Sony Reported to Be Working on Playstation Mobile Phone

Sony is again rumoured to be considering a game station/cell phone combo thought to be based on the Sony Playstation platform, reports Reuters, citing the Japanese Nikkei newspaper. Sony is expected to set up a dedicated project team to develop the new product, which combines Sony Ericsson phones with Sony games technology within the next couple of months, the newspaper added.

Last month, Sony Ericsson, the 50:50 joint venture between Sony and Ericsson, showed off its first mobile phone that will support connectivity with Sony's Playstation consoles. The Aino handset is not expected to go on sale until the 4th quarter of this year though.

A move by Sony to develop a games-phone device in-house rather than licensing their technology to Sony Ericsson may resurrect previous rumours of strife between the two partners in the joint venture. An attempt by Sony Ericsson to formally license the Playstation brand earlier this year was reportedly rebuffed, while last August, Sony's CEO Howard Stringer told Die Welt, that the two companies need to reform their cooperation otherwise the joint venture would fail.

Sony Ericsson was established in 2001 by Sony and Ericsson to make mobile phones after a fire in March 2000 at a Philips factory in Albuquerque, the sole supplier of semiconductors to Ericsson nearly crippled the company. The stated reason for this venture is to combine Sony's consumer electronics expertise with Ericsson's technological leadership in the communications sector.

A Sony spokesman declined to comment on the report.

On the web: Reuters - Mobile Today - Die Welt

Posted to the site on 28th June 2009