BlackBerry is pitching its new Passport smartphone as one of the `` most innovative '' devices it has created , as it seeks to woo back business customers . The smartphone was released prior to the company 's latest results , which showed sales slumped 40 % in its most recent quarter . However , losses were less than Wall Street expected and shares rose slightly . Marty Beard , BlackBerry 's chief operating officer , told CNN the smartphone 's 4.5-inch square screen was `` optimal for reading complex documents , looking at images , looking at , for example , a PowerPoint . '' He added , `` it 's a beautiful screen that allows you , again , to be very productive . '' Blackberry 's share price slumped around 95 % between 2008 and 2012 and has remained relatively flat since then . The Passport , key to turnaround plans , will cost $ 599 and targets BlackBerry 's core business customers . According to Beard , BlackBerry can compete with high-fliers like Apple through its focus on users that need to be `` highly productive and very effective and are concerned about security and just getting a lot done securely . '' Beard also points to the smartphone 's keyboard , a feature BlackBerry has long used to differentiate itself from the competition . The Passport has a physical and virtual keyboard , which he said `` combined the best of both worlds and created this incredible keyboard which allows you to move very quickly , be very productive and get around content really easily . '' However , Michael Garwood of Mobile News said the device would take `` a little bit of getting used to ... it is a very , very square screen . '' Read more : Best iPhone 6 apps . Read more : Are these the world 's coolest brands ?
BlackBerry will release its second-quarter results Friday . The Canadian company has struggled to compete in the smartphone market . It has unveiled its Passport smartphone in its attempt to woo back customers .