Sony is considering development of a gaming and cell phone hybrid to compete with Apple's iPhone.
According to Reuters, Japanese business daily Nikkei said that the company aims to form a development team as early as next month to create a product that combines the PSP handheld gaming device and the Sony Ericsson mobile phone.
This would not be the first time that Sony has created such a hybrid. The company that created the Walkman has released phones with that branding, but has still fallen well behind Apple in the music-player market.
With the popularity of iPhone games and the growing support of traditional console game developers, it's been suggested that Apple's portable devices are a significant threat to the PSP and the Nintendo DS.
Sony declined to comment, but we've heard these rumors before. With the creation of the PSP Go, a smaller version of the PSP that has no disc drive, it makes a bit more sense now to go whole hog and add mobile phone functionality.
However, it seems as though it's not a question if Sony can do it, but whether Sony should this late in the game. If the company does create a phone/gaming hybrid, the most important factor might be its price. Regarding the $250 PSP Goand the PS3, many have said that Sony must lower its price points to remain competitive.
Over the last two years, Apple has dropped the price of the iPhone significantly. At its 2007 launch, the 8-GB phone was a whopping $600; the new model is just $100.
Sony, take note.
Chris says: Speaking of the Walkman, did you read this BBC piece about a kid who gives up his iPhone for a Walkman for one week?
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