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It's just a mock-up, but could it be close to the real thing?

(Credit: Eric Jensen)

Thanks to a chatty developer, we recently heard and relayed rumors that the next-generation PSP will have a sliding screen. Well, a second mystery developer, who's allegedly "working with the new hardware," has upped the ante: he or she claims Sony's next-gen portable gaming console will actually have a sliding touch screen along with the much-requested, dual-analog thumbsticks.

This all comes from Pocket Gamer, which doesn't name its "insider" source but says, "The new handheld will arrive before Christmas and will be far more similar to the iPhone than the current device." It also claims the new PSP will be announced in June at E3.

Take the rumor for what it's worth, but all the chatter seems to suggest that a new PSP will be a true PSP 2 and not just another incremental upgrade. Pocket Gamer speculates that Sony accelerated development on the new device after the success of the iPhone and the arrival of the Nintendo DSi. There's also continued talk that the new PSP will forgo UMD and instead rely on an expanded PlayStation Store that rivals Apple's App Store (at least in terms of games).

If this all pans out the way the rumors are pointing, I don't think there's any doubt that the PSP will be a better gaming device than the iPhone. The question is, what else will it be capable of doing? As I've said before, if Sony can integrate some of the features found in its Mylo Communicator, things get very interesting. If not, Pocket Gamer probably won't be able to go around calling the new PSP an "iPhone beater."

What do you think?

Source: Pocket Gamer via Kotaku

Next year's iPhone might be hiding a keyboard underneath that touch-screen, according to a report.

(Credit: CNET Networks)

Could Apple have a slider-style iPhone up its sleeve?

That's what The Register thinks, reporting Monday that Apple has shown off prototypes of an iPhone with a hardware keyboard to certain executives at wireless operators. The current iPhone famously comes with only one hardware button that returns the user to the home screen, with the rest of the buttons enabled in software.

The lack of a hardware keyboard is said to be a detriment for business users who are hooked on their BlackBerrys, and the iPhone's touch-screen keyboard certainly does take some getting used to in the first couple of weeks. The report suggests that a hardware-keyboard iPhone will be out around this time next year assuming Apple can work out the kinks.

I can't decide what I think about this notion. It's not completely out of the question that Apple would at least be thinking about a slider-style phone; some designs are quite popular with young and old alike. And we've long expected Apple to eventually release a family of iPhones similar to its strategy for the iPod product line, with different form factors and capabilities targeted at different groups.

But Apple has invested so much in the software that runs the iPhone that I would be surprised if it changed the game so early in the life of the product. Apple CEO Steve Jobs has said several times that the beauty of the touch-screen approach is that any button you need can be simply programmed with the software, rather than having to develop the software around the buttons.

Since the iPhone was released last year, there has been a noticeable uptick in phones with touch-screen interfaces from other phone makers and carriers. Still, as The Register notes, an awful lot of slider-style phones are sold every year because people still like keyboards.

We do know that Apple has applied for a patent on a clamshell-style iPhone, so it might be heading in that direction before it tackles slider phones. There's certainly plenty of room for several different styles in the fast-growing smartphone market, and Apple might be wise to hedge its bets.

(Credit: Crave Asia)

When it comes to LG Mobile and design, the Prada phones come to mind immediately for most people. But let's not forget the Black Label series which started with the Chocolate phone and was followed by the LG Shine. Pictures of the third handset in that series have now been revealed and, like the other two, it's a slider.

Though no official name has been given, this slider looks slimmer than the previous models. Pictures seem to suggest a mix of carbon fiber and leather in its finish, with a 5-megapixel camera on its back. According to Aving , this model will be officially announced for Europe on April 24 and reportedly for the rest of the world thereafter. We have contacted LG Asia for confirmation and are awaiting a response.

(Source: Crave Asia)

(Credit: Crave Asia)

The Japanese-Swedish phone maker today unveiled the T303, a pocket-sized slider targeted at the fashion-conscious crowd. There haven't been many new models under the T series, with the more recent ones such as the T280i, T650i, and the T250i in candybar forms. So the slider T303 is a tiny surprise.

The various Sony Ericsson lines may be confusing for the average consumer on the street. Let's do a recap: In addition to the T, there's W (Walkman), C (Cyber-shot), G (Web), R (Radio), and X (XPERIA). Then there are the K and P series, for which have yet to receive any updates. According to a Sony Ericsson representative, future handsets made from premium materials and those that focus more on the design element will come under the T umbrella.

While features such as a 1.3-megapixel camera, built-in radio and Bluetooth connectivity on the T303 are nothing to brag about, the quad-band handset may attract some people with its metal housing and chrome finish. The T303 is expected out in July and comes in Shadow Black and Simmering Silver colors. Pricing details were not available immediately.

(Source: Crave Asia)

(Credit: Electronista)

It's always seemed a bit odd that a company would model a phone after a successful line of TVs, but that appears to be a trend of sorts in Japan. Sony, for example, did this by coming out with a Bravia phone based on its high-end TVs by the same name. And now Panasonic appears to be taking the same route.

Sporting a 3.5-inch VGA widescreen, the seductively named P905iTV slider is supposed to reflect the design of Panasonic's Viera plasma TVs. The specs listed on Electronista may indicate that the phone is almost more concerned with its video delivery than communications features, including a 4,000:1 contrast ratio, 854x480 resolution, and something called "LCD Artificial Intelligence" that automatically adjusts brightness levels.

Oh right, the phone part. Offered by Japan's DoCoMo, it's a 3G handset with a 2-megapixel camera and microSD slot that claims to have 230 minutes of talk time and 660 hours on standby. But given its mission, it's probably just as important to note that it supposedly gets 160 minutes of video playback per charge.

(Credit: Engadget)

You know the drill. Patents get dug up first with rumors and blurry product shots trailing behind. And before long the manufacturer bares it all with an official announcement.

One of the more recent applications discovered by Unwired View reveals a Nokia N-series slider with an 8-megapixel camera that resembles the N93. The difference is it's not just an incomprehensible schematic drawing that no one understands, but actual mockups of the handset. Perhaps this time, the future may come earlier than expected.

(Source: Crave Asia)

(Credit: LG)

As we noted yesterday--much to our chagrin--gold is hardly waning in the gadget fashion world. In fact, as far as mobile phones are concerned, it seems to be as popular as ever.

Witness LG's new "Shine" slide phones for the European and Asian markets, according to Akihabara News. The handset will be available in pink as well, and a black version will reportedly be sold globally, but there's always something about the gold phones that seem to get all the attention.

With or without diamonds and cobras.

(Credit: Akihabara News)

Does LG ever take a break? We could practically devote this entire blog to tracking its latest mobile phones alone.

Like the much-hyped Chocolate, its newest model is another slider handset, but we're not sure what this one has to offer over its popular cousins. Akihabara News calls the SB190 a "small phone," but its photos indicate a thicker handset with such fairly standard features as a 1.3-megapixel camera and an MP3 player.

Maybe it's designed for a particular submarket of South Korea, where SK Telecom is introducing it. Or maybe LG just had some old handset casings lying around and needed to get rid of them.

(Credit: Samsung)

Thin isn't all it's cracked up to be, despite what Kirstie Alley might say, especially when it comes to phones. Nevertheless, Samsung claims to have come up with the slimmest slider phone of its kind, the "Ultra Edition SGH-Z720," which measures a wispy 0.54 inches thick and weighs just 2.8 ounces.

The phone's design is still wide enough to include a 2.1-inch screen, a 3-megapixel auto-focus camera and a second camera for video telephony, according to Fareastgizmos. Notable software features include preinstalled Google mobile search and Gmail, as well as support for Samsung tracking systems. But the phone is available only in Europe for the time being, so your cell phone diet will have to wait.