Would sir like some Gingerbread with his Sunday lunch? Sony Ericsson’s Xperia Neo just became official — having already graced these pages thanks to sneaky leaksters and prying mobile reviewers — and it is pretty much what we thought it was: a downmarket alternative for those not keen or able to afford the Xperia Arc . It has an 8.1 megapixel camera round the back, Sony Ericsson’s “human curvature” design, and the same Bravia screen technology as the Arc. The sides are extremely shiny and there’s an abundance of plastic on show. In simple physical terms, you can just feel the difference in (likely future) price between the Neo and its more reputed siblings. We also found the multitouch widget-summoning feature extremely laggy. We’ll have video of that and more for you very soon. Don’t go anywhere! Update: Video’s in! Gallery: Sony Ericsson Neo first hands-on! Continue reading Sony Ericsson Xperia Neo first hands-on! (updated with video) Sony Ericsson Xperia Neo first hands-on! (updated with video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 13 Feb 2011 14:57:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …
We’ve spent extensive time with our prototype Sony Ericsson Xperia Play , but how’s it feel to use the real thing? Quite a bit better, actually. The phone looks identical, to be sure, but the hinge feels much sturdier. The speaker quality has gone up, too, although in the crowded room it was much too noisy to really make a solid judgment call. The UI was snappier and the customizations obviously a lot more complete, but really, our biggest concern was the games. We got to play two titles, Star Battalion and FIFA . We found both in the applications pane, as there was nary a sign of the PlayStation Suite or PS Store on this demo unit. All in all, the former title feels a bit like a StarFox ripoff, but importantly, the main control schemes (both gamepad and optional accelerometer) were supported and worked quite well. The trackpads didn’t work in Star Battalion , but when we swapped over to FIFA , we found they performed there — the left “pad” was used for moving the player, and though effective, it wasn’t always smooth moving our thumbs about, and we very much doubt we’d be able to tell “how far” in any direction our thumbs were at any given time. We’ll need more time (and a larger variety of games) to really get a feel for the trackpads. Both titles took quite a while to load, crashing a few times in the process, but were fine once we’d get to the main menus — we’re really hoping that’s just non-final software, but we’ll find out in about a month’s time , eh? We’ll have video in a sec; meanwhile, find hands-on pictures of the phone (and dock!) in the gallery below! Gallery: Xperia Play final hardware hands-on! Xperia Play final hardware hands-on! originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 13 Feb 2011 14:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …
Amazing! Sony Ericsson actually managed to keep something secret from us. The Xperia Pro is the one handset from its MWC presser today that wasn’t known about in advance, but we’re damn happy to see it anyhow. It features a well-spaced QWERTY keyboard that slides out much in the same way as the gamepad would on the Xperia Play. We did notice there were some software issues on our demo devices — the Sony Ericsson-customized Android 2.3 installation was nowhere near as smooth as what we’ve seen on the Xperia Arc previously, so maybe SE will need a bit more time to fashion out its software here. Physically, the Pro is compact and seems decently well built — we did find the oddly placed power button and teeny tiny volume controls a bit of a bother to locate and operate, however. Obviously, this is a big step up in size from the Xperia X10 Mini Pro, but thickness is kept mercifully in check. It doesn’t feel significantly thicker in the hand than phones that lack its hardware keyboard. We’ll have video of the device for you very shortly, but for now, enjoy the hands-on shots below. Gallery: Sony Ericsson Xperia Pro first hands-on! Sony Ericsson Xperia Pro first hands-on! originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 13 Feb 2011 14:07:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Sony Ericsson touts Xperia Play multiplayer gaming, promises 50 titles at launch
February 13, 2011 No Comment
A gaming phone’s not very special without some games to back it up, and Sony Ericsson has thankfully filled in at least a few new details about that part of the equation at its MWC press conference today. That includes a hint of some mobile hotspot-based multiplayer gaming, and a promise of “over 50 titles” that will be available at launch, including Guitar Hero , Assassin’s Creed , Dead Space and Reckless Racing . Unfortunately, it’s not clear how many of those will actually be exclusive to the Xperia Play as opposed to Android phones in general, although it seems that Dungeon Defenders Wave 2 will be one non-PlayStation exclusive to the platform (along with some extra levels for Reckless Racing ). Stay tuned for more details as we get them. Update: Head on past the break for a video that gives a glimpse of a few more games. Continue reading Sony Ericsson touts Xperia Play multiplayer gaming, promises 50 titles at launch Sony Ericsson touts Xperia Play multiplayer gaming, promises 50 titles at launch originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 13 Feb 2011 13:53:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Sony Ericsson Xperia Play available in March, on Verizon in ‘early spring’
February 13, 2011 No Comment
The phone itself was hardly a surprise, but one of the details we didn’t know about the Sony Ericsson Xperia Play was release date. We still don’t have a specific day, but we do at least have a month: March. The phone is said to be coming to the US first, and Verizon will be the exclusive carrier domestically. Things are even more vague about when it’ll be coming to VZW, nothing beyond “early spring,” but March certainly falls in that window. Lots more details in our Sony Ericsson MWC liveblog . Sony Ericsson Xperia Play available in March, on Verizon in ‘early spring’ originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 13 Feb 2011 13:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …
We’ll forgive you if you thought the Xperia Play was eons before. Let’s quickly run through its short-yet-illustrious history: we published first details in August last year, followed by the very first pictures in late October. More and more details emerged throughout the remainder of the year. By the time 2011 hit, a prototype was making the Chinese media rounds ( teardown included), and then we managed to get our own Xperia Play prototype for preview . It’s at this point that Sony Ericsson joins in on the fun with its creepy Super Bowl ad reveal. But after months of detailed leaks, early hands-on previews, and numerous executive non – denials , the Sony Ericsson Xperia Play is finally 100 percent official. As we’ve heard for ages now, it’ll run Android 2.3 Gingerbread on a 1GHz Snapdragon processor with Qualcomm Adreno 205 graphics and display those games on a sizable 4-inch, 854 x 480 multi-touch LCD screen, the combination of which Sony says will provide 60 frames per second playback and manage up to 5 hours, 35 minutes of battery life in a single game session with the slide-out PlayStation Certified controller. Gaming credentials aside, you’re looking at either a quad-band GSM or CDMA and EV-DO smartphone with a 5-megapixel autofocus camera, LED flash, stereo speakers, Bluetooth and WiFi functionality baked in, as well as Sony Ericsson’s Timescape UI layer. The phone comes preloaded with a “legendary” PSone game of the undisclosed variety, as well as a bevy of popular Android games including Asphalt 6 , The Sims 3 and Tetris , and Sony Ericsson promises a library of 50 additional titles available at launch from 20 publishing partners. Some games ported from existing smartphone platforms (like Reckless Racing ) will have bonus content on Xperia Play, too. Local area multiplayer gaming is a go, as you’ll be able to host a WiFi hotspot on one device and join the game with another. It’s launching in March, and will be available on Verizon (a US timed exclusive) in “early spring,” suggesting that we’ll see the European launch before it hits the States. Update: Press release, full, gigantic spec sheet and loads of video after the break! Update 2: A brand new Xperia Play hands-on with games! Gallery: Sony Ericsson Xperia Play official pics Continue reading The Sony Ericsson Xperia Play (update: video and full spec sheet!) The Sony Ericsson Xperia Play (update: video and full spec sheet!) originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 13 Feb 2011 13:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …
We’ll forgive you if you thought the Xperia Play was eons before. Let’s quickly run through its short-yet-illustrious history: we published first details in August last year, followed by the very first pictures in late October. More and more details emerged throughout the remainder of the year. By the time 2011 hit, a prototype was making the Chinese media rounds ( teardown included), and then we managed to get our own Xperia Play prototype for preview . It’s at this point that Sony Ericsson joins in on the fun with its creepy Super Bowl ad reveal. But after months of detailed leaks, early hands-on previews, and numerous executive non – denials , the Sony Ericsson Xperia Play is finally 100 percent official. As we’ve heard for ages now, it’ll run Android 2.3 Gingerbread on a 1GHz Snapdragon processor with Qualcomm Adreno 205 graphics and display those games on a sizable 4-inch, 854 x 480 multi-touch LCD screen, the combination of which Sony says will provide 60 frames per second playback and manage up to 5 hours, 35 minutes of battery life in a single game session with the slide-out PlayStation Certified controller. Gaming credentials aside, you’re looking at either a quad-band GSM or CDMA and EV-DO smartphone with a 5-megapixel autofocus camera, LED flash, stereo speakers, Bluetooth and WiFi functionality baked in, as well as Sony Ericsson’s Timescape UI layer. The phone comes preloaded with a “legendary” PSone game of the undisclosed variety, as well as a bevy of popular Android games including Asphalt 6 , The Sims 3 and Tetris , and Sony Ericsson promises a library of 50 additional titles available at launch from 20 publishing partners. Some games ported from existing smartphone platforms (like Reckless Racing ) will have bonus content on Xperia Play, too. Local area multiplayer gaming is a go, as you’ll be able to host a WiFi hotspot on one device and join the game with another. It’s launching in March, and will be available on Verizon (a US timed exclusive) in “early spring,” suggesting that we’ll see the European launch before it hits the States. Update: Press release, full, gigantic spec sheet and loads of video after the break! Update 2: A brand new Xperia Play hands-on with games! Gallery: Sony Ericsson Xperia Play official pics Continue reading The Sony Ericsson Xperia Play (update: video and full spec sheet!) The Sony Ericsson Xperia Play (update: video and full spec sheet!) originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 13 Feb 2011 13:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …
Nokia CEO Stephen Elop is currently on stage at MWC in Barcelona, and he’s had a few choice things to say about the recent announcement that Nokia will partner with Microsoft to create devices which run Windows Phone software . Elop told the crowd assembled there that Nokia’s “first priority is beating Android,” and he also took a moment to let everyone know that Nokia is not interested in being the only company producing Windows Phones — countering some recent exclusivity chatter. The presentation is still going on, so we’ll keep you updated. Be sure to check out our full liveblog right here . Nokia: ‘Our first priority is beating Android’ originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 13 Feb 2011 13:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …
Sony Ericsson has just announced the mammoth Xperia Pro Android phone — a slider device with a full QWERTY keyboard. The device sports a 3.7-inch, 854 x 480 display (which uses uses the company’s Bravia graphics engine technology), runs atop a 1GHz Snapdragon CPU, and is sporting SE’s customized build of Gingerbread (Android 2.3). The phone has an 8 megapixel camera with LED flash, 2 megapixel front facing camera, and will be available in silver, red, and black. We’re working on getting more info as we type, so stay tuned! Gallery: Sony Ericsson Pro and Neo official pics Developing… Check out our Sony Ericsson liveblog and read the full press release after the break! Continue reading The Sony Ericsson Xperia Pro The Sony Ericsson Xperia Pro originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 13 Feb 2011 13:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …
Sony just broke out it’s latest and greatest Android device, the Neo. The device is able to plug into your HDTV via HDMI and can be controlled with a standard remote. We’re getting more info right now, so stay tuned! Developing… Check out our Sony Ericsson liveblog for all the latest updates ! The Sony Ericsson Xperia Neo originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 13 Feb 2011 13:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …