Remember the hours of reading and writing you had to do in college? Now imagine how much more work your professors had – reams of papers to grade, curriculum to prepare, faculty meetings to attend, new textbooks to vet, and lots and lots of emails, texts and phone messages.
But Matthew Jelavic doesn’t let that all that work keep him after school. Jelavic gets a lot done out of class with the BlackBerry Passport thanks to its security features, efficient messaging, speedy OS, battery life, BlackBerry Blend software and physical keyboard.
Jelavic is professor of mechanical engineering technology at Durham College and adjunct professor of management at the University of Ontario’s Institute of Technology. His Passport makes it possible for him to teach at two schools, serve as president and CEO of the Canadian Institute of Management, and travel with family.
(Here are some other satisfied Passport users: this top nightclub promoter, an Italian fashion executive, a young entrepreneur, an upscale homebuilder’s CEO, a tech headhunter, a geologist and pilot, celebrity chef Tyler Florence, a tech startup founder, a sales director, a senior hospital executive, a manufacturing executive, a non-profit founder, a software engineer, a legal administrator, a pharmaceutical CEO, a software manager, an insurance salesman, and these workers from multiple industries.)
Watts: What drew you to the BlackBerry Passport?
Jelavic: The keyboard. I’ve tried touchscreen typing on devices like the Z10 and although BlackBerry’s virtual keyboard is the best on the market, I still felt like there was something missing. Before the Z10, I had a Bold 9000 and a 9900 [which have physical keyboards]. When the Passport was announced I knew I would get the best of both worlds with both touchscreen and physical keyboards. The large square screen was a bonus.
Watts: What made you agree with Piers Morgan, who said the BlackBerry Passport is the best phone he’s ever had?
Jelavic: The BlackBerry Passport is truly equipped with sheer power and productivity. The camera is good, the BB10 OS is great and easily runs BlackBerry and Android apps. The physical keyboard and the amazing square screen let me easily compose or read messages and other documents. I love how perfectly organized everything is in the BlackBerry Hub. Finally, I can’t forget to mention the amazing battery life. I’ve forgotten to charge my device a few times before bed and still have enough power to get me through most of the next day.
Watts: How do you use your BlackBerry Passport at work?
Jelavic: I use it mostly for text messaging, emails, Web browsing, and viewing, editing, or creating PDFs, Word and Excel documents. The square screen lets me visit full sites and look at documents on my phone and have the same great experience as if I were using a computer.
I communicate a lot with people who are using BBM, SMS, WhatsApp or Twitter for instant messaging. Email is by far the most useful for business purposes. Having all of these apps working in real time in the BlackBerry Hub is an incredible experience.
Thanks to the Passport’s power and memory, multitasking is amazing. I can begin downloading a large PDF file from the browser and do other things in real time – play music, open another tab, visit a website, take an incoming phone call – and when I come back the PDF is ready to go. I have never used a phone that can do everything so fast. Using an Android or iOS device afterward just seems so clunky, like you’re forcing it to do things. It’s hard to describe but there is a fluidity to the Passport and BB10 that makes the mobile experience so much better.
Watts: What are your favorite features?
Jelavic: My hands-down favorites are the Hub (right), the physical keyboard and BlackBerry Blend. The Hub and the keyboard work together so well I’m able to touch type without looking at the keyboard like I would when I’m on a PC. Speaking of which, I use BlackBerry Blend when I spend a lot of time at my desk. BlackBerry Blend makes communicating using BBM and SMS super convenient and allows me to see all of my email accounts, calendars and contacts in one secure place. When I disconnect, nothing is left on my computer, which is a great security feature.
Watts: How would you rate your BlackBerry Passport?
Jelavic: I’ve always been an early adopter of mobile technologies and have used products with various hardware specs and operating systems. The Passport is by far the best hardware on the market and the BlackBerry 10 operating system is without question the best mobile OS there is. Which isn’t surprising because the QNX system it’s based on runs nuclear power plants! It’s safe to say I rate the BlackBerry Passport a solid 10.
Pricing and Availability
Ready to go to the head of the class with a BlackBerry Passport? Get a factory-unlocked BlackBerry Passport from our global shopping portal, ShopBlackBerry.com (check with your local carrier for device compatibility):
It’s also at Amazon, and at AT&T for $669.99 unsubsidized or $99.99 with a 2-year contract. Rogers and Telus carry the BlackBerry Passport in Canada.
