With all the gossip this summer about BlackBerry testing the waters and thinking about releasing an Android-powered smartphone, it can be easy to forget that BlackBerry’s still very much interested in coming out with BlackBerry 10 phones. One of the most resilient such models we’ve seen over the course of the past year has been the BlackBerry Passport, and after the launch of the original edition last fall, we saw a new slightly redesigned version emerge for AT&T back in January. Now it’s time for yet another new look for the Passport, as BlackBerry announces its Passport Silver Edition.

Inside, this is the same Passport we’ve seen time and time again: that means a quad-core Snapdragon 801, 3GB of RAM, 32GB (expandable) storage, and a 3250mAh battery. And that unique square-aspect 4.5-inch display returns with its 1400 x 1400 resolution.

Instead, the Passport Silver Edition makes its tweaks on the outside, overhauling the handset with a new silver finish to sit atop the phone’s steel frame. Design-wise, the phone falls somewhere between the two existing Passport models, with rounded bottom corners like the AT&T edition, but the return of a squared-off top. The new construction also means that the screen’s glass stops short of the top edge, leaving room for a newly designed speaker grille.

Sales of the new BlackBerry Passport Silver Edition begin today, with the phone going for just about $550. Early orders will get the phone’s Sync Pod, Leather Flip Case, and Leather Flex Shell for free – all told, a $130 value.

Source: BlackBerry