Sony Mobile

Sony VAIO Tap 11 Image Gallery

by Sohrab Osati | Sep 5, 2013 | 1 comment

Sony VAIO Tap 11_04

If you’ve been drooling over the Sony VAIO Tap 11, the company’s first foray into the Windows 8 tablet world, then you won’t want to miss our gallery that will only further entice you. As a reminder, the Tap 11, as the name suggests is an 11-inch tablet with a 1,920 x 1,080 IPS display and offers Haswell chip (Core i3, i5 or i7) with 128GB to 512GB of solid-state storage. The Tap 11 also features a new keyboard with more depth than the Surface Pro from Microsoft will still managing to be thinner. After the jump, our VAIO Tap 11 image gallery awaits you.

Sony SmartWatch 2 Announced, Gives 4 Day Battery Life Versus Samsung’s 1 Day

by Sohrab Osati | Sep 4, 2013 | 3 comments

Sony SmartWatch 2

Before we get things started, I have to say that the above title is slightly misleading but not in the way you’d expect. The new Samsung Galaxy Gear smartwatch does indeed only have a 24 hour battery life leaving the misleading part of this title as to when Sony actually announced the SmartWatch 2. Technically, Sony unveiled their next generation smartwatch in June but knowing that the company is at times not the best at educating the public about their products, we thought it would be a good time to review what Sony’s watch has to offer. To be fair, Sony also knew that Samsung would be debuting their smartwatch at IFA 2013 and included the watch in their presentation and showed it off again on the show floor. With the backstory behind us, let’s talk details.

The Sony SmartWatch 2, as the name would suggest, is Sony’s next generation smartwatch. Designed as a companion for smartphones running Android 4.0 and higher, the Sony SmartWatch 2 includes a host of improvements over its predecessor, including a larger screen and better battery life.

Sony Xperia Z1 Tears up IFA with 20 Megapixel Shooter

by Jonathan Nolan | Sep 4, 2013 | 6 comments

After months of speculation, Sony has finally lifted the veil on the Xperia Z1, previously rumoured as the Honami at IFA in Berlin. What’s new? A 20 megapixel camera with G lens and Bionz image processor that can take 61 images in 2 seconds, a full HD 1080p Triluminos 5″ display shining at 441ppi and is powered by a 2.2GHz quad core Snapdragon 800 processor. Sony assures this is the phone that brings premium digital camera quality to the smartphone. Smartphone cameras just got interesting again.

Sony Announces VAIO Tap 11, Takes On Surface Pro from Microsoft

by Sohrab Osati | Sep 4, 2013 | 3 comments

Despite the lukewarm responses to Windows 8 tablets, Sony is finally expanding its mobile fleet beyond Android by announcing the VAIP Tap 11. If you’re at all familiar with the Surface Pro from Microsoft, the VAIO Tap 11 takes most of its cues from that design. Sony would argue however that their tablet not only offers superior specs, but some fresh features as well like an all new attachable keyboard with thicker keys for easier typing while the entire product all together is no thicker than the Surface Pro. Interested? Yea, us too so lets talk details.

Sony Image Sensors in Gesture TVs, Wearable Computers, and More

by A Glitch | Sep 4, 2013 | 1 comment

Earlier, we reported on the use of Sony image sensors in rival smartphones. According to Sony leadership, the innovations expected from this technology goes far beyond smartphones. Predicting a peak in smartphone sales in 2015, Sony is looking at producing sensors for products ranging from gesture TVs to self-driving cars.

So what are Sony’s plans for these image sensors beyond the smartphone market?

Sony – Powering Rival Smartphone Cameras

by Jonathan Nolan | Sep 3, 2013 | 3 comments

Sony may be making headlines for its smartphone-mounted cameras and 20 megapixel-rumored flagships, but the company has been winning a war behind the scenes too. The Japanese firm is a leading producer of CMOS camera sensors for the smartphone market, reaching beyond their own Xperia handsets and seemingly some of the rivals’ flagship phones too. But the real secret behind the success may be the innovation.

New Sony VAIO Laptop to Bend It Like Beckham

by Sohrab Osati | Aug 28, 2013 | 2 comments

Sony Hybrid VAIO Tease

At the IFA 2013 in Copenhagen, Sony is expected to announce a slew of new products and one of them might be a new hybrid laptop that solves all of our problems. We’ve all been there when we’re enjoying our tablet but really need a full keyboard to pound out some serious work. Other times, we’re out and about or doing a presentation and wished we’d instead brought our tablet with and didn’t need to lug around a notebook. While this might be a serious case of #FirstWorldProblems, it seems that Sony sees a market for a new product category that’s not quite tablet and not quite PC as the video after the jump demonstrates.

Apple iPhoto and Aperture Gain RAW Compatibility for RX1R and RX100 II

by Sohrab Osati | Aug 28, 2013 | 0 comments

Apple Aperture iPhoto RAW Compatibility Update 4_08

Apple’s Aperture 3 and iPhoto 11, available on the Mac App Store have received a new set of RAW update. The new Digital Camera RAW Compatibility Update 4.08 makes the highly used programs compatible with the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX1R and DSC-RX100 II RAW photos.

Sony Xperia Tablet Z Scoops Tablet of the Year Award at EISA 2013, Wins Four More

by Jonathan Nolan | Aug 27, 2013 | 4 comments

It’s award season – and Sony has won no less than five Product of the Year awards at the annual European Imaging and Sound Association (EISA), awards, the largest editorial multimedia organization in Europe. The seductive Xperia Tablet Z won outright in the coveted Tablet of the Year 2013-2014 category, a stunning victory in Sony’s attempt to set new standards in the rapidly expanding tablet sector. Other accolades went to two Sony cameras, a Bravia TV and a HT receiver in a thrilling night.

Sony Xperia M Now on Sale (Updated)

by Jonathan Nolan | Aug 26, 2013 | 5 comments

Sony’s latest addition to its 2013 lineup of smartphones, the Sony Xperia M (model C1904, C1905), is now on sale. It’s a slick mid-range device that punches above its weight in features with specs like 1GB RAM, 5-megapixel camera, 720p video recording, NFC for easy pairing, and LTE connectivity. After the jump, we have all the full specs and details on the Xperia M.

Want a Piece of Key Lime Pie With Your Xperia? (UPDATED)

by A Glitch | Aug 20, 2013 | 8 comments

With new details emerging every week about a particular fruit-flavored mobile OS due out in September, anticipation is also growing for the next iteration of Android, dubbed “Key Lime Pie”. Whether or not it will be branded version 4.5 or 5.0 remains to be seen, but Google is definitely hard at work fine-tuning the next phase of the Android operating system. TechRadar even reports that the new Android flavored dessert may be served up with an unnamed Sony smartphone. The latest news certainly has this writer’s tech taste buds watering…

After the break, check out the newest developments surrounding Key Lime Pie, and for you Android aficionados out there, weigh in on what you are hoping to see in the newest version of Google’s mobile OS.

Manual Images and Specs for Sony QX10 and QX100 External Lenses for Smartphones Leak

by Sohrab Osati | Aug 16, 2013 | 0 comments

We’ve been reporting for some time on Sony’s ambitions beyond the compact camera market which includes a new product category. The idea is that as smartphones continue to grow with consumers and offer better cameras, that the consumer will continue to rely more on them and thus, less likely to purchase a pocket camera like Sony’s Cyber-shot series. Still, due to our affinity with thin products, a smartphone will never be able to match what a quality camera will offer and many consumers might still not want to carry a DSLR with them, even those as compact as the NES series. Enter the Sony QX10 and QX100. Designed to attach to your smartphone via a magnetic lock, the two units will house their own image sensor, battery, and memory. The QX10 and QX100 are meant to cater to those who wish to take more serious photos but don’t necessarily need a dedicated camera and with features like 1-inch SMOS sensor, 18-megapixel, and 10x optical zoom, Sony has a compelling case.

Now, thanks to the newest leak, we know a little more about the two models that may change the way we think about compact cameras and smartphones.

Sony Xperia Honami to Record 4K Video?

by Sohrab Osati | Aug 16, 2013 | 0 comments

For months now, we’ve been reporting on rumors that the Sony Xperia Honami, the companies next flagship Android smartphone would include a 20.7-megapixel camera sensor. Despite having screenshots of the phones setting screen which pointed out the Honami’s cameras resolution, we can now very confidently confirm the megapixel count thanks to a sample photo from the camera which was uploaded to Google’s unpopular Picasa photo service. The photo in question which appears to the left of this post is snapped at a whopping 5248 x 3936 pixels, which if my math is correct, comes out to be about 20.66-megapixels. Since then, the photo has been taken down from Picasa but we of course still have the photo to show you, thanks to the magical capabilities of computers saving images from the web.

Sony Xperia A (ZR) Outsells Samsung Galaxy S4 by 2:1

by Sohrab Osati | Aug 14, 2013 | 9 comments

Back in June, we reported on how Sony smartphone sales were exceeding that of Apple in Japan, thanks to the company having their phones on DoCoMo, the country’s largest carrier with more than 60 million subscribers in a country of 127 million people. Apple, on the other hand, does not enjoy carrier support at this time from DoCoMo. In addition to Sony’s smartphone line being available on DoCoMo, the telecom operator as of recent has started a new initiative where the company only promotes two phones. Think if AT&T or Verizon only offered subsidies on only two devices. With Sony Xperia phones being half of the promotion, it’s easy to see why they’ve been enjoying a surge in sales.

New reports now indicate that the Sony Xperia A, known as the Xperia ZR in other countries, is outselling the Samsung Galaxy S4 by a margin of 2:1. Now before you point out that Sony is enjoying the promotion from DoCoMo, we should point out that the other phone offered in the promotion is the Samsung Galaxy S4.

Sony Updates Xperia SP to Android 4.1.2

by Sohrab Osati | Aug 13, 2013 | 4 comments

The Sony firmware update train continues to chug this week. After making stops at the Xperia M and Xperia Z/ZL stations, the Sony Xperia SP is next on the list for Sony Mobile to update. While it won’t be getting Android 4.2, let alone for 4.3, the Xperia SP C5302 HSPA+ and C5303 LTE are gaining Android 4.1.2 (12.0.A.2.245) via Sony’s PC Companion app, as well as SUS and Bridge. With the update is already live in India, Philippines, and Vietnam, it’s only a matter of time before other countries, especially those in Europe should be seeing the new firmware. So what’s changed? Lets talk details after the jump.