Posts Tagged ‘Google Android’

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Xperia Play 4G Available at AT&T

Monday, September 26th, 2011

Sony Ericsson Xperia Play 4G

The Xperia Play 4G is officially available at AT&T. Previously only available on Verizon, the Play 4G comes with some new features, both in the phone and in the box. Here are the specs:

  • Android 2.3.3 (Gingerbread)
  • 4″ (FWVGA 480×854) 16 million color touch screen
  • 1GHz CPU and Adreno 205 graphics processor (GPU)
  • PlayStation Controller pad
  • 1GB internal memory, expandable to 32GB with microSD card
  • 8GB microSD card included
  • 5MP rear camera with LED Flash
  • Font-facing VGA camera
  • Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n
  • Bluetooth 2.1 A2DP
  • 3G – UMTS/HSDPA (850/1900/2100 MHz)
  • 4G – HSPA+
  • GSM/GPRS/Edge – 850/900/1800/1900 MHz

Both Verizon and AT&T offer the phone for $49, with 2 year contract. Verizon recently lowered its price to compete with AT&T. AT&T throws in a couple extras, too. It is the only 4G version available, and includes the Sony Ericsson Multimedia Dock (DK300) and music cable (MC100) in the box. The media dock converts the phone into a smart alarm clock, and the music cable can connect to external speakers.

Included Games
Verizon AT&T
  • Bruce Lee Dragon Warrior
  • The Sims 3
  • Star Battalion
  • Asphalt 6: Adrenaline
  • Madden NFL 11
  • Crash Bandicoot
  • Dungeon Defenders Second Wave
  • Tower Bloxx My City
  • The Sims 3
  • Star Batatalion
  • Asphalt 6: Adrenaline
  • Madden NFL 11
  • Crash Bandicoot
Additional Games:
VCAST Apps 		Additional Games:
“Get Games” recommendation screen
www.sonyericsson.com/games

Both Verizon and AT&T have app stores in addition to the Android Market, so finding games shouldn’t be a problem on either carrier. I played a couple games on the Xperia Play at E3, and found some of the controls a little awkward, with a combination of on-screen and physical button controls being used together. I’m sure it would just take some time to get used to. Subsequent playing on the phone felt a little more natural, with the controls where one might expect them. I recently played Crash Bandicoot to contrast against the Sony Tablet S version, and found that I progressed further in the game on the tablet. The game played well on both the Play and Tablet S though. I am looking forward to seeing more games in the next few months.

With a recent upgrade adding 720p video recording capabilities, my biggest concern with the Play is the 5MP camera. With other Xperia phones sporting 8.1MP, it seems the camera was overlooked. Given that this is a gaming phone, it is understandable, but I consider Sony’s camera capabilities to be one of the distinguishing factors, and it didn’t differentiate this time.

All in all, you get quite a bit out of this phone. The bonuses in the box make the $49 price tag really attractive. If you have been waiting for the GSM version of the Xperia Play, go ahead and pick it up. It is a pretty solid phone, and will keep getting better as new games are released.

Learn more at AT&T Wireless.

AT&T logo

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Posted in Mobile Phones, Uncategorized, Video Games | No Comments »

Google IO – 18 Months of Android Upgrades Coming

Wednesday, May 11th, 2011

We’ve all been there. That point where we don’t know whether to hang on to our current phone or lay down some exorbitant amount of money for the latest and greatest model. They might be upgrading the OS, you might have said. More often than not, especially for AT&T customers, the upgrades never come, and you end up missing out on the latest phone until it too is outdated. Google is trying to solve this problem, and has brought together an impressive set of partners to do so.

At yesterday’s IO keynote, Google announced that it was partnering with AT&T, Sony Ericsson, Sprint, Verizon, HTC, Samsung, Motorola, Vodafone, and LG to make sure that phones are upgraded in a timely manner for a definite period of time. The details are still forthcoming, but the general idea is that each carrier/manufacturer would guarantee 18 months of upgrades and support for each phone. With most American cell phone contracts lasting 2 years at a time, 18 months of upgrades is not so bad. In fact it is great! One thinks of the Xperia X10 which AT&T doomed to fail by letting it linger in Android 1.6, all the while Sony Ericsson was working on kicking out a Gingerbread release (expected this quarter). HTC has supported certain phones, yet other nearly identical models aren’t supported based on the type of screen. This type of thing could soon be a memory.

As new Android versions are released, the carriers would upgrade the operating systems much faster than their current rate of deployment. You wouldn’t find yourself being two to three operating systems behind the current version. This is pretty exciting news. This will go far in addressing the fragmentation issue. Developers won’t have to worry so much about backward compatibility once this system is set up. They can just develop apps for the latest OS. I think this will do a lot to bring some of the iOS-only developers on board with Android. If an app can be used across carriers, and there is a consistent OS running the devices, there will be a larger, non-fragmented audience standing in line to buy their apps.

I am looking forward to seeing what comes of this partnership. It would be nice to know that the phone won’t be obsolete within weeks of purchase. What about you? Do you think this can work? Will the carriers cooperate with Google? Let me know in the comments.

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Posted in Business, Communication Systems, Mobile Phones, Operating Systems | No Comments »

Android Market Now Rents Movies

Tuesday, May 10th, 2011

Google’s annual IO conference began today, and Android was a highlight of the keynote. Among the more notable new features, Google is now offering movie rentals through the Android Market. Movies range from $1.99 to $3.99, and have similar terms and expiration policies as other services. I am still looking for the $1.99 selection. There is a good mix of newer and older titles available, from “The King’s Speech” to Monty Python’s “Meaning of Life”.

Browsing through the movie selection, there are a number of features available. You can watch a preview with YouTube, get critic reviews or user reviews, tweet about the movie, read a synopsis, and find out general information about the movie. Movie ratings, length, and contract terms are available as well. Once purchased, the rental is valid for 30 days if the movie is not watched. Once playback begins, the timeline drops to 24 hours. This is comparable to the PlayStation Network and Dish Network’s pay per view options.

I think this service is poised to give both Netflix and Amazon a run for their money. The layout is clean, easy to follow, and conveniently connected to your Google account. This means you can watch on your Android phone or your computer, no matter where you are. There’s even a feature to watch the movie offline if you don’t have a consistent connection. This is done with a “pin” feature, and can take a good chunk of time on a tablet such as the Xoom. Google posts download times as 45-90 minutes for HD and 30-60 minutes for SD. Streaming is instant, so you might want to do that if your data plan isn’t unlimited.

The service is currently available only in the United States. Google suggests you download the movie before leaving the country if you want to use the service elsewhere. An Android app is available on the Xoom, and requires Flash. The app should be available for Froyo and above soon, but you can browse for movies at market.android.com/movies.

I think this feature will be getting a lot of action in my household. I’m looking forward to spending some more time with it. This weekend’s road trip should provide ample opportunity to play, so I’ll post my experiences next week.

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Posted in E-Products, Entertainment Media, Home Entertainment, Web Apps | No Comments »

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