUS. We laughed, and I assumed I would just cancel the order when I got home. It was a matinee. When I got home, I had an email stating "Your Order had been Shipped" and, sure enough, I had paid for the Passport. Not that it freaked me out, but I didn't intend to spend 500 plus dollars that day.
Now it is here. So I figured I would try it out and return it. I'm not returning it.
First trip was to the AT&T store for a nano SIM. This is a company store, big and bright and fully staffed. They didn't know what it was. They had no Blackberries on display. While they figured out the SIM, the salesman and two other salesmen asked if they could look at it. Slightly irritating because I wanted to look at it, but I am a nice guy and I obliged for TEN FULL MINUTES while it was passed around and smudged by all manner of humans in the store. It was comical. The consensus was that it was fluid and quick and the screen was brilliant. So, I finally got it back, and here are my observations coming from a dedicated Android background, as a very heavy all day user for business purposes. I use three batteries a day and the Note 3 lasts a LONG TIME. I use it a lot.
The Passport is solid and businesslike. The Black one looks like something from a high end office supply store, from the legal section. It is very solid and nice. I cannot make it creak. The keys are still stiff, but they are very solid too and will loosen over time (I had Blackberries years ago--they are like shoes that have to be broken in). One salesman asked me if the screen bothered me. I set the Note 3 on the bench next to the Passport, opened the text messaging app on both, and there is MUCH more screen on the Passport with the Android keyboard open (which is the usual mode for me). That was an eye opener.
My phone is a phone first . So the first thing I did was make a call. The voice from the other end was extremely clear. My voice was reportedly very clear. I think the Note 3 is a pretty good phone so I called the same person back. He said his end sounded the same but, for the first time, my end sounded hollow to me. I told him I would call him back again on the Blackberry, and set it on the console in speaker phone mode while driving between 35 and 55 with some traffic around me. He was unaware that I was on speakerphone! My car is 15 years old--not quiet. That is amazing. I paired my Plantronics and Yurbuds headsets (Bluetooth) and car with complete ease (as expected).
Back home and to let it update; all painless. I use Google Apps for domains (paid version of GMAIL) and the setup took maybe a minute. All of my calendar entries and contacts appeared and I was good to go. Now to apps. The Blackberry has many apps built in--this is not novel in this day and age, but they are very intuitive to use. The Blackberry Hub, in particular, is an amazing innovation and I assume Blackberry has a tight patent on it because if it didn't, everyone would have a hub. The hub shows all of your messages, calls, notifications, and anything else of note, and with a simple gesture on the screen you can either open the hub or just take a quick look without leaving what you are doing. Very slick. But I want more apps...
Blackberry world is the first place to look for an app because the native apps, I am told, run and are integrated better. I already had some paid apps from my old Blackberry days and installed one that logs my calls and text messages to my calendar, and another that can record my calls. They worked perfectly. But the real story is the Android apps. Amazon App Store is preloaded, and I have lots of paid and free apps there. I downloaded several, including many I thought could not possibly work. I also installed "Snap," which put me on the Google Play Store and I was able to download more paid apps. Now, on a mission, I downloaded every app that is on my Note 3 (except the Google ones--they won't work), and all of them work with the exception of Amazon Instant Video and, predictably, Google's Chromecast. Some examples of the ones that work flawlessly are an encrypted instant messenger, Netflix, Roku, an unabridged dictionary, legal billing software, photo editors... they all work perfectly. maybe I was just lucky or maybe things have changed, but Netflix was full screen. I finally got sleepy but I installed approximately 30 Android Apps and those two were the only ones that didn't work. To be fair, I do not download games.
Reception seems very good. My Note 3 is OK, but has never been as good as a Blackberry for reception (AT&T); I live in an area where reception sometimes matters. I noticed that even when the Blackberry has 1 bar, conversations are clear and data is fast, On the Note 3, you have no data with one bar and choppy conversation.
I have the latest OS (whatever downloaded last night), and battery life seems stellar. I have been on the phone nonstop (except for sleep) since yesterday afternoon, and since 5 this morning, and I still have about 75% left. That is really shocking and soothes my frayed nerves about not being able to pop in a new battery.
Here is the most amazing part, and I did not know this, even though I have read ALL of the reviews. Of course the entire keyboard is a trackpad; that's pretty neat. But it functions just like a screen keyboard (Blackberry) in the following manner: when you type a word, three suggestions appear above it for completion--you can swipe up under any of the three words and get that word. That is GENIUS. I use Swiftkey (the newest, Beta version) on my Android and it is pretty accurate, but this is better, really. You can choose any of the three by flicking up just underneath it. Exactly what I need for my business communications.
Another observation is that the screen is brilliant both in clarity and brightness. I don't know what kind it is yet (LCD, AMOLED, space pod), but it is easily viewable in full sunlight.
Now the bad. It is definitely a two handed device. I wear large sized gloves and I can't type on it using one hand. However, the device is not as big as you might think--at least, coming from a Note 3, and the Note 3 was primarily two-handed, too. It fits easily in my dress pants and coats' pockets. The browser seems incompatible with one site I use, a forum, and has to be put in desktop mode. That's not a deal breaker. I can't control my chromecast (but I can control my Roku), so okay that's inconvenient but I will live. Other than that, I have not found any negatives and many, many positives. The device is fast, professional looking, and functional. It works as a phone. It runs Android apps. I don't know what people are talking about when they claim it reboots or gets hot; this one doesn't.
It works with my Microsoft Onedrive account and has the native apps to edit word documents. I can even print to my Bluetooth printer (hp100) with an Android printing app. The lack of apps is, to me, simply not an issue because I seem to be able to use everything I could use on my Android.
I am not a Blackberry fanboy and I do use my phone all day (even in place of a laptop and landline most of the time) and this device is a winner after what I would call a long string of losers from Blackberry. For a "flagship" device it is reasonably priced and I am not tied to a bunch of AT&T bloatware, locked to their service, or locked in some ridiculous contract. This was a very lucky accident for me.
Google stuff is VERY convenient and generally well thought out. I may miss it (but I still get my email, calendar, etc.), but there is a price. There is an old saying that if you aren't paying for the product, then you ARE the product. If you use an Android and want to be creeped out, search for "Google Location History," log in, and you will see everywhere you have ever gone with your phone, speeds you traveled, how long you were there, the date and time you were there. That is the tip of the iceberg, it is really shocking (you can turn this off but if you do, no surprise, some functions of google apps don't work). To my knowledge, Blackberry doesn't collect that information on you.
I'm keeping it and as soon as I finish this review I am buying a case.
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From the manufacturer
BlackBerry Passport Smartphone
Serious Mobility for Serious Business.
4.5" LCD
- 1440 x 1440 resolution
- 1:1 aspect ratio
13 MP auto-focus rear facing camera
Touch-enabled 3-row keyboard
WORK WIDE
Boundary-breaking and purpose-built for productivity, the BlackBerry Passport smartphone challenges the status quo. BlackBerry Passport comes with a new large square touch screen for an amazing viewing and reading experience, giving you wider vision that unleashes your capabilities to do mobile business the way you have always wanted.
Don’t limit yourself to the narrow world of today’s phones. See the bigger picture.
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BlackBerry Passport shows there is a better, wider way to accomplish more.The new large square touch screen provides an amazing viewing and reading experience, giving you wider vision that unleashes your capabilities to do mobile business the way you have always wanted. It is designed for a better web browsing, reading, editing, and maps experience. |
BlackBerry Blend - The Power of BlackBerry now on your Computer and Tablet.On any given day, we move between devices to accomplish various tasks. BlackBerry Blend brings messaging and content that’s on your BlackBerry smartphone to your computer and tablet. Get instant notifications, read and respond to your work and personal messages, and access your documents, calendar, contacts and media in real time on whatever device you are on, powered by your BlackBerry. No wires, no saving to a cloud, no transferring information between devices, it’s just there. |
Get the Amazon Appstore on BlackBerry 10.The Amazon Appstore is the place to download the latest Android apps and games including favorites like Minecraft – Pocket Edition, Pinterest and Candy Crush Saga. In addition, you’ll find many of the features you’ve come to expect from Amazon including secure 1-Click payment and recommendations to help you find the apps and games that are perfect for you. |
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The New Touch Keyboard.BlackBerry Passport takes our iconic keyboard to the next level. The touch-enabled keyboard lets you perform many functions right on the keyboard. It’s responsive to touch so you can scroll web pages, flick to type or slide along the keys to move the cursor. Only BlackBerry can take a perfect keyboard and make it better. |
Built With the Best.BlackBerry Passport is built with premium durable materials mixed with top of the line technology, ensuring you get power, speed and durability required for any demanding schedule. Get the latest technology – 453 DPI screen display, Quad Core 2.2 GHZ Qualcomm processor, 3 GB RAM, 13 MP OIS Camera, and 32 GB of storage. |
Battery Power Designed To Keep Up With You.BlackBerry is well known for amazing battery life. BlackBerry Passport delivers our best battery performance to date with an impressive 3450 mAh battery and optimization of power consumption in BlackBerry 10. With up to 30 hours of mixed use*, you can be confident your phone can keep going for as long as you need it to. |
A Personal Assistant in the Palm Of Your Hand.BlackBerry Assistant allows you to manage your work and personal email, contacts, calendar and other BlackBerry 10 features through simple voice and text commands. It helps you to execute important tasks quickly such as responding to important emails, scheduling a meeting or getting directions. No moving in and out of multiple applications to complete a number of tasks. |
Phone Calls Come To Life.
BlackBerry Passport comes with powerful speakers and a quad microphone system. BlackBerry Natural Sound Technology is built in to adapt the call sound depending upon phone position and background noise.
Share More than Ever Before.
The new BBM introduces great features like BBM Voice, BBM Video Chat, BBM Channels and all new ways to share-all with the speed, control and privacy you can count on from BBM.
Be highly responsive and in control.
BlackBerry Hub is the better way to manage all of your conversations – email, social messages, BBM and notifications are all in one place and always available with a single swipe.
View and edit documents on the spot.
The uncompromised view gives you the ability to review and edit documents on the spot so you don’t have to wait until you are back in your office on your computer.
Compare with similar items
This Item  BlackBerry Passport Factory Unlocked Cellphone, International Version, 32GB, Black |  |  |  |  | |
| Price | — | $199.99 | -30% $699.99 List: $999.99 | $175.99 | -33% $179.95 New Price: $269.99 |
| Delivery | — | Get it as soon as Thursday, May 16 | Get it as soon as Thursday, May 16 | — | — |
| Customer Ratings | |||||
| Battery life | |||||
| Fingerprint reader | |||||
| Sold By | — | Blackview Official - US | Amazon.com | Deal Depot Plus | Ideal Mobile Solution |
| display size | 4.5 inches | 6.1 inches | 6.9 inches | 6.8 inches | 4.7 inches |
| memory capacity | 32 GB | 256 GB | 256 GB | 4 GB | 32 GB |
| model name | Passport | Phone-6 | Motorola razr+ 2023 | Moto G Stylus 5G | KEYone |
| operating system | Blackberry | Android 13.0 | Android 13.0 | Android 11.0 | android |
| connectivity tech | Wi-Fi | USB | Bluetooth, NFC, Wi-Fi, USB Type C | Networks + Bands 5G: 2/5/25/26/41/66/71/77/78 4G: 1/2/3/4/5/7/8/12/13/14/17/18/19/20/25/26/29/30/38/39/40/41/48/66/71 3G: 1/2/4/5/8 Bluetooth Technology Bluetooth 5.0 Wi-Fi Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac | 2.4GHz & 5GHz | Wi-Fi hotspot Location Services GPS (L1), A-GPS, LTEEP, SUPL, GLONASS, Galileo, Beidou SIM Card Single SIM (1 Nano SIM + 1 microSD) | Wi-Fi |
| display type | — | LCD | — | LCD | LCD |
| cpu manufacturer | — | — | Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 Mobile Platform | Qualcomm Snapdragon 480 5G processor | Qualcomm |
| input interface | keyboard | touch screen | touch screen | touch screen | buttons |
| water resistance | water resistant | water resistant | water resistant | water resistant | water resistant |
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It has its flaws, but it compensates for them.
Pros:-Huge Screen (could be a con depending on your preferences)-Keyboard is a fully working trackpad. Really helps to navigate around websites and apps-The structure feels very durable and heavy. You can definitely see that it's not cheaply made-Dual speakers. Clarity and volume at the same time.-LED light. I had an iPhone 7, so I wasn't used to having that feature. It's quite useful.-Blackberry HUB. Great idea and seamless integration of content between apps. Essentially a platform that collects and delivers all of the content of your email, social media, phone calls, texts, etc. into one easy swipe. Convenient if you don't like jumping around on all of your different apps and it makes sure you don't miss anything.-Security. In case you didn't know, BB is supposedly known for its high security. Not sure if there really is a difference in security between this phone and any other besides that it's more encrypted (?) I guess. Also, BB has some pre downloaded native apps that help to secure your content.-Battery life. I like it enough. I sometimes forget to charge it and it lasts me all day. It really depends on what your doing and to what extent.- Keyboard. Best thing it has to offer. That's also what BB is known for. I had to get used to the feeling...and after a few uses, I ended up getting annoyed when I had to type on my iPhone or iPad for something. It's just not the same. It's the real deal mayunn. Oh, also, when word suggestions pop up, instead of pressing the word you want... the keyboard has two virtual lines that split it into three columns. If you want to pick a suggestion on the far left side, then you just swipe up on the keyboard on the far left side. Same goes for the middle and right section. I just thought that was pretty advanced stuff for a 2015 phone.-Turn heads. Conversation piece. Ice breaker."Oh Em G! I thought the BlackBerry was dead!?" -everyone.Cons:-It's pretty outdated IMO. I've had my fair share of Androids and iPhones. All I can say is that the BB OS is nothing like android. Well, at least the passport. It takes some getting used to. I've had it for almost a week and I'm still learning. Huge learning curve for this one. But...it works. And if it works, then I'm okay with it.-I don't like that it's not compatible with CDMA SIM cards or the Sprint and I believe Verizon carriers. But it works well with GSM SIM cards and I'm using Cricket, which piggybacks off of atnt's network.-It was released in 2015 so the camera quality isn't that great. 13 megapixels...it's just not anything compared to iPhone. If you're planning on taking quality pictures like iPhone, then invest in a camera instead.-It's not user-friendly... at least at first. I was very confused in the beginning. If you're not the type to give things a try, and you like things simple...don't get this phone. It takes some patience. Unless, of course, you're up for the challenge or you're already familiar with BB.-Not many developers and companies support BB anymore. Facebook messenger doesn't work...unless you go on the website.-Apps. This one would be a deal breaker for most. If you're heavily reliant on social media apps...this phone could possibly work for you....or not. You just gotta work your way around the system e.g. native apps, google play, APK (whatever that means), etc. if you still want it... just YouTube or Google stuff for that. For other apps...I guess the native apps work pretty well. You gotta make sure that it's meant for the passport.... since it's a square. It doesn't bother me too much since I'm trying to detach myself from the social bubble ( I don't need anymore distractions in college). I just need my emails, notifications.. and I'm good.-The placement of the virtual keyboard can be awkward sometimes. Especially since the phone is huge. I don't like that the numbers are virtual and the virtual number pad is on the left side. I'm right handed and typing with my left hand for numbers is not a good mix. Especially if those numbers are for my pin, card number, password, etc. then I could possibly input it in wrong..since typing virtually is less accurate than on a real keyboard.-Most of the native "apps" are literally just like a hyperlink that places you on the website platform instead of the mobile app. I believe there are real apps for passport...you just gotta look hard.That's all I can think of for now..so really, all you gotta do is weigh the pros and cons and see if it fits what you're looking for. I actually did quite a bit of research before I made this purchase ( I'm not rich). I needed to make sure that it was actually worth buying. I checked out articles like crackberry, watched YouTube videos like JanOle (recommend watching if you're interested in BB). It's a good phone and will yield many benefits...just as long as you use it to its fullest potential. Hope this review helped you make a decision (or at least come close to it).P.s This is my first Amazon review. The phone was good and I wanted people to know, so I felt compelled to do so.
Top reviews from the United States
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Top reviews from other countries
Kanhaiya
No WhatsApp no email no video call
Reviewed in India on January 27, 2024Style: Phone OnlyColor: BlackVerified Purchase
Paul
complicate history
Reviewed in Canada on August 2, 2017Style: Phone OnlyColor: BlackVerified Purchase
Cristina SC
Funciona, el terminal es magnífico para todo
Reviewed in Spain on April 6, 2018Style: Phone OnlyColor: WhiteVerified Purchase
Kyle
It's great!
Reviewed in Canada on June 16, 2023Style: Phone OnlyColor: BlackVerified Purchase
Kyle
Reviewed in Canada on June 16, 2023
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Pros: the rear camera is great if you're on the go but good luck even trying to offload the photos.
YouTube works fine but don't expect to log in to your accounts.
Cons: The SD card reader wont even update. Claims to be off a network, even though clearly is on my home wifi.
Cant log into emails, can't log into Twitter (what I wanted it for to take a social media break.) Can't even log into LinkedIn.
My mac won't even read the phone itself in order to add Documents, Pictures or Music
Phone is an absolute lemon, but if you're like me and love the design of the phone and overall nice display and keyboard with a backlight. It'll do as a work phone. Just have to carry a second phone on me for email related stuff.
Anyways learn from my review as a sign or reason, that I suppose Blackberry will be dead forever. Sad because I've always liked John Chen.
Edit: I got the phone working with apk versions of Twitter, Facebook and a different browser. I'm not using media currently but also still good to have access to outlook from the web. There's a trick on how to activate the wifi on youtube and ever since then it's been doing great :) I actually came to enjoy it!
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Female Reviewer
new, replaces my tablet and my phone starts right out of box. bonus power plug and headphones.
Reviewed in Canada on January 23, 2018Style: Phone OnlyColor: BlackVerified Purchase
