Sony eyes phone-game hybrid to vie with Apple

Sony is considering developing a mobile phone-game gear hybrid in a bid to better compete with Apple's highly popular iPod and iPhone, the Nikkei business daily reported yesterday.

The Japanese electronics and entertainment conglomerate launched its first Walkman three decades ago, dominating the portable music player market, but it has been running far behind the iPod and iPhone in recent years.

Sony plans to set up a project team as early as July to develop a new product that combines functions of its portable game player and Sony Ericsson's mobile phones, said Nikkei.

Sony Ericsson is a mobile phone joint venture between Sony and Sweden's Ericsson. A growing number of game-makers, including Capcom and Square Enix Holdings, are now offering software for the iPod and iPhone to take advantage of the Apple products' popularity, posing a threat to Sony's PlayStation Portable and Nintendo's DS.

A Sony spokesman declined to comment on the report.

 

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