Upgrade Your BlackBerry Passport to Android with a Square Screen Kit

Key Takeaways

1. Zinwa has launched the BlackBerry Q25 Pro and is developing a new model called the Q27.
2. A DIY upgrade kit for the BlackBerry Passport will feature a MediaTek Helio G99 chipset, replacing the Qualcomm Snapdragon 801.
3. The upgrade kit includes 12GB of RAM, 256GB of UFS 2.1 storage, an NFC chip, and a USB-C port.
4. Camera improvements include a new 50MP main camera and an 8MP front camera, with Android 14 pre-installed.
5. Key hardware features like the 4.5-inch touchscreen, 3,450mAh battery, and QWERTY keyboard will remain unchanged from the original BlackBerry Passport.

Zinwa has recently introduced a fresh version of the BlackBerry Q20 Classic, dubbed the Q25 Pro, and is also working on a brand-new BlackBerry-style smartphone known as the Q27. In addition, the company is set to release a DIY upgrade kit for the BlackBerry Passport. Although the pricing and availability details are yet to be disclosed, Zinwa has verified that the specifications are nearly the same as those of the Zinwa Q25 Pro.

Upgrade Kit Features

The upgrade kit will replace the mainboard, which shifts out the Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 in the BlackBerry Passport for a more up-to-date MediaTek Helio G99. This new chipset includes two ARM Cortex-A76 performance cores that can boost up to 2.2GHz, six Cortex-A55 efficiency cores, and comes with a built-in 4G modem. Zinwa is pairing this chip with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of UFS 2.1 storage. Furthermore, the kit will introduce an NFC chip and a USB-C port for charging convenience.

Camera Enhancements

Camera capabilities are also improved, featuring an 8MP front camera and a 50MP main camera. The upgrade kit will come pre-installed with Android 14; however, Zinwa has not announced if newer Android updates will be provided in the future. Other hardware elements, such as the square 4.5-inch touchscreen with a resolution of 1440 x 1440 pixels, the 3,450mAh battery, and the QWERTY keyboard, will remain the same as the original BlackBerry Passport. For reference, the BlackBerry Passport was first released in September 2014 with a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $599.

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