One of the worst kept secrets in the mobile industry – the Sony Ericsson Xperia Play – has just been approved by the FCC. More specifically, the model in question is the CDMA version that will become available for Verizon. We got to play with the Play a little more during a Verizon shindig at CTIA 2011, and it’s not half bad.
The FCC also showed off the phone’s internals, which revealed a SIM card slot inside. Verizon never mentioned this phone being 4G LTE capable, so we’re not sure if that’s what it’s for, or perhaps it could be a global phone.
For those of you who are a little into gaming and are PSP fans, this might be the phone for you. However, if you’re a serious, hardcore gamer, it might be a different story. Here’s what our own Simon Sage said about his experience with it at CTIA 2011:
I’m still not sure that hardcore gamers would opt for an Xperia Play over a dedicated phone plus a PSP, or that casual gamers would be willing to tack on the bulk of game controls. Although the catalog of Android games built for the Xperia Play will likely grow, those who are already heavily invested in the PSP platform will likely find little reason to switch.
It seems that this would be the ideal phone for casual gamers who want a little more than what touchscreen Android games can offer, but might be an in-between option for smartphones and PSPs.
Now that the FCC has approved the device, we can expect to see it any day now. According to recent rumors, the Xperia Play will launch on April 14 for Verizon Wireless.
[Via: Wireless Goodness]