Xperia Play vs Pandora
- Thread starter SNESFAN
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SNESFAN
Retro game fanatic
if anyone is looking to own one of these as an wifi only MID look for "bad esn" phones as they are pretty low on ebay and due to the cdma technology there will always be a few of these kicking around and are great little finds
http://cgi.ebay.com/SONY-ERICSSON-XPERIA-PLAY-BAD-ESN-4-FLASHING-ONLY-NEW-/200624780838?pt=Cell_Phones&hash=item2eb62b3626#ht_1141wt_960
FYI the bad esn phones are like a blacklisted mac on a network, you can't use them as a phone basically verizon in america has blacklisted the ESN (like a mac) if you use them for wifi only like I do with mine it makes a very powerful gaming handheld. I paid 800 USD for a pre-release model here's one for $300... unused new in box, you will find them from time to time if you want a cheap one.
http://cgi.ebay.com/SONY-ERICSSON-XPERIA-PLAY-BAD-ESN-4-FLASHING-ONLY-NEW-/200624780838?pt=Cell_Phones&hash=item2eb62b3626#ht_1141wt_960
FYI the bad esn phones are like a blacklisted mac on a network, you can't use them as a phone basically verizon in america has blacklisted the ESN (like a mac) if you use them for wifi only like I do with mine it makes a very powerful gaming handheld. I paid 800 USD for a pre-release model here's one for $300... unused new in box, you will find them from time to time if you want a cheap one.
Nintendo
Nintendo Switch
No 3G?
SNESFAN
Retro game fanatic
not for the blacklisted esn version, thats the point of the price being so cheap
it's for $100 subsidized on contract in us on verizon if you want 3g. This is for non contract/non phone version. I think the standard price for a us verion that can be used with sim or off contract with verizon cdma is $500 so pretty good discount if you just want wifi only
Nintendo
Nintendo Switch
Aww, I CDMA is dead here in Australia, so I'll have to pass on this one, even though it's as cheap as chips. 
kasp
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Aww, I CDMA is dead here in Australia, so I'll have to pass on this one, even though it's as cheap as chips.
The plays are only 400 bucks in Australia now. I am really considering grabbing one, I remember when they first came out they were around the 800 mark which to me is a bit much for a phone but at 400 I think it is good value. My friend got one and cannot stop raving on about it.
I was actually considering getting a refund on my Pandora to get the phone as I see that there is now a new bunch of delays and it might be quicker for a different company entirely to produce a new PCB than get C.C to fix and send the 1000 faulty units.
However after some thinking I think I will keep my Pandora for several reasons the major two are the following.
1) The Pandora can replace my need for a laptop. I can't remote administer a network from a phone or tablet. (The touch screen makes this near impossible for me, I struggle to even log on) I also find it very inaccurate and by accident I managed to take a server offline because I had selected the wrong service (Luckily I was just testing it while I was next to the server room to see how it would work)
2) The controls on the Pandora will most likely be superior and you just can't beat having an actual keyboard.
These two reasons make the Pandora a suitable purchase for me because it will replace my need to take a laptop with me when I go away. In an emergency I can just tether my phone to the pandora and remotely administer my network and when I am not busy that playing cool games with act.
Just a shame I have no idea when the Pandora will be delivered :/
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Nintendo
Nintendo Switch
WTF!??? $400? Where abouts? Please give me a link or offline retail store name?
kasp
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Actually ebay
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Sony-Ericsson-Xperia-Play-R800i-Black-Bluetooth-/120751890552?pt=AU_Mobile_Phones&hash=item1c1d5fa078
This is the exact same one I ordered. I should recieve it in a few days also ordered a SD card and a screen protector.
I will let you know when I recieve it so you can know it's legit or not if you are worried. He says 3 year warranty on the site as well.
craig-gp2x
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Well that's a daft assumption: Have you not heard of switching the phone into Airplane mode? That completly turns off all incoming and outgoing calls, as well as 3G internet. Secondly, battery life on Android phones can be almost be doubled by installed 'Juice Defender' which you can download from the Android Market.
andmaz
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Airplane mode??? the point of a phone is to receive calls/texts etc so out and about thats not an option - what is an option is to recharge using the Pandora!
Xperia play vs Pandora - well you need both!
craig-gp2x
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Well in that case the comparison is biased - Pandora is a console and can you make phone calls with that? Answer: No. So turn on Airplane mode on the Xperia and then you have a fairer battery comparison of the two devices now don't we?
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SNESFAN
Retro game fanatic
he posted that before I even posted the whole comparison. But I'm pretty sure he was just in a "anti sony" "anti-anything-that-isn't-the-pandora" mindset at the time.
I have mine in airplane mode 100% of the time, I don't use the phone functions at all. To me it is just a android gaming handheld. I don't know how else to express that this is capable of being a phone if you want it to, but doesn't have to if you don't want to use the phone functions. It works either way.
(BTW you can put airplane mode on and still enable wifi and leave the phone/3g off)
with my config I have a 3600mah extended battery play in wifi only mode, and 4000mah battery pandora in wifi only mode and I see very comparable play times on each approximately 10-12 hours actual running time. Stock battery you are looking at about 4-5 hours of pure gaming on the play.
I have mine in airplane mode 100% of the time, I don't use the phone functions at all. To me it is just a android gaming handheld. I don't know how else to express that this is capable of being a phone if you want it to, but doesn't have to if you don't want to use the phone functions. It works either way.
(BTW you can put airplane mode on and still enable wifi and leave the phone/3g off)
with my config I have a 3600mah extended battery play in wifi only mode, and 4000mah battery pandora in wifi only mode and I see very comparable play times on each approximately 10-12 hours actual running time. Stock battery you are looking at about 4-5 hours of pure gaming on the play.
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craig-gp2x
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Have to say I'm not a fan of Sony phones. My last Sony branded phone was the W800i - the first walkman phone that came out years ago. The firmware was so bugged it would crash and completely lock up - I couldn't even turn the thing off by the power button, and literally had to pull the battery to turn it off. It even did that after a firmware update. After that experience, I vowed never to buy another Sony phone... I most certainly prefer HTC handsets - beautifully made, intuitive and with Sense UI. Most of my mobile gaming (via FPSE PSX emulator) on Android is via an HTC Desire and Zeemote JS 1 bluetooth controller. I just hope HTC release a handset with joypad controls built in as then I would buy....
Best phones right now with regard to pure grunt are the HTC Sensation and Samsung Galaxy S 2. Pure monsters with 1.5Ghz dual cores. Just a shame they have no gaming joypad.
Edit:
As for battery life on the Xperia, try installing JuiceDefender off of the Android Market. That hugely increases battery performance I have found. You could possibly squeeze a bit more juice out of the battery by lowing the brightness.
After reading on forums, the biggest impact on the battery regarding my phone which is an HTC Desire is the flashing orange LED which comes on when the batt is low / or when an SMS arrives. So turning that off helps too.
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SNESFAN
Retro game fanatic
I'm a huge android fan if you don't keep up with my previous postings, I've owned multiple htc devices hero, evo 4g and most recently evo 3d, I've also owned a samsung device, epic 4g... while I agree htc devices are beasts with their raw power and excellent contruction. however I almost loath samsung's hardware, the specs and hardware they choose are nice, but their firmware, be it their fs they use (propriatary to their non-downgradeable radio firmware, bricked my epic trying to downgrade to stock) are absolutely frusterating and I'm at a point I will probally never own a samsung device ever agian.
I have had my fare share of sony hardware also, psp, mylo, walkman... and I agree the os's they choose are riddled with bugs and security holes out the wazoo, android on a sony device is just fantastic, they almost literally couldn't screw it up. While their bootloader is non-standard, they allow you to unlock the boot loader to either fix what you don't like or use standard android development tools to reload or tweak to your hearts content. I have not ran into the similar frusteration in non-support or bugginess with their flavor of android.
juice defender works if you use the device as a phone as it mainly just cuts off the continuous data connection and just turns it on momentarily througout the day, if you use the play as I do with wifi on only when needed and cell radios off most of the day then it is a non issue. Auto dim screen is on by default so that is not an issue. Overall I'd actually say the power management is superior to htc or samsung as most of the stock constantly running services you get with those devices don't seem to be running or much of a hinderence. Custom roms are useally needed to get a decent daily battery life out of your device, this is not the case with the play.
being a veteran android user the play stacks up as one of the best I've ever gotten the pleasure to use.
EDIT: my one complaint, if you could even call it that is that the native ps1 emulator has not been hacked yet to run backups of your ps1 discs.... now that might actually be a complement to sony, strengtheing up their security on what was not meant to be exploited.
They got some serious talent on trying to crack it as it would probally lead the way to a native psp and ps2 emulator when those are released as promised, but their attempts to break the code have been unsuccessful so far.
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Nintendo Switch
You're 100% right. I was and still am to a certain extent...although, funnily enough I am actually a huge fan of the XP.
FRZ
Active Member
Thats the problem when having phones that do too much. You drain the battery and end up in the middle of nowhere with a brick in your hands. I rather have two devices, one for multi media, gaming, etc and the cell separate.
Kaepora Gaebora
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ZXDunny
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Have you noticed that there's always something not right no matter how advanced the gadgets get? My Pandora, for instance - great at gaming, office stuff, web browsing, email, system-level hi-jinks in the shell... But utter crap at making coffee. Just cannot fathom where the beans go. OPT need to up their game, seriously.
D.
Bosbeetle
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Let's just hope ED can get his ideas throught to the rest of the team
I also would love to change the Pandora.
I would get rid of both SD Card slots, who needs them?
Keyboard is also not needed, a few buttons are okay.
The display is useless as well.
But I'd add some coffee grinder and cappucino creamer. That would make the perfect Pandora for me
