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AT&T customers get a taste of PlayStation and Gingerbread this Fall

by: Travis -
More On: The Sims 3 Madden NFL 11 Xperia Play Dungeon Defenders Asphalt 6 Adrenaline Star Battalion Tower Bloxx Crash Bandicoot Minecraft Pocket Edition
Sony Ericsson will introduce AT&T customers to the Xperia PLAY 4G that features a slide out controller and runs on Android 2.3.3 Gingerbread. Touted as the first PlayStation-certified smartphone, the Xperia PLAY 4G will be bundled with an assortment of games including Dungeon Defenders, Asphalt 6 Adrenaline, Star Battalion, Madden NFL 11, The Sims 3, Tower Bloxx, and Crash Bandicoot. The device is also able to play the recently released Minecraft Pocket Edition, which just might entice some customers browsing the market for a smartphone.

The Xperia PLAY 4G will be available for purchase in stores and online on September 18 for a price of $49.99 with a two-year agreement.

xperia™ play 4g keeps favorite video games at your fingertips beginning sept. 18
First PlayStation®-certified smartphone from AT&T available for $49.99 in AT&T stores and att.com

DALLAS, Sept. 8, 2011

Key Facts

· The Xperia™ PLAY 4G, combining a PlayStation®-certified gaming device with the capabilities and portability of an Android smartphone, arrives in AT&T* stores, and online on September 18 for $49.99 with a two-year agreement.

· The Xperia PLAY 4G has dedicated gaming controls built into the phone through a slide out controller including directional keypad, dual analog touch joystick, two shoulder buttons and the four iconic PlayStation symbol keys: circle, X, square and triangle.

· Running the Android 2.3.3 (Gingerbread) platform, the first PlayStation-certified smartphone in the world features a brilliant 4” 480 x 854 screen and stereo speakers.

AT&T Exclusives

Only AT&T customers can choose the 4G-capable Xperia PLAY, offered in an exclusive “stealth blue” color. The smartphone package is complete with bonus accessories including the Sony Ericsson Multimedia Dock DK300 and MC100 music cable. In addition to providing a convenient charging station, the DK300 converts the Xperia PLAY’s screen to a large clock display, and the music cable lets you connect to external speakers.** The DK300 and music cable come in the Xperia PLAY box, only from AT&T.

In addition, the device is pre-loaded with seven games, some of which are exclusive, at no additional cost including:

· Dungeon Defenders™ Second Wave by Trendy Entertainment

· Asphalt™ 6 Adrenaline by Gameloft

· Star Battalion by Gameloft

· Madden NFL™ 11 by Electronic Arts

· The Sims™ 3 by Electronic Arts

· Tower Bloxx™: My City by Digital Chocolate

· Crash Bandicoot® by SCEA/Naughty Dog/Universal

AT&T customers will have access to more than 150 Xperia PLAY optimized games including Minecraft™ Pocket Edition, Battlefield: Bad Company™ 2 and Dead Space™ 2 for download and purchase through the "Get Games" recommender screen, easily accessible when you slide open the Xperia PLAY's game controller.

Handheld Gaming and Smartphones Converge

The Xperia PLAY 4G offers a gamer’s wonderland by providing the on-the-go capabilities of an Android smartphone with the immersive entertainment appeal of a portable gaming device.

Snapdragon chipset including a 1GHz CPU and Adreno 205 graphics processor (GPU)
Runs on the Android 2.3.3 (Gingerbread) platform
Sight and sound: 4” 480 x 854 screen, up to 60 frames per second graphics, stereo speakers
Dual camera: 5MP rear and VGA forward-facing, with video recording and chat capabilities over Wi-Fi
Hundreds of Xperia PLAY optimized games through Android Market or directly from the publishers
Pre-loaded with seven Xperia PLAY optimized games from publishers such as Gameloft and EA.

Along with the great gaming and Android capabilities, the Xperia PLAY 4G from AT&T includes Facebook Inside Xperia, a suite of Facebook functions integrated into various applications, such as friends’ birthdays in the phonebook, a “like” button in the music player, photo tags in the media gallery, and YouTube video recommendations from friends.

Pricing and Availability

The Xperia PLAY 4G arrives in AT&T stores and online on Sept. 18 and will be available for $49.99 after a two-year contract with minimum data plan.

Quotes

“Gamers and smartphone fans alike will delight in the Xperia PLAY 4G’s instant access to gaming and entertainment,” said Jeff Bradley, senior vice president, Devices, AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets. “We’re excited to offer a device that allows consumers to have fun while still staying on top of everything in their life.”

“Our fans on AT&T have been asking for Xperia PLAY and now we’re giving them everything they need in a smartphone with what they really want – an immersive gaming experience on AT&T’s 4G Network,” said Peter Farmer, Head of Marketing for North America, Sony Ericsson. “In addition to a constantly growing list of games exclusive to and optimized for Xperia PLAY, we know AT&T customers are really going to enjoy the uniquely Sony Ericsson social experience, including Timescape and Facebook Inside.”

*AT&T products and services are provided or offered by subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T brand and not by AT&T Inc.
**External speakers not included.

4G speeds delivered by HSPA+ with enhanced backhaul. Available in limited areas. Availability increasing with ongoing backhaul deployment. Requires 4G device. Learn more at att.com/network.

References to screen size are measured diagonally

Important Information: Limited-time offer. Mobile broadband coverage and other coverage not available in all areas. See coverage map at store for details. Two year agreement with qualifying voice plan and a minimum $15 a month smartphone data plan required. Subscriber must live and have a mailing address within AT&T's owned wireless network coverage area. Up to $36 activation fee applies. Equipment price and availability may vary by market and may not be available from independent retailers. Early Termination Fee: None if cancelled in the first 30 days, but up to $35 restocking fee may apply to returns; thereafter up to $325. Some agents impose additional fees. Other conditions and restrictions apply. See contract for details. Sales tax calculated based on price of unactivated equipment.

About AT&T

AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) is a premier communications holding company. Its subsidiaries and affiliates – AT&T operating companies – are the providers of AT&T services in the United States and around the world. With a powerful array of network resources that includes the nation’s fastest mobile broadband network, AT&T is a leading provider of wireless, Wi-Fi, high speed Internet, voice and cloud-based services. A leader in mobile broadband and emerging 4G capabilities, AT&T also offers the best wireless coverage worldwide of any U.S. carrier, offering the most wireless phones that work in the most countries. It also offers advanced TV services under the AT&T U-verse® and AT&T │DIRECTV brands. The company’s suite of IP-based business communications services is one of the most advanced in the world. In domestic markets, AT&T Advertising Solutions and AT&T Interactive are known for their leadership in local search and advertising.

Additional information about AT&T Inc. and the products and services provided by AT&T subsidiaries and affiliates is available at http://www.att.com. This AT&T news release and other announcements are available at http://www.att.com/newsroom and as part of an RSS feed at www.att.com/rss. Or follow our news on Twitter at @ATT.

© 2011 AT&T Intellectual Property. All rights reserved. Mobile broadband not available in all areas. AT&T, the AT&T logo and all other marks contained herein are trademarks of AT&T Intellectual Property and/or AT&T affiliated companies. Xperia and the Sony Ericsson liquid identity logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB. Playstation and Sony are the trademarks or registered trademarks of Sony Corporation. Ericsson is the trademark or registered trademark of Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericson. All other marks contained herein are the property of their respective owners.

About Sony Ericsson

Sony Ericsson celebrates its 10th year as a joint venture between Sony Corporation and Ericsson in October, 2011. Over the years Sony Ericsson has brought together the best communication technologies with superior entertainment user experiences to create its Xperia™ line of the ‘most entertaining smartphones’ in the mobile handset industry. With its global corporate functions in London, Sony Ericsson has sales and marketing operations in all major regions of the world, as well as manufacturing in China, and product development sites in China, Japan, Sweden and Silicon Valley, California. For more information, please visit: www.sonyericsson.com/press.