By Roger Cheng

 

Well, it's certainly different.

That was my first thought as I finally got my hands on the BlackBerry Passport, which has a squat, squarish look thanks to the mash-up of a compact physical keyboard with a 4.5-inch-by-4.5-inch (11.4 cmx11.4 cm) display.

OK, I didn't exactly get my hands fully around the Passport -- the BlackBerry rep insisted on holding it at all times -- but I got to touch it, test out the keyboard, and in one awkward moment, have the rep shove the phone down my front jeans pocket.

 

The Passport is BlackBerry's attempt to veer away from the norm with a peculiar design that instantly stands out. Imagine a phablet -- one of those oversized smartphones with jumbo displays -- squished so it almost looks like a square. It's wider than most phablets, and is nearly twice as wide as the iPhone 5S.

 

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