Blackberry passport review: 10 things to know before buying
Let me preface this by saying I never really intended on giving the BlackBerry Passport Silver Edition a full blown review. From the onset, I pretty much considered the device "just another version of the Passport" & overall I feel I was right in that assumption. It is just another version of the BlackBerry Passport, but it just so happens that it"s the nicest version of the BlackBerry Passport available khổng lồ date.
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With that in mind, it"s certainly worthy of a closer look, even if the majority of the changes are cosmetic rather than internal. I"m not going khổng lồ cover every single aspect here like I would in the nhận xét of a a brand new device. Instead let"s just take a nice overview of some of the changes that I think are most important to those who may already be Passport owners trying lớn decide if they want the Silver Edition or, the more likely scenario, those who already know all there is to lớn know about the Passport but haven"t pulled the trigger on purchasing one. If you"re looking for a massive run down I fully suggest our original BlackBerry Passport reviews instead.
So, we"ve established that most of the differences on the Silver Edition are purely cosmetic. Let"s go ahead và take a quick look at those changes as well và dig a bit deeper into the BlackBerry Passport Silver Edition. I say dig deeper because while the official specs from BlackBerry may not show it, they did make one internal change that may or may not matter khổng lồ those considering purchasing any version of the BlackBerry Passport.
The Keyboard
The keyboard on the Passport Silver Edition will largely be of interest lớn those who are familiar with the original BlackBerry Passport, while those familiar with the AT&T version of the BlackBerry Passport might not care so much as that keyboard is pretty much identical to that of the Silver Edition. Essentially, BlackBerry made the keyboard "smoother" và by smoother I mean the buttons are more easily pressed và they have less overall stiffness to them. There was a certain click on the original Passport keys that you"re likely either going lớn love or hate that just isn"t present on the Silver Edition. In addition khổng lồ the keys being smoother, BlackBerry also increased the kích thước of the chin below the spacebar on the Silver Edition. While it"s presented as something entirely new, it"s really not. Much like the keyboard, the increased chin kích thước is a carryover from the AT&T BlackBerry Passport, so owners of that device know what they"re getting into when purchasing a Silver Edition. PS: Safe to say at this point, the chin portion itself is plastic.
The Camera & Flash
The camera on the Silver Edition at first blush is a minor change but aside from the look of it being updated to offer better protection from scratches and the flash placement being moved around, there"s some speculation that it may have been improved slightly as well. Ahead of the launch of the Silver Edition there were mentions of the camera possibly being upgraded based on comments made by BlackBerry CEO John Chen on Twitter. Did they really change the camera? Well, yes, but seemingly not in the way everyone may have been expecting. Through some analysis, information shows they did indeed change the front facing camera from one provided by Samsung Electro-Mechanics (SEMCO) to lớn one provided by LG Innotek (LGIT). It remains a 2MP fixed-focus shooter capable of shooting in 720p but there"s noticeably less lag when using it whereas on previous versions of the BlackBerry Passport, the front facing camera was oddly slow lớn respond lớn movement. So they never changed the rear facing camera at all? Technically speaking, no. It"s still the exact same camera module installed running the exact same firmware that all other versions of the BlackBerry Passport are running, but some claim khổng lồ see some improvements in the clarity và vibrancy in the images shot on the Silver Edition compared khổng lồ others. My personal take, it could be attributed to lớn a better lens being used but in my testing it"s not really enough khổng lồ make a fuss over.
Speakers
Although BlackBerry made no mention of any speaker or volume upgrades on the Silver Edition, I do have to say that when playing music through the device, not over headphones, it does generally sound slightly louder & slightly clearer. With no mention of changes & no way to lớn determine if the hardware has changed without ripping the device open, I think it"s safe to say any perceived sound quality differences are simply coming from the fact there"s more metal on the Silver Edition than any of the other Passport versions. Obviously, the earpiece has changed slightly in looks but the sound quality itself remains the same in my testing.
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Size and Weight
If you looked at the dimension comparisons in the specs portion, you"ll already know the Silver Edition is ever so slightly larger. If you thought the original Passport or AT&T Passport were too heavy, you might want khổng lồ stay away from the Silver Edition as it"s even heavier due khổng lồ the reinforced stainless steel frame being improved lớn provide extra strength and durability. Granted, it doesn"t really feel all that much heavier to me but that"s likely because I"m already used khổng lồ carrying a Passport around. As for the size, well, the squared off top and rounded off corners added some height to lớn the Silver Edition but honestly, it"s only just enough khổng lồ mess with some form-fitting accessories that you"ll not be able lớn re-use if you"re moving from a different version of the Passport into a Silver Edition.
Accessories
Speaking of accessories, BlackBerry rolled out a bunch of new ones strictly built for the Silver Edition such as the Leather Flex Shell Case, Leather Flip Case, và Sync Pod that works with official cases & shells. If you own a different version of the Passport, you"re going khổng lồ have to go ahead and purchase all new accessories to protect your device.
Of course, some folks are likely also asking if the Silver Edition accessories work with older Passport versions. The short answer there is no. Due lớn the changes made on the Silver Edition, Silver Edition accessories won"t really work on any other versions of the Passport. However, there is a long answer as well. The long answer is yes, but there are some caveats. For example, the Silver Edition Flip Case will somewhat work on all other versions of the Passport. I say somewhat because the flash location will be blocked but if you don"t use the flash all that often & really want the case, both the original & AT&T Passport fit inside & show the LED when closed. In the end, I don"t really suggest it but I can"t tell you what khổng lồ do.
Purchase Accessories for the BlackBerry Passport Silver Edition.cta .large
Conclusion
Although I was rather skeptical of the BlackBerry Passport Silver Edition when it first started appearing, after having used it for a while now, I have no issues with saying that it"s a great addition to lớn the Passport lineup. Just lượt thích the original Passport & the AT&T Passport, it"s not going to be a device for everyone, especially those who might already own a BlackBerry Passport. But as we"ve witnessed already, there are plenty of people out there "upgrading" khổng lồ the Silver Edition và it"s not hard to see why.
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Yes, it"s true. It"s just another BlackBerry Passport. But the refinements made và materials used make it a worthwhile purchase và with it costing only $50 more than the others, BlackBerry just might catch some folks who didn"t lượt thích any of the previous versions. Yes, there"s an argument there that if they didn"t like any of the prior versions, there"s no reason they would buy the Silver Edition but us humans are funny creatures & sometimes all it takes is a little bit of additional shine và we"re sold. You know it"s true.
