AT&T Getting Its Game On, Launching Xperia Play 4G on Sept. 18

The Sony Ericsson Xperia Play 4G will soon no longer be exclusive to Verizon Wireless, as AT&T will launch the gaming-centric Android smartphone on Sept.18.

For avid gamers AT&T is offering a great deal, as the carrier plans to bundle the Xperia Play 4G with the Sony Ericsson Multimedia Dock DK300 and MC100 music cable as part of a $50 package. The deal is only available to customers purchasing a two-year agreement with a mandatory data plan. 

The Android 2.3-based smartphone will be the second handset on AT&T’s network powered by Gingerbread, and is the only phone to have dedicated PlayStation buttons and a touch-sensitive analog pad. The Xperia Play 4G packs a 1GHz single-core processor and features Adreno 205 graphics, a 5MP main camera and VGA front-camera. 

The gamer-dedicated device sports a 4-inch WVGA touchscreen that provides users with saturated colors and no jaggies, as Brighthand experienced during our time with the Xperia Play.

Seven games will come preloaded on the AT&T version of this device, including: Dungeon Defenders Second Wave, Asphalt 6 Adrenaline, Star Battalion, Madden NFL 11, The Sims 3, Tower Bloxx: My City and Crash Bandicoot. Users will also be able to choose from 150 other titles for purchase. 

The AT&T version of the Xperia Play 4G will be exactly the same as its Verizon counterpart, except the device will be offered in a new color, a dark "stealth blue." Despite its name, the handset won’t be running on AT&T’s true 4G LTE network, instead the gadget will feature HSPA+ connectivity.