As stated in the actual text of the OP, its a reference to show how quickly Vita is getting lapped by smartphones/tablets and further support for the thread I linked regarding my thoughts on why Vita should have been a smartphone.

By the time Vita is perfecting its game builds, smartphones and tablets will be far superior in tech. Then the only difference will be the controls and that could all be fixed had Sony made it a smartphone in the first place where it could keep up with the tech quicker all while providing a lower consumer entry price and due to carrier kickbacks, profit day one.

All consoles tend to be considered dated a year after they come out, Crysis released just one year after the PS3 came out and put the graphics of console games to shame, still, not many people cared. I think after the huge successes that the PS2 and the Wii were, SONY, Ninty (they got the point way back in 2006) and MS have finally gotten the point that the mass market doesn't care about how powerful hardware is. Putting lower power hardware into their systems will result in a lower price, a higher profit and more regular generation cycles.

I agree about making the Vita like a smartphone though, they shouldn't market it as one, but they should add smartphone capabilities. When I played the Vita last week, I was surprised by how much it felt like a smartphone, the user interface and reliance on the touch screen made it feel like an iPod / iPhone. I'm ashamed to say I loved it though, using the touchscreen felt so fluid and the UI was streamlined, if you don't want a certain application or game on the home screen, remove it. The UI could be extremely useful at integrating applications.

Sony should actually make some use of the 3G and include the ability to make phone calls in the 3G package, as well as release applications on the PS store, Google Earth was a great start. Gaming machine first, multi-tasking device (I refuse to call it a smart phone ) second.

VITA will be perfecting its game builds in 4 or 5 years, so that is PLENTY of time, and this thread doesn't show that the VITA is getting lapped quickly by tablets, it's not. It'll be another few years before that happens (look back to my first post for why).

If the VITA was a smartphone it would be a lot more expensive to manufacture and in some cases to sell, have a lot more competition including the phones SONY already make, the system wouldn't be optimized for gaming, it would have less core games and the games would look worse if it ran android, if it didn't run android it would fail as it would be missing thousands of apps. And lastly, the controls would be crap, you can't get the controls VITA has on a smartphone, it is far too big for a smartphone, unless you're wearing MC hammer pants, it's not going in your pocket. 

Then we agree as that's exactly what I said they should do in my other thread. Sony won't survive the rise of smartphones/tablets as it is.

In 4 to 5 years, Vita will be dead.

In one year smartphones and tablets will have CPU/GPU combinations that are easily 2x the power of Vita.... add in a bluetooth controller or if Sony was smart enough, slider style phone with controls and Vita won't stand a chance.

if sony won't survive thn nintendo won't either.... the 3DS is almost two generations behind vita hardware..... vita is capable of prudicing visuals on par with early ps3 titles.... besides graphics isn't the only thing going fr vta

I like your home console / pc comparison and I agree with it overall.

The markets are merging both in portable media as well as home entertainment. For decades PCs never dominated gaming over consoles due to physical separation of the devices (TV vs computer room/monitor), simplicity of control/setup, and local community play.

For portables it was simply that similar portable devices just didn't exist. However, that distinction is quickly evaporating as mobile media devices are quickly evolving to be the be all solution for just about anything. Even controls are handled by the fact that my Android phone can sync with my bluetooth PS3 or Wii controllers. For home systems this will also become more apparent over the next generation as devices like iTV, Google TV, and eventually Windows8 push full computing to the front room TV with simplistic ease. In reality this end is exactly what MS wanted when it  created the Xbox brand. MS never wanted to create a stand alone game console. Xbox is simply a beachhead for PCs in the front room since Windows Media Center with PCs never took off.

Sony's only issue with this whole scenario is the OS. It doesn't have one. However, it can utilize kings of other worlds. It can use Android to not only provide a clear market leader experience, but also tailor it to suite its PlayStation and other unique brands. All the while not providing too much money back to its competitor, MS.

I think Vita will sell far less than the PSP overall and it will be the last dedicated portable console from Sony. However, it shouldn't have been if it were a smartphone/tablet like device as it would have given the potential to beachhead its own new market of core gaming in the more mass market portable media sphere.

Maybe in 5 years VITA will be dying, but for the next 3 years at least, there is no better altenative for non-casual handheld gaming. (apart from maybe the other handheld that was released recently but that's down to preference).

Right. But will the system be dedicated and optimized for gaming? Will most games be core games? Will most games take advantage of the hardware? Will we see regular releases of big budget AAA games? Will all phone manufacturers AND developers support this hypothetical bluetooth controller? (Apple, one of the biggest players, certainly won't) No, no, no, no and no.

I see what you mean, but I just don't think dedicated gaming handheld are going to vanish into thin air. There is too much competition in the smart phone industry for the PS Vita to succeed as a smart phone, especially if its design doesn't drastically changes. There are still plenty of people out there who will still buy dedicated gaming handhelds, like the 3DS sales are showing. Adding the smartphone capabilities will just make it a more attractive purchase and they could be the decider for somebody who is on the fence about buying a smartphone, or a dedicated gaming handheld, and want something in the middle.