Sony Ericsson Xperia Play Review
Thursday, October 27, 2011
A PlayStation phone was in the pipeline for long. Sony Ericsson Xperia Play is a console-cum-smartphone that the company finally launched in March 2011. The phone is aimed at all those users who are fond of gaming. The device brings together the power of an Android phone and an excellent gaming functionality of Sony PlayStation gaming consoles. The result is an impressive device that provides a good gaming experience on the move. With a good number of quality games that can be played on the device being available, the phone seems to be a good option for anyone for whom gaming is a priority. Read our detailed review on the handset and find out if it is the right device to buy.
Design and Display
The design of the phone is not only distinct but also gives it a class-feel. With 16mm of thickness and 175g of weight, the phone is definitely on the heavier side if we compare it to some of the other smartphones available these days. Also we have to consider the fact that the device has a slide-out qwerty keyboard that makes it more thicker and heavier. Nevertheless, the device is very comfortable to hold in hand and provides a strong and sturdy grip.
The LED backlit, LCD capacitive touchscreen measures 4.0 inches and doesn’t disappoint with the display. The size, responsiveness and the image quality of the screen make the device ideal for playing games. Though it cannot match the OLED display but the colour quality and the viewing angles of the screen are excellent.
Gamepad
Since the device is about gaming, it’s important that the gamepad works well. Thankfully, it does. It will be unfair to expect the slide-out gamepad of the device to work as well as those of the dedicated gaming consoles. But by all means, the gamepad works wonderfully well and in fact is one of the best features of the device. The buttons on the pad are easy to press and are very responsive. The D-pad as well as the face buttons are well placed and they make the whole gaming experience an excellent one.
Processor, RAM and Operating System
Realising that it is a device that will need a lot of power to run, the company has provided a 1GHz processor and 512 MB RAM. Though the processor works well and is in no way a hindrance to the smooth functioning of the device, we have to take into account the fact that latest smartphones these days are coming with dual-core processors. It would have helped if the company had provided a dual-core processor. Nevertheless, it doesn’t really matter as long as the device functions well, which it does.
The internal storage space of the device is 400 MB which is rather less. However, with 32 GB card slot, this is hardly a deal breaker. The device is Android powered and runs on the very latest 2.3 (Gingerbread) version. That’s a welcome upgrade from 2.2 (Froyo) version from Google.
Camera
The camera of the device is satisfying. The 5 mega pixel camera provides the users decent quality images. With LED flash, it can be made sure that the image quality is not affected even in bad lighting conditions. The camera also has other features like image stabilization, auto focus and geo-tagging. The device also has a secondary camera that can be used for video calling that can be done on this 3G enabled device.
Games
The users will definitely be interested to know what kind of games it comes with how is the overall gaming experience. The device comes with many pre-loaded games such as Bruce Lee Dragon Warrior, tetris, Crash Bandicoot, Star battalion and a few others. No doubt, these games are enjoyable and fun to play, but apart from these there is a wide variety of games that can be installed and played on the device. The whole gaming experience becomes all the more enjoyable with its effective gamepad.
Battery
Being a gaming device means that it will be used for more than just calling or texting. The Li-Ion 1500 mAh battery of the device works surprisingly well. You won’t find the battery to be a problem even if you’re addicted to non-stop gaming. The battery has a long life especially when the device is being used for gaming purpose.
Final Words
The device certainly cannot match a console when it comes to gaming but at the same time it can be safely said that it is the best device to enjoy games when you’re on the move. The device is ideal for all the gaming enthusiasts who cannot stay away from games especially when they’re travelling. A good hardware and latest OS has further helped the device. In all the other features, Sony Ericsson Xperia Play is a regular smartphone and ultimately it’s the gaming that sets it apart.
