BlackBerry is set to unveil its latest smartphone Wednesday, the Blackberry Passport, priced at $599 without a contract in the United States. The BlackBerry Passport with a square 4.5-inch screen and physical keyboard
that doubles as a touch-sensitive swipe pad will be launched at events in Dubai, London and Toronto, before launching in stores 15 days later.

BlackBerry has been touting the benefits of the Passport’s square screen and new keyboard for professional customers: better views of Excel spreadsheets on a wider screen, higher resolution to examine X-ray images, and BlackBerry Assistant to get stuff done while you’re driving.

The Waterloo, Ontario-based company has lost its luster as many moved to iPhones or devices using Google's Android software.

Last December, BlackBerry unveiled a manufacturing partnership with Taiwan-based Foxconn and a revamped organizational structure. The deal transfers to Foxconn the manufacturing and inventory management and allows BlackBerry to focus on software and services.

In May, BlackBerry launched the budget Z3 handset in Indonesia, in the hope it will take off in emerging markets and stem a decline in the smartphone maker's fortunes.