Sony working on PlayStation-branded Android phone?

Sony is reportedly working on a PlayStation-branded Android phone which could arrive later in 2010
Sony is reportedly working on a PlayStation-branded Android phone which could arrive later in 2010

Sony is reportedly working on developing a PlayStation-branded Android phone.

Engadget reports that Sony Ericsson's phone developers have combined a smartphone with a PSPgo in order to create a gaming phone.

"It seems that Sony Ericsson -- a company that has yet to even introduce an Android 2.0 device -- is at work on a project to redefine gaming on Google's mobile platform," reports Engadget.

"We now know (via a trusted source) that the company is actively and heavily developing a brand new gaming platform, ecosystem, and device (possibly alongside Google) which are already in the late stages of planning."

Landscape slider

As such, the phone is set to be a PSPgo-style landscape slider design with game controls – a D-pad and a long touch-pad - in place of the usual QWERTY keyboard.

The new PlayStation phone will run Google's Android 3.0 'Gingerbread' OS and support a new section of the Android marketplace devoted to games.

Massive PlayStation and console gaming franchises such as God of War, Modern Warfare, and LittleBigPlanet are already being mooted as possible games for the new device.

Engadget's sources are claiming that the Google-Sony PlayStation mash-up device could arrive on shelves as early as October.

Specs wise, the phone will boast a large display between 3.7 and 4.1 inches with WVGA or higher quality resolution, with a 5 megapixel camera (still to be finalised) and a 1GHz Snapdragon CPU.

TechRadar has reached out to Sony, Google and Samsung for confirmation and further information on these reported plans for a PlayStation-branded Android Phone. Might we see an announcement and reveal at this month's GamesCom in Cologne or next month's Tokyo Game Show?

Stay tuned for updates.

Via VG247 and Engadget

Adam Hartley