PlayStation Mobile hardware range grows with new Xperia phone, tablet

Sony has announced a new tablet and a new smartphone today, both of which are PlayStation certified - that is, compatible with Sony's PlayStation Mobile platform.

The Xperia T is an HD phone with an NFC chip allowing for various content sharing functions including transactions, but more importantly, between Sony devices - so you can plop your phone down on a speaker set and stream directly to it, without cables or the battery drain of WiFi. It has a 4.6" Bravia display, 13MP camera, a 720p-capable front camera and a 1.5GHz dual core processor. It comes in black silver and white, will be called Xperia XT in some countries, is being positioned as Sony's new flagship Xperia phone offering in the UK. It launches in September. It will come with a 60 day Music Unlimited trial offer.

The Xperia Tablet S is the first tablet device to bear the increasingly crowded Xperia brand name. Android-based, it can function as a universal remote, and has content controls so you can keep it in the living room and control how your kids (and guests) use it. It's splash proof, which is useful in a remote, and works even when your hands are wet. It's powered by a Tegra 3 quad-core processor, has a full-size SD card slot, HDMI port and WiFi, and ships with a voucher for $45 in Google Play film content. The Tablet S will be available on September 7 in 16GB, 32GB and 64GB flavours, for $399, $499 and $599 respectively.

The new offerings join a number of existing Sony products including the Vita, along with HTC and Samsung devices, in the PlayStation Mobile certified family. Sony also announced a second new smartphone, the Xperia J, but it doesn't do PlayStation Mobile, the silly thing.