The BlackBerry Passport is back, but not in the way you remember. Thanks to a bold upgrade kit from Zinwa, the square-screen classic with a full keyboard is now running Android 14.
BlackBerry Passport upgrade kit swaps internals, keeps iconic form
Launched in 2014, the BlackBerry Passport turned heads with its QWERTY keyboard and square 4.5-inch touchscreen. Unfortunately, its Snapdragon 801 chip and dead BlackBerry OS left it frozen in time. Zinwa wants to change that.
This new upgrade kit breathes life into the original chassis by replacing the Passport’s mainboard with a much more capable platform: MediaTek’s Helio G99. The kit also delivers 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, more than enough for everyday Android use.
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BlackBerry Passport upgrade kit delivers modern performance
The Helio G99 chip combines two Cortex-A76 cores and six Cortex-A55 cores with a 4G modem. It doesn’t aim to be flashy, but it’s fast, efficient, and totally capable of powering Android 14.
Zinwa hasn’t confirmed if future updates will be supported, but the kit arrives with Android 14 out of the box. That’s a huge jump from the long-defunct BlackBerry 10.
Here’s what the BlackBerry Passport gains with the kit:
- MediaTek Helio G99 processor
- 12GB RAM + 256GB UFS 2.1 storage
- USB-C charging port
- NFC support
- 50MP rear and 8MP front cameras
- Android 14 pre-installed
BlackBerry Passport upgrade kit keeps the parts that matter
What makes this kit so unique is that it doesn’t throw away the Passport’s best features. You still get the ultra-sharp 1440 x 1440 display, the 3,450mAh battery, and that polarizing but beloved physical keyboard.
Instead of designing a nostalgic replica, Zinwa lets you hold onto your original device and simply replace the guts. Think of it as retro hardware running a modern OS.
BlackBerry Passport upgrade kit details still to come
Zinwa hasn’t shared pricing or a launch window yet, but the company has already confirmed that the specs will closely match its Q25 Pro smartphone. That device has a similar look and is already on sale.
For fans of the Passport, this kit isn’t just an upgrade; it’s a resurrection through reinvention.
