The BlackBerry Passport is controlled with both hands.

We were able get our hands on the new smartphone from BlackBerry in advance, surprisingly called Passport. With an unusual format because of its square screen, it is nevertheless equipped with the latest technologies and provides the same functions as a more classic model. With the advantage, according to its designer, to offer unparalleled productivity solutions through professional use. What are the real strengths of thePassport? Response:

Passport - for an almost exclusive two-hands use
The Passport doesn’t surprise much by its height (about 13 cm in average), but rather by its unmatched width of 9 cm, even among the mosthumongous phablets.

In input mode, the device must be held with two hands, and it’s preferred to use your thumbs to write. The only exception to the rule it is for example surfing, when it is possible to switch the device in landscape mode and keep the camera with one hand while scrolling with your thumbthrough the physical keyboard that has the distinction of be tactile.

We can surf with one hand on the Passport while in scrolling mode because of the tactile keyboard. Convenient when you drink your coffee. 

It is fairly conceivable to put the Passport in a jeans pocket. Remaining relatively thin (less than 10 mm thick), with beveled edges that reinforcethis impression, the camera more naturally finds its place in a jacket pocket or bag. The design of the mobile remains, too, very "pro". By thatmeaning not very pleasant. But we find it still quite classy with its brushed metal strapping and gummy back pleasant to the touch.

The Passport is its brushed metal strap

An unparalleled connectivity 
Regarding connectivity, there is a Micro USB port of the device and low audio jack on the upper part. The hull and Passport battery are not removable, only a small hatch in the upper part of the back provides access to the SIM (nano size required) and MicroSD . Cards up to 128 GB are accepted, which is especially helpful, in addition to strong internal memory of 32 GB (over 27 available for storage). 
A hatch on the back of the unit hides the MicroSD reader and  location for nano SIM.

A hatch on the back of the unit hides the MicroSD reader and the SIM nano. 

4G, Wi-Fi n / ac and Bluetooth 4.0, the smartphone also supports NFC and Miracast while the microUSB port is SlimPort compliant. We can therefore easily connect the Passport to a TV via a simple SlimPort / HDMI (sold optional) adapter. BlackBerry has really thought of everything.

The MicroUSB port on the BlackBerry smartphone supports HDMI via a SlimPort adapter. 

An unusual display an unbeatable brightness
With its square format, the 4.5-inch screen has a nice display area that goes far beyond traditional models of the same size. And the intrinsic qualities of the slab are also quite unusual since the latter book, pushed into a corner, brightness up to 923 cd / m². Unheard of! Suffice to say that in direct sunlight, the screen is one of the most readable on the market. You can see for yourself (see photo above), we compared the best models for outdoor use (including the Galaxy S5). 
With its definition of 1440 x 1440 dots, the screen offers a high resolution of 453 dpi and contrast proves otherwise very correct. The display quality is therefore met.

In the sun, the Passport remains the most legible  compared to the Galaxy S5, the iPhone 6 and  Xperia Z3. 

As to the slab,  a square, it is very comfortable in most uses. There are really only in video playback it feels a slight frustration, the 16/9 image notcovering the entire surface. Pragmatic, BlackBerry has taken advantage of the free areas to place the navigation menus. 

The videos do not appear full size on the screen but Passport and notifications (top) and the menu (below) do not encroach on the image.

A powerful device but not for gamers 
With its latest generation Snapdragon processor 801, which is more coupled with 3GB of RAM, Passport is in no shortage of sprint. The new BBsystem 10 in its version 10.3 also responds like clockwork: navigation remains fluid at all times including after installing all accounts. The same goes for the fast and responsive web browsing. And as we can scroll without asking her fingers on the screen and it can display several glues(columns), the surfing sessions are particularly pleasant. 
For gamers, the Passport is not probably the ideal platform. Not for lack of power, but rather a lack of 3D games of last generation. Despite the partnership with Amazon that provides access to its App Shop, some recent titles are missing or not working (or bad) with the Passport. On the other hand, the BlackBerry does not specifically have the gamers in sight ... With, depending on the manufacturer, 150,000 apps available in the world, the BlackBerry World store continues on its path but takes a more professional orientation than before. 


Both stores Passport applications: Word left and BlackBerry App Shop Amazon right. 

Passport, much more enduring than its predecessors 
With its strong 3450 mAh battery, the Huawei Ascend Mate7 one can outdo him with 4100 mAh. We used the BlackBerry smartphone quiteintensively a good day without kneeling. No doubt, then, the Passport is a tough smartphone. In our tests, the verdict was confirmed: the mobileBlackBerry takes 27 hours on call and 13 hours surfing 4G or video playback. Only a small downside, the battery is not removable like the Z10 orZ30.

Correct picture and video functions 
Despite the “professional” orientation of the smartphone, with many features to help capture or save time for the user, the Canadian companydoes not lose the hope to expand its target the general public. The Passport is equipped with a 13 megapixel camera with flash and opticalstabilization, which delivers images of satisfactory quality. In artificial lighting, colors clearly lack natural qualities but outside, the result is quitesatisfactory. The HDR mode, unfortunately slow, can significantly improve some shots while in low light photos without being dazzling, remain usable. In video capture, some flickering and jelly effect (image distortion) were detected. Too bad because the stability and fluidity are quite okay.At the front is a 2 megapixel sensor which also has HDR (not bad outside) and shoots in 720p.

In HDR mode the camera is effective (pictured left). 

Effective software functions 
A smartphone is a collection of physical components and the Passport is a perfect example. Without revolutionizing the genre, BlackBerry proves inventive to boost user productivity with a whole lot of new features, as described in our previous article on the launch of the BlackBerry Passport.Everyone will not adhere to the unconventional form  of the product, and BlackBerry is aware of that, but today it is the Rolls Royce of thebusiness smartphone.

For more information, see the test results of the BlackBerry Passport.