Games blog Kotaku claims to have new details about the rumoured upcoming redesign of Sony’s hi-tech handheld the PlayStation Portable.

Apparently, the unit will be much slimmer than the existing model, owing mostly to a redesigned LCD unit that is far less bulky. The new screen will also boost the unit’s battery life, which is said to last about four times longer than the existing machine.

As has been previously suggested, 8GB of internal flash memory will come as standard – which is enough to hold several thousand music tracks or a handful of movies. The UMD drive is still present, but improved components will lead to faster loading times.

In addition, both the buttons and, more importantly, the d-pad are said to have undergone a major overhaul and are now far more in keeping with those found on the PS2’s Dualshock 2 joypad.

As for the newly released PSP camera, Kotaku claims that Sony is undecided whether or not to integrate the device in the new handheld. And whilst there’s no word on any DS-rivalling touch screen functionality, apparently Sony is thinking very hard about the finish – should it stick with the current glossy look or favour a new-look matte paintjob?

The price is expected to be around $170, which would translate directly to around £90. However, with US prices normally proving far cheaper than the US, perhaps a pricing strategy in-line with the current machine, around £130, is more realistic. The release is expected in August or September.