A rumour and a leak provide more details regarding both the Nintendo 3DS and Sony's yet unannounced PlayStation Portable Phone. Firstly, Spanish website Exponente Geek claims to have taken the following snapshot from the regional GameStop website, detailing an April 7th launch date for Europe at an expected price tag of €249.
The original webpage has since been taken down, it is claimed. The Google cache does not reveal the apparent content either.
Previously, a 3DS model had apparently been smuggled out of a factory for pictures and a video. Since there have been many events already, though, at which the console was presented to the world's media (albeit it could only be filmed from the side or switched off), the impact of this story has been overstated in my mind.
Engadget, meanwhile, has published new and surprisingly high-resolution images of the PlayStation Portable Phone, Sony has yet to announce. The images show both Sony Ericsson and Xperia logos, as well as the familiar PlayStation insignia.
EDIT In his CES keyote, Sony Computer Entertainment CEO Kaz Hirai hinted at other products besides the PSP Phone, as recorded by Joystiq.
Hirai teased that Sony's "strategy encompasses driving the development of a variety of new strategic products and services including tablets currently in development as well as smartphones, all the while of course integrating the know-how and the assets that we've accumulated from our PlayStation business."
What does that mean? It sounds like the PlayStation Phone is just part of the plan to leverage the PlayStation branding and games for Sony's other products. He continued, "In 2011, you will start to see an implementation of a strategy we've developed and continually refined over the past 18 months. And you will see this strategy executed in the form of great new products and services coming to market that leverage Sony's strongest assets. In addition to launching a line of Sony tablets, we'll be building upon the video, music, game and book offerings on our Qriocity and our PlayStation Network services to deliver a compelling, unique experience for Sony across a wide range of consumer electronic devices."
EDIT The matter regarding the PlayStation Phone is getting ridiculous now: a Chinese website has just published videos (via Engadget). I guess Sony is holding out until February 14th to reveal the device at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.