Plenty of Android smartphones are already on the Ice Cream Sandwich update - version 4.0.4, to be specific - but due to issues with stability, Sony has decided that it would be better to forego the update and keep the Xperia PLAY on “Gingerbread” - we told you these names would make you hungry.
The Xperia PLAY was billed as a gaming-centric smartphone, with the button interface providing a better platform for interaction than touch screen-only devices. Stability is a big part of what goes into making a great gaming platform, and in this case it’s probably for the better (at this point) that Sony made this decision. Who wants to constantly have their games force quit on them?
The ICS update has caused a few issues for me with my Nexus S, mainly apps force quitting more frequently and slow down in a few games (I’m looking at you Temple Run). I usually shrug it off because I’m just playing these games to kill time, but on a phone like the Xperia PLAY - with games like Syphon Filter - stability is much more important than having a few new features.
The Xperia PLAY was in interesting attempt by Sony, though there certainly were a few issues with the content-delivery system (read our review here). Now that Sony has purchased Ericsson, hopefully a successor will be on the way. A PlayStation smartphone is a gamer’s dream come true, and combined with future Android updates (Android 5.0 is rumored to appear this year) should make it a tour de force. Just don’t make it a Rogers exclusive up here in Canada again.
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Source: Sony Xperia Product Blog
