PlayStation phone could make Angry Birds extinct

The mythical PlayStation phone exists – and the device could give the smartphone games market a much-needed shake-up when it is launched, probably in 2011.

The picture above, which bears a remarkable similarity to The First Post's August mock-up, has been posted on the tech site Engadget, which assures us it is an authentic prototype of a forthcoming PlayStation phone built by Sony Ericsson.

Like most good smartphones, it has a 1GHz processor – in this instance, a Qualcomm MSM8655 - 512MB of RAM and 1GB of storage. The screen is between 3.7 and 4.1 inches - which compares well to the iPhone 4's 3.5 inches. The slide-out control pad boasts a central touch-pad, which may have multi-touch capability.

Speculation is mounting that the Sony PlayStation phone will be with us in time for Christmas 2010. But as Engadget points out, the prototype doesn't yet have a branded skin - and is said to be rather buggy, which points to an early 2011 release.

The operating system is likely to be Android 3.0, which could be good news for owners of other Android phones. Sony has plenty of mobile gaming experience thanks to its PSP series of handheld consoles. If it starts selling its blockbuster titles like God of War and Call of Duty via the Android marketplace, competitors will have to raise their game, so to speak.

Watch out, Angry Birds. ·