Game On. Sony Ericsson Brings Highly Anticipated Xperia™ PLAY to the Verizon Wireless Network

ATLANTA, Feb. 13, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Are Americans ready to play? Sony Ericsson and Verizon Wireless think so. Sony Ericsson today announced that its new Xperia™ PLAY, the world's first PlayStation Certified smartphone, will be available on the Verizon Wireless Network in the Spring 2011.

"This Spring, expect to see a lot of people with their heads down and thumbs up," said Peter Farmer, Head of Marketing for North America, Sony Ericsson. "Xperia™ PLAY combined with the power of the Verizon Wireless network gives you everything you need in a smartphone and the one thing you want – the ultimate gaming experience."

Xperia™ PLAY is powered by the latest version of the Android platform (Gingerbread version 2.3) – and is PlayStation certified, which ensures an optimized gaming experience featuring content from the PlayStation Suite.  Xperia™ PLAY will provide a best-in-class gaming experience right out of the box with many of the most popular games pre-loaded, including Asphalt Adrenaline 6, Bruce Lee,  Star Battalion, The Sims 3, and Tetris. More than 50 additional titles from top franchises at leading game publishers will be available for purchase at launch.

"Working with Sony Ericsson to bring the world's first PlayStation Certified smartphone to the nation's most reliable network builds on our commitment to deliver the best mobile gaming and entertainment experience to our customers," said Jeff Dietel, vice president-marketing for Verizon Wireless.

According to the Entertainment Software Association's 2010 consumer survey, in the United States:

• 67 percent of households play computer or video games
• 42 percent of heads of households report they play games on wireless devices, up from 20 percent in 2002
• The average game player age is 34 and 40 percent of game players are women

Facebook users can enter the First2Play contest and could be one of the first 10 people to get the Xperia™ PLAY by visiting www.facebook.com/SEUSA.

Sony Ericsson Xperia™ PLAY Key Features:

• PlayStation Certified gaming experience
• Latest version of the Android platform (Gingerbread version 2.3)
• 60fps play-back enabled through the Snapdragon 1Ghz processor, optimized with enhanced graphical processor unit the Adreno 205
• Dedicated gaming controls for real console quality game play, including four-way directional keys, recognizable ABCD keys with PlayStation iconography, left/right shoulder keys and two analog touch inputs for joystick action
• 4-inch brilliant multi-touch display
• 5.0 megapixel camera

© Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB, 2011

The Liquid Identity logo and Xperia are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB. Sony is a trademark or registered trademark of Sony Corporation. Ericsson is the trademark or registered trademark of Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson. Additional information regarding trademarks may be located on our website at: www.sonyericsson.com/cws/common/legal/disclaimer.

Other product and company names mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners. Any rights not expressly granted herein are reserved. All terms are subject to change without prior notice.

Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB, SE-221 88 Lund, Sweden.

Printed in January 2011, R1A

About Sony Ericsson

Sony Ericsson is a 50:50 joint venture by Sony and Ericsson established in October 2001, with global corporate functions located in London and operations in all major markets.  Our vision is to become the industry leader in Communication Entertainment; where new styles of communicating through the internet and social media, become entertainment.  Sony Ericsson offers exciting consumer experiences through phones, accessories, content and applications.

About Verizon Wireless

Verizon Wireless operates the nation's fastest and most advanced 4G network and largest and most reliable 3G network, and serves more than 94 million customers. Headquartered in Basking Ridge, N.J., with 82,000 employees nationwide, Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications (NYSE, NASDAQ: VZ) and Vodafone (LSE, NASDAQ: VOD).  For more information, visit www.verizonwireless.com. To preview and request broadcast-quality video footage and high-resolution stills of Verizon Wireless operations, log on to the Verizon Wireless Multimedia Library at www.verizonwireless.com/multimedia.

SOURCE Sony Ericsson