Sony's next-generation portable, now named the PlayStation Vita, is causing quite the buzz among gamers and is already being pre-ordered. The Vita is packed with cool new features and capabilities and is sure to make the PSP obsolete, but how will it stack up against today's most popular smartphones, such as the Apple iPhone and Samsung Galaxy? The PS Vita's full specs have been revealed, and Sony already announced that 3G models will be available. The company has formed a partnership with AT&T to be the mobile carrier for the device, but it isn't exactly a phone. Users will be able to connect to mobile networks and use voice chat functionality, but the Vita will not be a practical alternative to an actual smartphone. While this may come as a disappointment for some, the device aims to be more of a “portable entertainment center” where users can connect and play together from anywhere.
The PS Vita will surely best the current smartphone lineup with its impressive specs and design, but being a phone isn't its primary focus. It's clear that the Vita is a device made for gaming and developers have already started work on a number of full-length PlayStation Vita titles. These two factors alone should put the portable well ahead of the market as far as mobile gaming is concerned, and perhaps make smartphone gaming completely irrelevant. Smartphones such as the iPhone and Droid have access to hundreds of thousands of apps, but the PlayStation network will be available on the PS Vita and select titles will allow for PS3 integration. Sony has not revealed any information about any kind of mobile app store but there could be a lot of Vita-specific features added to the PS Store when the console launches. Numerous features and capabilities have already been confirmed for Vita, such as GPS and Bluetooth, and it's obvious that Sony and its dedicated software developers have big plans for the new portable—and with the help of the world's top game studios, the project is sure to be one of Sony's most successful consoles.
For more information on the PS Vita, visit the console's official home page.