BlackBerry touts celebrity adoption of Passport

Since the introduction of the iPhone, in 2007, BlackBerry sales have fallen to the point where the company has become a niche player in the global smartphone market. But you might have a hard time convincing the paparazzi of that fact.

One stronghold the Canadian company enjoys is use among celebrities, who perhaps want to avoid an Apple-like nude picture scandal with Blackberry’s famous security.

BlackBerry’s latest offering has been called “uncomfortable” and described by ZDNet’s Steve Ranger as “a phone as strange as the monolith in 2001: A Space Odyssey, and almost as massive.”

But it has also been lauded as “The only truly innovative smartphone of 2014”.

With the Passport, BlackBerry says it is targeting “Power Pros”, busy professionals who are more concerned with productivity than Candy Crush. On the company’s blog it is currently reminding us of the excellent reviews the device has gotten on Amazon from regular people, but also pointing out that many celebrities are taking to social media to express their love for the “hip to be square” device.

“Blackberry launch a new phone today…hmmm! Think I’m gonna have to give that a go. Not happy with this iPhone! #BlackBerryPassport”, tweeted U.K. cricket star Kevin Pietersen, who has nearly 2-million Twitter followers.

“While all yall riding that iPhone 6…The BIG boys are doing BIG business with these BlackBerry Passports,” wrote rapper Saigon on Instagram.

BlackBerry’s Adam Longstaff also points out that Bayern Munich soccer star Claudio Pizarro, UK tech entrepreneur Lord Alan Sugar, and Silicon Valley tech entrepreneur Jason Calacanis have all sung the Passport’s praises.

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