The world’s first PlayStation certified smartphone is now available. Sony Ericsson’s Xperia Play has been launched in UK, Germany, Netherlands, Austria, Switzerland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Russia, Hong Kong and Taiwan and has a wide choice of over 60 games to choose from.

Some of the games include Asphalt 6, Need for Speed, Worms and Backstab that are downloadable via the pre-installed Xperia Play Launcher – a store to buy PlayStation games.

To rehash, Xperia Play is an Android 2.3 phone with sliding PlayStation controls and features a 1GHz Snapdragon processor, Adreno graphics, 4-inch 480 x 854 pixels (FWVGA) display, 5MP camera, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, 3.5mm headphone jack and microSD card slot.

Spain, France, Finland, Singapore, India and Portugal can expect the device within the next two weeks.

Here is some good news for Xperia X10 users. Sony Ericsson who previously shut doors to update the Xperia phone beyond Android 2.1, has now confirmed to give the Android 2.3.3 update. Sony Ericsson’s change of heart decision came after working on their 2011 range and felt Xperia X10 can be upgraded for a better experience.

Although Sony Ericsson will work to provide most of Gingerbread features, SE will remove and replace some features found in the Android 2.1 build like Moxier, Mediascape, Sony Ericsson Backup and Restore and support for bi-directional languages will be reduced.

Unbranded Xperia X10 users can expect the update in Q2 / early Q3 this year.

[Via SEBlog]

Sony Ericsson expanded its Xperia family further by unveiling Xperia neo and Xperia pro. Both the phone are similarly spec’d but one major differentiator is the inclusion of a sliding QWERTY keyboard on the pro.

Anyways, both the devices run on Android 2.3 OS and feature 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, 3.7-inch FWVGA Reality display with Mobile Bravia engine, Exmor R camera lens for superior low-light performance, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, FM Radio, GPS, 3.5mm audio jack, HDMI support and microSD card slot.

The Xperia neo will be available from Q1 2011 whereas Xperia pro will sell from Q2.

Press Release

Feb 13 will be a busy day for mobile enthusiasts. Samsung will unveil their new Galaxy S and now Sony Ericsson has confirmed to unveil its Xperia Play aka the PlayStation Phone on the same day.

Xperia Play as many of you know, has been subjected to many leaks and even a full-fledged preview by Engadget. Most of the specs of the phone are still unknown but going by the positive preview, we can expect the phone to pack some serious hardware.

You can check out the Xperia Play commercial below or register at the Facebook page for more updates.

Sony Ericsson Facebook

[Via Slashphone]

While we’re hoping to see the first glimpse of PSP2 today at an event in Tokyo, PSP’s cellular sibling has got a detailed preview. The team over at Engadget managed to lay their hands on the PlayStation Phone, which will be marketed under the Xperia brand as Xperia Play.

The preview was based on a prototype so it is obvious not all things which we see will make in the retail unit but overall, Engadget seemed positive about the device. The phone they tested was responsive and fast, benchmark scores were comparable with today’s high-end Android devices and of course, provided an excellent gaming platform.

Read the full preview here.

Eldar Murtazin from Mobile-review has managed to scoop in another handset that will be launched in couple of months. This time it’s Sony Ericsson’s MT15i that will apparently be the successor of SE’s Vivaz. Although the unit, which Eldar managed to lay his hands on was pre-production one, he seemed positive about the device claiming the “phone has potential to become a bestseller in its segment.”

The phone features a large screen supporting a resolution of 854×480, which is said to be the first one for SE in “mid-range” segment, Bravia Engine to enhance picture and video viewing and customized Sony Ericsson UI.

On the processing side, the phone has Qualcomm’s MSM7630 1GHz CPU, 512MB of RAM and Adreno 205 to handle graphic requirements. Additionally, the phone has mini-HDMI-out, 720p HD video playback and 8MP camera with LED flash.

MT15i Preview

New picture leaked from China suggests that Sony Ericsson is developing a successor of Xperia X10 Mini successor. If the live photo is legit (which we believe, it is) Sony Ericsson will up the little device with beefier specs. The new Xperia X10 Mini will reportedly have a 1GHz Snapdragon CPU, 3-inch display, a slide-out QWERTY keyboard, dual cameras – rear and front and running Android 2.3 OS.

The new X10 Mini does look powerful as it clearly pips Nexus One in the quadrants test. However, the GPU test with Neocore doesn’t indicate a favorable FPS. Maybe Sony Ericsson will try and optimize before the unit hits retail.

Android and Me expects the phone to be unveiled at MWC in February which makes sense but we wouldn’t rule out the upcoming CES expo either.

Want to know what the Xperia successor looks like? Take a look at the Anzu aka X12 that Mobile-review has photographed and written on, in great detail. The phone is expected to hit the shelves sometime in early 2011 and will Android 2.2 (Froyo). An update to Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) will be released in the coming months.

The site says the phone is nothing spectacular or close to being a Galaxy S killer but is a step forward compared to the X10. The phone’s feature set includes a 4.3-inch display, MSM7230 Qualcomm chipset running at 800MHz, 720p video recording and playback, 12MP camera, HDMI-out and more.

You can read the full preview at the link below.

Sony Ericsson X12 Preview

Xperia X10 owners rejoice as Sony Ericsson has confirmed the release of Android 2.1 update. Starting this Sunday, Nordic region-based X10, X10 mini and X10 mini pro users will receive the update and will subsequently rolled out to users in other regions throughout November.

In addition to the OS upgrade, X10 and X10 mini / X10 mini pro will get new features like continuous autofocus 720p HD video recording, 5 home screens, new backup and restore application and social phonebook in Xperia X10 whereas X10 mini and X10 mini pro will get improved Bluetooth functionality, new backup and restore application, automatic sync of contact pictures with Facebook and phone book.

[Via SEblog]

We’ve seen some mock ups and even speculated about it but this is the first time we’re having a look at the oft-rumored Sony Ericsson’s PlayStation Phone. It somewhat resembles Sony’s PSPgo but integrates lots of other things than just the cellular connectivity.

For a start, the PSP phone will be powered by an Android OS, mostly 3.0 (Gingerbread) and will have a customized Sony Marketplace to allow users to buy and download games. As for the hard specs, it will have a 1GHz Qualcomm MSM8655 chip, 512MB RAM, 1GB ROM, a 3.7-inch to 4.1-inch display, microSD card slot, the regular PSP control buttons and a large multitouch trackpad in the center.

Engadget, who received the pictures says the phone is still a “prototype” and the software build “is rather buggy.” They’re pinning for a 2010 or early 2011 release.

So who is excited?