BlackBerry Ltd. introduced its new Passport phone in a blog post Monday as a tool for business users.
The Canadian telecommunication company is scheduled to release the device in September, according to CNET. It said the phone's physical keyboard and square screen make it useful for a number of business tasks, such as creating spreadsheets, trading stocks and writing notes.
The Passport was mentioned by John Chen, CEO of BlackBerry, during the company's earning call on June 19th, and was reported in early leaks by the code name "Windmere," eWeek reported.
"We are launching a brand new device called the Passport," Chen said at the time. "Most of the information has been leaked to Websites, so you guys should go and check that out."
Chen added BlackBerry also plans to release another device called the Classic in November. One of the more notable features of the new phone is its square-like shape, which resembles a passport.
"Just as a passport is the universal symbol of mobility and was the inspiration for the size and form factor of this device, you passport becomes your ticket to open new doors of opportunity," BlackBerry wrote in its post.
Other business purposes that the Passport can serve include letting mortgage brokers and architects look at full designs and schematics and allowing physicians to look at X-rays with a patient, eWeek reported.
"No more worrying about portrait or landscape modes, and no; you aren't missing anything," the company said.
BlackBerry is also looking to use the Passport to improve its smartphone division and its profitability for the company.
"Being a business person, if you try long enough and you can't make money at something [you stop doing it]," Chen said at an event in April. "But the only news is that we're committed to the handset business, and we're going to make it work."
