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PlayStation Phone Out of the Bag
Could this device be a 3DS beater? Sony have combined PlayStation branding with a smartphone design.
Tech site engadget have posted a whole gallery full of pictures for what they claim is Sony’s next PlayStation handheld – a mobile phone. You won’t see any PlayStation logos plastered over the alleged prototype model – what gives it away are the triangle, square, circle, and cross buttons.
As well as the pictures, engadget are being very confident when it comes to the details. They claim that the device is running the latest version of the Android operating system – although whether that’s 2.3 “Gingerbread” or 3.0 “Honeycomb” is unclear. Plus, it’ll be packing half a gigabyte of RAM and a Qualcomm 1GHz processor, as well as a gigabyte of internal storage.
If you’re wondering about that pill-shaped bar across the centre; no, those aren’t holes for the analogue sticks! It’s a touch pad, apparently, but features multitouch technology, so it could imitate two control pads.
This wouldn’t be the first time Sony have slapped another brand across their phones. The company used the thirty-year old Walkman franchise to sell Sony Ericsson mobiles with music capabilities. That strategy appears to have been a success.
How important is this for Nintendo and the 3DS? That hinges on two “if’s”; firstly, it is possible that this news might be an – admittedly very impressive – hoax.
Assuming it is real, the key issue is whether this machine is intended to serve as a phone with a PSPgo chucked in, or the “real” successor to the PSP. If it’s a version of Sony’s low-selling PSPgo remodel, then I would suggest that Nintendo have nothing to worry about. On the other hand, if this is a completely new console, then Sony will really mean business; and the fact that it’s also a smartphone sets them apart from Nintendo. Perhaps Sony are hoping to imitate the success of Apple’s iPhone?