BlackBerry explains why it built a square phone and not a rectangular one

To put it simply, squares are better than rectangles. At least, according to the folks at Blackberry, that’s the case.

The company released a formal statement on its blog this past week which announced all of the many wonderful features associated with its newest phone, the Passport. On the surface, this is a standard public relations promotional effort, but for those unfamiliar with the device and its launch, the post actually had more to do with damage control. You see, the once globally renowned brand has been receiving a ton of criticism over the phone’s new design, namely the fact that it's square, has way too wide a screen, and is ungainly to hold.

The screen is wide—very wide, in fact. It actually measures 4.5 inches across, which is twice as wide as the iPhone 5s screen. According to the company’s release, though, this decision was deliberately made by the designers as they felt it maximized the user’s reading experience. 

“Based on academic typology, the optimal number of characters on a line in a book is 66 characters (current rectangular smartphones show approx. 40 characters and BlackBerry will show 60 characters),” the statement reads. “BlackBerry Passport offers its size and aspect ratio to accommodate these characters.”

The company also stated in the release that the wide screen is useful for viewing medical charts, spreadsheets, and other documents outfitted with nitty-gritty details.

“Anyone who thinks a screen like this will be useful for reviewing medical imaging has never reviewed medical imaging,” Richard Betel, a Blackberry user, wrote in a comment on the company’s blog. “That aside, I think the first thing I'll be doing when I get my hands on a demo is put it in my pocket: I wonder if it will fit?”

Another curious thing worth noting about the new Passport — it lacks a full keyboard, thereby omitting oft-used keys like shift and caps. 

The company explained this decision was — again — deliberate, as their designers believed it would help writing speed and efficiency because “when you are looking to type stories or notes, your virtual keyboard doesn’t cover most of your screen.”

For those interested in purchasing the device, the Passport is expected to hit shelves this fall. No price has been released just yet. 

Story via blackberry.com