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Brian Bennett/CNET
BlackBerry is planning to launch a new device with a square screen, the company has confirmed.
The handset maker on Wednesday published an update to its Developer Blog inviting app makers to try out BlackBerry 10.3, the latest, as-yet launched version of its mobile operating system. In addition to saying that BlackBerry 10.3 is designed for devices the company plans to launch later this year, it hinted at what one of those products might offer.
“Also, when you fire up the 10.3 beta simulator, you’ll notice another square screen,” wrote Tim Neil, director of Application Platform & Tools Product Management at BlackBerry, in the blog post. “This is for a new device with a 1440×1440 resolution and pixel density of 453 [dots per inch].”
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Despite its troubles finding customers, the company has stubbornly stuck to its plan of delivering hardware and software. In the fiscal fourth quarter, BlackBerry saw its sales fall 64 percent as it sold 3.4 million BlackBerry devices, with only 1.1 million running on its newer BlackBerry 10 OS. BlackBerry said that it’s focusing on uniqueness in product design, and it might just use the square screen — something not commonly seen in the mobile space — to help set itself apart.
BlackBerry was unwilling to provide further details on the device, saying only that developers should “hold tight and watch the blog for more information.”
CNET has contacted BlackBerry for comment. We will update this story when we have more information.
