BlackBerry uploads some in-depth videos for those picking up the new BlackBerry Passport

The newly released BlackBerry Passport is a very important device for the iconic Canadian company. John Chen has been carefully shepherding the BlackBerry back into growth. After what seemed to be years of contraction that might leave the company with little to look forward too, BlackBerry is reorganized and hiring again, albeit carefully.

BlackBerry has not been keeping the Passport a secret, we have known about it for months. Unlike the highly anticipated flagships of the world’s current heavy hitters though, BlackBerry could not build anticipation through the mystique of leaks.

The new Passport is now available unlocked directly from BlackBerry for $600. Both BlackBerry’s online store, and Amazon are already out of stock, so that is hopefully a promising start to the unassuming square smartphone.

The BlackBerry 10 operating system is heavily reliant on gesture inputs, and the BlackBerry Passport is even more so, with the new QWERTY keyboard performing double duty as a touch pad, assisting with all manner of inputs, whether by browsing, composing, or navigating through various apps. That obviously makes for a very different user experience. Moreover, the Passport brings yet another new keyboard design, lacking many of the auxiliary keys that many would think are integral to the BlackBerry experience.

To help keep the learning curve as shallow as possible, BlackBerry uploaded a whole bunch of videos that cover just about all the bases in operating the phone. They are not full of whiz-bang music, but if you are among the BlackBerry faithful looking to go all in with this new device, they are sure to be helpful. What do you think of all the features?  The keyboard is pretty neat, as is BBM in any app.