Yesterday, we reported on the leaked images from a factory in China which purported to show a redesign of Sony’s handheld game device. The new images revealed a metallic gray PSP with a built-in microphone, a slightly modified "Home" button and a sleeker, thinner chrome ring design.

PSP Fanboy got their hands on some additional photos and an answer from the source of the leak in China, who stated that the photost depicted merely a "design prototype" and not a definite product. The source pointed out that while this prototype might find its way into shops sometime int he future, it is not unusual for Sony to have manufacturers create design mock-ups for research purposes.

In response to a flurry of questions from journalists about the company’s plans, a spokesperson from SCEE said today that the company does not comment on "rumor and speculation". A refusal to comment is not necessarily the same thing as a denial, so for now we will file this news in the "possible" category.

Another view of the "prototype" PSP 3000: