Sony Ericsson Xperia Play Review

Gamers are anxiously awaiting the Sony Ericsson Xperia Play smartphone -- also known as the PlayStation phone, the first-ever mobile phone to integrate Playstation games and controls into an Android device. Techno Zone tested out the Xperia Play and it was apparent that the device was first and foremost a portable game console and only second, a phone.

The Xperia Play features a slide-out bottom, but this one is a bit different than others: A game controller is set up underneath the device instead of a QWERTY keyboard. Despite the controls being much more cramped than a standard PlayStation controller, even users with larger hands reported few problems with using the device.

The L and R bumpers appear on the side of the device, so pointer fingers easily rest on them and can still be used to support the device. The other buttons are smaller than usual, but they make a definite click sound so it's easy to tell when they've been pressed.

However, not all the controls are perfect. The two circular touchpads in the middle are intended to substitute the analog joysticks, which obviously wouldn’t have fit well in a slider phone. While the touchpads work, they don't always work well. While joysticks can be held in any direction for continuous movement, we had to keep readjusting our thumb position on the touchpad to make it work, which disrupted movement and made the touchpads difficult to use.

In addition, the game selection so far isn't terrific. However, Sony has promised that classic PlayStation games will be available for launch. The demo models of the Xperia Play featured a wide range of games that varied in quality, from arcade and simulator games to racing, social and fighting ones.

One element that is apparent when using Xperia Play is that most games look fantastic. Images are crystal clear, and if a game can run at a high enough resolution, it looks stunning. Our biggest gripe was that the screen wasn’t as large as we'd like it to be to appreciate the graphics even more.

The phone's design is black shiny and plasticlike. While it seems sturdy enough, the overall construction feels cheap. The Android 2.3 experience -- don't forget this is also a regular Android phone underneath -- is pretty standard and unremarkable. It seems even more drab considering the device's unique game capabilities. Although it's still possible to play games from the Android Market app store, they won't interface with the game controls.

The Xperia Play is perfect for those who don't want to carry around a portable game console, such as a PSP, and a separate phone. It integrates the two devices well enough and will be a special treat for fans of the original PlayStation games.

But one thing is certain: You won't be buying the Sony Ericsson solely for its smartphone features.

Specifications: 

Hardware

• Size: 119 x 62 x 16 mm
• Weight: 175 grams
• Phone memory: up to 400 MB
• Memory card support: microSD, up to 32 GB
• Memory card included: 8GB microSD
• Operating system: Google Android 2.3 (Gingerbread)
• Processor: 1 GHz Scorpion ARMv7 Qualcomm MSM8255 with Adreno 205 GPU

Talk time and networks Networks

• Talk time GSM/GPRS: Up to 8 hrs 25 min*
• Standby time GSM/GPRS: Up to 425 hrs*
• Talk time UMTS: Up to 6 hrs 25 min*
• Standby time UMTS: Up to 413 hrs*
• Talk time CDMA2000®: Up to 7 hrs 40 min*
• Standby time CDMA2000®: Up to 405 hrs*
• Game play time: Up to 5 hrs 35 min*
• MP3 playback: Up to 30 hrs 35 min*

Networks

• UMTS HSPA 800, 850, 1900, 2100
• GSM GPRS/EDGE 850, 900, 1800, 1900
• UMTS HSPA 900, 2100
• GSM GPRS/EDGE 850, 900, 1800, 1900
• CDMA2000®, cdmaOne, EVDO

Colour

• Black
• White

Camera

• 5.1 megapixel camera
• Auto focus
• Flash / Photo light
• Geo tagging
• Image stabiliser
• Send to web
• Touch focus
• Video light
• Video recording
• Video blogging

Music

• Album art
• Bluetooth™ stereo (A2DP)
• Google Music Player
• Music tones (MP3/AAC)
• PlayNow service*
• Sony Ericsson Music player
• Stereo speakers
• TrackID music recognition application

Internet

• Android Market*
• Bookmarks
• Google search*
• Google Voice Search*
• Pan & zoom
• Web browser (Webkit)

Communication

• Call list
• Conference calls
• Facebook application (from Android Market)
• Google Talk*
• Noise Shield
• Polyphonic ringtones
• Speakerphone
• Sony Ericsson Timescape***
• Twitter application (from Android Market)
• Vibrating alert

Messaging

• Android Cloud to Device messaging (C2DM)
• Conversations
• Email
• Google Mail*
• Instant messaging
• Picture messaging (MMS)
• Predictive text input
• Sound recorder
• Text messaging (SMS)

Design

• Auto rotate
• Keyboard (onscreen, 12 key)
• Keyboard (onscreen, QWERTY)
• Picture wallpaper
• Touchscreen
• Wallpaper animation

Entertainment

• 3D games
• Dedicated gaming keys
• Flash Lite
• Gesture gaming
• Motion gaming
• Video streaming
• YouTube™

Organiser

• Alarm clock
• Calculator
• Calendar
• Document editors
• Document readers
• E-Manual
• Flight mode
• Google Calendar
• Google Gallery 3D
• Infinite button
• Phone book
• Set-up Wizard
• Widget manager

Connectivity

• 3.5 mm audio jack
• aGPS
• Bluetooth™ technology
• DLNA Certified
• Google Latitude™
• Google Location Service
• Google Maps with Street View
• Media Transfer Protocol support
• Micro USB Connector
• Modem
• Synchronisation via Facebook**
• Synchronisation via Google Sync
• Synchronisation via Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync®
• Synchronisation via Sony Ericsson Sync
• USB 2.0 high speed support
• Wi-Fi
• Wi-Fi Hotspot functionality

Screen

• 16,777,216 colour TFT
• Capacitive multi-touch
• 4 inches
• 480 x 854 pixels (FWVGA)

In-Box:

• Xperia PLAY
• Battery
• Stereo portable handsfree
• 8GB microSD memory card
• Charger
• Micro USB cable for charging, synchronisation and file transfer
• User documentation