Let the games begin

What is it?

Only the latest and freshest to come out of the Sony Ericsson stable — the world's first PlayStation-certified smartphone.

Is this the PlayStation phone the internet has been buzzing about?

Yes. Punters have called it the worst-kept secret in the history of smartphones. Rumours, images and details about this phone have been around since late last year — a long time for nosy, geeky tech heads — until its official announcement this week at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.

So what's special about it?

Well, firstly, the Play is equipped with the PlayStation Suite, which means it can play PlayStation content. It's not a PlayStation which can make calls, mind you. But rather, it's the first smartphone to feature this new software which Sony plans to make further available to other Android phones that will comply with certain physical requirements.

This means the Play slides out for the action buttons, directional pad and selection buttons. Sony has also promised it will enable basic 3-D games and new game titles are to be launched very soon.

As a smartphone, it features a 5.1-megapixel camera, accelerometer and all the other kinks that make up similar devices.

Wait, didn't Nokia have a similar phone?

Ahh, the Nokia N-Gage. A trendsetter in its time, the handheld gaming smartphone was introduced in 2003 and enjoyed moderate success. But it suffered from lack of mass adoption required for the success of gaming-based devices, and had stiff competition in terms of games from leaders Nintendo and Sony. The Finnish company did try to boost interest but eventually decided to discontinue the product.

The Play will likely not meet such an end because of its PlayStation heritage. That is, of course, unless Nintendo decides to launch a phone.

Android, did you say?

Yes, Android has become the default operating system for much of Sony Ericsson's new lines, especially its hugely successful Xperia range.

The Play will feature the latest Gingerbread version.

So when will it be available?

Sony says the Play will be "available in selected markets" by March. Looking back at other products, the company does bring its devices quite quickly to the Middle East following their global launches.

How much will I expect to pay?

It's hard to say at this point but speculation is that it could cost anywhere between Dh2,500-Dh3,000.