14 DAY TRIAL // Rumors about a possible PSP phone made by Sony Ericsson have surfaced long ago, but none were that consistent. Well, this is about to change now, thanks to the Android OS, which seems to be a very flexible platform, we're very close to a release of a new gaming environment and a new breed of devices, PSP-like smartphones.
According to the guys over Engadget, who cite a trusty source, Sony Ericsson is heavily working together with Google (possibly) to develop a new gaming platform, environment, as well as device.
Even though the work is still in progress, information point to a possible launch of the “trio” around October 2010, which means that the the project is in its late stages of development.
The cited source describe the new device as a hybrid between the Samsung Captivate smartphone and the PSP Go.
It will most likely look like a slider smartphone with game controls instead of a full QWERTY keyboard. Further, the D-pad is described as looking more like a “touch pad” for analog controls, as well standard PSP buttons and shoulder buttons.
The said device should have a large display, between 3.7 and 4.1-inches with at least WVGA resolution, a 5-megapixel camera, as well as a 1 GHz Snapdragon CPU.
This will also be the first Sony Ericsson smartphone to carry the unofficial Android OS, as the device is said to be powered by Android 3.0 Gingerbread.
If this is true I don't see the device launching in October, as Android 3.0 is set for launching only at the end of 2010 or the beginning of 2011.
Another piece of software that will make its way on the Android platform is a new Android Market category that will be populated with dedicated games and will only be accessible by the said device initially.
It is possible that the area will be accessible by other devices that meet the criteria of the original device (spec and layout of buttons), afterwards.
Some of the titles that seem to be already in the project include old PSX and new PSP games, such as God of War, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, and LittleBigPlanet. It seems that the company also plans to include in the future games with augmented reality features.
The smartphone will be released under the Xperia series brand, but it will also carry the Playstation tag.
Stay tuned for more information about the cross-breed smartphone that should be announced this fall.