New Sony-Ericsson patent may be the real PSP phone!

[-Xandu-]

New Sony-Ericsson patent may be the real PSP phone
But will it see the light of day?

by Fraser MacInnes



We have been speculating about the possibility of a PSP phone for a while now, mostly because we desperately want one. But given the announcement of Sony's new deal with BT to turn the original hardware into a telecommunications device, our hopes of ever seeing some sort of PSP branded Sony Ericsson had all but faded.

A recently-unearthed patent however seems to indicate that Sony-Ericsson has at the very least been thinking about releasing a more gaming centric phone.

It's unlikely that this device is directly compatible with PSP software, as even though it has clearly been designed with a focus on making mobile games easier to control, it certainly doesn't have the sort of set-up that would accommodate PSP games. Having said that, the rotating screen does bear a remarkable resemblance to the PSP's, and if the device ever does see the light of day it is conceivable that it will be branded with the PSP logo.

As we pointed out in our in-depth PSP phone article linked to above, Sony has converged its other brands with Sony Ericsson mobile handsets before – most notably with the Walkman branded mobiles, but also with the Cybershot branded camera phones and the Japanese-only Bravia branded mobile TV phone.

We're going out on a limb here, but we're thinking that a PSP branded mobile would likely command a development platform of its own. With Sony announcing just yesterday that it's setting up a first-party development initiative for mobile games, we smell a coincidence. Then again, perhaps that's just because we want it so badly. More on this story as soon as we have it.

[PSP 101]

This looks pretty cool with the PSP being a phone. But first I want that Go Cam, SONY release it in the states NOW!

[Killer Bee]

lol

[Buddy4point0]

sounds pretty dumb,i have mycell phone and i have my psp, i wouldnt buy this

[Tree]

na b way 2 big ... it like a psp + the lil bottem bit it would b like a brick ... nd would cost like 1k knowing it

[gelon]

Oh! Its horrible

[Accordion]

batteries?

[djbrotherson]

Yea if you brick it, your phone and psp is done, and if it gets stolen, that would suck even more!

[Veskgar]

I don't think I like this at all. It looks as though this is another case of a device trying to do too much at once while not doing any of it particularly well.

I'd rather have separate devices that do what they are intended for exceptionally well than have one all in one device that tries to do too much.

Give me an iPod for music, a PSP for gaming / homebrew, and a cell phone for.... well, a cell phone.

Although I must say that music & web access perfectly compliment a cell phone. So I'm watching for the new Apple iPhone.

The PSP should focus primarily on gaming and video.

[DragonPimpsta]

Is there any point to this at all? Why not just make the part that connects to the PSP a phone itself.. what happens when they connect that makes it so special.. And its ugly, i wouldnt want my psp to be a phone or the thing that connects to it..

Worst idea ever, anyone who buys this is a dumbass