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
I would have hoped for some time now that SE would actually pack the PSP cpu&gpu into such a device. Now that would have been a dream phone.
Think about it, they could have sold the whole PSP Go catalogue using a special section of the android market. PSP games would have been seamlessly integrated into the Android UI.
Now with a contract they could have effectively sold a PSP+phone for 99 or 199. Could have meant a huge jump in PSP platform sales.
Building a slider Android phone with a PSP Go style button layout was a no brainer, expected that to happen, but like I said, forcing developers to port their stuff over to android seems a bit stupid.
Branded as an Xperia and as a PlayStation, you could call it the PSX. Play Station Xperia. Epic!
Now we are cooking android ftw
Wow. Emulators are about to get a whole lot better.
This just seems too unlikely. Sony + Google? Really? I have major doubts that Sony would push back their own brand (PSP) to join it up with Android. This would btw be yet again a very big change of ecosystem for developers.
Now if you said that Google was able to sway Sony Ericsson into making a more handheld console-oriented phone to show of its gaming strengths, maybe. But not with the PSP branding, not with Sony PSP games, big NO-NO imho
@DeanXeL the agreement is already in place for set top boxes. Google and Sony have a close relationship now.
@stabbytheicepic Yes, but that's something different, that's Sony, not Sony Playstation. You can say whatever you want, those are two different entities.
hehehe, I said en-tities.
@DeanXeL You don't think Sony would do anything to make sure that the PSP2 is a success after failing against the DS with the PSP and PSP Go?
Also, you don't think that Google will want to put something in place because of iOS's game centre and WP7's Xbox Live integration?
Now does it all make sense to you?
I think I want this.
If the slide-out game pad slid the opposite way to reveal a full QWERTY keyboard as well, it would obsolete my Pandora before I even get it.
hell yeah! it looks hard to believe but one can only hope...
TGS cant come soon enough :)
I seriously doubt a snapdragon processor would be used.
Interested to see how they deal with the battery life issues most Android handsets have... adding serious gaming on top should see your kit last for about 2 hours per charge...
I agree, if this slider also has a QWERTY keyboard in the middle then we have total WIN! Please Sony, if you are reading make it be so! To be honest though, I would mainly use this for emus :)
@iamthecosmos why do you need a physical keyboard, it's 2010. Swype is better. And people can't cry about "MY ROMS" it has a fucking game pad built in.
@stabbytheicepic
Try writing a text message using Swype without looking at the screen.... I rest my case.
If they used Decent smartphone parts games could look on par with PS3 games if devs tried.
If so 3DS is smalltime.
If they can pull this off, then EPIC WANT! I've been looking for a good portable gaming device...
I the world ready for an Android N-Gage?
I'm confused. Will this replace the PSP2? Because I don't really want a phone built into my video game system. I have a phone that I like, I just want a nice, kickass portable video game machine that doesn't require a 2 year internet contract, etc. I'd also like it to play UMDs but I'm guessing that's never gonna happen. Sadly.
This is what Ive been thinking about for the last year or two. I hope they someone get two analog nubs in there. I hope the 5MP cam stays and that they have a forward facing camera.
If this actually comes to fruition, Google will have a games for its platform, sony will have access to android games, that hopefully get better with time, as well as psp minis and psp catalog of games. So its a triple header if it works out. Consumer wins and respective companies involved win because there will be much more of a reason to have an android phone.
Hopes this works out really well.
Was this what google suppose to announce tomorrow?
WOW AMAZING!!!
DO WANT.
If this is the PSP phone we've all been waiting for and it comes out on Verizon, then I'm all in.
im calling bullshit...I mean the x10 just is coming out and it has 1.6 and sorry sony is really lame at partnerships
@therodt The X10 didn't just come out, it's been out in Europe for a few months. Ontop of that they were working on it for ages, it was supposed to come out Xmas 2009 and that's why it has 1.6
@SteveDhalai
and that is the point. Out in 2009, however just now about to appear on US market as a "new" phone... with android 1.6 the same day Droid's are getting 2.2
One can only hope that Sony learns and that this phone concept does come to the market quickly. If history is anything to go by, it will be there when the world moves on to Android 4.0 The upside might be that Google pushes them a little out of the conservative comfort zone. Let's hope. To date SE is not a leader.
So it will look like the Captivate with a gaming pad attached? :P
Worst photoshop ever!
Now since this will be running Gingerbread which won't be out till the end of the year we can assume when the release date will be.
That being said, are we to presume that the "Snapdragon" SoC it's running will be the future released Dual-Core version? I mean, with such lofty hopes and hardware put behind it would be a huge letdown to see it still running on today's Snapdragon.
Looks like they are trying to redeem themselves from all the screw ups over the past couple years. Keep the x10 on 1.6 give us a solid device for the future.
@damian x10 is the number one selling phone in japan. I wouldn't say that it was a failure.
NOOOOOOO!!!!! Does this mean another sweeet phone that will come out only on AT& (freaken) T on an exclusive 5 yr blah, blah, blah. *sigh*
I wonder what google is going to announce tomorrow
@jonnyB
2012: Android is...... Skynet?
you know once upon a time i would of got excited about this but after suffering my X10i the last few few months i think it will be a massive failure... this company made a so called flagship phone with no multi touch no front facing cam on android 1.6 with a stupid ux skin which to be frank any one of the home alternative apps on the android market could of done better!! The x10 fails left right and center and is about a year out of date the day it was released! se will lie through there teeth about this phone then when you buy it they will tell you all the false promises where never official statements.. mark my words it will suck and you will be dissapointed with the final product.. you will cry and i will laugh at you all for being sucked in again by the spin machine that is SE!! and they will lock this device down tighter than a ducks butt you really think sony will let you emulate and run roms for fun lol i think not.. only the original psp allows this lvl of hacking everything else was locked down.. psp 3000 anyone lol
It's definitely enough to get me interested.....but god knows.....gaming/smart phone......Sony, you better work miracles with that damn battery life.
This strikes me as curious. Android 3.0 will be on many handsets so are they all going to have game controls?
@ACEACEACE no. Adults don't play games on phones.
Do I dare ask?
Can/will it play Crysis?
They can't even get 2.1 let alone 2.2 on their current android phones and they are coming out with a Gingerbread gaming platform? Probably when android os 4 comes out...
Why Sony didn't just do this from the start of the PSPGo is a mystery.
Seriously it's like Sony Japan would of been "dishonored" if Sony Europe would of made this.
This is a really big deal for Sony and Google, kudos to them for this. MS is the only real mobile player that can compete. They have have HTC or someone make a WP7 handset with similar controls but I doubt they will. Nintendo and Apple can finally team up like we've all thought they would, but they probably won't. Still good stuff for Sony :)
as per proud Sony Ericsson tradition, Android 5.0 will be out by the time they bring this to market. Don't believe me? Compare the comments on this story to those when the Xperia X10 was announced. Shockingly similar and optimistic.
Sony's PS division and Google should have directly collaborated to make the phone, not shitty SE that hasn't been able to anything right in the smartphone arena.
@aniym Sometimes companies learn from their mistake.
@stabbytheicepic Xperia X1, X2, X10, X10 mini
SE is not new to this.
@aniym Have you tried the x10 mini /Pro its an accelent Phone. Any review out there basiclly says its the best phone in the size.
This looks good! I'm on pins and needles wondering how Sony will find a way to ruin it.
@darknite39
Simple... attempt the same commercial model for game pricing and distribution they tried for PSP Go.
Game over. All other companies with smartphone OSs should be very worried.
With Sony's history this'll be out 2012, still with 3.0! Look at the x10.