Check out the BlackBerry Passport's unique QWERTY using the BlackBerry 10.3 simulator

The fascinating BlackBerry Passport is getting smartphone fanatics interested once again, in the BlackBerry name. Part of the reason for the excitement is the high-end specs on the device, never before seen on a BlackBerry. We're talking about the 1440 x 1440 resolution screen, quad-core Snapdragon 800 CPU, 3GB of RAM and a massive 3450mAH battery.

Even more interesting is the odd looking physical QWERTY that has no punctuation or function keys, and no numbers. Apparently, users will tap the keys for letters, and swipe over them for other functions. If you're a developer, you might be interested in knowing how the new "touch-enabled" QWERTY will work with your apps. In fact, you can see how your app works with the BlackBerry 10.3 update and the Passport by downloading the gold release of the BlackBerry 10.3 Developer Preview OS, simulator, and SDKs.

With the BlackBerry 10.3 simulator controls, you can see the new "touch-enabled" keyboard in action and also get a good look at the new UI for BlackBerry 10.3. Later this year, BlackBerry 10.3.1 will be made available to all BlackBerry 10 handsets. Meanwhile, you can download the gold release of the BlackBerry 10.3 Developer Preview OS, simulator, and SDKs by clicking on the sourcelink below. To check out the BlackBerry Passport keyboard, go to the BlackBerry 10.3 simulator and check the BlackBerry 10 keyboard 1440 x 1440. That boxy resolution is what you'll find on the BlackBerry Passport where the aspect ratio is 1:1.


source: BlackBerry