If this phone had come from an unknown start-up and sold only on one e-tailer, the world would have queued up to get hold of one from the limited stocks. They would have written reviews calling it the most innovative phone in recent times. However, this phone is not from a start-up, but from BlackBerry, the Canadian smartphone maker we all love to discard from any forward-looking conversations these days.

The BlackBerry Passport, which has been launched in India for Rs 49,990 just days after it was revealed to the world, is the most unique phone in recent times. It has a large, square touchscreen, as a well as a very BlackBerry-like full QWERTY keypad. However, the innovation is not in the shape or form factor, but in making the keypad more functional that in any other device. While you can type like in any BlackBerry phone, the keypad here is also touch-sensitive and can be used to move the cursor around or flick suggested words like with all-touch BB 10 smartphones. The keypad is so good you will not need to touch the extra large 4.5-inch square touch display.

With a stainless steel frame and a very strong built, the phone feels premium and robust. It also houses a battery that can last almost two days. The 1:1 ratio of the screen means you never have to change the orientation of the device to view something better. In fact, this phone offers the best views in town and can let you scan spreadsheets and docs without resorting to pinch or zoom.

Sunil Lalvani, managing director of BlackBerry India, told IndianExpress.com that the design element is meant for power professionals. ?The phone is built on feedback from users and giving them better battery life and a wider view. The display is ideal for those who have to see a lot of Excel sheets or read documents,? he added.

Lalvani said you cannot expect a sub-R5,000 device from BlackBerry as manufacturing costs are very different and material used is premium. ?The traditional consumers want apps on a cheap device. The perception was that BlackBerry does not offer the apps they want. We have fixed that by pre-burning the Amazon App Store in the new OS and giving them access to 2,00,000 top Android apps,? added Lalvani. In fact, all Android apps are scanned by BlackBerry Guardian before installation.

The Passport will be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 with 2.2GHz Quad-Core CPUs (MSM8974-AA) processor with 3GB RAM. It will have 32 GB flash memory, expandable up to 128 GB. The USB ports allows charging and data synchronisation. The phone has a 3450mAH integrated non-removable battery. The 13-megapixel auto-focus camera comes with optical image stabilisation LED flash and 5x digital zoom. The front camera is 2MP. Till October 10, the phone will be available only on Amazon.in and BlackBerry brand stores. Those buying on Amazon will get a gift card worth R5,000 for future buys.

While a lot of people will be unsure whether they want to use this form factor, BlackBerry seems to have a chance with this device to hold on to its loyal users, especially in the upper management. ?This is an interesting first step in our new roadmap for the future. This indicates that our device portfolio continues.?