Blackberry has re-emerged in the smartphone market after a two-year silence, and, under new management, to release the square-shaped Passport phone.

The new product resembles the style Blackberry is known for: having physical keys instead of a touchpad keyboard.

The difference in the keyboard is that it is touch-sensitive and can be swiped to scroll across the content on the 4.5-inch square display, the Wall Street Journal reported.

The Canadian company has a lot riding on this unveiling, since it had a botched release of the Blackberry 10 as well as its loss in competition to Apple and Android devices.

Instead of trying to compete with the mass-appeal of Apple and Android, Blackberry has refocused on its loyal customer market - which included corporations and the government.

The launch indicates "we are definitely serious about the handset business" Chief Executive John Chen told the Wall Street Journal. The device shows "we are not afraid" to innovate, he said.

Instead of being an elongated or rectangular device, Blackberry has come out with a bold square face which is aimed at serving a specific purpose.

Chen, who took over as CEO in November, said the focus is now on mobile-security offerings.

The Passport's large square face is for professionals that would need to securely read and manage documents like blueprints, X-rays and spreadsheets.

The screen displays 50 percent more characters, as a result of the shape, allowing 60 characters across each line, close to the 66 characters that studies show is the optimal number in a line in a book, Blackberry told the Wall Street Journal.

The new device is also priced lower than popular devices, including Samsung and Apple.

It is $599 without a contract, compared to the iPhone 6 which starts at $649, and the Galaxy S5 which sold for about $650 as well.

The Passport began selling Wednesday through its website in the U.S., the U.K., Canada, France and Germany. It will also sell through Amazon.com.

By the end of the year, the phone will be available in 30 countries, but it is uncertain when it will be sold by carriers such as AT&T - but BlackBerry expects the phone to cost about $249 with a two-year contract.