A series of photographs alleging to show the unannounced PSP 3000 have surfaced from a factory in China where the handheld device is manufactured. Sony has not officially announced a successor to the PSP-2000 ("slim") but if these photos turn out to be real, it suggests the company has more revisions in store for the device. A revision seems likely, particularly since Sony has already made reference to a PSP-3000 model in leaked technical documents.

So far, we only have photos of component parts, which show minor modifications to the PSP design. Most importantly is a small hole next to the volume buttons on this new machine, which may suggest a built-in microphone, a feature that would be useful for those who want to use their PSP to communicate via Skype.

The rear of the device also appears to show a slightly modified PSP logo, with a thinner chrome ring than is currently found on the PSP-1000 and PSP-2000 models.

Without an official statement from Sony, it is impossible to speculate what other changes might be in store for an upcoming hardware revision. If the photos turn out to be real, which we strongly suspect they are, then it probably won’t be long before we see the new model turning up in shops (perhaps in time for this year’s Christmas rush).