Report: Sony to unveil PlayStation phone in February

Sony plans to unveil a smartphone in February that is focused on gaming. The smartphone is part of a wider push to share games, movies and music among handheld devices, TVs and other electronics, according to a Bloomberg report.

The report, which cited two unnamed sources familiar with the matter, said Sony will announce a new PlayStation Portable device Jan. 27 followed by the smartphone announcement next month at the Mobile World Congress trade show in Barcelona, Spain. Sony also plans to outline a new content-sharing strategy using networked entertainment services, highlighting the efforts of handset makers to align their smartphone offerings with home entertainment products and services.

A Sony Ericsson spokesman declined to comment.

In recent months, Sony Ericsson has done little to quiet speculation that it will produce a so-called "PlayStation phone," which has been dubbed the Xperia Play by various blogs. Sony Ericsson CEO Bert Nordberg said in November that he was aware of the speculation and hinted that an actual product may be in the works. "There's a lot of smoke, and I tell you there must be a fire somewhere," Nordberg told the Wall Street Journal during an interview. "Sony has an extremely strong offering in the gaming market, and that's very interesting."

The content-sharing strategy aligns closely with similar strategies emerging from Samsung, LG and Motorola Mobility (NYSE:MMI). Indeed, Motorola has said it will deliver products this year that combine aspects of its set-top box business and its smartphone unit. 

For more:
- see this Bloomberg article

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