Sony will unveil a new PlayStation Portable at next month's games industry shindig, E3, it has been claimed.

Games industry mag MCV is doing the claiming, based on information it received indicating that two "key" publishers are significantly upping their marketing budget for Q4.

We're not sure why that points the near-term announcement of the PSP 2 - Q4 means Christmas, after all, and both Sony and Microsoft are going to make a big deal out of their new motion control systems, Move and Natal - so we assume said spending rises are specifically earmarked for PSP products, though MCV doesn't say so explicitly.

It all sounds a tad tenuous to us, but with Nintendo preparing a DS revamp and the heat coming off of Apple's iPhone/iPod/iPad platform, Sony might well decide the six-year-old PSP needs next-generation technology.

The long-rumoured PSP Phone perhaps? It has been said that Sony has such a gadget in mind to combat the iPhone.

Or a 9in media tablet? Last year, it was claimed Sony has built a team specifically charged with devising ways and means to take on Apple.

We shall see. ®