Sony Ericsson let the world in on sneak peek of its new smartphone yesterday in a Super Bowl ad. The commercial showed the world the new handset called the Xperia Play, which will run using Google Inc.'s Android operating system. Sony Ericsson (News 
- Alert) said through its Facebook site, it will officially unveil the new smartphone on Feb. 13.
The device looks very similar to a Playstation remote control, and is expected to be the first handset to meet the standards of Sony's new PlayStation Certified distinction, according to a Wall Street Journal article. Laid out by Sony, these specifications will enable Android (News - Alert)-based handsets to play older PlayStation games on mobile phones and tablets.
In the new commercial, a voice-over calls it, "The smartphone with everything you need and the one thing you want."
A Sony Ericsson (News - Alert) spokeswoman in Tokyo confirmed the company sponsored the commercial during the Super Bowl, but didn’t provide any further details apart from the information on the company's Facebook (News - Alert) page. As recent as last week, Sony announced it would make its library of game software available to non-Sony devices for the first time, using an application entitled PlayStation Suite.
Sony is using this new device to strategize ways to bring in new customers, as there is increased competition coming from smartphones and other portable devices, which enables users to play games solely dedicated to handheld gaming systems like PlayStation Portable. Mobile phones also allow users to purchase and play more intricate videogames, which takes away from the market segment of only gaming devices.
The Xperia Play was designed in partnership with Sony Ericsson, and Japanese parent company's PlayStation group on product development.
In the past, Sony Ericsson has focused on other projects mainly leaving the Playstation brand alone. Now however, Sony realizes the huge role smartphones have begun to play in life’s daily tasks, pushing the Japanese company to develop the most advanced handsets available for the industry first.
Jamie Epstein is a TMCnet Web Editor. Previously she interned at News 12 Long Island as a reporter's assistant. After working as an administrative assistant for a year, she joined TMC (News - Alert) as a Web editor for TMCnet. Jamie grew up on the North Shore of Long Island and holds a bachelor's degree in mass communication with a concentration in broadcasting from Five Towns College. To read more of her articles, please visit her columnist page.Edited by
Jamie Epstein
