Gizmodo: psp phone

Nikkei Reports Sony Is Working On Famed PlayStation Phone

Dan Nosowitz — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 18:30:00 EDT

Nikkei, one of the largest media conglomerates in Japan, is reporting that Sony has been working on a combination cellphone/game system for nearly a year. It's a rumor we've been hearing for years, so what's different this time?

Well, not much, really. Nikkei is a very solid source, definitely not prone to tossing plausible ideas around as actual reports. And of course, it's been such a persistent rumor because it makes so much sense: Sony is an important player in both the cellphone (with Sony Ericsson) and gaming worlds, though Sony Ericsson has been struggling in recent years. Now that Capcom and Square Enix are developing games for the iPhone platform, it's just about time for Sony to jump into the game and play a little catch-up.

The rumor itself is very vague: Nikkei says it will directly compete with the iPhone, and that a project team was set up last July to start working on the console/phone hybrid. So basically, it's the same rumor we've been hearing for years, except this time from a reliable source. Whether it's got any truth to it remains to be seen. Note: The above image is a mockup. Seems obvious but sometimes you gotta say it out loud. [Reuters]

The PlayStation Phone Was Blocked by Sony?

Mark Wilson — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 09:00:00 EST

In one of those moments when you realize Sony is indeed a Jupiter-sized, 5000-tentacled robot, it appears that Sony may have refused to let Sony Ericsson use PlayStation branding for their phones.

It's been no secret that Sony Ericsson has been working on a PlayStation Phone, and now Mobile Today is claiming that Sony reviewed Sony Ericsson handsets in December and refused to share the powerful brand name. As the story goes, sources from Sony proper claim that it's an issue with giving anything but a pure Sony phone the PlayStation stamp. Meanwhile, Sony Ericsson publicly commented that "we feel at the moment the technical specs are not high enough to put such a prestigious brand on a phone."

Whatever the case, it's looking a lot like the PlayStation Phone is dead in the water. Again. [Mobile Today via Engadget]

The PSP Phone is Bulkier than We'd Imagined

Mark Wilson — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 11:45:00 EDT

Ummm...Sony...when we asked for a PSP phone, this isn't what we had in mind. Actually, forget what we just said. Because in this mod, the phone itself just takes the place of the UMD drive, which is totally fine with us. [CNGBA via Just Another...]

Sony Touchscreen Gaming Patent is Looking iPhone-ish

Adrian Covert — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 10:50:10 EDT

The image pretty much says it all, but Sony appears to be working on a gaming device that is all screen and all play. The touchscreen gadget in the patent would have haptic feedback, accelerometers, a microphone, and internet capabilities. Not sure how this fits in with the PSP phone rumors, but its interesting nonetheless. [PSP Fanboy via Electronista

Is Sony Ditching Ericsson For a PlayStation Branded Phone?

Sean Fallon — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 17:35:00 EDT

According to Marketing Week, Sony may be considering launching a PlayStation branded phone by Christmas 2009. Naturally that would raise some questions about the health of their relationship with Swedish mobile company Ericsson. The report goes on to say that Sony is leaning towards modifying the PSP to incorporate a phone—which would seem like the most logical route.

Citing industry sources, Marketing Week heard that the relationship between the two companies has become "frosty" and that Sony would “never give its PlayStation branding” to a Sony Ericsson joint venture. If it were true, it could go a long way in explaining the recently released F305 which is certainly not PlayStation branded and seems to fall well short of a fabled PSP phone. Could it be that Sony is throwing Ericsson scraps while they keep the juicy ideas to themselves? There have been a lot of rumors thrown out there about a PSP phone, and so far nothing has materialized. We will just have to wait and see. [Marketing Week]

Sony Ericsson F305 Phone With Motion Gaming First Impressions (Verdict: Underwhelming)

Sean Fallon — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 18:00:00 EDT

The Sony Ericsson F305 gaming phone went official today, and the guys at Crave Asia fired off a few first impressions after spending some hands-on time with it. They claim that the screen on the F305 is way too small and the device itself is excessively slippery—which doesn't mesh well with the motion controls. All in all they felt that it had "a been-there-done that vibe to it," but the Wii-esque motion controls are a step in the right direction. Still, it seems that the F305 is a far cry from the PSP phone we have all been dreaming of. [Crave]

Sony Ericsson F305 Motion Gaming Phone is "Fun and Entertainment"

Jason Chen — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 11:23:40 EDT

The Sony Ericsson F305 motion gaming phone leaked this weekend is now official, making for the start of this F-line of "fun and entertainment" phones. The phone's got a 2.0-inch screen, O and X gaming buttons, a dedicated PlayStation button (to bring up games), quad-band EDGE, 8 hours of gameplay, an optional Power Pack CPP-100, Bluetooth and a sliding body. It's not too remarkable of a phone, but it is Sony's first real foray into establishing an explicit gaming phone line. Available in "selected markets" in Q3 2008. [Sony Ericsson]

Sony Ericsson F305 Has Wiimote-Like Motion Gaming, May Be PSP Phone?

Jason Chen — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 10:59:00 EDT

This leaked Sony Ericsson's F305 phone is notable for a couple reasons. One, it's their first motion gaming phone under the F-line (there've been one or two here and there for various other phones), which makes us and The Unofficial Sony Ericsson Blog think that it the series stands for "Fun". Two, it's got PlayStation buttons on there, namely the O and the X, giving users an NES-level of complexity to the games.

Other details are slightly less impressive. It's quad-band GSM with only EDGE, has a Power Pack CCP-100 purchasable accessory for backup battery capabilities, stereo rear speakers, Bluetooth connectivity to other phones for multiplayer, Memory Stick Micro slot, built-in FM, TrackID track recognition, and a "selected market" release in Q3 of this year. Se-nse says it'll be formally announced on Tuesday. [Se-nse]

The PlayStation Phone Patent

Mark Wilson — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 09:21:38 EST

We've heard rumblings about a PlayStation (or PlayStation Portable) Phone by Sony Ericsson for some time now, but this is the first time that we've actually seen what one might look like. Filed back in 2006, this patent application features a touchscreen with haptic feedback (yeah, like the iPhone) that can transform the button layout from phone to PSP just by turning it. Here's what the application had to say:

In another embodiment there is presented a system and method of reconfiguring the graphical user interface (GUI) of a mechanically vibrated touchscreen display associated with a portable mobile communications device that is operable in a variety of modes. An orientation sensing mechanism senses whether the portable mobile communications device is currently in a portrait or landscape orientation and accesses an orientation profile that associates each mode of operation with either a portrait or landscape orientation. A list of modes of operation associated with the sensed orientation of the portable mobile communications device is presented to the user. The user is prompted to select a mode of operation from the list. Input indicative of a selected mode of operation is received and the GUI of the mechanically vibrated touchscreen display is reconfigured for the selected mode of operation associated.

Ahh, there's nothing like a huge quote of patentspeak to get the blood flowing on a Friday morning. Am I right? [patent via kotaku]

Sony Magazine Says PSP Phone Could Come As Early As February? Really?

Jason Chen — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 16:30:28 EST

It's not exactly a secret that Sony/Sony Ericsson's making a cellphone that has PSP features in it. Hell, even the Sony Ericsson gaming boss says that a PlayStation-branded phone is coming some time. Sony Magazine's putting an updated timeline on the project, saying that there are "suggestions that it could be in the shops as early as February." It's different when you see it print. In a magazine. All glossy. But unless we're slightly more drunk than we usually are, half of February is already gone and we haven't seen squiddidly. [Phone Mag]

PS3 to Hook Up With Your Cellphone

Haroon Malik — Sun, 16 Dec 2007 20:00:00 EST

The Remote Play functionality on the PS3/PSP is great, but Sony intends to extensively develop the feature set for broader external connectivity. Sony's CEO, Sir Howard Stringer, appeared in Tokyo and detailed how Sony intends to push the ever-booming success of the PS3. It is Sony's vision that the PS3 will eventually be able to link up to mobile phones, streaming all kind of media goodness on the go. As you can imagine, the very prospect has our PSP phone speculation senses running into overdrive.

The planned connectivity expansion is due to begin rolling out, in some form, by April 2008. Sir Stringer told Reuters, "PlayStation Network next year puts us in the direct line of fire with Apple and Microsoft." Competing with Apple and Microsoft, what on Earth could he possibly have in mind? We agree with the fine folks at Game Spot, who theorize the PS3's guns are lining up against iTunes and Xbox Live. What do you guys make of the comment? Just to get the ball rolling, here are a few PSP phone rumors of old. [Game Spot]

Sony Ericsson Shows Off its PSP Phone Design

Louis Ramirez — Fri, 01 Jun 2007 08:23:10 EDT

If anyone's capable of making a gaming phone (worth buying), I'd put my money on Sony Ericsson. Their recent patent shows the blueprints for what looks like a PSP phone. What sets this phone apart from other attempts is that it packs game-friendly buttons (no more having to use your phone's tiny number pad) and a rotating screen (so games can be played in landscape mode as opposed to vertically). Make it compatible with all of today's PSP games and Sony Ericsson might give the Nintendo DS some competition. What do you guys think? – Louis Ramirez

Patent [via Unwired View]

What Would a Sony Ericsson PSP Phone Be Like?

Adam Frucci — Wed, 11 Apr 2007 17:50:00 EDT

Why is it that everyone is expecting non-phone devices to come out with phone iterations? I mean, yeah, the iPhone rumor ended up coming true, but does that really mean we want to deal with Zune Phone, PSP Phone, and Google Phone rumors for the next year? Aren't you people ever satisfied?!

Apparently not. I'm skeptical about Sony Ericsson making a PSP Phone just because Sony's been using the XMB interface on a bunch of different products, but Pocket Gamer went ahead and looked at the possibilities of Sony Ericsson creating a PSP phone, including a wish list of features. They've got some good ideas in there, but somehow missed out on the major point that Sony missed with the original PSP: good games. Oh, and make sure it can play UMDs, I'm beginning to think it was a bad idea to replace my DVD collection with them!

What would you want to see on a PSP phone? –Adam Frucci

PocketGamer [via Kotaku]