O2 Finally Offering Xperia Play; £430 Off-Contract

Just in time for the weekend, O2 is finally ready to start selling Sony Ericsson's Xperia Play.

You might remember back in March, O2 delayed the launch of the Xperia Play just a couple of days before the phone's scheduled April 1 launch. Thecompany cited just-discovered software bugs as the reason for the delay, and recently revealed that the phone was now set for a June release. However, it seems the retailer has gotten things all stitched up a few days early.

"Great news, the testing’s finished, the phone’s fab and it’s now on sale in black or our exclusive white version!" the company said in a blog posting today, adding that O2 customers also get three free games (as well as as the ones already on the phone), and those ordering online will get a free multimedia dock while stocks last.

The Xperia Play, also known as the PSP Phone, is now listed as ‘in stock’ on O2’s website and the network is selling both the black and white version (the latter being an O2 exclusive). Pricing for the Xperia Play varies, depending on what kind of deal you’re after. The phone is free for those okay with signing a two-year £34-per-month contract, and goes right up to £430 for folks looking for the pre-pay version of the device. Of course, cheaper contracts are available, but you have to be willing to fork out money for the phone too.