Sony Mobile

Sony Ericsson Dumps Symbian, Favors Android All Around

by Sohrab Osati | Oct 1, 2010 | 19 comments

Not too long ago, Sony Ericsson was in a huge rut and the marriage between Sony and Ericsson seemed to be all but over. Then Sony introduced the Xperia X10 and the X10 Mini Pro and the company seems to have its mojo back. In the glory days of Sony Ericsson, the company used the Symbian OS which is an open source platform much like Google’s Android along with other giants like Nokia and Motorola. That was pre-iPhone. Since then, Motorola has gone nearly out of business, fully dumped Symbian and now is banging out Android phones while it holds onto dear life. Nokia, once-dominant handset maker, has now zero presence in the United States although the company has a huge worldwide market presence, though that has declined from 51% a year ago to current 41.2%. In order to make Symbian relevant, Nokia and the Symbian foundation are dumping a lot of money into revamping the OS and making it a much better competitor to Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android. Let’s not forget that there is Rim with their new Blackberry 6 OS and Microsoft this winter with their Windows Phone 7. You can quickly see how much work Symbian has ahead of itself. In the meantime, Sony wants to make money, not wait to see if Nokia and Symbian can deliver. As Sony Ericsson spokesperson Aldo Liguori bluntly puts it, “We have no plans for the time being to develop any new products to the Symbian Foundation standard or operating system.” With Sony having many new ventures with Google, this news doesn’t come as a surprise as we expect many new Sony Ericsson products with the Android OS. Still, never say never is a universal lingo for Sony’s statement: they will leave the door open for them to develop future Symbian products, pending how well things turn out for Nokia and their new OS.

[Via BusinessWeek]

Sonys PS3 Remote Play Feature Comes to US Vaios

by Sohrab Osati | Sep 29, 2010 | 3 comments

In its efforts to further unify the brand and help them build and compliment off of each other, Sony is now giving US Vaio owners the capability of Remote Play, a feature we wrote about a long time ago that Japan had received. Some of the capabilities include using your laptop as the bluetooth keyboard and streaming content like music, video and pictures to your PS3. News is still a little sketchy on exactly which Vaio units are gaining this new update, but the EA series seems to be a sure bet. Keep in mind that if you own a Vaio that this wont be under your Windows Update section. You will have to use your Sony Updater or jump on Sonys eSupport section to see if it’s available for your model.

[Via Engadget]

Sony Updates Vaio F and E laptops and L Touchscreen All-in-one Desktop

by Sohrab Osati | Sep 27, 2010 | 14 comments

Just in time for fall, although probably too late for all those back in school, Sony is updating the Vaio F, E and L series. Starting off with the Vaio F, the 16.4-inch laptop is packing in a new NVIDIA GeForce GT 425M graphics card with 1GB of video RAM and duel USB 3.0 ports, targeting the gamers and pro users out there. Next up, the Vaio E series is again getting the color of “Passion Purple” and gaining accessing to the Intel Ci5-580 and Ci5-460M. For those looking for a viasual push, an upgrade option is available for trading up the default 1366 x 768 displays for 1920 x 1080 full HD which will be free till October 9th and a $50 fee after that. Last, the Vaio L Touchscreen all-in-one desktops is gaining access to an upgradable 2TB hard drive, Blu-ray burner and Intel Core 2 Quad processor and of course is touchscreen.

Hit the jump for shots of the Vaio F and E series.

[Via Sony Blog]

Sony Introduces New Navigations + TomTom for Europe

by Sohrab Osati | Sep 13, 2010 | 53 comments

During the IFA conference, Sony unleashed a series of new Xplod Navigation display systems that now use TomTom for their GPS functionality while still incorporating audio/video playback into their 7- and 6.1-inch WVGA touchscreens. Titled XNV-L77BT, XNV-770BT, XNV-L66BT and XNV-660BT, the models will all support:

Bluetooth
Auxiliary
USB jacks
DivX playback
DVD drive.

The higher end series which have L in their model number will also come with traffic, weather and local Google search. Currently, this series is only announced for Europe, designed to cover 45 countries. Expect a November shipping time although no price has yet to be announced.

Hit the jump for a full press release.

Sony Ericsson Xperia and Bike Have Sex

by Sohrab Osati | Sep 7, 2010 | 22 comments

During the IFA conference last week, in celebration of the launch of the new Xperia X10, Sony had a cool concept bike out. Ever wondered what a bike would look like if Sony Ericsson made one? Well wonder no more! There you have it. You can now finally sleep at night, not having to wonder about the possibility and outcome.

[Pic Via Engadget]

Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 Mini Pro Review

by Sohrab Osati | Sep 3, 2010 | 10 comments

Hot on the heals of their Xperia X10 launch, Sony is following up with a newer and different take on the Smartphone, the Xperia X10 Mini Pro. Woo, mouth full. Why not X10 Mini? Because that’s not how Sony does, they prefer extremely long and unconsumer friendly names. But that is for a different topic. With the new X10 Mini Pro, Sony is looking to target a different segment of the market. Those who want more then a phone that just makes phones calls, yet they don’t need everything an iPhone might have to offer. Now if you are reading this blog, chances are that you might not be one of those people but if you look around, there is plenty of people I’m sure that can come to mind. It seems that the guys over and Engadget agree as well.

Despite the relatively slow 600Mhz processor, the phone is actually very speedy. Running apps such as Tweetcaster and NewsRob are much faster than devices such as theGalaxy S that runs a processor nearly twice as fast.

It seems like Sony was able to take the best feature of a regular phone, add some Android to the mix and create a very functional and affordable phone for those who just don’t need a fully fledged Smartphone. Hit up Endgadget for the full review.

[Via Engadget]

HTC Favors Sony SLCD over Samsung's AMOLED

by Sohrab Osati | Aug 26, 2010 | 1 comment

HTC has a few things going for it with the wave of Android based handsets it has released. With the Droid Incredible, Nexus One and Desire gaining more and more sales, HTC hasn’t been able to actually provide them to the retailers because they simply cannot keep up with demand. As we noted, the popularity of Android is one but the other big contributor is that they currently use Samsung’s AMOLED for the screen and Samsung has not been able to ramp up their production to meet the demand. Of course HTC has a simple choice, wait around on Samsung or switch to a different company and make more money.

Breaking News: HTC switches over to Sony’s Super LCD display (SLCD) technology. HTC said that it will begin using SLCDs in a “variety” of its devices, and points out that the HTC Desire and Nexus One are on the list. Beyond being able to meet the demand that HTC seeks, Sony’s SLCD also offers a wide viewing angle, clear contrast and “natural balanced color.” The displays that HTC will use include Sony’s new VSPEC III technology. This is really good news for the consumer because not only will they get the product they want, but will also now get a superior screen (of course Samsung were sure will disagree).

Sony ups iPod Nano for half the price with new Walkman

by Sohrab Osati | Aug 23, 2010 | 0 comments

Are you looking for an iPod Nano? Well if you are willing to try something different or want something other than an iPod, Sony has something rather beefy for you. Enter the new E-Series walkman, model name NWZ-E350. Priced at $70 for a 4GB version and $80 for the 8GB, the new US bound series come in Red, Black and Blue. Although they do lack the video camera found on the iPod Nano, these units do indeed, besides the obvious music playback, do your photos, video and radio.

Sony Adds More Functionality to Sony Dash via Update

by Sohrab Osati | Aug 13, 2010 | 20 comments

In case you are still wondering about the Sony Dash and all that this device is capable of, I would recommend reading our initial review. For those who are already owners, Sony has released a new update that adds Shoutcast as a new internet radio option. For those who have a ton of apps, you can now add shortcuts on the screen and there is also a new and improved process for adding and deleting apps. To get all of this working for you, just unplug your Sony Dash and plug it back in. Once connected, the unit will notify you of the update.

[Via Engadget]

Sony brings Xperia X10 to AT&T, something Smarter is Sony

by Sohrab Osati | Aug 9, 2010 | 14 comments

Sony over the weekend teased us that something smarter is coming. Our guess was the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 and that’s exactly what Sony is introducing to the United States. Details on the phone are a little slim in the sense that we know the entire hardware, but we don’t know which version of Android it will be shipping with and there is no mention of the specifics on Sony’s own site, other than OS Android. You might wonder why I mentioned in the title that the something smarter is Sony. The reason is simple, the phone is priced at $129 with a two year AT&T contract. That is a fantastic price for the phone, but more importantly, Sony knows that the $199 price range is currently way crowded by brands everybody knows. Palm tried the $199 with the Palm Pre and they got destroyed because of the iPhone and others. The same is true for Sony; at $199, there is a huge selection for customers. So instead of just being another $199 phone, they are aiming to offer a great phone for a lower price to set themselves apart. Also, currently on AT&T, there are not many Android-based phones so for those looking for something other than an iPhone or Blackberry, this puts Sony at a nice position. Well played Sony. More details on this as Sony makes them available.

Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 Coming to AT&T Soon?

by Sohrab Osati | Aug 6, 2010 | 9 comments

As always when it comes to Sony Ericsson, there is good news mixed with bad news. The good news is that not only has Sony Ericsson been doing much better than years before, but that they may finally get a decent presence in the United States. If everything goes according to plan, in late August/early September, Sony and AT&T will be partnering to bring to the States the much raved Xperia X10. As Engadget reports: “It’ll cost independent dealers $345 per unit (retail pricing is anyone’s guess)” so there is no real price point out there. The other negative they seem to point out is that the Xperia X10 would be shipping with Android 1.6 which is just pure garbage compared to the now 2.2 Froyo.

I’m personally not sure if this is true or not, mostly because Sony has stated that it’s planning on bringing the newer Android build by Q4 at the exact time when the Xperia X10 would be launching in the States. But if we take the negative news for fact, this can be devastating for Sony from the reviewers’ stand point and Sony can’t use the bad press for their launch because of the fact that they don’t have any real following or fan base here in the phone market. The biggest reason is that Sony won’t simply be competing with the undisputed king, the iPhone, but it has to take on the everyday growing portfolio of Android phones and there are plenty of good phones for the consumer to pick through. With HTC and Motorola (and soon LG) beating each other over the head, the much anticipated Blackberry Torch with the new Blackberry software has basically been shrugged off by every review site and Blackberry is a brand with loyal users. Sony in the States would be starting off from scratch so a lackluster software offering would never make up for the phone, no matter how good the hardware and quality is that the device itself holds. So to Sony, please make sure that your software is up to snuff or hold off the release. Seriously.

Sony Ericsson Posts Another Profit, BP Oil Spill Also Stops

by Sohrab Osati | Jul 20, 2010 | 8 comments

Wow people. That is two miracles in one month. Sony Ericsson has honestly been the BP of Sony, oozing out random phones that never made much sense or were too expensive for anybody to afford. Sony itself never knew what to do with the brand name and it seemed like everybody was stuck in this awkward relationship where Sony fed them the parts and Ericsson made something. Sony Ericsson used to be a very highly profitable brand for Sony and in the world, they were a leader of the new and sexy. This all changed a little over 3 years ago when Apple introduced the iPhone. Suddenly, you either had to be a fully functional smart phone or you were oblivious to everybodys radar. But being just a smart phone isnt enough either with iOS4, Android and Palm and soon Windows Phone. This transition really caught many of the big players like RIM and Motorola and Sony Ericsson off guard. Making a phone with sleek design, high quality and great individual components like an 8MP camera is one thing, having it jump on the web, publish to Facebook and get apps is another beast. You need a platform for that and Sony didnt have one.

BP was finally able to get an cap on the huge gulf spill thats pretty much ruined the planet. Wall*E and Big & Large, here we come. Sony Ericsson seems to have made its own oil cap, Android. On Friday, during Sonys second quarter earnings call, they Sony Ericsson division was able to pull of a second profitible quarter in a row. Profit for the three months to June 30 was €12 million ($15.5 million), compared with a €213 million loss a year earlier, sustaining a turnaround that started in the first quarter, reports the WSJ. Now of course, things in some ways are only going to get tougher from here on. Apple was able to ship 3 million iPhone 4 unit so far, HP has bought Palm to drive that division and its presence in the Smart Phone Market and Microsoft will be bringing its Windows Phone series in late 2010. This all means more competition in the market but can also mean more revenue for Sony.

The one benefit that companies like Sony and HTC have is that they are not in the OS side of it. Meaning, they can make as many phones as they wish. Apple will clearly only put the iOS on the iPhone. Palm will only run its software on their phones (sense they make the hardware and software). All Sony has to do is to use current software from the likes of Google and Microsoft and make the best damn phone they can. They dont need to worry about the battle between MS, Google and Apple because they can be too busy making fantastic phones and if one platform goes to hell, they can continue to make phones for the other platform. Even better yet, Sony can make both Windows based phones and Android based phones. This way, it’s a win win.

[Via WSJ]

Sony Introduces E450 and A840 Walkman for Europe

by Sohrab Osati | Jul 20, 2010 | 112 comments

Although the Walkman is a dead and almost nonexistent product in the United States, it’s still doing okay in the European and Japanese markets. Mainly because of these two large markets, Sony has put out another revision to its Walkman lineup… although it seems sometimes that Sony will update products whether people are buying them or not. Let’s get to some specs.

The E450 sports a

4, 8 and 16GB
2” QVGA screen
SensMe (plays songs according to the mood you choose)
Support of MP3, WMA, AAC, Linear PCM, AVC(H.264/AVC), MPEG-4, WMV
Bluetooth for bluetooth headsets or streaming
FM Tuner (yay?)
50h music playback (you see that, iPod Nano?)
10h for video

The bigger brother, the A840 comes with

Up to 64GB
2.8” WQVGA AMOLED screen, TV out (480p)
FM (again, yay?)
Noise Canceling (beautiful feature)
Support of MPEG-4, MP3, WMA, AAC, HE-AAC, ATRAC, ATRAC AL, PCM/wav.

New Slim CD Player From Sony

by Sohrab Osati | Jul 7, 2010 | 19 comments

Oh yea, its the 90’s all over again, baby! Sony’s new ZS-E70 is a CD-player and Radio combo that sports a dual 1.7W speaker, a “slim” body of just 7cm and over the air functionality such as radio. This unit also comes with modern buttons such as Stop, Play, Pause, Next and Previous. The killer feature? It also does random, aka Shuffle mode. I’m pretty sure this unit will never make it stateside so look for it in Japan and other Asian countries. I’m sorry, it’s slow news week.

Sony Ericsson X10 Mini Teardown

by Sohrab Osati | Jul 2, 2010 | 7 comments

Until Sony becomes nice enough to give us units to review by hitting our Contact Us button, we’re going to have to rely on other sites. To the rescue comes the guys over at iFixit who got their hands on a Xperia X10 Mini and decided to take it apart. The inside of the unit reveals no real surprises but shows a very clean and compact interior. I would assume that the Sony Ericsson Yendo will be very similar on the inside.

[Via iFixit]