The release of the BlackBerry Classic is closing in. While the new handset is BlackBerry's attempt at taking back its rightful spot in the digital showground, the company seems to have opted to doing it low-key. Pocket Lint reported that the BlackBerry Classic that sports the Canadian company's distinctive design is now up for pre-order in the U.K. Those who want to get their hands on the device can visit BlackBerry's website to check it out.
As reported by Digital Spy, the handset is BlackBerry's first release after they took a shot in making a square-faced device called Passport. As per Pocket Lint, people expect the BlackBerry Classic to reinstate the magnetism its maker once had.
The upcoming handset runs BlackBerry 10.3.1 software. It comes with a 3.46-inch HD screen that renders a 720 x 720 screen resolution on top of a 291 ppi pixel density. It houses a dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor that is clocked at 1.5 GHz. It is complemented with 2 GB of RAM and a 16 GB storage capacity that can be expanded with a memory card. Digital Spy says that the device features an 8-megapixel rear-facing camera. BlackBerry's trademark full QWERTY keyboard and trackpad paired with touchscreen is said to be the handset's main customer bait.
"The message is 'we hear you'. You told us you love keyboards, you love your BlackBerry. You told us that maybe the Q10 was just a little bit difficult to use. And therefore, we are bringing back that utility belt that is the trademark of BlackBerry," BlackBerry Vice President for Global Product Management Francois Mahieu said in this year's Mobile World Congress, as quoted by Pocket Lint.
"That is effectively some of the hard keys, the trackpad and menu button that make a BlackBerry phone easier to use. And bringing the flow of old BlackBerry OS, where you can easily navigate between emails and going back to your homescreen," he then added.
In the same event, BlackBerry CEO John Chen stated that BlackBerry Classic is the way to go, adding that the upcoming device is the one that "has always felt right in your hands and always felt right in your busy day."
U.K. shoppers can get the BlackBerry Classic for £349. Digital Spy says that the preorders will be completed before the holidays. Pocket Lint warns that the handset may be the company's last for now as it has no plans to release devices next year.
