Exclusive: Sony Ericsson to introduce Android 3.0 gaming platform and PSP Go-like smartphone
By Joshua Topolsky 
posted August 11th 2010 7:50PM
posted August 11th 2010 7:50PM
Here's what we can tell you about the hardware: if you're a gaming fan, this is exactly the kind of phone you've been waiting for. The device is described as cross between the Samsung Captivate and the PSP Go -- in other words, it's a landscape slider with game controls in place of the typical QWERTY keyboard. The D-pad is here, but instead of the small joystick, the device will have what was described as a "long touch pad" for analog controls, along with standard PSP buttons and shoulder buttons. The phone has a large display, described as being between 3.7 and 4.1 inches with WVGA or better resolution, a 5 megapixel camera that we're told might not be final, and it'll likely have a 1GHz Snapdragon CPU on board. The phone is mostly black with some silver highlights, and the gamepad area is white / silver in color. Apparently it's currently branded as a Xperia device, but it looks like it will carry PlayStation branding as well. Those who've seen the phone say it looks "pretty damn sexy." The mockup above probably doesn't do the actual hardware justice, but it should give you an idea of what you'll be dealing with.
On the software side, it looks like the device will be running Gingerbread (Android 3.0) with a phone-specific skin, and there will be a new area of the Android Market specifically for the games. That content will be initially accessible only by the halo device, but from the sounds of things, these titles might be made available to other Android phones if their specs and button layouts meet requirements. Games will be graphically in the range of PSX or PSP games, meaning true 3D gaming is headed to Android. Titles currently being shown off seem to be focused around some older PSX as well as new PSP offerings, with God of War, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, and LittleBigPlanet possibly on tap, and future plans for titles which incorporate augmented reality features.
In terms of release, it's possible that the phone and ecosystem could be introduced as early as October of this year, but we have yet to confirm.
Right now we're working on getting even more detail about the phone and partnership, but we can tell you now that this is not a random rumor -- we have reason to believe that what we've heard and seen is real and coming to market. It makes perfect sense in a way -- Google gets a much-needed push into the gaming and entertainment space for Android, while Sony (via its partnership with Ericsson) finally delivers the PlayStation phone users have been wanting. We see it as a major win for both companies and the consumer... and we always need another distraction. Stay tuned to this space for updates as we get them, and in the meantime, start socking away the pennies.
Additional reporting by Chris Ziegler
@darkzen15 Gingerbread doesn't get rid of skinning, that isn't what android is about and I doubt HTC, Samsung, SE etc would be happy if they were told they couldn't include Sense, Touchwiz or Timescape.
What it does so however, is separate the OS and these customisations. Sense Launcher would be just an app ontop of Vanilla Android, as would the Sense apps like Mail etc. Think of it like a home replacement like LauncherPro. This means that the underlying OS (Vanilla Android) can be updated without it affecting the Customised Apps.
Sony Ericsson, you have my attention... however, here are a few things I don't like:
1) Why Snapdragon? Why not Tegra 2 or at least Hummingbird?
2) Why will it have a skin on top of Gingerbread 3.0?
3) Why is there no mentioning of a front camera?
Other than that, me likey.
@TareG
Does Tegra 2 even commercially exist yet? Aren't they planning to use a dual core Cortex-A9 CPU in that? Compared to the single core Cortex-A8 in the Snapdragon (which doesn't have the GPU power that Tegra, Hummingbird, or OMAP chipsets have), I think the price of a Tegra 2 chip would ridiculously expensive.
@TareG :t here's no mention of it because its ALL LEAKS and not official Sony info.
if sony get this right it will fly off the shelves!
I like the idea, but something doesn't seem right. Sony has had years to make a PSP phone happen and SE has sucked at phones for awhile now. You add in Google and that makes it all better?
I'm going to stay cautious on this one, on paper it makes all the sense in the world. The weak links in this deal are really weak, namely the PSP and SE parts of this.
It's also possible the lack of details are making this all seem very NGAGE to me. I haven't seen God of War PSP like title on Android as is, so how will this solve that? Meaning, we're going from no gaming to hardcore in one shot?
If true, its a shot in the right direction - so long as its not the NGAGE direction.
@Brucealeg
Maybe they will use Android to handle the phone part and when you switch to gaming, the PSP Go takes over. It's not too far fetched.
@Brucealeg If they integrate the phone with the PSN, they will solve one of the biggest problems of the ngage - lack of titles. With many psp minis and psx games readily available, and more being developed by sony themselves or their partner studios (after all, Nokia was never a game company... but Sony is, so they have the know how, the links and the products to offer in this transition), and a cellphone form factor that is not embarassing to use in public for phone calls, this would hardly flop for the same reasons the ngage did.
Great. The first gaming device that can get a trojan.
I doubt this will come on at&t, seeing as it could have 3g(4g if it hits Sprint) I wouldn't like to play online with that bad coverage, plus is could up the Android edge, making the iPhone crawl on the floor. I just hope Sony knows the phone itself is not going to sell games, because the PSP has not too many games worth their price. We will see....
Knowing Sony, they will go a lot farther than E-Fuse to keep this thing from being rooted.
My first reaction when I saw this: HOLY SHIT YES YESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYSE
@Pickaxe
I just curled into a ball and for an hour cried out "waaaaaaaaaaaant.. dooooo waaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAnnnnnnnnnt!!" rocking back & forth.
This is exactly what Ive been waiting for!
a psp go that can make phone calls and have a touch screen u guys shoud of made that befor the psp go
You win, PERFECT!!!
Dear Santa...
I have a nagging feeling they will forget to add a front camera....
I just can't buy a new phone without video calling.
Com'on, stay true to your "It only does everything" logo.
I'm not liking the "PSX PSP" graphics bit...
It's 2010. We can already play PSX games on phones through emulators (which means the device is about 10 times more powerful) in 2008.
It needs to at least be noticeably better than the PSP graphics.
@TareG This is a cellphohe... Not a PSP2.
@Fenrir007
False. This is a gaming smartphone. The 2007 iPhone runs PSP-quality graphics. You can't release a 2010 gaming smartphone with PSX quality.
Plus, as I said, PSX games are already being played through emulators 2 years ago, using old-gen hardware.
Last time I've seen so many good comments was on iPhone 4 announcing post...
Looking good but I have to say I am REALLY disappointed with SE support and I said to myself never SE again...
This will put emulators on the nightly news. Even if it initially sucks (and Sony is more than capable of bungling it) It will be hacked into magnificence like the Xbox was.
All I know is if this is true I so freaking want one. I keep a PSP at work with me for those really slow nights at work.
My dreams have finally come true. I love Sony products and have my whole life (longevity is a key word when describing anything Sony) and this would be the phone for me. I would switch networks for it. (But I hope it will be on Verizon/T-Mobile
its good idea
but wthe
hdmi
n
nav
usb2.0 i meen the big
very good power
prosisor 2 GHz
good camra pxsl and good record 1080p-i
soper amoled 4.9" 3d not use glass
senes wallpaper
ir for tv... control
3.5
fm out
dun
psp phone:
friggin' FINALLY
Sony + Google aka Android + PSN ... that's what I want!
Hopefully it will have remote play & the unlocked unit will be affordable, unlike that Aino.
if only android had games that had better comments than "cheap ripoff of iphone game" maybe that will come eventually.
Playstaion+Android=epic win
I wonder which provider?
if they make a good product and sell it at a good price point, good software will then naturally come. I hope this is good.
It seems like this Android will be even better.......
Pls visit my site : http://www.around-the-x.com
Please no AT&T, Please No AT&T, PLEASE NO AT&T SONY!!!
I have an iPhone and my contract is almost up, I can't wait to ditch AT&T I would so by this phone.
what carrier?