A new phone teased on BlackBerry"s website with a launch date of later this year has a 4.5" display that is larger than is normal for the company with a 1:1 square aspect ratio like displays found on older BlackBerry models.
The larger 1440x1440 resolution of the new device, teased on BlackBerry"s website, will enable the company to compete better against the high-resolution devices found on the majority of flagship smartphones today. The device will have an impressive 453ppi pixel density which will make it easy to read small text on webpages and in emails whilst allowing for the crystal-clear viewing of picture quality on the large 4.5" display when taking or viewing photos with the phone"s camera.
Little else of the devices" specifications is known, including whether it will feature a physical keyboard like on the Q10 or be a wholly touchscreen device like the Z10.
The company teased the device alongside an announcement confirming the existence of the latest beta for the BlackBerry 10.3 SDK for developers wishing to make apps for BlackBerry devices. A "Classic" SDK will also be made available for use with older devices not supporting the company"s BlackBerry 10.3 OS.
The details of the new square, 4.5" phone are found halfway down the company"s blog post on the BlackBerry 10.3 SDK which says
"When you fire up the 10.3 beta simulator, you’ll notice another square screen. This is for a new device with a 1440x1440 resolution and pixel density of 453 DPI."
Although a 1:1 resolution is impractical for watching films or videos or for playing the majority of popular mobile games, it can be useful in the productivity apps that BlackBerry is famed for as it ensures that developers can play with the same amount of vertical space as horizontal space without dealing with scaling issues. Whether it is the device to save BlackBerry is another question entirely but it certainly adds to the available line-up of offered devices and so increases the companies chance of recovery through the current troubled financial market. It will enter the range later in 2014 and will join devices such as the Indonesia-orientated Z3 Jakarta Edition which launched yesterday as a device with specific functionality for one of the few remaining countries that BlackBerry still dominates the market in.
Source: Slash Gear via BlackBerry Developer Blog | Image via Slash Gear