MarketingWeek has an article dated June 25 claiming that Sony is working on a Playstation-branded mobile phone. This isn't news, or isn't new news anyway, but beyond the strange use of the word "mooting" in the first sentence, the article is notable for claiming that the new device won't be a Sony Ericsson phone, but rather will bear only the Sony moniker.
The launch of the SE F305 gaming phone drew a few, "Hmm ... I thought a PSP phone was coming," comments from the media, but it seems that Sony may be looking to keep the PSP brand all to their selves. The Marketing Week article cites an industry source as saying, "the relationship between Sony and Sony Ericsson has become 'frosty' and he adds that Sony has learned from its 'strategic error' of giving its Walkman branding to Sony Ericsson."
SE's profits were off almost 50% in Q1 of this year, and they've fallen into fifth place in the global handset market. Whether or not Sony's looking to distance themselves from the Ericsson partnership remains to be seen, but a well-executed PSP phone could prove a big hit. Look for it in time for Christmas '09, if Marketing Week is to be believed.
