A new take on the BlackBerry Passport is reportedly en route as the BlackBerry Oslo, and newly leaked images claim to show the device.
The odd-shaped BlackBerry Passport raised plenty of interest upon its debut due to its intriguing design, sporting a squarish form factor with a three-row keyboard and a touch screen display. Despite initial interest, however, the BlackBerry Passport failed to see much success on the market.
The company is reportedly considering a do-over: a more rounded and compact sequel of the BlackBerry Passport is expected to launch as the BlackBerry Oslo. Back in April, the device leaked online with similar specifications to the BlackBerry Passport, but with a slightly softer design.
A new leak from N4BB now offers another glimpse of the purported BlackBerry Oslo, again hinting at a more compact smartphone with rounded edges instead of the square Passport design.
The publication echoes previous rumors that the BlackBerry Oslo will have the same specifications as the BlackBerry Passport. More specifically, the new iteration is expected to have an LCD display with the same odd resolution of 1440 x 1440 pixels, pack a MSM8974 Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor clocked at 2.2GHz, 3GB of RAM, a 13-megapixel main camera, and a 3,450 mAh battery.
In terms of design, the BlackBerry Oslo will not only feature more rounded edges and a more compact form factor, but it will also come with a slightly different build. The smartphone is expected to sport a metal frame and a silver plastic body, with a textured, rubberized back reminiscent of the BlackBerry Z3 and BlackBerry Leap. In terms of software, the new device should run the final build of BlackBerry OS 10.3.2 out of the box.
N4BB further notes that the BlackBerry Oslo will launch in the EMEA and APAC regions, but offers no additional information regarding its release. BlackBerry Central previously claimed the BlackBerry Oslo would make its official debut on June 30, but nothing is confirmed for now.
If these leaks turn out to be accurate and the BlackBerry Oslo launches with the same specs as the BlackBerry Passport and a different design that again fails to impress, it will be interesting to see just how the company aims to attract customers. An aggressive price tag could entice some buyers, but could also prove insufficient.
