Sony Ericsson Xperia PLAY Review

This is a global GSM phone. It can be used with T-Mobile USA and AT&T, but without 3G. A CDMA version of the phone is expected to launch this Spring with Verizon Wireless.

Introduction:

Can we say beginning of an era about the Sony Ericsson Xperia Play? In case you are wondering why, it is the first ever smartphone with a dedicated gamepad. Sure, its chipset is not the most powerful there is, and its screen is not with the best resolution out there, but when you slide it open, and a PlayStation-style game controller winks at you, instead of a boring QWERTY keyboard, you know something's shifting.

We've been teased about an upcoming PlayStation phone since last summer, and until today so many details about it have been leaked and prototypes examined, that it probably deserves the worst-kept secret crown more than any other phone in recent memory. But that's only regarding the specs and appearance.

For the main part, the Sony Ericsson Xpera Play remained a relative mystery so far. Is the chipset powerful enough to play sophisticated titles? How's the gameplay, and can I resurrect older titles on it? What kind of dedicated game store will be out there for the Xperia Play? All pressing issues that will be addressed in our review, so read on to find out...


Design:

The Sony Ericsson Xperia Play keeps up with the “human curvature” design philosophy that the manufacturer introduced with the Vivaz, and followed through with the Xperia line. It mostly indicates the presence of a curved back that makes the phones cuddle and fit comfortably in the hand, and the Xperia Play is no exception, despite that it’s 0.63” (16mm) thick and 6.2oz (175g) in weight. The phone's glossy plastic back also hosts the 5MP camera with LED flash, and the Sony Ericsson green-silver logo. The plastic shell is not the best industrial design out there, but build quality is decent, and we got the the cool white version to boot.

The Sony Ericsson Xperia Play fits comfortably in the hand

You can compare the Sony Ericsson Xperia PLAY with many other phones using our Size Visualization Tool.

The display is 4” LCD with 480x854 resolution and the ability to show 16 million colors, standard fare for today's high-end Android handsets, and has good viewing angles, which is important, since you will be constantly tilting it in all directions, when frantically pumping those controller buttons. Brightness levels are average, though, so forget about playing anything but music under direct sunlight. Our unit doesn't have an ambient light sensor toggle in the Settings app, and we kept the screen at maximum brightness at all times, since even the maximum level is comparatively average. 

The phone has a 4-inch LCD display

Underneath the display are the four physical Android navigation buttons, arranged in a thin chromed arc that is trademark for the Xperia line. The sides are also chromed and shiny, which looks classy,  combined with the glossy plastic, if you are into this thing. On the left are the standard audio jack and the microUSB port, the top hosts the power/lock button, and on the right we have the volume rocker in the middle, and two buttons you can't see on any other Android handset, namely the shoulder buttons for the game controller.

The four physical Android buttons	Top side	Right	Left

Now we've come to the part you are most curious about in our design examination – push the screen part gently up, and it snaps into place reassuringly, opening the view to the two circular areas with buttons that probably every gamer is well-acquainted with. The PlayStation-style gamepad has four arrows on the D-Pad on the left, for movement within games, and four action buttons on the right, marked with the iconic PS symbols. They can also be used for navigating in the interface, such as in the main menu, lists, messages, and the browser.

The Sony Ericsson Xperia PLAY has a PlayStation-style gamepad

There are two circular analog pads between these two sets, which allow you to make precise movements in games, as if on the touchscreen, without your fingers obstructing the view. Underneath all these game controls is the Android menu key on the left, and Start and Select keys on the right. To top it off, we also have two shoulder buttons/trigger keys for your pointer fingers, akin to the L1 and R1 buttons on the PlayStation controller, which are very sensitive.

In the middle of the gamepad there are two circular analog pads

That leaves us with no less than 12 ways to interact in gameplay, and the keys are very easy to press, with deep travel, but without being wobbly, ensuring hours of finger gymnastics. In the words of Aaron Duke, Xperia Play's Product Manager, you can “beat the crap out of the keyboard”. We honor his sincerity, and that's exactly what we intend to do, after finding the design nice to look at, and the phone comfortable for handling and, above all, gameplay.

The gamepad takes a little getting used to, and it is slightly tiring to keep pounding on it after the first hour or so, due to the controller half being thinner than what you are usually accustomed to with full-size gamepads. Still, that's the price to pay if you want to keep the handset's waistline in check, and the only other issue you are likely to encounter is when you have to press a bunch of buttons at once, including the shoulder buttons. Unless you are a kid with small fingers, of course. We also didn't notice any backlighting of the keys, and no way to turn it on in the Settings app. With that out of the way, we do think that Sony Ericsson has done a very good job overall with this gamepad, which is by far the most comfortable gaming control on a cell phone (for those types of games that require it).

The back side of the Sony Ericsson Xperia PLAY	The 5MP camera with LED flash	Under the back cover

65% of Ebay's Apple iPad 2 sales are shipped to a U.S. address

Thanks to heavy demand and limited supplies in the U.S. for the Apple iPad 2, eBay is reporting that 65% of its sales of the tablet are being shipped to an address within the U.S. This is an increase from the 35% figure seen last year with the original Apple iPad.

This year, eBay has tightened up the restrictions placed on those selling the tablet on its site. In 2011, Apple-authorized resellers are limited to selling 50 items per week and top-rated sellers can sell up to 4 items per week. Last year, authorized resellers had no restrictions while top-rated sellers could offer 8 items weekly.

The most popular iPad 2 model selling on eBay is the most basic, the16GB Wi-Fi only model selling for $499.99. That is followed by the most expensive version of the iPad 2-the $829 3G connected 64GB unit. The former model accounts for 30% of iPad 2 sale on eBay while the latter makes up 23% of sales on the web site. Both models are also quite profitable for sellers with the 16GB Wi-Fi version selling on average for $198 above retail while the 3G 64GB model is being sold at $406 above retail.

These good times won't last forever. Once Apple brings supply and demand more in balance, prices on eBay should come down sharply. There are signs that this is beginning to take place as shipping times for the tablets on Apple's own web site have come down slightly.

source: AppleInsider

HTC event on April 12th promises to show us 'what's next'

When it comes to most things (i.e. birthdays, jury summons, flat tires), we hate surprises. But if it has to do with mobile technology, we live for the suspense. An invitation from HTC has extended a very cryptic, or perhaps understated, request: "Join us to see what's next".

The event, scheduled for April 12th in London, will take place at 1:30 PM BST, or 8:30 AM EST. Engadget has keenly pointed out that the event takes place at the same time as the Microsoft MIX 2011 developer meeting is taking place. But it's doubtful that there's any correlation.

We admit that the background image HTC chose might merely be a captivating image they found to pique our interest, but we just love to speculate: Perhaps the bulging water/screen surface is indicative of the EVO 3D's European launch? It could also be for the HTC Pyramid. Would anyone care to venture a guess as to the 'what's next'?

source: HTC via Engadget

AT&T offers a Mobile Protection Pack bundle for the accident-prone user

AT&T is now offering the Mobile Protection Pack, which bundles their mobile location service, mobile insurance, and enhanced support. The plan costs $9.99/month per each line of service.

While $9.99 sounds like an expensive addition to your contract price, it's still a significant savings over purchasing the services separately. The Enhanced Support is available separately for $9/month, and Mobile Insurance is available separately for $4.99/month, so you'll save $48/year, and get the location service.

Mobile Insurance, if you're not already familiar with it, covers you from loss, theft, accidental/liquid damage, and post-warranty malfunctions. For so-called Tier 1 devices (i.e. feature phones or basic smartphones), the deductible is $50, and Tier 2 devices (i.e. high-end smartphones) carry a $125 deductible. And iOS devices are still excluded from the insurance option.

The Enhanced Support option might sound redundant over the basic customer service, but it offers a little more hands-on advice for the greener cellphone user. It also includes priority technical support, and a wealth of online self-help options.

Studies have shown that device insurance is generally a bad investment, but that's where you'll need to exercise your own judgment. We figure that if you've lost or flooded a smartphone within the last year or two, $120 isn't a bad investment for peace of mind.

source: AT&T via Phone Scoop

Google clamps down on Android fragmentation

According to multiple sources, Google is planning a crackdown on fragmentation of their booming Android OS. Specifically, they want to limit the UI tweaks which OEMs have been placing on their Android devices. They also want to eliminate the willy-nilly collaborations between OEMs and their Android partners.

DigiTimes reports that Google is aiming to heavily standardize the Android 3.0 operating system, in an effort to reduce the drawbacks of the unique tablet format. While there are about 250,000 applications in the Android Market, few of them work optimally on tablets. So Google is hoping to limit further fragmentation down the line.

Also, Google will negotiate with ARM to make ARM-type processors the standard for all future Android devices. This would reduce the difficulty of updating the vast number of Android devices on the market, and reduce the time it takes to bring OS updates to the consumer.

Sources are comparing Google's changing strategy to that of Microsoft, and we're not sure if that's a compliment or criticism. But the sources do say that this standardization will make them even more competitive (overall) with the Redmond giant.

Bloomberg's BusinessWeek says that Google's recent run-ins with OEMs like LG, Toshiba, Samsung and Facebook, have prompted filings with the U.S. Department of Justice. But Google insists that their enforcement is only for the sake of quality control and user satisfaction.

source: DigiTimes and Bloomberg

Microsoft demoes Mango features on a giant touchscreen

At CeBIT 2011, which took place earlier this month in Hannover, Germany, Microsoft did not miss the opportunity to demonstrate the improvements that the WP7 Mango update will bring to its mobile platform. What grabbed the attention of attendees though was the enormous 234-inch touchscreen that was used for the presentation. That is about 26 times more than the screen diagonal of an iPad. Overkill? Well, we don't think so. Going supersize always helps when showing off is the aim.

The giant touch-sensitive display was built by the folks at Stereolize, a Munich-based company which is an expert in elaborate interactive presentations. It seems to be very fluid and responsive, so it would not be a surprise if we see something similar at a future Microsoft presentation. Check out the video below to see what exactly we are talking about.

source: WMPoweruser

Samsung Galaxy S Plus announced, to pack 1.4GHz, Gingerbread and bigger battery

Samsung is to release a new phone part of its much successful Galaxy S family - named the Samsung Galaxy S Plus, this handset is to be available in Russia (and probably Russia only) by the end of April 2011.

The "Plus" part of its name implies that this new incarnation of the Galaxy S phone holds a few advantages over the original Galaxy S, and this is a fact - it's to pack a single-core 1.4GHz processor, Android 2.3 plus TouchWiz 3.0, as well as a bigger (1650mAh) battery.

Even more importantly for some people, the Samsung Galaxy S Plus' back cover won't feature the trademark glossy plastic we know so well from various devices manufactured by the Korean company - rather, it will be made of metal, which will surely give this phone more weight and more premium feel.

The Samsung Galaxy S Plus is set to be available for a steep price - when it's launched in April it will cost $842 or 23,990 rubles.

source: Samsung Russia’s Livejournal blog (translated) and mobiltelefon.ru via Samsung Hub

Luxury smartphone concept by Mobiado and Aston Martin makes you wish it were real

Mobiado is a Canadian company dedicated to designing luxury cellphones and Aston Martin is famous for its luxury sports cars. So what happens when the two companies team up to design something amazing? The result is a smartphone concept made entirely out of pure awesomeness, that's what!

Mobiado and Aston Martin introduced their conceptual luxury mobile device at BaselWorld watch and jewelry expo in Switzerland. Codenamed CPT002, the design sports a transparent sapphire crystal touchscreen that will probably have the ability to become opaque on demand. If the concept is to become reality, all electronics such as the battery, SIM card, chipset, and circuitry should be tiny enough to hide inside of the two platinum bars along both sides of the smartphone.

Besides being extremely beautiful, the CPT002 should also have the ability to lock and unlock your matching Aston Martin depending on how close to the vehicle it is. Furthermore, its tight integration with the car's computer is eminent and will probably enable features such as remote ignition and control over the vehicle's multimedia system.

Of course, you should not be too excited about the concept since many technical obstacles have to be resolved first if it is to become reality. Until then, we may only drool over the smartphone's photos and wish that it were real.

source: Mobiado via Autoblog

altek Leo Preview

This is a global GSM phone. It can be used with T-Mobile USA and AT&T, but without 3G.

Introduction and Design:

The first Android phone from Altek, one of the largest OEM/ODM camera makers for companies like Kodak, Olympus and HP, is predictably a cameraphone. And we use the word in its literal meaning – the altek Leo reminds more of a small point-and-shoot camera, rather than a smartphone.

Yet that's exactly what the Leo is – a cell phone running Android that happens to have a 14MP autofocus camera with AF-assist light, Xenon flash, and 3x optical zoom lens. During our preview the first impression from the prototype's design was that it is quite thick for the modern smartphone standards at 0.61” (15.5mm), but not that heavy at 4.94oz (140g).

The altek Leo reminds more of a small point-and-shoot camera, rather than a smartphone

Naturally, the thickness is mostly due to the optical zoom mechanism of the lens above the 14MP  sensor. It protrudes each time the camera or camcorder apps are started, or when you press the dedicated camera button on the right side of the phone (or should we say at the top of the camera). There you can also find the shutter key, optical zoom wheel, and the volume rocker. The top hosts the power/lock button, and underneath is the microUSB port (or should we say left and right sides of the camera, we are confused now). The phone's sides are covered with a silver plastic band.

altek Leo's thickness is mostly due to the optical zoom mechanism

You can compare the altek Leo with many other phones using our Size Visualization Tool.

altek Leo (L) next to Canon SD870 IS (R)
altek Leo (R) and Canon SD870 IS (L)

The altek Leo's display is a 3.2” capacitive touchscreen with generous for the size 480x800 pixels of resolution, which makes the image look very sharp. It is also of above average brightness outside, which is handy when you are framing your photos.

Underneath the display are four physical Android navigation buttons tucked in a row, which are easy to spot and press. The screen side is made of glossy black plastic, whereas the flip side is still plastic, but matte with a brushed metal look, and also serves as a battery cover.

The 3.2” capacitive touchscreen of altek Leo	Android navigation buttons under the display

The main action, however, is going on at the back, where we have the large camera module and the adjacent Xenon flash, occupying more than a third of the space there, hinting at the phone's photography prowess.

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The sides of the altek Leo