The Sony PlayStation Phone Picture

Sony Ericsson PlayStation phone with Android - via Engadget

The time has come for another new phone device!

Sony SVP Peter Dille recently mentioned that the PSP isn’t equal in strength or ease as it’s larger relative, the PS3, saying, “I don’t think we fully realize that vision with a Wi-Fi device. If it’s not connected [to a mobile network] then it does sort of limit people.”

This is pretty much obvious, so thanks Peter…

Also mentioned from a Sony spokeswoman: “We have relationships with Google.” Hmm.. now we are getting somewhere.

Last week, the long-time rumors about a PlayStation Phone came back once more, thanks to an Engadget post, which feature several images of the device. While news to most, several outlets and media companies are still skeptical. This isn’t the first time a “[insert tech company] Phone” has been announced.

Then again, when the “Apple phone” was announced unofficially, there were skeptics. When the “Google Phone” was announced, there were skeptics. Maybe we should be skeptic of the skeptics.

As you can see from the above image, the handset game device is using a version of Google’s Android OS, most likely the next major version of Android, dubbed Gingerbread (most devices are currently using Froyo … hmm I’m hungry now).

The phone will apparently be able to use the Sony Marketplace, so users can buy and download games (which, I suppose, is sort of the whole point of having a PlayStation Phone) as well as being able to use the Android market place, which means great full-feature games as well as open-source free ones.

Some sources, including Engadget, think the Sony PlayStation phone will be released in late 2010.

We think it will be released in Spring 2011 after the holidays are over (and so Sony can gauge the results of the impending end of the Apple-AT&T contract). Plus, Sony might not exist by end of year 2010.