Introducing Xperia PLAY – the world’s first PlayStation certified smartphone

    • XperiaTM PLAY combines a PlayStation-quality gaming experience with the very latest Android smartphone technology.
    • Super fast graphics and dedicated game controls deliver the ultimate smartphone gaming experience from March 2011
    • Sony Computer Entertainment and leading game publishers provide top titles from launch –available to download from the AndroidTM Market.

    February 13, 2011, Barcelona, Spain – Sony Ericsson today announced the game changing XperiaTM PLAY, the latest phone in its XperiaTM range of Android based smartphones.

    XperiaTM PLAY delivers the smartphone functionality that the most serious power users could need, teamed with the immersive gaming experience that any gamer would want.

    In portrait mode, the Android smartphone offers all the benefits that users have come to expect from Sony Ericsson’s existing range of XperiaTM smartphones with best-in-class entertainment experiences, a great 5 megapixel camera, a brilliant 4” multi-touch screen and great social networking features.

    However, slide out the gaming control and users enter a new world of immersive mobile gaming. The slide out game pad reveals a digital D pad, two analogue touch pads, two shoulder buttons and the four PlayStation icons: circle, cross, square and triangle. Qualcomm’s optimized Snapdragon processor with a 1Ghz CPU and embedded Adreno GPU graphics processor deliver silky smooth 60fps play-back 3D mobile gaming and Web browsing with minimal power consumption so Xperia PLAY users can enjoy long hours of battery life and game time.  

    Rikko Sakaguchi, Executive Vice President and Chief Creation Officer at Sony Ericsson commented: “Today is a very proud moment for Sony Ericsson as we bring something truly revolutionary to the market. Living up to our vision of Communication Entertainment, Xperia PLAY will forever change the way people think about smartphones and mobile gaming.

    XperiaTM PLAY will run on Gingerbread (version 2.3), the latest version of Google’s AndroidTM platform. The XperiaTM PLAY will also be the first PlayStation Certified device. This means it will have access to PlayStation® game content provided through the PlayStation® Suite initiative, currently under development by Sony Computer Entertainment and due to launch later this calendar year.

    Kazuo Hirai, President of Networked Products and Services Group at Sony Corporation said: “I am delighted to see Xperia PLAY as the first PlayStation Certified smartphone to hit the market. Xperia PLAY provides a unique consumer offering and is yet another example of great products and services coming to market that leverage Sony’s strong assets.”

    Sony Ericsson has partnered with key publishers in the gaming industry to deliver a rich, vibrant ecosystem at launch and post launch with many leading new titles available via the AndroidTM Marketplace. Leading franchises coming to Xperia™ PLAY includes EA’s Need For Speed, Sims 3 and a world-first multiplayer version of FIFA 10 for mobile. GLU Mobile/Activision will be bringing Guitar Hero while Gameloft’s titles include Assassin’s Creed and Splinter Cell. Sony Ericsson is also partnering with Unity Technologies, using its award-winning development platform, to ensure a continuous flow of high quality 3D game titles.

    Mr Sakaguchi continued: “The launch of Xperia PLAY could not have been possible without the close collaboration of both Google and Sony Computer Entertainment. The commitment of so many industry leading game publishers further demonstrates that Xperia PLAY will deliver on the long-held expectations from consumers the world over.”

    XperiaTM PLAY and PlayStation Certified gaming are great examples of the kind of innovation that’s possible in the open Android ecosystem,” said Andy Rubin, Vice President of Engineering at Google.

    A pre-loaded application will enable users to easily discover and download titles that have been optimised for game play on Xperia PLAY, access recently played games and see information about the games they have downloaded.

    Sony Ericsson Xperia™ PLAY will be available globally in selected markets from March 2011

    What do our content partners say?

    Electronic Arts, Travis Boatman, VP of Worldwide Studios for EA Mobile:
    “EA collaborated closely with Sony Ericsson to bring exciting versions our best-selling consumer favourites such as The Sims™ 3 and EA SPORTS™ FIFA 10 to the Xperia PLAY. The device’s dedicated gaming keypad gives FIFA players what matters most in a footy game — ultimate ball control, quick player selection on the pitch, effortless passes and more. The Xperia PLAYS’s unique gamepad also delivers robust control in The Sims 3 bringing a whole new life simulation experience to fans of the franchise. We look forward to watching consumers interact with our great games in new ways through the Xperia PLAY.”

    Gameloft, Michel Guillemot, President:
    “We are pleased to partner with Sony Ericsson to offer a catalogue of 10 of our best-selling games at launch of the Sony Ericsson Xperia PLAY,” said Michel Guillemot, President of Gameloft. “My vision since the creation of Gameloft was to turn video games into a true mass market form of entertainment. This vision is realized with the launch of Xperia PLAY, which combines a perfect smartphone for daily use as well as a real game controller to provide the best gaming experience ever seen on a mobile phone. Gameloft will support the launch with more than 20 titles over the next 6 months that will take full advantage of the power of this device.”

    Glu Mobile, Niccolo de Masi, CEO:
    “Glu’s strategic relationship with Sony Ericsson aligns us with a leading innovator in mobile and gaming. We look forward to accelerating our momentum in social mobile gaming with compelling offerings on Sony Ericsson’s newest mobile devices.”

    Content partners at launch include:
    Sony Computer Entertainment
    Digital Chocolate
    Digital Legends
    Electronic Arts
    Fishlabs
    Gamehouse
    Gameloft
    Glu Mobile
    Handy Games
    Namco Bandai Networks
    Polarbit
    PopCap
    Trendy Entertainment
    Unity Tecnologies

    Xperia™ PLAY at a glance:
    Sony Ericsson Xperia™ PLAY
    Camera
    5.1 megapixel camera
    Auto focus
    Flash / Photo light
    Geo tagging
    Image stabiliser
    Send to web
    Touch focus
    Video light
    Video recording
    Video blogging
    Music

    Album art
    Bluetooth™ stereo (A2DP)
    Google™ Music Player
    Music tones (MP3/AAC)
    PlayNow™ service*
    Sony Ericsson Music player
    Stereo speakers
    TrackID™ music recognition application
    Internet

    Android Market™*
    Bookmarks
    Google™ search*
    Google™ Voice Search*
    Pan & zoom
    Web browser (Webkit)
    Communication

    Call list
    Conference calls
    Facebook™ application (from Android Market™)
    Google™ Talk*
    Noise Shield
    Polyphonic ringtones
    Speakerphone
    Sony Ericsson Timescape™***
    Twitter™ application (from Android Market™)
    Vibrating alert
    Messaging

    Android Cloud to Device messaging (C2DM)
    Conversations
    Email
    Google Mail™*
    Instant messaging
    Picture messaging (MMS)
    Predictive text input
    Sound recorder
    Text messaging (SMS)
    Design

    Auto rotate
    Keyboard (onscreen, 12 key)
    Keyboard (onscreen, QWERTY)
    Picture wallpaper
    Touchscreen
    Wallpaper animation
    Entertainment

    3D games
    Dedicated gaming keys
    Flash Lite™
    Gesture gaming
    Motion gaming
    Video streaming
    YouTube™
    Organiser

    Alarm clock
    Calculator
    Calendar
    Document editors
    Document readers
    E-Manual
    Flight mode
    Google Calendar™
    Google Gallery 3D™
    Infinite button
    Phone book
    Set-up Wizard
    Widget manager
    Connectivity

    3.5 mm audio jack
    aGPS
    Bluetooth™ technology
    DLNA Certified
    Google Latitude™
    Google Location Service
    Google Maps™ with Street View
    Media Transfer Protocol support
    Micro USB Connector
    Modem
    Synchronisation via Facebook™**
    Synchronisation via Google Sync™
    Synchronisation via Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync®
    Synchronisation via Sony Ericsson Sync
    USB 2.0 high speed support
    Wi-Fi™
    Wi-Fi™ Hotspot functionality

    * The service is not available in all markets.
    ** Requires Facebook™ application installed on the device.
    Google™ services*

    * These services may not be available in every market
    Android Market™ Client
    Gmail™
    Google Calendar™
    Google Gallery 3D™
    Google Latitude™
    Google Maps™ with Street View
    Google Media Uploader
    Google Music Player™
    Google Phone-top Search
    Google Search widget
    Google Sync™
    Google Talk™
    Google Voice Search
    Set-up Wizard
    YouTube™
    Screen

    • 16,777,216 colour TFT
    • Capacitive multi-touch
    • 4 inches
    • 480 x 854 pixels (FWVGA)
    Accessories
    In-Box:
    • Xperia™ PLAY
    • Battery
    • Stereo portable handsfree
    • 8GB microSD™ memory card
    • Charger
    • Micro USB cable for charging, synchronisation and file transfer
    • User documentation

    Facts
    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
    Talk time and networks
    Networks

    Talk time GSM/GPRS: Up to 8 hrs 25 min*
    Standby time GSM/GPRS: Up to 425 hrs*
    Talk time UMTS: Up to 6 hrs 25 min*
    Standby time UMTS: Up to 413 hrs*
    Talk time CDMA2000®: Up to 7 hrs 40 min*
    Standby time CDMA2000®: Up to 405 hrs*
    Game play time: Up to 5 hrs 35 min*
    MP3 playback: Up to 30 hrs 35 min*

    Networks
    UMTS HSPA 800, 850, 1900, 2100
    GSM GPRS/EDGE 850, 900, 1800, 1900
    UMTS HSPA 900, 2100
    GSM GPRS/EDGE 850, 900, 1800, 1900
    CDMA2000®, cdmaOne, EVDO

    Colour
    Black
    White

    Legal
    1) Facts and features may vary depending on local variant. 2) Operational times are affected by network
    preferences, type of SIM card, connected accessories and various activities e.g. playing games. Kit contents and colour options may differ from market to market. The full range of accessories may not be available in every market.

    © Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB, 2011

    The Liquid Identity logo and Xperia are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB. Sony is a trademark or registered trademark of Sony Corporation. Ericsson is the trademark or registered trademark of Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson. Additional information regarding trademarks may be located on our website at: www.sonyericsson.com/cws/common/legal/disclaimer.

    PlayStation® is a registered trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.

    Other product and company names mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners. Any rights not expressly granted herein are reserved. All terms are subject to change without prior notice.
    Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB, SE-221 88 Lund, Sweden.
    Printed in January 2010, R1A

    Sony Ericsson celebrates its 10th year as a joint venture between Sony Corporation and Ericsson in October, 2011. Over the years the company has brought together the best communication technologies with superior entertainment user experiences to create its Xperia™ line of the most entertaining smartphones in the mobile handset industry. With its global corporate functions in London, Sony Ericsson has sales and marketing operations in all major regions of the world, as well as manufacturing in China, and product development sites in China, Japan, Sweden and Silicon Valley, California. For more information, please visit: www.sonyericsson.com/press.