As the hordes of electronics manufacturer rush to compete with the legendary iPhone, a new competitor enters the fray. But the new competitor entering the arena has more than armloads of apps and cutting-edge features. It has games. Lots of games. Cool games. It’s the Sony Play Station Portable, now rumored to be going mobile by combining it with a cell phone feature.
Sony, with its well-known venture partner Ericsson, is already a formidable player in the cell phone market. Noew number five on the world cell phone market, the company has made a big impact since Sony/Ericsson name appeared in October of 2001. With well-known phones such as the X1, TM506, XPERIA and Aino, Sony Ericsson is no stranger to mobile devices. Thus, for Sony to combine their mobile prowess with their gaming fame—it seems like a perfect match.
Already, plans are underway to begin preliminary work on the project. Project teams under formation this week will begin the brainstorming process that will bring such a rumor to fruition.
But what do you get when you cross a PSP with a cell phone? A gaming device on which you can accept calls? This is Sony’s conundrum, too. How can they make a gaming phone, yet keep the market alive for the PSP? So, while some may claim that Sony is on the way to developing “an iPhone killer,” others are skeptical. Perhaps would-be iPhone users are more lured by the prospect of playing “Rock Band” on their cell phone than they are by playing “Paper Toss.” But can you make ‘an iPhone killer’ just by adding a cell phone?
And there are other questions. Will such a device really fly? Will it sell? It all depends on the market: who’s buying? Who uses smartphones? Busy execs? Tech nerds? Will users like this be tempted to buy a game-heavy device that can, oh-by-the-way also be used as a cell phone? Who uses PSPs? Do game-savvy teens really need a smartphone? What about apps? Now that mobile users are so accustomed to a variety of apps—from a Whole Foods store finder to the Swine Flu Tracker—will the PSP-phone utilize apps? Does Sony have the platform, plan, or need to introduce their own variety of the app store?
It’s a question that will be left up to those brainstorming teams that meet this week. Rumors typically generate more questions than answers, and this is only the beginning of the questions that the rumor mills will start hurling toward Sony.
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July 1st, 2009 at 2:04 pm
iPhone killer? I think not. Interesting piece of hardware I’d love to own? Absolutely.
Apple has the current monopoly on cool. It’s an established product line and an established cultural identity. Sony won’t knock them off the pedestal unless they come out with a truly revolutionary piece of hardware with amazing software on it.
But they still may come up with a good alternative.
July 21st, 2009 at 10:15 am
I am an apple fan boy my iphone is better than any other phone and my newton is better than any other PDA
August 13th, 2009 at 7:37 pm
When this happens it will give iPhone some serious comp.
August 22nd, 2009 at 7:41 am
Ta for the information, very usefull
October 22nd, 2009 at 6:39 pm
Hi, thanks for posting this article. Do you know where I can find more information on this. Thanks
November 27th, 2009 at 9:01 pm
it is a goooooooooooooooood post
thanks for share
January 26th, 2010 at 9:58 am
thanks for the info great post
March 7th, 2010 at 12:47 am
ahaha
March 8th, 2010 at 9:41 pm
Do you have any update on this phone? I see this post is from June of 09 but I haven’t heard much else about it.
I think the idea would definitely work out though and could really be the future for cell phones. It seems that almost everyone is getting into the whole smart phone phase and this includes younger kids and teens too. I got my first smart phone when I was about 18 and my little sister got one when she was around 14 so I know the younger generation would be interested in something like this for sure.
If you have an update though that would be awesome because I’d be one of the first to get this phone when it comes out haha
March 26th, 2010 at 7:53 pm
Apples have a monopoly on cold flow. It’s an established product lines and established cultural identity. Sony is not going to drop them from the base unless they come out with revolutionary real hardware with software on it amazing.
April 8th, 2010 at 5:31 pm
Wow, really cool phone. Is this thing out yet?
May 8th, 2010 at 6:47 am
Damn, awesome website. I actually came across this on Google, and I am happy I did. I will definately be coming back here more often. Wish I could add to the posts here and bring a bit more to the table, but am just absorbing as much info as I can at the moment.
Thank You
Mobile Phones Deals
May 14th, 2010 at 4:34 am
Great phone! Thanks for post!
June 14th, 2010 at 12:57 pm
I dont agree. People call iphone’s touch screen 8TH wonder of the world. No doubt you can see many touch screens nowadays a lil but not a lot similar to iphone. But thats copying. Check out all the phone websites. Each phone would be compared to Iphone. Apple will always release the best stuff no one can make. Other companies will take years to create an exact one as that of Apple’s. A decade ago, it was Apple that in a conference introduced an operating system and a computer with a keyboard and mouse. But there was an employee of the rival company just stalking. Before Apple could release the great wonder. Some other company stole their crown. But that was just a time. Now its a somewhat competition goin on here that who has got the best phone and gadgets. Ofcourse Apple wins, esp Iphone.
September 12th, 2010 at 7:04 pm
Will you get paid money to write this post – or are you doing the writing for free?
January 13th, 2011 at 6:38 am
How far I think Apple has the latest monopoly and it is a well established product line and an established cultural identity.
March 11th, 2011 at 2:13 am
good article …thanks for information
June 9th, 2011 at 4:44 pm
we commodity pool fund ideas, with the short/inverse.
August 14th, 2011 at 3:17 am
i thinks iphone can beat by PSP + cell phone because iphone have more features than PSP, iphone can use application besides game.
September 27th, 2011 at 3:51 am
i have psp and i-phone, i think for the both have cros and prons
October 26th, 2011 at 3:36 pm
The PSP will never be an iPhone killer because people see it as a toy, whereas the iPhone is a status symbol.
February 1st, 2012 at 8:40 am
psp vita + cel phone would completely “kill”(f#¢) the iphone , not even mentioning tht psp 3000 is already totally much better than any itouch