Although under siege and late to the game, Sony still might woo consumers with new products that largely mimic Apple products if the price is right, says one analyst.n Facing sputtering sales of its Sony PSP gaming device and bracing for Apple’s game-changing iPad, Sony plans to follow in Apple’s footsteps in hopes of a turnaround. Sony plans to deliver a smartphone that plays PlayStation games and a device to compete with the iPad this year, sources told the Wall Street Journal. The devices will reportedly tap into Sony’s upcoming online media platform, which launches later this month. Currently called Sony Online Service, the media platform is similar to Apple’s iTunes.Does Sony’s comeback bid smack of desperation? “They should have done this years ago, now it’s kind of like closing the barn door after the cows have escaped,” says analyst Rob Enderle of the Enderle Group. “Apple took the market by trying to do other things, and that’s likely the way to take it back … Sony still seems to be trying to figure out what Apple did so they can copy it.”Sony hopes to leverage its strength in portable gaming by letting more devices tap into its popular gaming catalog. The new device, for instance, will blend features of a netbook, e-reader and Sony PSP, the Wall Street Journal reports. All of this comes amidst troubling times for Sony. Shipments of Sony Ericson phones took a dive last year, and Sony recently reduced its forecast for Sony PSP shipments. Sony’s latest PSP Go device has been criticized for its weighty price tag: $250.Meanwhile, game developers see the potential for the upcoming Apple iPad as a powerful portable gaming platform. “The number of developers working on that platform—a large number on entertainment titles—is both impressively large and growing,” Enderle says. Ironically, John Koller, director of hardware marketing at Sony Computer Entertainment, told CIO.com that the iPhone has helped boost sales of the Sony PSP. “We don’t view the iPhone negatively in our sector,” he said. “There’s been more positive impact, in terms of attention turned to the handheld sector and the ability for consumers to graduate to PSP after playing iPhone games.” Will consumers give Sony’s new products a chance? Despite Sony’s copycat approach to the mobile market, Enderle doesn’t count out Sony’s chances. He thinks Sony’s best shot is to come out with a low price for its new devices and service.“We aren’t at the right price yet for this [mobile] market to explode,” Enderle says. “The problem is the cost of the data plans, and it may take a few years before that gets fixed. Once these costs come down sharply, expect the market to explode—and explosions do create opportunities.”Tom Kaneshige is a senior writer for CIO.com in Silicon Valley. Send him an email at tkaneshige@cio.com. Or follow him on Twitter @kaneshige. Follow everything from CIO.com on Twitter @CIOonline. Related content case study Toyota transforms IT service desk with gen AI To help promote insourcing and quality control, Toyota Motor North America is leveraging generative AI for HR and IT service desk requests. By Thor Olavsrud Dec 08, 2023 7 mins Employee Experience Generative AI ICT Partners feature CSM certification: Costs, requirements, and all you need to know The Certified ScrumMaster (CSM) certification sets the standard for establishing Scrum theory, developing practical applications and rules, and leading teams and stakeholders through the development process. By Moira Alexander Dec 08, 2023 8 mins Certifications IT Skills Project Management brandpost Sponsored by SAP When natural disasters strike Japan, Ōita University’s EDiSON is ready to act With the technology and assistance of SAP and Zynas Corporation, Ōita University built an emergency-response collaboration tool named EDiSON that helps the Japanese island of Kyushu detect and mitigate natural disasters. By Michael Kure, SAP Contributor Dec 07, 2023 5 mins Digital Transformation brandpost Sponsored by BMC BMC on BMC: How the company enables IT observability with BMC Helix and AIOps The goals: transform an ocean of data and ultimately provide a stellar user experience and maximum value. By Jeff Miller Dec 07, 2023 3 mins IT Leadership Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe