A Sony Xperia XA2 prototype has appeared online, stirring excitement among Xperia enthusiasts. But what makes this particular unit interesting isn’t just its existence—it’s the unexpected engravings that suggest Sony may have once toyed with a hybrid Xperia, Walkman, and PSP device.
Multiple photos of the device, shared on Reddit, reveal engravings on its edges that read “PSP PlayStation Portable” on one side and a Walkman logo on the top edge. Naturally, this has led to speculation that Sony had, at some point, been working on a phone that merged Xperia, Walkman, and PlayStation into one device. The original poster called it an “incredible discovery” and a “hidden gem of mobile technology.”
The idea of a Sony Pioneer—a device that could have fused Sony’s biggest consumer tech brands—is undeniably intriguing. Adding to the mystery, the prototype even has PS1 and PS2 emulator APKs preloaded, lending some credibility to the claim that this was more than just a typical Xperia XA2 test unit.
However, when you factor in relevant timelines, this theory starts to fall apart. The Xperia XA2 launched in February 2018, featuring a Snapdragon 630 and 3GB RAM—solid mid-range specs for the time. But by 2018, both Walkman Phones and the PSP were long dead:
- Walkman Phones (the W series) ran from 2005 to 2011.
- The PlayStation Portable was discontinued in 2014.
If Sony had been seriously working on a hybrid PSP-Walkman-Xperia device, it would have made far more sense to use the Xperia XZ2, which was their flagship at the time, rather than a mid-range XA2 prototype.
As much as fans might want to believe Sony was once pushing bold mobile innovations, the reality is these engravings were likely added later—either for fun, as an internal experiment, or to make the prototype more eye-catching.
While Sony has been known for ambitious (and sometimes strange) mobile projects, the Xperia XA2 simply doesn’t fit the profile of a device meant to revive the PSP or Walkman Phone legacy. Still, it’s an interesting glimpse at what might have been—and a reminder that the Xperia line has always had a devoted fanbase, even as Sony scales back its smartphone ambitions.
via Reddit
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