Sony PSP Phone Coming 2010
As the mobile phone gaming market is booming Sony is considering a cell phone-game gear hybrid powerful enough to knock iPhone out of gaming ring. Rumors of a PlayStation Portable-branded Sony Ericsson device began when a 2007 patent application for a gaming phone was filed by the joint venture. The device in the patent is designed with a 90-degree pivoting screen not unlike the LG VX9400, and d-pad style buttons rather than the traditional numeric keypad.
This would not be the first time that Sony has created such a hybrid. The company that created the Walkman has released phones with that branding, but has still fallen well behind Apple in the music-player market.
A spokeswoman at Sony wouldn’t confirm whether the report was true, and would only say that executives were considering “various possibilities.” Combining elements of a PSP and handset would seem a “natural process of thinking,” the spokeswoman said, without elaborating. But according to the Nikkei business daily the company is planning to assemble a technology team to start exploring a new product that will bring the world of its Ericsson mobile phone and its portable gaming hardware closer together.
Sony is mainly targeting Apples iPhone as the new iPhone 3.0 software and the iPhone 3GS pack new features which make Apple’s platform more appealing to game makers. The updated firmware provides in-app purchasing, which could be used by gamers to buy new levels or weapons while playing. The iPhone 3GS supports OpenGL ES 2.0 for rich 3D graphics. Despite the improvements to the PSP, the new gaming machine is still limited when compared to the multifunctional iPhone. For whatever reason, Sony is reluctant to place the PlayStation name on a mobile device made by its cell phone partner Sony Ericsson.
Potentially setting the stage for a PSP-branded phone, Sony Ericsson recently unveiled Entertainment Unlimited, a strategy which bridges Sony Pictures, Sony Music, and Sony Computer Entertainment with the mobile phone division. Under this strategy, Sony Ericsson premiered Saito and Aino; two phones which focus more heavily on gaming and entertainment. Saito is the first Sony Ericsson device to include more sophisticated “nHD” gaming, and Aino can connect to the PS3 via Remote Play and access the game console’s content.
If the company does create a phone/gaming hybrid, the most important factor might be its price. Regarding the $250 PSP Go and the PS3, many have said that Sony must lower its price points to remain competitive.
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