Whoa!  Can You Expect a PlayStation Phone?

Between Apple's iPhone, Palm's Pre, and even Nokia's N97 Smartphone, competition to get in the pockets and backpacks of the world's public is already fierce.  But one wildcard that might toss its own efforts in the mix isn't coming from a communications background.  You read that correctly:  Sony is considering adding a phone feature to the PlayStation Portable (PSP), in an apparent attempt to make it unnecessary to ever leave the house.

Needless to say, this report is coming ahead of any actual announcements:  a new version of the PSP without a phone attached to it is still a high priority, meaning that the PSP-Phone might be a year or so down the road.  But don't be surprised to see more news like this coming out throughout the next several months.

Adding to the spice over these rumors is the suspicion that Sony already has a "secret" department working on a so-called phone/personal gaming system hybrid, which some would expect is simply a PSP with a mobile phone feature.  It's a testament to how far personal gaming and gadgetry has come already:  many mobile phones are already so advanced that the thought of merging them with PlayStation-quality games isn't such a stretch anymore.

The new stretch for Sony is the integration of its PlayStation brand with its other electronics.  Gadgets like the Sony Ericsson and Walkman have been essentially separate from PS3, with the Sony Aino even lifting content from what seems like everything except the PlayStation itself.

With some speculating that Sony is losing out across the entire personal technology market board, this might be the right time for the PSP-Phone.  Recall that Sony's Walkman brand was left in the dust by the iPod, the PlayStation 3 isn't performing too well against the XBox 360, and the PSP is already losing out to Nintendo's personal gaming systems.  This might be the perfect time for a technology-merging revolution over at Sony, where a loyal PlayStation customer base can be tapped.

Meanwhile, the folks at Apple (revved up by the return of Steve Jobs), have plenty of work to do.  A PSP phone could mean another dent in their share of the mobile market, while already trying to handle rival gadgets like the Palm Pre.  Who benefits?  You, of course!