Sony to stop Apple

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Sony won’t put up with Apple’s aggressive expansion into its own turf anymore. According to the Wall Street Journal, the Walkman maker is prepping new devices for 2010 that will take aim at Apple’s iPhone and iPad.

Furthermore, Sony is gearing up to launch an iTunes-killer code-named Sony Online Service later this month in the US. One of the new devices planned for 2010 will be a smartphone that can wirelessly download and play games. Sources told the publication that an iPad competitor is also in the works:

The Japanese electronics giant also is developing a portable device that shares characteristics of netbooks, electronic-book readers and handheld-game machines. The device is designed to compete against multifunction products such as Apple’s coming iPad tablet, these people said.

Of course, we’ve heard rumors of a Sony phone that runs PlayStation games last year, but never from a high-profile publication like the Wall Street Journal, which makes it kind of semi-official. By the way, kudos to 9to5Mac for this cool Sony Ericsson PSP phone mockup.

Anyone dismissing Sony’s renewed attempts to slow down Apple needs a reality check. Yes, one could say that Sony lost its touch with consumers by allowing Apple to take over the music space. You could also blame them for losing ground in just about every consumer electronics category except gaming. But dismissing Sony on those missteps is a grave mistake and here’s why.

Sony has been around since the end of World War II, long before Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak created the first personal computer in Jobs’ parents’ garage. Today, Sony commands vast categories, unlike the self-proclaimed consumer electronics giant Apple which only plays in phones, computers, and music. Sony is one of the world’s largest media conglomerates and a top player in electronics, games, and entertainment. While Jobs boasted the fact that the $15.68 billion revenue in the last quarter made Apple a $50 billion company, Sony’s fiscal year 2008 revenue exceeded $78.88 billion. Although down from $90.5 billion a year earlier, it’s still way more than Apple raked in.

While Apple’s influence in entertainment stems from the iTunes and iPod ecosystem and the fact that Jobs is the largest individual shareholder in Disney, Sony owns several movie studios and record labels. And just like Apple, Sony designs its own hardware, software, and services that work together. See, if anyone can take on Apple, it’s Sony.