Xperia Play Phone May Not Have the Juice for Serious Gaming

Sony Ericsson has released details on the Xperia Play, the so-called PlayStation phone the company's been hinting about for weeks. "With a 1 GHz processor, the Play won't be any more powerful than any other phone on the market right now. That means it's up to Sony to bring content that will differentiate it," said consultant Steve Palley.

After months of speculation, rumors, leaked photos, and even a pricey teaser ad that aired during the Super Bowl, Sony (NYSE: SNE) Ericsson (Nasdaq: ERICY) finally revealed details about the Xperia Play, a device popularly referred to as the "PlayStation phone."

Sony Ericsson unveiled several new phones this week at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, but it's arguably the Xperia Play that is getting the most attention.

The Tech Specs

Last week's high-profile TV commercial confirmed the device's existence, but this week is about seeing what it can actually do. Most of the details that were announced were merely confirmation of what had been reported in industry rumors over the last several weeks.

But here is the tech spec list, as now made 100% official by Sony Ericsson:

• Resolution: 480 by 854
• Display: 4-inch capacitive TFT
• Multitouch sensor
• 1 GHz processor
• 400 MB built-in memory, with 8 GB microSD card included
• 5.1-megapixel camera

The phone will ship in March with Android 2.3, aka "Gingerbread."

The company also talked about battery life, saying that while in power-intensive gaming mode it can last a full 5.5 hours. It's got the ability to run audio playback for more than a day, and the battery is strong enough to keep the phone in standby mode for two and a half weeks.

The Carrier

Cellphones with a tight gaming focus have proven to be risky in the past. The last time there was a phone this focused on gaming, it was Nokia's (NYSE: NOK) N-Gage. It sold well in parts of the world where traditional game manufacturers have no official presence, but in larger markets, it was a considerable flop.

Sony likely hopes the Xperia Play will not suffer the same fate. It's chosen Verizon to act as the phone's U.S. carrier. However, that's a bit different than the company's usual game plan, according to Yankee Group analyst Daniel Taylor.

"Because Sony Ericsson has a larger presence in Europe, most of its phones are on international-friendly carriers like AT&T (NYSE: T). Going to Verizon shows a deliberate choice for the leading network in the United States," he told TechNewsWorld. "That limits its manufacturing ability to easily bring it to other countries."

Given the success of the Droid, though, and Apple's (Nasdaq: AAPL) decision to go with Verizon after its AT&T deal expired, it definitely makes sense.

The Games

While carrier choice is important, the more important factor is making sure the phone is worth buying, said Steve Palley, mobile games analyst and independent consultant.

"With a 1 GHz processor, the Play won't be any more powerful than any other phone on the market right now. That means it's up to Sony to bring content that will differentiate it," Palley told TechNewsWorld. "Buying an Xperia Play means giving up the ability to have a Qwerty keyboard. That needs to be a fair trade, which can only be accomplished if the gaming experience on the Xperia Play is unique, worthwhile and fun."

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