[pfluger]

This just appeared on the Inside BlackBerry blog. The article seems to be gone and the link dead now. Here a screenshot of the article for anyone interested.

Great keyboards have always been a part of the BlackBerry heritage. With our coming Passport device that has generated a ton of interest, we set out to create a smartphone that would break through and deliver a step change in productivity. Passport will show there is a better way to accomplish more.

Besides the massive square touchscreen, we’ve added a new innovative, touch-enabled keyboard to the Passport. It integrates the excellent tactile feel and performance you’ve come to know and love from our keyboards, along with the same capacitive touch technology found on modern phone and tablet touchscreens.

(If you’re a developer, head over to the Developer blog to learn how you can take advantage of the new Passport keyboard in your apps.)

Ever been annoyed by your fingers obscuring, or worse, smudging, your touchscreen? Or had difficulty getting the cursor to just the right spot? Passport’s efficient design makes those problems things of the past. You’ll be able to navigate web pages, apps and e-mails by lightly brushing your fingers over the keys. It’s a minimalist design that eliminates dedicated arrow keys while maximizing the already-awesome amount of screen real estate. You’ll also enjoy Passport’s other custom commands that take advantage of the touch-enabled keyboard to boost your productivity. Here are some of the ways:

Scrolling: As noted above, you can use the keyboard to swipe up and down to scroll on long lists or in the browser. Keeping your fingers off the screen and focused on what’s happening.

Cursor Control and Text Selection: This is a classic BlackBerry productivity enhancement reinvented for the Passport. Double-tap the keyboard, then drag your finger across the keyboard to drop the cursor at precisely the right point. Or select the text just as you would on an older BlackBerry: hold the SHIFT key while dragging your finger across the keyboard to extend a selection.

Contextual virtual keys: In addition to the Passport’s very clean physical QWERTY keyboard, we have added a dynamic virtual row on-screen that smartly shifts depending on context. So if you’re typing a password on-screen, numbers and symbols commonly used in passwords will automatically pop up. Or if you’re typing an e-mail address, the ‘@’ symbol will be displayed. Or if you’re surfing the Web, the colon and backslash characters needed to type in a URL will be displayed. And if you need access to any special symbol or character, just swipe down on the keyboard to see all of them at once. Like I said, smart!

Flick: Stuck on a word? BlackBerry 10’s Next Word Suggestion feature learns from you to give you smart, personalized choice of words you’re likely to type. You then just flick up to complete the word. No more Darn Auto-Corrects, as you type faster and more accurately over all.

Delete: Made a mistake? No problem, just swipe back (left) to Delete the last word, just like on our virtual keyboard!

Entering an accented character? Hold the letter key down, and then lightly tap on the key to add the appropriate accent!

As you can see, we’ve taken something great – the BlackBerry 10 keyboard – and innovated with the bold Passport form factor, while staying focused on one thing: YOUR productivity. Stay tuned as we look forward to bringing you more details in the near future!

[Gnomesane]

Nice catch!

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[urbuddee]

Now THAT is innovation!! =D

Makes me want to consider the Passport even more, over the next ALL-TOUCH flagship phone that is supposedly coming out soon.

[II ARROWS]

The picture talks about "hold the SHIFT key while dragging the finger across the keyboard to extend a selection".
What SHIFT key?

This article doesn't seem right...

[pfluger]

The picture talks about "hold the SHIFT key while dragging the finger across the keyboard to extend a selection".
What SHIFT key?

This article doesn't seem right...

True. From the pictures the Passport doesn't have a SHIFT key. I guess that could be one reason why the article got pulled.

[altrax]

BlackBerry Passport keeps getting more and more impressive! I would seriously drop $3500 cash to get one at the start of July... I can't wait!


I love that they are launching the classic and the passport close together but doing the passport first obviously try and convince at least some legacy users to try the passport out. Then if you don't like the passport you wait a month or two and you have a brand new BlackBerry Classic!

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[anon(3993749)]

And where is this mystical SHIFT key mentioned in the post? What am I missing?

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[Gnomesane]

Perhaps the virtual shift key which will obviously have to exist in place of a real shift key. Liking the Passport more after reading this in any event.

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[II ARROWS]

Perhaps the virtual shift key which will obviously have to exist in place of a real shift key. Liking the Passport more after reading this in any event.

Why should you like it more?
You should like it less... they could have easily made a physical full keyboard with a real key.

[anon(3993749)]

Also: http://devblog.blackberry.com/2014/06/passport-gold/

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[LoneStarRed]

Excellent catch !

[LamarStarr]

lol

[campbecw]

This is the kinda breakdown I've been waiting for. This sounds seckzi as all get out!

[Gnomesane]

Why should you like it more?
You should like it less... they could have easily made a physical full keyboard with a real key.

The contextual symbol row that appears above the keyboard as written in the blog reads better than I imagined. I'm still leaning towards a Classic myself but I'm feeling better about how they plan to adapt the Passport without visible symbols and a shift key (and alt sym). It would be even better to have one in hand and use it obviously.

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[jic999]

I want the Typo keyboard because somebody on CNBC Said if BlackBerry loses the Typo case it's all over for BlackBerry. Typo + iPhone is the way to go !

Poof .....Typo ...vs...Passport / Classic !
It's like Brazil vs House league soccer......poof !!!!

Z30 : posted via CB10 app

[Rowan M]

And where is this mystical SHIFT key mentioned in the post? What am I missing?

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I think you misunderstood. It was to mention how you would do it in an older BlackBerry device. (see colon after the statement)

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[aminrajabi]

Why should you like it more?
You should like it less... they could have easily made a physical full keyboard with a real key.

Isn't that what the Classic is? I'll take the screen real estate over a row of buttons that I only use some of the time. Not saying its not important but I would still go for more screen.

[00stryder]

And the plot thickens...

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[mavsguy842]

I think you misunderstood. It was to mention how you would do it in an older BlackBerry device. (see colon after the statement)

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Actually, I think you misunderstood. You don't select text on older BBs by "hold the SHIFT key while dragging your finger across the keyboard to extend a selection", you have to drag your finger over the trackpad/trackball.

[RoninZakath]

I dunno man, when I type on my Q10 at full speed I don't lift up my thumbs, they slide all over the keyboard. Am I going to be deleting words and making contextual menus pop up during conversation or what

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[greg_z]

So just imagine amount of space if it would be all touch device BlackBerry should do passport and passport classic!

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[phuoc]

And the plot thickens...

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So true:-)

[jojon2se]

Hmm, given the lack of a dedicated shift key, could a lightly held touch on the space bar double as one, for some functions, perhaps?

[TX Jedi]

major plus to scrolling with keyboard....no more accidentally clicking ads when scrolling on touch screen.

[II ARROWS]

I dunno man, when I type on my Q10 at full speed I don't lift up my thumbs, they slide all over the keyboard. Am I going to be deleting words and making contextual menus pop up during conversation or what

No, you won't.
The swipes have a distinct pattern, they are well defined motion. It's the last of your problem.