A Phone for Gamers

A major trend in mobile technology this year has been the hybrid device. As cellphones continue to improve, becoming faster, more powerful and with expanding storage media options available, the line between the cell phone and other types of digital device has blurred.
Of course we saw this first with the advent of the iPhone, successfully merging phone, web browsing and iPod applications into a single platform. The Motorola Atrix super-phone took this a step further by doubling as a PC through the use of a large screen, lap-top interface.
The Sony Ericsson Xperia Play is a further extension of this trend. This phone merges into one device both the standard functions of an Android phone and the latest generation PSP hand-held console.
If looked at as a mobile phone the Xperia Play is a decent mid-range Android device. It boasts a 4 inch screen, a nice feature in a media phone although it will make for a device with a large profile, measuring 119 x 62 x 16 mm and weighing an above-average 175 g.
The internal processor, a 1GHz Scorpion ARMv7 processor is virtually industry standard for Android devices as is the 512 Mb ram chipset. This is a bit concerning in a gaming platform as I would be concerned that the device is under-resourced for graphics heavy applications. Fortunately the device includes an Adreno GPU graphics processor; a graphics processor being an absolute necessity in this device. I would still be more comfortable with the Xperia Play if they had gone with a 1.5 GHz dual core CPU and upgraded Ram to a full 1GB as I am concerned about how quickly a 1 GHz Android can get gummed up with background-running applications.
The camera in the Xperia Play is nothing special. A 5 megapixel camera is, again, something you can expect in a mid-range android phone though the presence of a 720p HD video feature is certainly well received.
The Xperia Play is running on the most recent version of the Android OS, Gingerbread (2.3) of which we have heard good things. But, of course, if you are willing to shell out the $100 (with 3 year contract) the Xperia Play will cost you it’s not going to be just for a mid-range Android phone with the latest OS and a big screen.
If you are getting the Xperia Play you’re doing it for the gaming. The Sony Ericsson Xperia Play is the first ever Playstation Certified Smartphone and features a slide-out panel containing a dual-analog controller that will be suspiciously familiar to anybody who has ever used the PSP Go, a gaming device upon which the styling of the Xperia Play is heavily based.
Of course they aren’t identical. The PSP Go measured 170 x 74 x 23 mm, making the Xperia Play smaller in all dimensions. The Xperia Play also returns to a dual-analog configuration while the PSP Go, as a space saving measure, had only one analog controller.
Considering that the PSP Go was panned for a clumsy and under-sized controller I suspect we will be seeing a swath of large-handed reviewers on gaming sites cursing the small size of the Xperia Play’s controller.
Of course the Xperia Play is also on the large side for a phone, my personal device, the Acer Liquid E is 115 x 62.5 x 12.4 mm, slightly smaller overall than the Xperia Play and yet many reviewers complained that the Liquid E was over-sized and clumsy to use as a phone.
Because of these factors I think Sony is walking a dangerous line with a device that is simultaneously too big and too small – risking pleasing nobody. Thankfully most of the Xperia Play titles will be available through the Google App Store – no need to go to PSN for content – this is fortunate because Rogers has pegged today for the launch date for this device, and as of writing this article the PSN is still down with no indication as to when it will be back up.
On the down-side any PSN content bought for your PSP Go will not be available on the Xperia Play unless you re-buy it.
Still if you are a hardcore gamer and you are tired of carrying around multiple devices just to play your favourite games on the go the Xperia Play might be for you. It is currently under a pre-order special promotion through Rogers. MyCELLmyTERMS can help you negotiate the data rich plans you will need to make the best use of this gaming / phone hybrid platform.