Those interested in getting the Xperia play should be pleased to know that it is now available for preorder on most major UK mobile carriers such as O2, Vodafone, Orange and T-Mobile. The release of the model to the public is estimated to be at the end of March.

The carriers are offering a great deal for people who want to get this device with plans averaging at £30 a month with the smartphone already free. You could also choose to get the Xperia Play sim free from various online stores however this is going to cost more money in upfront payment.

We heard earlier that both O2 and Vodafone were going to release the gaming Android handset, the Xperia Play by Sony Ericsson upon release in the UK, although  at the time a release date wasn’t known, nor was pricing. However, Orange have also confirmed that they will be stocking the Xperia Play and point to an April release. T-Mobile have also confirmed that they will stock the handset once released in the UK. They also list the Xperia Play as being an April release.

If the handset is released in April in the UK, this will be at the same time as the Xperia Arc. While the Xperia Arc and Xperia Play are aimed at different markets, it does leave me wondering if this is a wise choice for Sony Ericsson to make, releasing two potentially great handsets at around the same time. The Arc is also to arrive on all the major networks so, which handset will you be getting?

The Android 2.1 update has been available in the UK for a little while now for unbranded handsets, while network branded handsets have had to wait. Most notable O2 users, who have in the past also had issues with O2 releasing updates and the Android 2.1 update is no different, for O2 UK anyway.

A few readers have said that Vodafone UK have already released the update, unfortunately this isn’t the case though. Orange UK however are confirmed to have also released the update, with users already downloading Android 2.1 for their branded X10 handsets. A few users have also reported that Three have also released the Android 2.1 update for the X10 range today, like Orange. There is however still no sign of the update for O2 branded handsets in the UK. However the O2 UK Twitter account has said that the update will be coming this week, subject to testing and approval anyway. Deja vue? Unfortunately so. Hopefully there will be no issues though and O2 users should see the update before the end of the week.

Coming soon to the T-Mobile network in the UK is the Sony Ericsson Android powered Xperia X10 Mini.

The T-Mobile website is now showing the X10 Mini as a ‘pre-order’ and there is a register your interest form posted up on the site for potential customers which can be found on this page.

The Xperia X10 Mini joins it’s big sister, the full sized Xperia X10, in the smartphone range that T-Mobile offer and although pricing isn’t confirmed it is expected that the X10 Mini will be in a lesser price bracket than the X10 which runs out at £35 a month with 900 minutes and unlimited texts and internet usage (with a fair usage limit).

In the UK, the Xperia X10 has been released on T-Mobile. It’s available for free on a £35 a month contract, with the contract lasting 24 months. You can order the handset from T-Mobile but, they note it can take up to 10 days for it to be delivered.

Orange will also be stocking the handset but, they list the X10 as coming soon. Both Orange and T-Mobile will be offering the black version of the handset. While if you’re after the white model, it will be an Orange exclusive. There’s no information on tariff pricing for Orange but, it’s very likely to be the same.