According to the Nikkei business daily, Sony is actively considering developing a ‘PSP phone,’ a mobile phone/gaming handheld hybrid, in an effort to compete with the astoundingly popular iPhone.
The company has plans to get a project team together in July to develop the new product, which will “combine functions of its portable game player (the PSP) and Sony Ericsson’s mobile phones,” reads the report.
Although Sony declined to comment on the speculation, the move would make sense and has been oft rumored for years.
Game developers such as Capcom have been offering games for the iPhone, taking advantage of the strong market share for Apple products while at the same time taking away revenue from the traditional handheld gaming devices, the PSP and Nintendo’s DS/DSi.
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According to a new Nikkei business daily, gaming giant Nintendo is planning to release a new model of its popular DS handheld before the end of the year, one that has a built-in camera and a music player.
The price will be a bit more expensive than the current model, but will also come equipped with “advanced wireless communications functions.” The price is expected to be about $189 USD in Japan, according to the Nikkei. The console sells for much cheaper in the US, but there was no word on a NA release.
The official announcement is set for next week at a Tokyo press conference.
The DS is currently the most popular of all consoles and regularly outsells its main rival, the Sony PSP. The PSP however, has been outselling the DS in Japan for some time now, which is a potential sign that the current model’s sales growth is slowing.
