Sony working on PlayStation Phone?

Sony is once-again rumoured to be launching a new gaming-focused phone under the PlayStation brand, though considering how long these rumours have been running it’s probably best to take this news with a un-healthy sized pinch of salt.

The new rumours indicate that the new PSP Phone will be incorporating elements of the PlayStation Portable. The current range of Sony Ericsson phones uses sub-brands, such as Cyber-Shot and Walkman and uses key elements of that sub-brand to market the phone, so it makes sense that Sony would seek to do a similar thing with the PlayStation brand.

Sony has just launched the F305 which is clearly branded as a gaming phone, so there is obviously some interest from Sony Ericsson to crack that market. MarketingWeek also claims it has receieved confirmation that Sony is developing the product from sources in both Japan and Korea.

"Sony is working on converting the current PSP model into a phone." say these anonymous sources. "Analysts say it would be ‘relatively easy” to convert the current PSP as it already incorporates Wi-Fi."

MarketingWeek also says though that there may be internal problems at Sony Ericsson that may halt development, citing that "the relationship between Sony and Sony Ericsson has become ‘frosty’ and that Sony has learned from its “strategic error” of giving its Walkman branding to Sony Ericsson."

Rumours of this PlayStation Phone first cropped up in November last year, but were dismissed by Sony.

What do you think about the PlayStation Phone? Will it ever see the light of day or is it firmly trapped in development hell? Let us know in the forums.

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