Sony Ericsson Xperia Play

GWNiall

Now, I know there's a load of threads about this, but I've looked through them and haven't found an answer properly.


Does anyone know the release date for Ireland and what carriers it will b on?

I'm hoping it will be the end of March like the rest of the world, and that hopefully it will be at least o2 and Vodafone.


Any ideas?


Thanks guys.

GWNiall

no body?

theteal

I should be getting a look at (if not a feel of) the play later today, ill relay feedback this evening

GWNiall

That's no fair

How you managed that? Cheers bro!

PH4T

Is the Play meant to be good? Would be nice to have game controls...

I see it's out in the UK next Monday link

GWNiall

PH4T wrote: »

Is the Play meant to be good? Would be nice to have game controls...

I see it's out in the UK next Monday link

Hmmm...http://www.carphonewarehouse.ie/aspx/ComingSoon.aspx


wonder what networks!! It's meant to be deadly, 2nd gen snapdragon processor and the adreno 205 gpu!! i'm deffo getting one

theteal

GWNiall wrote: »

That's no fair

How you managed that? Cheers bro!

there was a SE launch event on in town (dublin) this evening. they did the marketing thing for their 3 new handsets.

out of the 3, i'd be most interested in the neo; nice size, good spec, impressive camera. . .we'll see how it performs in the real world before i give it full endorsement

as for the play, i'd love to relay stories of an in-depth demonstration but alas, i cannot. I held it for mere seconds and had a quick flick. It's bigger in the hand than I expected when closed (i'd say that's more my fault that sony's). Fifa looks like the most impressive launch game imo. The mooted game pricing is very interesting and could very well lead to this handset being a success. . .

GWNiall

theteal wrote: »

there was a SE launch event on in town (dublin) this evening. they did the marketing thing for their 3 new handsets.

out of the 3, i'd be most interested in the neo; nice size, good spec, impressive camera. . .we'll see how it performs in the real world before i give it full endorsement

as for the play, i'd love to relay stories of an in-depth demonstration but alas, i cannot. I held it for mere seconds and had a quick flick. It's bigger in the hand than I expected when closed (i'd say that's more my fault that sony's). Fifa looks like the most impressive launch game imo. The mooted game pricing is very interesting and could very well lead to this handset being a success. . .

so you're saying that it seems promosing? did they announce a release date and pricing plans? networks?

Devestated I missed out on it, wish I had of known about it! Was it invite only?


EDIT: Did it have vanilla android or did it have SE's timescape overlay?

theteal

GWNiall wrote: »

so you're saying that it seems promosing? did they announce a release date and pricing plans? networks?

Devestated I missed out on it, wish I had of known about it! Was it invite only?


EDIT: Did it have vanilla android or did it have SE's timescape overlay?

It looks promising enough but I just question the actual demand for it. Personally, it wouldn't be my bag and I've seen similar feelings expressed by many boardsies in this forum. Kids will love it but will kids be able to get daddy to sign a 12/18 month contract to get one?

Release date is mid/end April, Neo is April 1st iirc. No mention of pricing but we can probably make an accurate enough guess on that one. No mention of which networks either but the significant majority of invitees in the room were from meteor if that's anything to go by. . .that could be because we're peasants who can't turn down a free drink!

Like all SE's ive seen, it runs timescape which in fairness, has improved greatly since it was first launched.

PH4T

theteal wrote: »

The mooted game pricing is very interesting and could very well lead to this handset being a success. . .

What is the mooted game pricing?

seanybiker

Seen it on play.com for over €600. Not a hope of me paying that for it. I'd say its a grand yoke though

theteal

PH4T wrote: »

What is the mooted game pricing?

€3 - €7

GWNiall

Fair enough. End of April? Bit annoying but oh well...

Any idea if it will be on o2 or vodafone?

Also, how much you think it will go for on an 18 month contract?

Mr Bloat

Exclusive to CPW for the first 3 weeks of April on all operators and available direct from all operators after that.

Smartphone Amnesty for Xperia PLAY Launch
PRESS RELEASE

Sony Ericsson and Carphone Warehouse Announce One Day Smartphone Amnesty for Xperia™ PLAY Launch

Trade your Smartphone for the first Xperia™ PLAY handset in Ireland at half price
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 31st March 2011

24th March, 2011, Dublin, Ireland – Sony Ericsson and The Carphone Warehouse have today announced a Smartphone amnesty for Thursday 31st March 2011. To celebrate the availability of Sony Ericsson’s Xperia™ PLAY handset in Ireland, consumers are being given the opportunity to trade in their old Smartphones for a new Sony Ericsson Xperia™ PLAY for less than half price.

The amnesty will take place from 9.30pm at The Carphone Warehouse on Grafton Street on 31st of March. This will be an opportunity for customers to have first access to Sony Ericsson’s Xperia™ PLAY Smartphones at this special offer price.

Sony Ericsson’s Xperia™ PLAY smartphone can be purchased exclusively at Carphone Warehouse for the first three weeks of April and will be available to consumers on all operators including, eMobile, Meteor, O2 Vodafone and 3. Xperia™ PLAY will be available to purchase directly from all operators from late April 2011.

Russell Keating, marketing manager at Sony Ericsson Ireland commented: “This is a not to be missed opportunity for consumers to purchase the first of our Xperia™ PLAY handsets to arrive in Ireland. Not only are they getting access to the handset first, but they are being given an opportunity to swap their old mobile phone for the latest in smartphone technology at half price,” he added.

Stephen Mackerel, Chief Executive Officer, The Carphone Warehouse commented:
“The Carphone Warehouse is extremely excited to have a three week exclusive on the new Xperia™ PLAY. This marks a significant opportunity for us to tap into the gaming market and deliver a product, highly anticipated by hardcore, regular and casual gamers. The other good news for consumers is that tomorrow we kick off our Play for Xperia™ PLAY competition in stores nationwide, where customers can win a Sony gaming solution worth €5,000,” he concluded.
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 consumers 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 optimised 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 XperiaTM PLAY users can enjoy long hours of battery life and game time.

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.

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.

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.

http://www.carphonewarehouse.ie/content/Smartphone-Amnesty-for-Xperia-PLAY-Launch/715

Mr Bloat

According to Silicon Republic, this is the list of phones you can trade in:

Nokia N97
Nokia N97 Mini
Nokia N95 (8GB)
Nokia 5800
Nokia 5530
Nokia E51
Nokia E52
Nokia 6300
Nokia 6700
Nokia 6700 slide
Nokia 5230
Nokia 6303
Nokia 6303i
Sony Ericsson X10 Mini Pro
Sony Ericsson W595
Samsung Tocco
Samsung Tocco Lite
Samsung Galaxy S
BlackBerry 8520
HTC Wildfire
HTC Desire
iPhone 3G (8GB and 16GB)
iPhone 3GS (16GB and 32GB)

http://www.siliconrepublic.com/digital-life/item/21073-carphone-warehouse-offers-x

TheMilkyPirate

Hmmm.. It says from 9.30pm does anyone know how long the offer will last will it be the full 3 weeks? Cause if it is i'm definitely trading my wildfire in for one of these.

GWNiall

ok, kinda retarded question, but gonna ask it anyways.

Last January, I signed up to an 18 month contract with o2. The terms changed and I cancelled my contract (as it wasn't what I had agreed to - however I am still on billpay). I have an iPhone 3GS. Can I trade in my iPhone for the Xperia Play and still be on the same bill plan with o2?>

Raekwon

Mr Bloat wrote: »

According to Silicon Republic, this is the list of phones you can trade in:

Nokia N97
Nokia N97 Mini
Nokia N95 (8GB)
Nokia 5800
Nokia 5530
Nokia E51
Nokia E52
Nokia 6300
Nokia 6700
Nokia 6700 slide
Nokia 5230
Nokia 6303
Nokia 6303i
Sony Ericsson X10 Mini Pro
Sony Ericsson W595
Samsung Tocco
Samsung Tocco Lite
Samsung Galaxy S
BlackBerry 8520
HTC Wildfire
HTC Desire
iPhone 3G (8GB and 16GB)
iPhone 3GS (16GB and 32GB)

http://www.siliconrepublic.com/digital-life/item/21073-carphone-warehouse-offers-x

What? No Xperia X10 on that list? Cheeky bastards!

Anyway I'd say that the Play will be a flash in the pan that will be a distant memory this time next year, oh and for anyone who is thinking of getting one, enjoy all of the bugs and glitches plus Sony Ericsson's non-existent support.

GWNiall

Raekwon wrote: »

What? No Xperia X10 on that list? Cheeky bastards!

Anyway I'd say that the Play will be a flash in the pan that will be a distant memory this time next year, oh and for anyone who is thinking of getting one, enjoy all of the bugs and glitches plus Sony Ericsson's non-existent support.

little thing called XDA mate...

Raekwon

GWNiall wrote: »

little thing called XDA mate...

Good luck breaking the bootloader

Btw Sony Ericsson has just announced that 2.1 will not be the last update for the Xperia X10 and that 2.3 will be available in mid/late summer so all is forgiven

Mimikyu

This post has been deleted.

drunkmonkey

Captain Morgan wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

Good find, best hold off for a few weeks until the phone is well tested and we can see what it's like in the real world. Sounds like anyone getting on at launch will be in for some trouble with it.

GWNiall

drunkmonkey wrote: »

Good find, best hold off for a few weeks until the phone is well tested and we can see what it's like in the real world. Sounds like anyone getting on at launch will be in for some trouble with it.

ye, that's true.

Raekwon wrote:

Good luck breaking the bootloader

Well, GeoHot says he's gonna JB it, and knowing his past, I've got confidence!

kali005

Well, they announced, the bootloader is gonna be unlocked anyway

GWNiall

kali005 wrote: »

Well, they announced, the bootloader is gonna be unlocked anyway

is that definate? I read that it's only going to be unlocked in some places, and on Xperia Plays that aren't carrier locked?


Anyways, it's been out fora few days, anyone got any reviews?

Atomic Pineapple

I had a good play with one at the weekend, much much nicer than I expected, incredible screen, nice design and not as bulky as I expected, its still a big phone though.

Was only a quick go but I was impressed by what I saw and it has me thinking.

Penn

I was thinking of getting one of these (well, after launch. I'll give it a while to see what people think).

Currently on Vodafone bill pay with 7 months left on my contract, so can't get an upgrade. I was just wondering if anyone knows if you can trade in more than one phone at a time to Carphone Warehouse. I have an iPhone 3GS and Nokia N97 which would get €280.

Then, it's €100 cheaper for the O2 one. Could you just buy that and get it unlocked?

Other than that, just hope it lives up to the hype. I'm considering the Xperia Arc as well. I like the iPhone but would rather something different for a while. And iPhone5 apparently won't be out til late 2011 at least.

chrislad

Can't seem to find the answer anywhere but does the Play support existing PSOne games that are on PSN or do users have to essentially rebuy games they have bought already.

Mimikyu

This post has been deleted.

Notorious97

has anybody got it yet? whats their review, im curious to find out what people on here think of it

Chris P. Bacon

Notorious97 wrote: »

has anybody got it yet? whats their review, im curious to find out what people on here think of it

I bought one yesterday,€529 in CPW :eek:

I'll give a little review.I have had the iPhone the last 3 years but im getting fed up of it so i liked the look of this phone and i bought it.Now its my first time using an Android phone so im still only getting used to it and i have to say im liking it.

The phone itself isnt as bulky as i thought,it fits grand in my pocket,but i dont like the part at the back where you take off to put in the sim,it just seems real cheap and i can see it breaking eventually.The PS controls are great a lot better than the on screen controls like most touch screens.It comes with 6 games (Bruce Lee,FIFA 10,Star Battalion,Sims 3,Asphalt 6,Crash Bandicoot),i havent spend to much time playing them yet,but Asphalt is great little game.I got a 8GB micro sd card but it takes up 32GB.

I dont know what else to say,im crap at giving reviews ,if you want to know anything just ask.

GWNiall

good man, just a quick Q, you bought it sim free? you try the bootloader unlock from the Sony Ericsson website?

GWNiall

anyone know if you upgrade to it on bill with o2, can you unlock the bootloader?

Chris P. Bacon

GWNiall wrote: »

good man, just a quick Q, you bought it sim free? you try the bootloader unlock from the Sony Ericsson website?

Yeah its sim free,but as im new to android im only finding out about the bootloader unlock now,ill do a bit of reading up on it and give it a go later and let you know how i get on.

shakel

I got one a few weeks back on 3 in CPW.

Delighted with it.
It feels fatter/heavier than an X10/Arc/Iphone but I do not find that a problem. Fits in the pocket easily so that is fine. Feels easy to hold and is comfortable for gaming.

The screen is really good although can be a little dim in sunlight.
It is very responsive and overall feels very quick.
I have had an X10, played around with a few different Samsung and HTC phones and find it as performing as any smartphone on the market today.

I'm finding the battery very good on it also, it will easily last the day with moderate-heavy use and gaming, the gaming is not as heavy as you'd expect, WiFi and 3g are much heavier, if you are auto disabling them with screen off then you'll get great battery... mine has dropped 15% in 8 hrs today with moderate email/twitter use.

There are stereo speakers on the phone so the sound is excellent.

And then you flick the gamepad out and the fun really starts! The six games included games are very good, I have finished Ashphalt and Bruce Lee already, and I was never that big into games. You just find now that you are never bored, something to do while the wife is shopping!

The Gameloft games are very good and their additional games are only €2. haven't bought any yet but will soon.

You can also install FPSE and play some of the old PSX ISOs you have, you can map the buttons to the gamepad and it works really well. I expect FPSE will get optimized for the Play soon so that should get even better/easier.

If anyone has any questions on it feel free!

shakel

Chris P. Bacon wrote: »

Yeah its sim free,but as im new to android im only finding out about the bootloader unlock now,ill do a bit of reading up on it and give it a go later and let you know how i get on.

The bootloader unlocking requires a factory reset of the phone and you "may" loose the right to the six preinstalled games. I'm going to give it a miss for now until there are some ROMs out. But if the phone is SIM free then it should unlock.

Chris P. Bacon

shakel wrote: »

I'm finding the battery very good on it also, it will easily last the day with moderate-heavy use and gaming, the gaming is not as heavy as you'd expect, WiFi and 3g are much heavier, if you are auto disabling them with screen off then you'll get great battery... mine has dropped 15% in 8 hrs today with moderate email/twitter use.

I had it fully charged last night before going to bed,and i had in work today but i didnt use it much just checked a few emails,and when i got home the battery was down to 18%,i was a bit surprised to be honest.

PogMoThoin

Chris P. Bacon wrote: »

I had it fully charged last night before going to bed,and i had in work today but i didnt use it much just checked a few emails,and when i got home the battery was down to 18%,i was a bit surprised to be honest.

You only got it 2 days ago, the battery will need a few cycles to calibrate, use it till it cuts out then charge it fully with it powered down (it'll prob be a few days before you leave it down).

You're new to Android, You need to set the phone to power down the wifi when the screen is off, also as the Display is the biggest killer, don't have it set at 100%, set it to as dim as You can bear it.

shakel

PogMoThoin wrote: »

You only got it 2 days ago, the battery will need a few cycles to calibrate, use it till it cuts out then charge it fully with it powered down (it'll prob be a few days before you leave it down).

You're new to Android, You need to set the phone to power down the wifi when the screen is off, also as the Display is the biggest killer, don't have it set at 100%, set it to as dim as You can bear it.

And Juice Defender is a must have app, disables Data when screen off, it is free in the Market.

Notorious97

Thanks for the reviews lads, i have a Europa since xmas but id love to get this phone, i might save up, i dont really want to go on bill for it ha.

Id love an Iphone but ive a 4G Ipod touch so il hang onto that for now and probably save up for this phone!

Are you all happy with the battery performance on it those who have it?

Chris P. Bacon

Notorious97 wrote: »

Are you all happy with the battery performance on it those who have it

I wasn't to happy at first but the lads on here recommended an app called "juice defender" and it works great,i haven't charged it since Wednesday evening and there is still around 30% on it.All in all i think it is a great phone i still have the iPhone 4 but thats just sitting in the press all week

Notorious97

Chris P. Bacon wrote: »

I wasn't to happy at first but the lads on here recommended an app called "juice defender" and it works great,i haven't charged it since Wednesday evening and there is still around 30% on it.All in all i think it is a great phone i still have the iPhone 4 but thats just sitting in the press all week

Cheers thanks, i have an ipod touch so not in a rush for Iphone, great phone though, but im into gaming alot so this phone seems to be a dream, just hadnt a clue about battery performance.

GWNiall

got my phone yesterday, love it, unlocked the bootloader and rooted it as soon as i got home, deleted some of the bloatware that came with the phone. Happy enough! Mine didn't come with Asphalt however, anyone else have this problem? Sim Free from CPW?

Chris P. Bacon

GWNiall wrote: »

got my phone yesterday, love it, unlocked the bootloader and rooted it as soon as i got home, deleted some of the bloatware that came with the phone. Happy enough! Mine didn't come with Asphalt however, anyone else have this problem? Sim Free from CPW?

You have to download Asphalt from the store its free

gooch2k9

Is there any firm date when it will be available from the operators?

Interested in getting it on o2 advance 250, and have seen that o2 are offering double minutes and texts if you sign up before the end of April. Does anyone know if that would be the same if I got it from CW?

GWNiall

yeah, it's out from tomorrow on I think! Otherwise, just head to the CPW and sign up on o2 from there? Last week of April otherwise!

gooch2k9

No sign of it on the o2 website anyways. Its up on the 3 website though.