Phones

Sony Mobile Announces the Waterproof Xperia go. We Have Specs and Pics

by Sohrab Osati | May 30, 2012 | 8 comments

Coming as a surprise, Sony Mobile today has announced the Xperia go, a mid-range Android smartphone with a twist. Unlike the Xperia ion and Xperia S which provide high end specs, the Xperia go instead comes with a standard 3.5-inch 480 x 320 display, 1 GHz NovaThor U8500 Dual-core Cortex A9, and 5-megapixel camera with 16x digital zoom, and LED flash. Ice Cream Sandwich fans will be disappointed by the Android Gingerbread OS but Sony has promised Android 4.0 action in the near future for the newly-announced phone. Sony has also yet to provide any information regarding release date beyond Q3, price, and carrier partners. We do know that once the Xperia go launches, would-be owners can choose between black, white, and yellow.

Oh and the twist we talked about? How about a water- and dust-proof phone with a scratch-resistant screen? That’s right, the Xperia go is part of a rare breed of phones that will launch with a manufactured waterproof coding, allowing it to be washed off with your faucet in case you drop it in a bag of flowers as Sony would want you to believe. Of course more realistically, it means the Xperia go will work when you accidentally drop it in the toilet bowl or when you decided to jump in the pool with your clothes on, forgetting that your phone was in your pocket. Not only is this a unique selling point for Xperia go in the glut of Android phones, but this will also help owners save a lot of money where previously, if they had gotten their phone wet, they would have had to buy their next phone at full price had they been in a contract.

After the jump, additional specs, pictures, an official press release, and a promo video highlighting some Xperia go features await you.

Sony Xperia PLAY to Miss Android 4.0 ICS

by Sohrab Osati | May 25, 2012 | 21 comments

Just as Sony can giveth, the company can taketh away and they’ve done just that with the Sony Xperia PLAY. Previously known as the PlayStation Phone, Sony had promised that their entire range of 2011 smartphones would be updated to the latest OS from Google. Now, Sony has confirmed that the Xperia PLAY will indeed miss Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich and probably any further OS releases from Google. The news comes a bit late in the game as the gaming focused smartphone was inline to receive the update in just a few weeks, after months of internal testing. The reasoning however seems less sinister and more to do with the toll that ICS puts on hardware. After the jump, Sony lays out their reasoning.

Sony Xperia S, P and sola Gain MasterCard PayPass Ready

by Sohrab Osati | May 11, 2012 | 2 comments

MasterCard PayPass Ready is the credit card companies attempt at taking on NFC (near field communication) payment systems head on by creating a standard system. Smartphones and other devices which are MasterCard PayPass approved will be able to with a simple hover near a capable register to pay for your purchases without the need of taking out a credit card and actually swiping. To gain MasterCard’s approval and allowance of using their seal of approval on your company website and presumably product box, devices must first be tested by a MasterCard-accredited laboratory to ensure devices are functionally reliable and secure. To date, 17 mobile devices have made the cut with phones from Nokia and RIM. Now, Sony Mobile has entered the mix as well with three devices of its own.

Sony Mobile to Drop Old Sony Ericsson Logo?

by Sohrab Osati | May 9, 2012 | 22 comments

It wouldn’t be Sony without a leak showing off their products weeks or months in advance. In our latest case, a new Sony Xperia smartphone picture seems to have leaked, dubbed the ST26i. What’s most interesting about this particular leak however isn’t a new handset from Sony despite the company just announcing the Xperia GX and SX. Instead, all eyes should focus on the devices back which no longer houses the Sony Ericsson logo, pictured below. Instead, the device simply states Xperia on the back and Sony on the top front.

It’s still unclear if this is just a prototype or a true indication of where the company is headed. Of course, Sony will need a lot more than logo changing to get back into the mobile race but that’s a whole other topic.

Sony Announces LTE Xperia GX and Xperia SX. We Have Specs and Pics

by Sohrab Osati | May 9, 2012 | 0 comments

Despite the Sony Xperia Arc never officially coming to the US and Xperia S still in limbo for a US release, Sony has announced the Xperia GX and Xperia SX for Japan. Despite a name change, the Xperia GX is the successor to the Xperia Arc, Sony’s former flagship phone in the land of the rising sun. With the new name, Sony can now better fit the device in their current name scheme which includes smartphones like the Xperia ion, Xperia S, Xperia P, and Xperia U while their tablet strategy consists of the Tablet S and Tablet P. So what has Sony included in the Xperia GX to keep it as their flagship device? How about a brand new 13-megapixel camera with CMOS sensor to star things off with which of course can record in 1080p. Set to ship with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, a 1.5 GHz dual-core processor will keep things smooth for you. Other Xperia GX specs include:

4.6-inch (720 x 1196) Display
16GB Internal Memory
Rumored Processor (MSM8960 S4 Snapdragon)
3G/4G LTE
Bluetooth 4.0
HDMI Out

Seeing how this phone is for Japan only, infrared connectivity, mobile wallet and a mobile TV will of course be included as well, giving us Westerners an idea of what the future is like. After the jump, lets talk about the Xperia SX and additional pictures.

Sony Xperia ion to be Available in the United States in June?

by Sohrab Osati | May 8, 2012 | 20 comments

While the Sony Xperia ion was shown off at CES, Sony’s first dip into 4G LTE technology, no official release date was given. Featuring a 4.6-inch display (1280 x 720), 12.1-megapixel camera, and 1.5GHz dual-core CPU with 1GB RAM, the ion, exclusive to AT&T was destined to be the companies flagship phone for the better part of 2012. With Summer nearing, many have expressed their doubts on Sony being able to deliver the phone in a timely fashion, especially in the wake of the continued success of the iPhone 4S and the newly announced Samsung Galaxy S3. Now, thanks to a Google Ad by Sony Mobile, all indications point to a June timetable and exclusivity with AT&T.

Sony, Gameloft, MLG Team Up For Xperia Mobile Gaming Arena

by Jan Hutchings | May 4, 2012 | 0 comments

Earlier today, Gameloft announced that they are partnering with Sony Mobile Corporation and Major League Gaming (MLG) to create the very first mobile platform competitive league called the Xperia Mobile Gaming Arena.

The MLG is currently the world’s biggest competitive video game league; and with this new partnership with Sony and Gameloft, they are getting ready to bring an unprecendented competitive smartphone gaming platform. The Xperia Mobile Gaming Arena events support both iOS and Android platforms and will launch with Gameloft’s premiere first person shooter Modern Combat 3: Fallen Nation. Competitive events have offer winners more than $10,000 in prizes. All competition details, scores and rankings are accessible via www.majorleaguegaming.com/mobile .

Peter Farmer, Head of Marketing for North America, Sony Mobile Communications had this to say about the Xperia Play:

“From the launch of Xperia PLAY, the first smartphone to bring console-like gaming to smartphone, to now the Xperia Mobile Gaming Arena, the first-of-its-kind competitive platform for mobile gamers, we are committed to bringing the best mobile entertainment experiences to our customers,”

Farmer also commented on Sony’s new partnership with MLG and Gameloft to bring Xperia Mobile Gaming Arena to the mainstream and hardcore gaming community.

“Bringing together MLG’s authority in competitive gaming, Gameloft’s blockbuster game titles and Sony Mobile’s immersive mobile entertainment experience, the Xperia Mobile Gaming Arena is sure to deliver a new level of mobile gaming for competitors.”

To participate in the Xperia Mobile gaming Arena, gamers simply link their MLG and Gameloft accounts, play a featured Xperia(TM) Mobile Gaming Arena title and their ranking is automatically tallied on the Xperia Mobile Gaming Arena leaderboards. For now, the only game supported is Gameloft’s Modern Combat 3; however, additional competitive titles will be rolled out in the coming months.

Stay tuned to SonyRumors for more information on the Xperia Mobile Gaming Arena in the coming weeks.

Sony Releases New Xperia PLAY Firmware for Verizon

by Sohrab Osati | May 1, 2012 | 20 comments

Seemingly out of the blue, Sony has released a new Xperia PLAY firmware, previously thought as the PlayStation Phone. The new firmware which build on the current Android 2.3 Gingerbread build takes the phone to Android 2.3.4 by giving it continuous autofocus while recording in 720p. To make the act of taking photos even easier, Sony has now assigned the right trigger button as the camera shutter key. Curiously, this Xperia PLAY firmware is only for Verizon owners despite the phone being available on AT&T as well. Other things to look forward to are new Verizon apps like VZ Navigator and Verizon Video-on-Demand (yay?). This update is now available and can be downloaded over the air. More, after the jump.

Sony Mobile Patent Points Towards Xperia Play with Dual Keyboards

by Sohrab Osati | Apr 30, 2012 | 11 comments

A new patent listing from Sony Mobile, the division of Sony in charge of smartphones, tablets and VAIO computers under new CEO Kunimasa Suzuki points towards a new keyboard concept. The PlayStation Phone which ultimately ended up as the Sony Xperia Play was an Android smartphone with an emphasis on gaming with a slide out gamepad. This meant that users could use the phones touchscreen for everyday use like texting and navigating the phone while saving the gamepad for just a game session. With a new patent, Sony aims to take the concept one step further by having a dual keyboard accompany what looks like the next generation Xperia Play. Tucked behind the gamepad, a second full QWERTY keyboard awaits, giving you yet another option to interact with your phone. Of course, a new patent listing should never be taken as an indication for product release but it does help stir the imagination.

Sony Xperia U Lands at the FCC

by Sohrab Osati | Apr 26, 2012 | 16 comments

Do you know about the Sony Xperia U? Yea, the same one that just got delayed along side of the Xperia P till late May for the UK has just landed at the FCC, the final step required before a device with wireless capabilities can go on sale. Of course, like always, the fine folks at the FCC did their best to tear apart the Android smartphone and reveal to us in graphic detail the innards of the handset. Though no big shocks, parts baring the old Sony Ericsson name were found. After the jump, a few more pictures for you.

Sony Xperia P and Xperia U Get Delayed Till Late May

by Sohrab Osati | Apr 23, 2012 | 5 comments

Sony’s always had ambitious plans for their Xperia line of phones. With a glut of Android phones available to the consumer, credit must be given to Sony for designing a line of phones which stand out from the crowd and yet follow in a similar pattern to help build a brand look and feel for Sony. With Kunimasa Suzuki appointed as the new President and CEO of Sony Mobile, which now oversees Sony’s smartphone, tablet and VAIO division, many (including Sony) thought that the company would be turning a new corner with the release of the Xperia ion, Xperia S, Xperia P, and Xperia U. This had even prompted the company’s new CEO, Kaz Hirai, to announce that the electronic giant would launch Xperia phones twice as fast to meet consumer demand and fight of competitors like Samsung and Apple. Now it seems, before the company can start releasing future handsets with twice the speed, it must first work on releasing its current announced lineup which will see the Xperia P and Xperia U delayed till late May.

Future Sony Xperia Phones Will Launch Twice as Fast

by Sohrab Osati | Apr 20, 2012 | 19 comments

It’s no secret that Sony’s been slow to the smartphone races. Like Microsoft who sat back during the crucial first three to four years, Sony has been slowly building up their portfolio with a new breed of Android smartphones to combat Apple and Samsung. Part of Sony’s strategy to get back into the mobiles war entailed for the company to break off their 10 year joint venture with Ericsson and bring all mobile operations in house under Sony Mobile which they’ve now done. Under new Sony CEO, Kaz Hirai, Sony also appointed Kunimasa Suzuki as the new President and CEO of Sony Mobile which now oversees Sony’s smartphone, tablet and VAIO division.

While in 2011, Sony released a wide array of phones, they companies line seemed too vast and sporadic, instead of a unified line of devices which built upon each other. With us nearing the half way mark in 2012, it’s clear that Sony Mobile is headed in a different direction with the Xperia ion, Xperia S, Xperia P, and Xperia U which all share similar design traits and features. Unlike previous years which each Sony smartphone different from one and other, Sony can now better leverage their unified design to help reduce costs and share components, something much harder in years past. Even though the Sony Mobile of today seems on paper drastically different than the Sony Ericsson of the past, Kaz Hirai thinks they need to do more, a lot more.

“I talked about some of the initiatives that we’ve embarked on in the time-to-market area where we are literally cutting by half the time to market for the Xperia smartphones“

Sony Mobiles Transition to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich Begins Today

by Sohrab Osati | Apr 13, 2012 | 2 comments

Despite downplaying Ice Cream Sandwich with an article which pointed out some reasons why users may want to stay away from the latest Google, Sony has begun the transition to Android 4.0. Earlier, we had reported on Sony’s timeline to transition their entire 2011 and 2012 smartphones to ICS which would start in mid April and end sometime past June. Now, starting today, April 13th, the first batch of phones can receive ICS in Sweden, Denmark, Iceland, Finland, and Norway. So lets talks phone eligibility.

Sony Outlines Why You May Not Want Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich

by Sohrab Osati | Apr 11, 2012 | 4 comments

Sony has done little to hide their ambitions for Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, the latest OS release from the folks at ~~Redmond~~ Mountain View. Despite ICS having a slow start and adoption rate, Sony has already updated their Music Unlimited app with ICS compatibility and has outlined the time frame for the Tablet S and Tablet P to gain the latest. Sony’s entire Xperia fleet will also be making the transition to the new OS. Still despite their dedication to the OS, Sony warns users that they might not in fact want to upgrade their devices to Android 4.0 when the update become available for their device.

So what reasons does the electronic giant give to cautious users who may be better off sticking with Android 2.3 Gingerbread? Speed and performance seems to top the list as the new OS requires more processing power and RAM.

Another interesting thing is that many apps use slightly more RAM in ICS. For example, the web browser is quite intensive, and our measurements indicate that it uses 20-30MB more in ICS compared to Gingerbread.

Sony Xperia P Lands at the FCC

by Sohrab Osati | Apr 6, 2012 | 21 comments

Remember the Sony Xperia P, the little brother of the Xperia S? For those in need of a recap, the Xperia P sports a 8-megapixel camera, 1080p video recording with 16GB of internal memory. Coming with a 4-inch multitouch screen, the Xperia P also uses Sony’s exclusive “White Magic” display which is designed to give better viewing during outdoor usage. We still don’t know exactly when the Xperia P be available in the US and which carrier with offer the phone. However, with the FCC approving products with wireless technology for the US, a launch window cannot be far behind. So what has the FCC revealed?