Sony Ericsson Xperia Play Review

Sony Ericsson puts a new wave on conventional smartphone features especially for gaming enthusiasts – the Sony Ericsson Xperia Play. It is the first-ever PlayStation phone in the Android world. It is super fast since it runs on the latest Android platform and powerful processor. The Xperia Play features familiar console keys for a gaming experience like no other. Will it live up to your expectations? Let’s find out.

External Features

The most remarkable physical feature of Xperia Play is its slide-out controller. It comes with z D-pad similar to the face buttons of PlaytStation; a couple of shoulder buttons, touchpad thumbsticks and menu keys.  There’s an accelerometer and 4-inch multi-touch screen display with 480×854 pixel resolution.

The overall packaging, however, is uninspiring, bulky and too plasticky with a weight of 6.2 ounces. It comes in an all-black color scheme with silvery accents. Sony Ericsson Xperia Play exudes elegance that feels solid in a glossy enameled finish. Unfortunately, it absorbs fingerprints and grease easily.

The front-end is largely occupied by the 4-inch screen display, front-facing camera and four capacitive Android buttons. Android buttons are notably small and rigid that lacks backlighting. In portrait mode, the power button is on top which is a bit difficult to push with one hand; with the headphone jack and microUSB port on the left, while volume rocker and a couple of shoulder buttons are on the right. Sitting on the rear side of the phone is the 5MP LED flash camera. It lacks HDMI port.

Internal Features

Sony Eriscsson Xperia Play operated on the latest Android platform, Gingerbread. Android’s fast and efficient platform is partnered with 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon MSM 8655 processor and Andreno 205 GPU graphics. Other outstanding features include 512MB of RAM, 1GB internal memory and additional storage of up to 32GB via microSD card. The colossal 4-inch screen display delivers vibrant and intense colors. Shooting video at maximum resolution is good but not excellent compared to its competitors using high-def image sensors. Sony has preloaded Xperia Play with seven games. Moreover, it comes with the typical connectivity features such as 3G, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and GPS. Lastly, it is powered by 1500mAH battery good for whole day sporadic use.

 Advantages

The glossy finish feels good to the hands. The speakers are strong and the music player is good. In addition, the big and bright screen will satisfy your dose of gaming and entertainment experience; while the browser is seamless.

Disadvantages

The Xperia Play is considerably bulky due to its slide-out controller. Its Android capacitive buttons are small and stiff; while the touch joystick is not so responsive. Meanwhile, the front-facing VGA camera is not so impressive delivering blurry images under low-light environments and doesn’t have video chat support app. Battery runs down quickly but can be balanced with certain adjustments.

Conclusion

So if you’re looking for ultra-fast Android phone that offers great gaming experience, Sony Ericsson Xperia Play is the answer. It has huge and colorful screen display and although the controls are not as efficient as those of conventional gaming console, it fairly works well for mobile gaming. The overall experience is absolutely one of a kind ever seen on an Android smartphone.

via app4mobile