In an attempt to drive more content sales on its handsets, mobile phone maker Sony (NYSE: SNE) Ericsson (NSDQ: ERIC) has launched a new service that lets consumers in Asia download movies, TV series, games and music from kiosks in its retail stores. According to CNET Asia, the new service is part of a licensing partnership with Sony Pictures Entertainment, and will initially offer 23,000 DRM-free songs, 30 movie titles, four TV series and 25 games. The in-store PlayNow kiosks will let consumers plug in their SE phones, browse for content, download it to their handsets and pay for it. Movies available the same day as DVD releases are priced at $24.99 Singapore dollars ($18.40); TV series and music tracks cost $2.99 Singapore dollars each ($2.20). Music albums start at $19.99 Singapore dollars ($14.72).

Sony Ericsson’s corporate VP and head of Asia Pacific Hirokazu Ishizuka told AFP that the PlayNow kiosks were a way to differentiat the company from other handset makers and would “create an opportunity for impulse buys and instant gratification,” as some of the outlets were located in places like train stations. The kiosks will be rolled out in stages. First up are 80 outlets throughout Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysia.

Downloading content to phones through a physical outlet may seem counterintuitive, but it does manage to address the ongoing issue of how to easily find, locate and load up content on phones. In the UK, retailer HMV (LSE: HMV) has been experimenting with kiosks that allow customers to download and pay for digital music. In China, mobile-content retailer Duo Guo sells content through kiosks, where it has helped solve the problem of discoverability and payment.