Marketing boffins have worked themselves into a frenzy over claims Sony’s working on a full-blown PSP phone, ready for release in time for Christmas 2009.
According to Marketing Week, the phone will be a proper PSP, with added calling abilities, but won’t be made by Sony Ericsson.
“Sources in Japan and Korea say Sony is working on converting the current PSP model into a phone,” the magazine reports. “Analysts say it would be “relatively easy” to convert the current PSP as it already incorporates Wi-Fi.”
We think someone’s got their wires crossed here, since the PSP itself is a hefty beast, chewing up battery power and requiring a decent sized screen and comfy controls for a proper gaming experience.
What’s more, few mobiles use Wi-Fi to make calls exclusively, and in fact, the PSP can already do so using Skype software.
More interesting is Marketing Week’s claim that Sony and Sony Ericsson are going through a rough patch. The two firms’ relationship is described as “frosty,” and sources are quoted saying that gifting the Walkman brand for a range of phones in the past was a “strategic error.”
Sony would “never give its PlayStation branding” to Sony Ericsson, the un-named source continues. Seems all’s not well with Sony. Stay tuned for more as soon as we hear it.
Out 2009 | £TBC | Sony (via Marketing Week)
