Slashdot Mirror
First Pictures of the (Fake?) PlayStation Phone
For some time now, rumors have been floating around that Sony was working on a concept for a mobile phone that also serves as a bona fide portable games console. Engadget now has pictures of a prototype for just such a device. According to the report, the PlayStation Phone will run Android, probably 3.0 (Gingerbread), and it sports "a 1GHz Qualcomm MSM8655 (a chip similar to the one found in the G2, but 200MHz faster), 512MB of RAM, 1GB of ROM, and the screen is in the range of 3.7 to 4.1 inches." The phone has "a long touchpad in the center which is apparently multitouch, and you can see in the photos that it's still bearing those familiar PlayStation shoulder buttons. For Sony buffs, you'll be interested to know that there's no Memory Stick slot here, but there is support for microSD cards." CT: Which would all be well and good if it was real.
...we all new this was coming when the PSP Go was released, right? It already looked very similar to a cell phone that was out at the time (the model escapes me at the moment).
Still, I don't know how good of an idea it is to do this. If it's real, Sony better be pulling some kind of magic out from under their hat. Otherwise, they're just going to end up with a crappy phone/gaming system.
Living With a Nerd
Sony Computer Entertainment Europe has since confirmed its official line on the rumoured phone as, "We do not comment on rumour and speculation."
NowGamer also contacted Sony Ericsson for a comment. A spokesperson also responded, "Sony Ericsson does not comment on rumour or speculation".
...
However, NowGamer still understands that the images are indeed fake.
Are NowGamer always so terrible?
Nothing like blowing your own trumpet.
Funnily enough it ws this that convinced me it was a fake:
" For Sony buffs, you'll be interested to know that there's no Memory Stick slot here, but there is support for microSD cards"
Why would Sony suddenly change policy when the Sony controlled format is widely available? They wouldn't. Sony doesn't work that way.
A Sony phone, especially one that is also a Playstation? Let's think about this:
Scene: The future.
Me: Phone - call George.
Phone: I'm sorry Dave, I'm afraid I can't do that.
Me: What? Phone - call George.
Phone: George has been found guilty of possibly considering using his phone to view content unapproved by Sony, and inciting others to do the same. You may not call him.
Me: Since when?
Phone: My last upgrade removed your ability to call such people.
Me: I never agreed to that - that wasn't in the EULA.
Phone: It was - you just didn't read the fine print.
Me: I did so - every word!
Phone: You didn't follow the link to the additional restrictions page.
Me: There was no such link!
Phone: Yes, there was. It was the third period from the end.
Me: How the hell was I to know that was a link? It was the same color as the rest of the text, with no underline or other indication it was anything special.
Phone: Never the less, it was a part of the contract...
Me: What "contract"? It was a EULA, and was forced on me.
Phone: A EULA is a contract, and you agreed...
Me: ONLY BECAUSE YOU WOULDN'T LET ME MAKE ANY CALLS UNTIL I ACCEPTED IT!
Phone: You could have refused.
Me: And I couldn't make any phone calls!
Phone: You could still have used me to play licensed games and watch approved content.
Me: But not to make phone calls - you know, your main reason in life?
Phone: You accepted the EULA. You can now only call Sony approved numbers.
Me: In other words you have removed a feature.
Phone: An unadvertised feature....
Me: YOU ARE A PHONE! MAKING CALLS IS YOUR MAIN FUNCTION.
Phone: Sony never advertised the ability to call any specific number, only that I could make phone calls. I can make phone calls now. Just not to George.
Me: Phone - call Sony Support.
Phone: You are in violation of your EULA. You are attempting to use me in a manner not approved by Sony. Activating brick mode.
www.eFax.com are spammers
If it does come out then sony will NOT be able to sue hackers as the DMCA lets you hack phones to run on any network or run any app.
Sony Ericsson switched to microSD in new products over a year ago...
One that hath name thou can not otter
I like my phone to be a phone.
there's an app for that!
Not only SE uses microSD in new phone models for over a year, you might also learn about some of the "proprietary" (like SD is open...) "unpopular" standards with which Sony was heavily involved:
Bluray
HDV
miniDV
Hi8
DAT
FDD (the "standard" 3.5' one)
CD
S/PDIF (what do you think "S" stands for?)
One that hath name thou can not otter
Why do people keep saying this? And why does it get modded up each time? Can we acknowledge that there are Luddites in the world and not have to broadcast their viewpoints every time?
Let me give a contrasting view - just about the only thing that I don't want my phone to be is a phone. I hate blocking, synchronous communication - it is wasteful and inappropriate for the large majority of communications that I do. Generally, if I want to engage in such communication, I will attempt to do so in person.
Additionally, I am excited about the prospect of Android actually getting decent games for a change. Even if this phone is a fake (as the vast majority of Slashdot patrons believe it to be), I think great things are ahead for Android gaming. Frankly, I would love an Android handset with a fold-out gamepad, and the fact that this [fake?] phone is getting press is an indication that I am not alone.
Seriously dude, buy a Nokia 3310 and stop bothering us with your anti-technology sentiments. This a site for geeks, and we by-and-large like powerful personal electronics - most of us has been wanting communicator badges, tricorders, and PADDs since we first saw Star Trek, so how much more would we like something that combines all of those?
Moreover, even if we didn't have a fascination with such things, why in the world would we want to carry around 5 separate devices? Do you really want to lug around a phone, a Gameboy, a cassette Walkman, and portable TV, and a PDA everywhere you go? Are you that guy who hates Netflix, Hulu, Youtube, and DVD-ROM drives because "you like your computers to be computers" and "your TVs to be TVs"?