IPad '3' vs. PS Vita: Will Sony's Portable Gaming Device Challenge Apple's New Tablet?

Apple's latest tablet, simply dubbed the 'new' iPad, is a top competitor in the mobile market, hinting at intentions of inhabiting the gaming atmosphere as well. However, Sony's shiny new gaming tech device, the PS Vita, may be a gadget fit to rival top notch smartphones in addition to portable video game systems.

Sony's successor to the PlayStation Portable (PSP) was released at the end of February, and tech critics have been quick to group the device with other mobile market giants. With the ability to connect to the Internet via a Wi-Fi or 3G , and of course sporting a strong gaming platform and hefty processor, some are left wondering what really separates the device from other mobile telephone gadgets.

Forbes mobile technology writer Ewan Spence said that part of the reason the Vita is being compared to smartphones is because product comparison is key in the reviewing process.

I think a large part of this is that beyond the Nintendo 3DS it's tough to find something to compare the PS Vita to, he writes. And even the 3DS comparison is 'they are both portable,' after that nugget there are significant changes.

Nintendo's most recent portable gaming system, as the name insinuates, hinges its main selling point on the 3D display. Sony's campaign puts more emphasis on the graphical and processing power of the Vita, distinguishing the two devices.

This likened the Vita to the smartphone platform, with key features such as Internet connectivity, battery life and game prices. Spence also pointed out that the operating system of the Vita is likely to be found in smartphone devices or tablets in the near future.

As the PS Vita and the iPad begin to expand their goals and cater to audiences outside their typical span, the two are bound to cross paths and intertwine.

Since the unveiling of the new iPad on March 7th, the tablet has been receiving attention for its gaming capabilities, showcasing the latest installment of Infinity Blade as the iOS video game poster child.

The Vita, contrastingly, is a device created for gaming that possesses the qualities of iPad-like products, such as surfing the Internet and access to social media apps.

Truthfully, as a true gamer, I wholeheartedly believe that there is a difference between the iPad and the Vita, wrote Evan Selleck of mobile news site PhoneDog. Not in the most obvious way, with the hardware, but with their goals as well. The iPad isn't a gaming device. The iPad is a tablet that has the ability to play games.

And fans of the gaming and tech community have been voicing their opinions on the portable gaming/tablet crossover via Twitter.

Want to have a real platform for entertainment, buy an Xbox. Want a portable, buy a PS Vita. iPad is almost a stylish useless product, tweeted one user.

It's funny how many people still believe these two devices [iPad, PS Vita] aren't competing in the same market, wrote another.

Undoubtedly, the Vita will be relevant in the mobile market for quite some time. Although the device doesn't have phone-calling capabilities, as Spence writes, it is a strong possibility.

The building blocks are there... he wrote in Forbes.