SONY XPERIA PLAY OFFICIALLY ANNOUNCED

Sony Ericsson’s Xperia Play handset hasn’t exactly been a secret, but the journey ends (and begins) today, as it’s finally official. It’s the first Android device to feature Sony’s Playstation Suite gaming app and enviroment, and is scheduled to appear by the end of the year. The Xperia Play runs Android 2.3 Gingerbread and is powered by a 1GHz Snapdragon CPU with 4-inch 480×854 resolution display. There are, of course, the PSP-like game buttons on the slider part of the phone, a front facing camera, 5 megapixel rear camera, 512MB RAM, and a microSD card slot.

XPERIA PLAY COMING TO VERIZON

According to Wirefly Sony Ericsson's Xperia Play, aka Playstation Phone, is coming to Verizon exclusively. On a page comparing the iPhone 4 to the Play, it states Verizon will be the carrier for the Play.

We expect to get the official lowdown on Sunday February 13th when Sony Ericsson has a press event at Mobile World Congress.

XPERIA PLAY COMING FEBRUARY 13TH

Sony Ericsson has officially acknowledged the Xperia Play, aka Playstation Phone, in a Super Bowl ad. According to the ad, the highly anticipated phone will be announced at an event on February 13th.

The Play has a 4-inch multi-touch 854 x 480 LCD display, single core 1Ghz processor coupled with an Adreno 205 GPU. It has 512MB of RAM and runs Android Gingerbread. The Xperia Play will have the usual Bluetooth, WiFi 802.11n and an FM transmitter. The Xperia Play is also a gaming machine and when the screen is slid up a PlayStation dual-shock style control is revealed. PSP Go games will be available.

RUMOR: PLAYSTATION PHONE TO BE NAMED XPERIA PLAY

A new trademark filing uncovered Tuesday suggests that the Sony Ericsson PlayStation Phone may launch as the “Xperia Play.” One of the earliest sources of information surrounding the still-unannounced smartphone suggested that the device would launch with Xperia branding, and this is the first indication that the rumor could be true. The news is anything but confirmed, however.

Sony Ericsson has applied for a European trademark for “Xperia Play,” along with other trademarks such as “Xperia Duo,” “Xperia Arc” and “Xperia Neo.” One of the company’s PR firms has also registered www.xperiaplay.com and several other related domain names. So, it’s a safe bet that Sony Ericsson has something in store for the moniker and while its first PlayStation-equipped Android phone is the obvious assumption, nothing is confirmed at this point. [BGR]

BEST BUY TO OFFER FREE PHONES EVER DAY IN DECEMBER

Best Buy will be offering 4 phones, one for each carrier, every day in December. The price will be $0 (that's right, FREE) with a 2-year agreement. Some of the devices include the Droid Incredible, Xperia X10, LG's Optimus T and S. So if you are in the market for a new phone, head on over to Best Buy and see if there is something you like for FREE. [Engadget];