Camera, Music, Battery, Conclusion


Camera

Sony Ericsson's Xperia PLAY is equipped with a five megapixel photographic camera on the back, complete with wink and autofocus. The user interface of the camera app is very sparse and not equally intuitive as the ones found on most HTC and Samsung phones. Pressing on the on-screen shutter push will cause the camera to focus, and lifting your finger off it volition snap a photo. You can pre-focus the lens by belongings down the shutter button and letting the lens focus, then sliding your finger off the button if the lens does not achieve focus.

The single-LED flash is very powerful, though the camera often had trouble metering properly with the wink. Some shots would be very bright and overblown, while others would be dark and underexposed.

The video camera does non record in HD resolution, but maxes out at 480p resolution (640 x 480 pixels). This is a bit disappointing for a $200 phone released half-manner through 2022, though information technology is not out of the ordinary for stock Android devices. The front end-facing camera is a VGA-resolution unit, and is useful for the occasional cocky-portrait. It was not very sensitive in depression-light, though, and since the Xperia PLAY does non accept a video chat app out of the box, you are forced to head to the Android Market to get more use out of the front end camera.


Music

The Xperia PLAY does not have a custom music app from Sony Ericsson, but relies on the stock one provided with Android 2.iii Gingerbread. The player is pretty bones, though there is a habitation screen widget bachelor and playlist command. While yous tin can freely download the new Google Music app from the Android Market, which provides a much cooler feel, you still demand an invitation to use Google'southward cloud Music service.

There are no streaming music services provided on the PLAY out of the box, though there are many options available to users in the Android Market. Music tin can be listened to with standard 3.5mm headphones or wireless Bluetooth headphones, but Sony Ericsson does non provide either with the PLAY.


Battery

The Xperia PLAY has a 1500mAh battery that Sony Ericsson claims is good for almost 8 hours of talk time or almost 17 days of standby. The company also gives a quote of v hours and 35 minutes of game play time with the bombardment. For the most office, the Xperia PLAY lived upward to those battery claims during my review menses. I was able to get a full twenty-four hour period of use (viii to x hours) on a unmarried bombardment charge with my standard set up up of multiple electronic mail and social networking accounts, and using the phone for web browsing, text messaging and a few phone calls through out the day.

Equally expected, extended gaming on the phone volition deplete the battery quicker than normal, every bit both the screen and processor are taxed heavily when playing games. Y'all might want to consider a second battery if yous programme on chirapsia Crash Bandicoot on the subway ride, as yous might non have plenty juice to make a phone call by the cease of the day.


Final Thoughts

The Xperia PLAY is a solid Android smartphone that offers some unique gaming features, even if information technology doesn't execute fully on them. The basic version of Android 2.3 Gingerbread works well enough and is free of the cruft of manufacturer customizations that plague other handsets. Unfortunately, the build of the PLAY is not of the same quality as other phones in its price range, and the gaming features are non and then well executed that it is worth the actress coin.

The lack of game titles bachelor is a fleck surprising as well, as I would have expected Sony Ericsson to provide many more exclusives for the PLAY that would brand the handset more desirable. The hardcore gamer might be happy with the PLAY for now, but the residue of us should probably await for version 2 or opt for a different phone that does other things ameliorate (remember, you tin can play games on pretty much any smartphone available today).

Hopefully Sony Ericsson will correct some of the bugs with the gamepad and refine the organization as a whole. The Xperia PLAY is available at present through Verizon Wireless for $199.99 on a new two-year agreement.

Pros:
  • Stock version of Android 2.3 Gingerbread
  • Fast processor
  • Gamepad
 Cons:
  • Thick and clunky
  • Inexpensive build quality
  • Lack of gaming titles available

Dan Seifert is a contributing editor at MobileBurn.com.MobileBurn focuses on cell phones, smartphones, tablets, and related hardware. Republished with permission.