In a few days, BlackBerry will launch its new flagship phone we all know as the Passport, while the long-awaited Classic will probably arrive next month. Well, that’s all there is to the 2014 lineup and it looks like the Canadian company is cooking up something extra special for next year’s portfolio.
BerryReview has spotted a patent application filed by BlackBerry which hints at a smartphone having a storable keyboard with a pivoting cover. The description notes that the keyboard can be moved to a non-deployed position where a portion of it will be covered.
As you can see in the imagee above, the device looks a lot like the BlackBerry Passport featuring a 3-row keyboard and the picture embedded below shows what the phone looks like with the keyboard hidden. A single row will still be visible and it’ll probably serve the purpose of quick access to specific features.
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As revealed by to BerryReview, this handset will go by the codenames Visa and Victoria and is scheduled for release in early Q2 2015. There’s no concrete information on the device as yet, but we’re guessing that it’ll be a high-end or a premium one grudging by the design. The handset could also land as the successor to the Passport.
Here’s a quick look at what the BlackBerry Passport has to offer:
– 4.5-inch 1440 x 1440p LCD panel
– 2.2GHz quad core Snapdragon 800 SOC
– 3GB RAM
– BB 10.3 platform
– 13MP OIS rear shooter, 2MP front camera
– 32GB flash memory, up to 128GB expandable
– 3450mAh battery
Simply because BlackBerry has patented a design, it isn’t confirmed that it’ll be used in a device. So take the aforementioned launch information with a grain of salt.