Zinwa Technologies to sell Android-powered BlackBerry Passport retrofit, pre-orders open this week

The retrofit keeps the Passport’s original body but packs a new chipset, a USB-C port and 12GB of RAM inside, Android Authority reported. The device is not an official BlackBerry product. Instead, it is part of a broader effort by small brands and enthusiasts to bring back the appeal of older BlackBerry phones without depending on software that is no longer maintained or supported.

Several other companies have recently introduced phones with physical QWERTY keyboards. Android Authority said at least three brands are launching such devices in 2026, including the Clicks Communicator, the UNIHERTZ Titan 2 Elite and the newest Minimal Phone 2. Those phones take inspiration from BlackBerry but are not actual BlackBerry devices. The Zinwa project, by contrast, uses BlackBerry hardware.

Zinwa Technologies is described as a Chinese brand. It has been selling DIY kits and a refurbished BlackBerry Classic running Android for more than a year, according to the report. The company has also been working on restoring the BlackBerry Passport for almost a year, testing various hardware permutations and combinations before settling on a workable configuration. The pre-order announcement marks a step toward making that second BlackBerry model available.

Android Authority’s headline says the Android-running Passport could be available soon “if you have a fat wallet,” but the report does not provide a specific price. The source also does not name the exact chipset or list other specifications beyond the USB-C port and 12GB of RAM. It says the device will be available for pre-orders starting this week and will start shipping by the end of October.