BlackBerry Passport to be wider than Samsung Galaxy Note 3, include a square screen and keyboard

BlackBerry has shown a new smartphone, dubbed the Passport, which is set to be wider than a Samsung Galaxy Note 3 phablet, including a square shaped screen and a keyboard.

The new smartphone is one of three devices the Canadian smartphone maker is releasing this year, alongside the low-end Z3 (which is a touchscreen-only device) and the traditional BlackBerry Classic (which was first announced in February).

In an official blog post, BlackBerry says the Passport is set to include a square 4.5-inch full HD screen, with a three-row keyboard underneath.

The company says the device will have as much screen area as a 5-inch smartphone, while displaying 66-characters in a row (compared to around 40 on a more traditional rectangular smartphone).

The device will also gain access to Android apps through a deal a recently announced deal that will see Amazon’s app store ship as part of the BlackBerry 10.3 operating system update.

SmartCompany understands the Passport is expected to launch in Australia during the coming months, with the BlackBerry Classic coming before the end of 2014.