PS3 Slim already in production?

It was the big pre-E3 rumour that never happened, but talk has once again emerged of a slimmed down re-imagining of Sony’s PS3 console, with claims that contracts with manufacturers have now been finalised.

Joystiq reports that two Taiwanese manufacturing companies, Foxconn and Pegatron, who already enjoy contracts to make the current PS3 have signed off deals to begin producing the new version.

Furthermore, the site claims that the process is well underway with the first shipments leaving the warehouse later this month in preparation for a ‘summer’ rollout. Sources have previously pointed to an August or September release.

All of this remains nothing more than speculation at this point. Whilst Sony has a history of altering its console designs as life cycles progress, to do so now before the generation one machine has seen any sort of discount would certainly be a surprise.