Behold, the PlayStation Phone: full Xperia PLAY specs, details released

By Ben Kuchera

From  http://arstechnica.com/

 

While the iOS ecosystem may have evolved slowly into a gaming powerhouse, Sony is hoping to quickly push its gaming platform onto phones with the upcoming Sony Ericsson Xperia PLAY. This the "PlayStation Phone" that has been rumored to exist for a very long time, and the details are finally here. The Xperia PLAY is coming to the United States this spring on the Verizon network first; the price remains unannounced.
Still, just look at it: a cell phone that plays games well and has actual buttons! Be still our beating hearts.

The hardware

The system features a four-inch capacitive multi-touch screen running at 480 by 854 resolution, and you'll be able to play 3D games for an estimated five and a half hours. There will be both black and white hardware at launch. Here are the rest of the specifications:

• Size: 119 x 62 x 16 mm
• Weight: 175 grams
• Phone memory: 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

Games will be delivered through the Android Marketplace, and the system will ship with Asphalt Adrenaline 6, Bruce Lee, Star Battalion, The Sims 3, and Tetris preloaded, along with a "legendary" PlayStation title. "More than 50 additional titles from top franchises at leading game publishers will be available for purchase at launch," the announcement states.

Sony is also very excited about the buttons on the device, calling them "dedicated gaming controls for real console quality gameplay, including four-way directional keys, recognizable ABCD keys with PlayStation iconography, left/right shoulder keys, and two analog touch inputs for joystick action."

Sony is promising 60fps playback of these games with the built-in Andreno 205 GPU, and over five hours of gameplay isn't bad. This is the phone that's really going to show off what Sony's PlayStation Suite is capable of, and may even make iPhone gamers jealous of those built-in buttons.

Seriously, have we noted that we like the idea of a phone with gaming controls?

This should give the Android platform a nice push into the world of gaming, and we're looking forward to getting our hands on a handset as soon as possible. Still, the pricing on games is going to be key, as iPhone games have carved out a strong niche with touch controls and low prices. Sony needs to be realistic about the cost of these titles, even on a new device.

Sony Ericsson Unveils PS3-compatible Phone

by Jennifer Johnson

As part of its Christmas line-up of products, Sony Ericsson introduced a new phone that will allow consumers to connect to their PS3 gaming consoles remotely. The new phone, known as Aino, will let users access media content such as music, videos, and photos from the PS3 while on the go. Sadly, Aino will not allow users to play games or access high-definition video from the phone.

Aino can also synchronize with media files on your PC using Sony Ericsson’s Media Go multimedia manager. As for the phone itself, Aino features an 8.1-megapixel camera with geotagging capability; 3G, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi connectivity; a physical keypad; and a three-inch touchscreen.

Sony Ericsson, the world’s fifth largest handset maker, has lost some of its market share as competition in the mid-market handset segment has increased. The company believes wireless operators are hungry for phones that can drive data usage without requiring huge subsidies. Given that interest in the company’s years-old Sony-branded Cybershot camera phones and Walkman music phones has faded, Sony Ericsson now must find new models to renew interest in its brand. The Aino is one of three new phones the company hopes will help it make a comeback.

In February, Sony Ericsson announced the Satio (previously known as the Idou) at the Mobile World Congress show. The Satio has a 12-megapixel camera, a 3.5-inch widescreen touchscreen display, and runs on Symbian S60 5th edition. Satio users will also be able to play 3D and high-definition games on the handset as well as watch various types of media files.

Another new Sony Ericsson phone called the Yari contains accelerometers that can be used for motion controls with games similar to Nintendo’s Wii controllers. The Yari has a 5-megapixel camera, assisted-GPS, instant messaging, and Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync support.

Expect the new phones to be available in select markets later this year, likely in the fourth quarter. No U.S. launch dates have been given, however, Jon Mulder, head of North American product marketing, did say “currently we do anticipate that these models will be unlocked in various channels in the U.S. We have yet to announce operator partnerships.”

Sony Ericsson also plans to launch a virtual software applications store. The company plans to announce additional details concerning the store at next week’s JavaOne Conference.