With all the amazing mobile devices on display at MWC, one was a standout. Scheduled to launch next month, Sony Ericsson’s Xperia PLAY is the latest phone in the Xperia range of Android based smartphones. The Xperia PLAY is designed to deliver smartphone functionality for serious mobile power users, coupled with an immersive gaming experience.

In portrait mode, the Android smartphone offers a five megapixel camera, a 4” multi-touch screen and social networking features. Basically, what anyone would expect in a good smartphone. However, slide out the gaming controls and users enter a new world of immersive mobile gaming. The slide out game pad reveals a digital D pad, two analogue touch pads, two shoulder buttons and the four PlayStation icons: circle, cross, square and triangle. Qualcomm’s optimized Snapdragon processor with a 1Ghz CPU and embedded Adreno GPU graphics processor delivers 60fps play-back 3D mobile gaming and Web browsing with minimal power consumption so Xperia PLAY users can enjoy long hours of battery life and game time.

This is an amazing mobile device for gamers. The Xperia PLAY will offer 3D games, gesture gaming and motion gaming. The handset is also the first PlayStation Certified device. This means it will have access to PlayStation game content provided through the PlayStation Suite initiative, currently under development by Sony Computer Entertainment and due to launch later this year. Leading gaming franchises coming to Xperia PLAY include EA’s The Sims 3 and FIFA 10 for mobile. GLU Mobile/Activision will be bringing Guitar Hero while Gameloft’s titles include Assassin’s Creed and Splinter Cell. Sony Ericsson is also partnering with Unity Technologies to ensure a continuous flow of high quality 3D gaming titles.

Going from handsets to tablets, be on the lookout this spring for Samsung's Galaxy Tab 10.1, which joins its 7-inch predecessor. This new tablet is being billed by Samsung as the “ultimate entertainer.” The device has a 10.1-inch WXGA TFT touch screen and two cameras— a back-facing 8-megapixel camera and a 2-megapixel camera on the front for video calls. The Galaxy Tab 10.1 is powered by Nvidia’s Tegra 2 chipset, for enhanced overall performance, a responsive gaming experience and 1080p HD video recording. In terms of connectivity, it’s a smorgasbord that includes GSM (850/900/1800/1900), HSPA+, WiFi and Bluetooth. The Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 will be available in a 16GB and a 32GB model.

Most companies push the entertainment value of their mobile devices, but how about doing something useful with your handset? Western Union and Etisalat Group have agreed to introduce the Western Union Mobile Money Transfer service in the 18 countries where Etisalat operates. The service will enable Etisalat’s subscribers to send and receive Western Union Money Transfer transactions using their mobile “wallets,” or accounts tied to their mobile phones. Subscribers who initiate transactions from their mobile phones would be able to send funds to a receiver for a cash payout at more than 400,000 Western Union Agent locations in 200 countries and territories. This service is just the latest example of how mobile devices can be used for a lot more than talk, text and games.