Reviews: Samsung Wave 2, SonyEricsson Xperia Play

Big screen wonder
The 3.7-inch diagonal Super-LCD screen on Samsung's Wave 2 is by far the best screen one can buy at this price. There is little fundamentally wrong with the phone, which has Samsung's proprietory Bada operating system. Bada can run most Java applications very smoothly, thanks to a zippy one-gigahertz processor. (Also See: Snazzy digcams take on DSLRs)

The device we reviewed, though, had difficulty logging on to the data network directly from applications, despite constantly setting up access points. And even when you manage to get on to a data network, 2G or 3G, the lack of applications on Bada is bothersome. One really hoped for more native Bada apps than the ones Samsung throws in. As for the other features - such as movie playback, which the company is using to advertise the device - the Wave 2 is very good and great value for its price.

+ve: Excellent screen, good camera, smooth interface
-ve: Limited choice of applications
Price: Rs 20,900

Falling short
The PlayStation brand has been Sony's most successful product over the past decade. The SonyEricsson Xperia Play device has a slide-out gamepad with sturdy direction keys, capacitive-touch analog gamepads, familiar PlayStation keys and left and right triggers. The problem, though, is the lack of PlayStation titles. The screen is massive but not bright. Though the Xperia Play has a fast one-gigahertz Snapdragon processor inside, it is extremely susceptible to crashing. There is also a lack of high-definition video recording. The Xperia  Play leaves you distinctly wanting more.

+ve: Great gamepad with excellent controls, large screen and old version of Android
-ve: Low brightness screen, no HD recording, Lack of PS Pocket game titles


Compiled by Kushan Mitra