PlayStation suite

[Arwin]

I think all Android devices are at a disadvantage until they start using Android 4 ... I'm getting a good feeling about that version.

I tried the Tablet S as well. It holds up quite well against Samsung's tablets I must say ... for instance video playback was actually much better on Tablet S. The format that I tested with (a 60fps video on Eurogamer optimised for iPad 2) wasn't supported by the Samsung tablet, but the Tablet S ran it reasonably well (not nearly as good as the iPad 2 though).

But I'm really looking forward to Ice Cream Sandwich becoming mainstream, as that seems to finally 'solve' the UI part of Android, one of its last big hurdles. Really curious about how it turns out.

 

[patsu]

Yap, looking forward to Android 4.

Sony should set its target on iOS, not Samsung.

EDIT:
Sony did mention that all Xperia phones will be updated to Android 4:
http://www.phonearena.com/news/All-...ted-to-Android-4.0-Ice-Cream-Sandwich_id21947

 

[patsu]

Official words for Android 4 update from Sony:
http://blogs.sonyericsson.com/produ...gn=Feed:+sonyericsson/products+(Product+Blog)

There have been a few questions here on the blog and in our support forums regarding our upgrade plans beyond Gingerbread. We can today confirm that we plan to upgrade the entire 2011 Xperia™ portfolio* to the next version of Android known as Android 4.0 or Ice Cream Sandwich. We are working on merging our current Xperia™ experience with the new features in Android 4.0. More detailed information regarding this upgrade, timing and global availability will be communicated in due course here on the blog.

* “2011 Xperia™ Portfolio” refers to the following products: Xperia™ arc and arc S, Xperia™ PLAY, Xperia™ neo and neo V, Xperia™ mini and mini pro, Xperia™ pro, Xperia™ active, Xperia™ ray as well as Sony Ericsson Live with Walkman™

 

[patsu]

Sony Tablet P on sale in the UK, brings hefty price tag with it
http://www.androidcentral.com/sony-tablet-p-sale-uk-brings-hefty-price-tag-it

The clamshell Sony Tablet P has found its way out into the wild in the UK, bringing to market with it a hefty pricetag just a penny under £500.

The Tegra 2, dual 5.5 inch screened device brings Honeycomb 3.2 along for the ride. It also comes with Sony's Playstation certification much like its sibling, the more conventional Tablet S. Sony claims that the styling will make it more comfortable to hold sideways for reading books, but many would be put off by its unusual design.

Besides the price, Sony's timing to launch the Tablet P now with the Asus Transformer Prime and its Ice Cream Sandwich flavouring right around the corner is quite baffling. ...

 

[Shifty Geezer]

Pbbbbbt!

 

[patsu]

Sony and their product experiments or politics ? Might want to combine effort and release one tablet instead of two ? Neither stands out at the moment.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

The whole thing is plain stupid. A clamshell tablet for £500 - it's neither smartphone nor tablet and ludicrously overpriced when you can get an iPod/iPhone/Galaxy/Asus that's better targeted and cheaper.

 

[patsu]

I wanted to check out Tablet P more than S because of its form factor. Already have an iPad for a regular sized tablet. Not so keen if it's too expensive, and Sony seems half hearted.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

It's got a split down the middle! I don't buy flip-top TVs with splits down the middle, or game on dual-screens side-by-side with a big black bar in the centre. I don't buy flip-top laptops with splits in the middle of the screen. The only thing someone might buy with two screens is DS where the system and software is designed around two screens, and not splitting a single-screen application across two screens. Chopping a tablet in half strikes me as ludicrous - just release a smal tablet if form factor is important - and charging two arms and a leg for it shows Sony are clueless as ever.

 

[patsu]

If it's a smaller pad, I will look at Vita or Fire/Nook. Yes, Ideally the folded side should not have a border. I think the P tablet is supposed to mimic DS's dual screen mode (Bottom screen for controls, top screen for display).

 

[Shifty Geezer]

That would need proprietary software designs though, and it'll be pretty useless as an Android tablet where all the Android software expects a single, unified screen. Even on the subject of PSSuite, it'll need a different UI. Imagine a PS1 emulator - for the ordinary tablets you'd have the controls on the touch screen around the game screen. For Tablet P you'd need the controls on the one screen and the game on the other. It just doesn't make sense!

 

[patsu]

I remember reading that Sony built some software to fool Android and applications that they are running on one screen.

The PS Suite games OTOH may take advantage of the dual screen.

In any case, I still think Sony should have combined effort for both tablets.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

I remember reading that Sony built some software to fool Android and applications that they are running on one screen.

I'd expect as much. That means the software believes you can touch and drag across the middle of the display, where there's a dead zone.

The PS Suite games OTOH may take advantage of the dual screen.

I suppose that's an option they have, but even the system works well with PSS, it'll be poop for Android apps.

 

[patsu]

SE Italy says Android 4.0 ICS coming to Xperia devices by March 2012
http://www.xperiablog.net/2011/11/2...0-ics-coming-to-xperia-devices-by-march-2012/

... according to Maurizio De Palma, Sony Ericsson Italy’s Head of Marketing, the update will arrive by March 2012 according to a Facebook posting.

If Sony Ericsson sticks to launching their Xperia flagships in March (like they have done for the last two years), then this date would surprise us.

...

Vita will be available by then. Looking forward to PS Suite benchmarks on both platforms.

 

[Nesh]

I am thinking about getting an Xperia Play but I was wondering.

Is it worth it or should I look for something else like an Xperia Arc or some other phone that may be PlayStation Suite certified?
I am tempted due to its controls and screen size. The OS doesnt seem bad either.

But if Sony is looking into releasing an updated version soon it may not be worh it.

What do you guys think?

 

[patsu]

Was in an AT&T store and tried it briefly yesterday.

At the moment, I don't quite like Android 2.x's jerky UI, and find it generally confusing. Vita UI actually feels more responsive than Android phones and tablets (but Vita UI can be refined further too). Sony said Xperia Play will be upgraded to Android 4.0 sometime in March (or by March; my memory is vague).

The Xperia Play buttons feel reasonably good. I think the main question you need to ask yourself is your usage habits. e.g. How often are you going to game on the phone ?

If you're like me; surf ferociously, watch videos one after another, use location-based services, take photos sporadically, play with voice recognition and mini-games every now and then, the battery seems to go away too quickly. If your phone battery can outlast your daily usage today, then perhaps extended gaming may be open to you.

For me, I'd get a phone I like best first and foremost.

 

[patsu]

Neat !

Mono for Android 4.0 Comes with Incremental Build and Deployment
http://www.infoq.com/news/2011/12/Mono-for-Android-4

Mono for Android 4.0 comes with a VS plug-in, incremental build, incremental deployment, installer with all packages needed, Google Maps integration, and support for Java 7. Miguel de Icaza explains how incremental build and deployment works, and how much they help.

Xamarin has announced the release of Mono for Android 4.0, enabling .NET/C# developers to create applications for Android smartphones and tablets. This version supports all the new features introduced in Ice Cream Sandwich, and it comes with a number of new features:

* A Visual Studio plug-in for Android development
* An incremental builder which is reducing build times by 40%
* Incremental deployment support reducing the deployment time “from minutes to seconds”
* An installer that packages together all the pieces necessary for Android development on Mono: JDK,
* Android SDK, GTK#, MonoDevelop and Mono for Android.
* Google Maps integration
* Java 7 support

InfoQ has talked to Miguel de Icaza, CTO at Xamarin, to find out more details about this latest release of Mono for Android.

...

Make PS Suite available for BR players and iOS devices please !

Meanwhile, I'll look out for a good Android 4 tablet (or visor !)

 

[Nesh]

For me, I'd get a phone I like best first and foremost.

I dont know what phone I like

 

[patsu]

If I can't decide after trying out, I'll wait some more.

 

[Arwin]

Do you still need a separate dev device? Last time I looked devices you run in dev mode can't go into marketplace.