While we might never see an Android-powered
Passport, the closest thing to such a device will soon be available on
Kickstarter. According to CrackBerry, a phone manufacturer called Unihertz is
planning on releasing a model called the Titan. The handset will reportedly be
equipped with a Passport-esque 4.5-inch LCD display carrying a 1440 x 1440
resolution. The device will also pack a massive 6000mAh battery and offer
wireless charging, a fingerprint scanner and a face unlock feature. It also
will come with NFC (for Google Pay), dual SIM functionality and Global LTE
support. Similar to the Passport, the Titan keyboard has three rows of keys and
will probably feature a touchscreen QWERTY above the physical one. Those
helping to fund the device through Kickstarter might be able to pick up the
phone for US$ 199.
We have no idea when the Kickstarter campaign will
start, but when (or if) it does, we should learn a lot more about what would
appear to be an intriguing device. And don't forget that later this summer, we
should see the F(x)tec Pro 1 start shipping. This is an Android-powered handset
with a slideout QWERTY (think the HTC Touch Pro2 although that ran on Windows
Mobile). Pre-orders for this device have been open since earlier this year,
although credit cards won't be run until 2 to 3 weeks before the device is
shipped. Priced at US$ 649, the phone is powered by an aging Snapdragon 835
chipset.
