BlackBerry’s strange but oddly anticipated Passport has passed through the FCC, meaning it’s one step closer to finding a home in your pocket. We already know the device is coming, so it’s not as though the information we’re finding here is any sort of revelation. But it just means, we’re hoping, that the device is on pace to come out this fall—or maybe even sooner.
As noted by Crackberry, the confidentiality agreement ends on Sept. 12, which is a little over a month away. Does that means we’ll see the device hit store shelves that day, or maybe shortly after? We’ll have to wait and find out. For now, the FCC’s info reveals the device will support GSM/GPRS/Edge 850/1900, WCDMA/HSPA FDD 2, 4, 5, and LTE Bands 2, 4, 5, 13, 17. The device will also sport 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth, NFC, FM Radio and GPS.
The main attraction, of course, is the Passport’s square screen, hearkening back to BlackBerry of yesteryear. Not only that, but there’s a full-size QWERTY keyboard in tow, though the device maintains a really wide stance, sort of like the LG Vu, which quickly became the butt of many jokes.
BlackBerry seems confident the Passport offers a more productive experience compared to competing handsets, so we’ll see just how well consumers take to this when it’s available. Now that it’s passing through the FCC, that would seem like any day now.
