BlackBerry talks up new square-screened phone with 453ppi

BlackBerry QWERTY
What will a new, square, QWERTY-equipped BlackBerry look like?

It's no secret that there's a wave of new Blackberries heading our way, but details about them are as rare as the kraken so far.

Here's a hint, though: BlackBerry has encouraged developers working in its BlackBerry 10.3 beta simulator to experiment with a new square shape and resolution.

"When you fire up the 10.3 beta simulator, you'll notice another square screen," BlackBerry Director of Application, Platform & Tools Product Management Tim Neil wrote on the company's dev blog.

He continued: "This is for a new device with a 1440 x 1440 resolution and pixel density of 453 DPI."

Hip to be square

So what is this mysterious new square-screened BlackBerry? Is it the BlackBerry Q20 Classic that was announced at MWC 2013? Unlikely.

What about the rumored BlackBerry Q30 Windemere, which is also said to be rocking a QWERTY like it's 2006?

"I know, I know…you want more details on that new device," Neil wrote, apparently reading our minds. "But we're not quite ready to give them yet, so hold tight and watch the blog for more information!"

Whatever it is, we know it won't be a wearable, so a smartwatch is out.

"In the meantime," Neil finished, "testing with the 10.3 beta simulator will allow you to see how your application will behave in this new resolution and DPI combination, so we encourage you to check it out as soon as you can."

Does that mean it's coming soon? We'll keep the lighthouse lit just in case.

Michael Rougeau

Michael Rougeau is a former freelance news writer for TechRadar. Studying at Goldsmiths, University of London, and Northeastern University, Michael has bylines at Kotaku, 1UP, G4, Complex Magazine, Digital Trends, GamesRadar, GameSpot, IFC, Animal New York, @Gamer, Inside the Magic, Comic Book Resources, Zap2It, TabTimes, GameZone, Cheat Code Central, Gameshark, Gameranx, The Industry, Debonair Mag, Kombo, and others.

Micheal also spent time as the Games Editor for Playboy.com, and was the managing editor at GameSpot before becoming an Animal Care Manager for Wags and Walks.

Latest in BlackBerry Phones
BlackBerry Torch
How I retrieved 10-year-old photos from a classic BlackBerry Torch
BlackBerry
OnwardMobility shuts down and ends the 5G BlackBerry dream
BlackBerry Key2 LE
Blackberry 5G won't ever release, report claims
BlackBerry Pearl
5 things BlackBerry phones got right (and 5 things they didn’t)
BlackBerry Key2 LE in a hand
BlackBerry 5G phone is still coming – and possibly soon
Astro Slide
Waiting for the Blackberry 5G? The Astro Slide could be a good alternative
Latest in News
Google Pixel 8a in aloe green showing
Google Pixel 9a benchmark link teases the performance of the upcoming mid-ranger
Quordle on a smartphone held in a hand
Quordle hints and answers for Monday, March 17 (game #1148)
NYT Strands homescreen on a mobile phone screen, on a light blue background
NYT Strands hints and answers for Monday, March 17 (game #379)
NYT Connections homescreen on a phone, on a purple background
NYT Connections hints and answers for Monday, March 17 (game #645)
Apple iPhone 16 Pro HANDS ON
Leaked iPhone 17 dummy units may have given us our best look yet at all four models
A super close up image of the Google Gemini app in the Play Store
It's official: Google Assistant will be retired for phones this year, with Gemini taking over