Well, in a recent interview with Financial Times, Sony Ericsson’s president and COO, Mr. Dick Komiyama, stated that a phone bearing Sony’s PlayStation brand “could happen”.

And if SE’s president says so, it means the company has probably given serious thought to the possibility of launching a PSP phone.

Of course, Komiyama’s reference to the much-rumored device is a bit vague:

“a PlayStation mobile, building on the Walkman and Cybershot phones, could happen.” 

- but there’s surely a glimpse of hope in there for all those who are hoping a PSP mobile phone will eventually be built.

(this is just an old rendering of what the PSP handset might look like) 

So, what do you think, would a Sony Ericsson PSP phone be competitive in today’s mobile market? Even with all the new handsets like the iPhone, Palm Pre and Nokia N97?

• Sony PSP phone is coming, won’t have anything to do with Sony Ericsson
• Android 2.0 on Sony Ericsson’s first Android smartphone?
• Another take on PSP phone, or Sony Ericsson’s own iPhone patent
• OMG, PSP Phone is coming!!!… No it’s NOT!!!
• Sony to buy Ericsson’s share in Sony Ericsson?

The Asian half of the Sony Ericsson joint-venture has just gone official with IMX060PQ, a 1/2.5 CMOS image sensor from the Exmor series that, apparently, has the industry’s highest Megapixel count: 12.25 MP.      

The new 12.25 MP sensor is equipped with autofocus and it will be available staring March 2009. Its price is said to be of 2,500 Japanese yen ($26), so the phones to include it should not be more expensive than the 8 Megapixel ones that are already on the market (like Sony Ericsson C905, Samsung Innov8 or LG Renoir).

Needless to say, the handsets that will include Sony’s IMX060PQ will be made by Sony Ericsson, so I guess we should expect some really hot Cyber-shot phones to come in 2009. After all, Ericsson mentioned something about super camera phones too.

Sony has also announced the upcoming release of the following image sensors:

• IMX046PQ, 1/3.2 CMOS with 8.11 MP
• IMX045PQ, 1/4 CMOS with 5.15 MP
• IU060F, 1/3.2 lens module with 12.25 MP
• and IU046F, 1/3.2 lens module with 8.11 MP

Sony says that, although they are extremely small, the new image sensors can deliver high-quality images. That’s thanks to several factors, including: a unique pixel structure, the implementation of a Cu process for fine interconnections, and Sony’s proprietary “Column-Parallel A/D Conversion technique”.

Let’s hope Sony knows what it’s doing and the higher Megapixel count will indeed make mobile photos look better than ever.

Source: Sony

• Samsung says: 8MP phones with 3x optical zoom next year, 12MP later
• Nokia selects Samsung for 5 megapixel CMOS sensors
• Samsung 8 megapixel Camera phones are (almost) here
• Samsung’s MEMS shutter for camera phones to bring better photos
• Sony Ericsson is working on automatic zoom for it’s cameraphones

Sony Computer Entertainment’s director Phil Harrison is listed as the sole inventor of a patent for a handheld device that has a large touchscreen display, a bevy of sensors and force feedback. This patent is very different from the original Sony PSP phone patent that we dug up some time ago, suggesting that there has been some renewed effort on this front.

The arrangement of the components inside this still undeveloped Sony touchscreen device looks similar to that in the current PlayStation Portable. However, this one gets mass storage and built-in sensors (which could most likely include an accelerometer) for added functionality.

This touchscreen device also features a system called “tactile pixels” which offers force feedback through the use of small bumps that “lift” up to the screen with each press on the touch-sensitive display.

At this point, there’s no way to make sure what exactly Sony plans to do with such a concept, and chances are it won’t be coming out in stores any time this year. But come time and a little more effort on Sony’s part, we might just be able to see another version of an iPhone contender, this time centered on gaming, even if Sony Ericsson has nothing to do with it.

USPTO Via Electronista

• Sony PSP phone is coming, won’t have anything to do with Sony Ericsson
• Sony Ericsson files for touchscreen keypad patent
• Sony Ericsson Touchscreen Slider
• Sony announces 12.25 MP image sensor for camera phones, available starting March 2009
• Sony Ericsson W707 Alicia looking alive and well in live pics

We’ve been hearing rumors about the Sony PSP phone since last year, but so far have not been able to confirm solidly, thanks in part to Sony’s “yes, we’re making it; no, we’re not” strategy. However the latest word on the street says Sony is already working on converting the current PSP model into the much-awaited PSP phone. This is well in line with the claims that it will be seeing a release in Christmas 2009. But there’s on catch: Sony Ericsson has nothing to do with it.

As a mobile phone company who’s name starts with Sony, you’d think that Sony Ericsson might have a role in the making of the Sony PSP phone. But then you’d be wrong, because an insider with very big ears says Sony will “never give its PlayStation branding” to Sony Ericsson.

This is a bit odd, since Sony already gave the Walkman branding to Sony Ericsson for use in its music-centric cellphones. Perhaps Sony is not satisfied with the royalties, if there’s such an arrangement, and the overall performance of the Sony Ericsson walkman effort?

This would explain why the recently launched Sony Ericsson F305 didn’t carry the PlayStation branding, though, even if it is SE’s first effort at a gaming device (and a motion-sensing one at that!).

Whatever Sony’s up to, and whether it will team up with SE or not for this thing, let’s all just hope the product turns out alright. The PSP, as it is, is great. And I personally don’t want to see the precious little thing turn into a disaster.

Via Marketing Week

• Sony Ericsson W305 Yao for an early 2009 launch?
• A PSP phone “could happen”, says Sony Ericsson’s president
• Sony Ericsson W880/W888 Walkman Phone Released
• New Sony patent shows first glimpse at future PSP-iPhone killer combo
• Sony Ericsson W707 Alicia looking alive and well in live pics

I have to confess, I’m also guilty of taking this particular rumor mill to the next level with the discovery of Sony Ericsson PSP phone patent back in June.

But today’s news “OMG, PSP Phone is coming!!!” , “No it is not !!!!” are completely non-news and would be quickly forgotten by Monday.

And there’s actually no good reason for this post as well. Except that I stumbled on this wonderful rendering of PSP Phone by T3.UK (based on original patent picture ) and couldn’t stop putting it on my blog too:

Ain’t this one a beauty?

I truly wish for someone from Sony Ericsson to see this and think – “Hey, SE PSP Phone can really be a great device. Let’s make it real quick!”

• Sony PSP phone is coming, won’t have anything to do with Sony Ericsson
• Sony Ericsson W999i Walkman Slider Almost Official?
• Sony Ericsson to ditch Windows Mobile, prepare Android and Symbian smartphones for 2010
• Sony Ericsson MBW-150 Bluetooth Watch approved by FCC
• Sony Ericsson to follow-up T-series classics with Sony Ericsson “Remi”?

While no official or even leaked pictures of the new Sony Ericsson P5i are available yet, Esato forums have one Photoshop rendering that, according to the ones who have seen it, are very close to the real SE P5i smartphone:

The rumored specs for Sony Ericsson P5i are:

• 360 MHz CPU
• Symbian 9.3 OS, UIQ 3.2, new Touchscreen UI
• HSDPA&HSUPA connectivity
• 2.8″ VGA (!) touchscreen
• 5 megapixel camera with Auto Focus and flash
• Built-in GPS&Wi-Fi b/g
• 160 MB ROM and 128 MB SDRAM
• MicroSD/Memory Stick M2 card slot
• Weight: 125 gr

SE P5i is expected to be announced this month, probably even next week, and should start shipping in May/June 2008.

While these reports about upcoming Sony Ericsson P5i are just rumors from Esato board so far, I’m inclined to believe them. They are confirmed by the Esato posters that claim to be a SE phone beta-testers, who have the phone and a history of quality news/posts to prove it.

• Sony Ericsson Bao flip phone shows up
• Sony Ericsson K660i, SE W890 and 380 Walkman coming on Nov. 6th. Sony Ericsson P5i and M610i Lizy smartphones… Who knows? Nov. 15th, maybe?
• Sony Ericsson M610i Business Smartphone Prototype for sale on E-bay in Germany
• Sony Ericsson T715a passes the FCC with AT&T 3G bands
• Sony Ericsson Susan and Sunny to be rugged, waterproof phones

LG will soon have 3 touchscreen models LG Prada, LG KU990 Viewty and LG KS20 on the market, Samsung will have two – Samsung P520 Armani and Vodafone Samsung F700v, Nokia confirmed that it’ll have something interesting with touchscreen next year, Motorola is rumored to be working on an advanced smartphone that may include touch interface.

That leaves only Sony Ericsson, among major cellphone vendors, that did not at least hint about it’s plans with touchscreen devices. That’s probably about to change, as recent Sony Ericsson patent application called “Programmable keypad“, indicates.

I can’t say that I’m very impressed with the results of Sony Ericsson efforts. It really reminds me about the idea behind Pantech Sky IM-200 and it certainly lacks the ingenuity Sony Ericsson demonstrated with PSP Phone, when they experimented turning cellphone into a gaming device.

But, hey, it’s only their first effort that become public, and I’m sure that Sony Ericsson will be able to come up with something much more interesting in the near future.

• Nokia’s lid on a touchscreen interface
• Sony Ericsson Touchscreen Slider
• LG aims for #2 spot by 2012, plans new “Black label” iPhone competitor, Prada III phone and extreme premium brand
• Two-Way slider patent for Sony Ericsson P5i look-alike
• Samsung P520 Touchscreen Card Phone

To detect various user motions Sony plans to use game controller with embedded LEDs on the front of the device and external camera to capture the movements of game controller. The the image analysis allows to track the users manipulations and determine controller position and orientation. Image capture and special software also enables the game console to perform physics analysis and determine the position, orientation, acceleration, velocity, etc., of the controller thus fully tracking and interpreting the users movements.

And in Sony’s own words this 3D game controller will:

… provide for the detection, capture and tracking of the movements, motions and/or manipulations of the entire controller body itself by the user. The detected movements, motions and/or manipulations of the entire controller body by the user may be used as additional commands to control various aspects of the game or other simulation being played….

…The camera can be used to detect many different types of motions of the controller, such as for example up and down movements, twisting movements, side to side movements, jerking movements, wand-like motions, plunging motions, etc. Such motions may correspond to various commands such that the motions are transferred into actions in a game.

Detecting and tracking the user’s manipulations of a game controller body can be used to implement many different types of games, simulations, etc., that allow the user to, for example, engage in a sword or lightsaber fight, use a wand to trace the shape of items, engage in many different types of sporting events, engage in on-screen fights or other encounters, etc.

Well, it’s only a patent application for now, but with Nintendo’s Wii gaining in popularity and dire predictions for the overpriced Sony PS3, it’s only a matter of time that Sony will have to come with some new interesting features for it’s video game console. So we may see this 3D game controller in the near future.

Now let’s see if Microsoft can come up with something similar for it’s Xbox 360.

• VR/3D Controller for your Sony PS3
• Sony Ericsson’s Mobile Phone/Universal Remote Control
• Samsung: Let’s turn your clamshell into joystick !
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• Apple wants to teach us Multi-Touch gesture language