Android, PS, SE Logo montage
Gamers have been pining for a PSP phone for years, and if an anonymous source that leaked information to Engadget on Wednesday is to be believed, it could finally be on its way-and hit as early as this October, no less.
The popular tech blog tells us that Sony Ericsson is developing a landscape sliding phone in which the traditional QWERTY keypad has been replaced with PSPgo-style controls along with a touch slider of some sort. It will reportedly run Google's Android 3.0 operating system, be emblazoned with the PlayStation logo, and provide access to an exclusive area of the Android Market that will offer games designed or ported specifically for the new platform, including versions of popular PlayStation properties such as God of War and LittleBigPlanet.
Obviously there are no pictures or confirmed specs. Engadget's source said the screen could range from 3.7 to 4.1 inches in size and that it will likely have a 1.0 GHz Snapdragon processor, but apparently mentioned nothing about a touch screen interface-something the PSP has never had but which one would assume to be essential in a smartphone without the benefit of a physical keyboard.
What does all of this mean? For one thing, it will give Google's mobile operating system a much needed boost in the gaming arena, a lucrative category of apps that the iPhone has so far all but locked down. And, depending on the type, quality, and variety of games available, it may let PlayStation fans leave their PSPs at home and tote around just one all-purpose mobile device.
But while this apparent collaboration of companies seems exciting, I'm curious to know the endgame. Remember that Apple began testing mobile waters by introducing iTunes on a few Motorola handsets, then applied the lessons it learned to steamroll its one-time partner a few years later with the iPhone. Who knows what Sony hopes to glean from Google. Or Google from Sony.
Of course, until someone confirms the device actually exists and is headed into production, it's all just idle speculation.
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