UBM TechInsights had the opportunity to look inside the latest handset from the Xperia line of Sony Ericsson phones--the Xperia Play (aka, the PlayStation phone). So what exactly is a "PlayStation Certified" phone? In this case, it's a slider handset with a gaming controller that's optimized for video games with a focus on graphics and sound that emphasizes performance over competing on price.

The Xperia Play features a single-core ARM v7-based 1-GHz Qualcomm MSM8255 Snapdragon processor, 512 MB of RAM, and 1 GB of internal storage memory with a memory card slot that can expand the storage up to 32 GB with the use of a microSD card. The Xperia Play operates on GSM/GPRS/EDGE and UMTS/HSPA networks (no CDMA version is planned near term).

"What we found interesting was the continued trend of using low-power DRAM in combination with the processor to optimize the performance of the Xperia Play. Qualcomm was the big winner with three design wins on the primary components, but we were surprised with Sony's decision to use Micron's SLC NAND Flash. It provides better performance but costs more. Sony went for performance with this phone over reducing costs," said UBM TechInsights' technical marketing manager, Allan Yogasingam. Visit UBM TechInsights for more about the teardown.

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