Phones

Sony Announces Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich Timeframe for Smartphones, Includes Some Delays

by Sohrab Osati | Mar 30, 2012 | 2 comments

It wouldn’t be a Sony software or hardware release without some form of delay. Sony, who originally wanted a slew of their smartphone handsets from last year and this year to be upgraded to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich by the end of April, is now pushing back the time frame by nearly a month. The rollout which is now set to start at the end of April will take Sony past June to complete and will not feature an OTA (over-the-air) update. Sony reasons that, due to the big departure from Android 2.3 and potential performance hiccups, the company want users to consciously download the update instead of flipping a switch and then flipping out from the end results.

Because this update is a significant revamp of some of your phone’s features, we want to make sure you take a conscious and informed decision to upgrade, so that you continue to enjoy optimum experiences from your Xperia smartphone.

Therefore, we’ll only be making it available for download via PC Companion and Bridge for Mac (i.e. not over the air via 3G or WiFi), and you also won’t receive any update requests or notifications.

Now, let’s talk time table and phone eligibility.

Sony Mobile Applies for ‘Navigation Using a Headset’ Patent

by Sohrab Osati | Mar 29, 2012 | 21 comments

Just last week we revealed a new patent from Sony’s mobile division which would help you navigate your phone with simple head gestures like nodding to answer a phone call while doing Night at the Roxbury with your head would send the perfect text message to your lover. Now, thanks again to the United States Patent & Trademark Office, we’ve been able to discover another patent by Sony, filled in September 2010, which aims to make your life and cell phone navigation easier by determining the direction you are facing so that your phone’s GPS can give you more accurate directions.

Meet the Sony Xperia neo L with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. We Have Specs and Pictures

by Sohrab Osati | Mar 21, 2012 | 2 comments

Sony’s ever growing line of Android smartphones for the US and Europe which include the Xperia ion, Xperia S, Xperia P, and Xperia U all have one thing in common, and that’s the lack of Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, the latest from the internet search giant Google. But before fans get their pitch forks out and head to Sony’s HQ, it should be noted that ICS will be pushed to all mentioned devices in the near future. So it’s a bit of a surprise to hear that Sony has announced a new smartphone, the Sony Xperia neo L (MT25i) for China and it will be rocking Android 4.0, Ice Cream Sandwich from day one in white or black. If the name sound familiar, that’s because Sony also produced the Xperia neo under the Sony Ericsson moniker, though in this case, it’s more of a recycling of the name than a true predecessor.

Sony Mobile Looks to Patent ‘Head Control’

by Sohrab Osati | Mar 19, 2012 | 0 comments

Companies like Sony often apply for patents that may never be used though they help give you insight in the direction the company might be moving towards. In the case of Sony Mobile, which acted under the name of Sony Ericsson in 2010, the company had applied for a ‘head control’ patent which would help users navigate their smartphone with different head movements. The patent, which has yet to be approved, would be based on a new generation of Bluetooth headsets with motion-sensing technology. Then, the user could create their own custom commands like nodding to answer a phone call while a left to right head movement could indicate the closing of a program.

Sony Mobile to Make Smartphones Running Windows Phone 8 OS?

by Sohrab Osati | Mar 9, 2012 | 7 comments

It seems as if the saga of Sony building a smartphone, running Windows Phone will never come to a stop till the two companies actually collaborate and build such a device. Rumors of such a device came to fruition as early as 2010 with Sony Ericsson’s CEO Pierre Perron deciding against the idea because it would “run the risk of standardizing our smartphones,” adding that (roughly translated), “we would be obliged to fight only on design and price, which we want to avoid.” Such a move made a lot of sense at the time, with Sony Ericsson just getting in the groove of creating smartphones running Android OS. With limited resources and a small market share, it would be a wise move for the company to support a growing platform like Android and cancel their Microsoft’s Windows Phone which was just beginning its deployment.

Fast forward to today and things are quite different. Sony Ericsson has now been broken up and turned into Sony Mobile, an internal division within Sony that oversees all smartphone designs versus the split decisions that took place under Sony Ericsson. In just a short time, Sony has also been able to produce an exciting array of phones which include the Xperia ion, Xperia S, Xperia U, and Xperia P. Although many of these phones won’t launch till Q2 of this year, it’s easy to see the differences from internally-produced phones from Sony which carry a much more disciplined design that leverages internal Sony technology like their Bravia engine. Things on the Microsoft front are also different with the company signing a multi-billion dollar deal with Nokia which will see them produce Windows Phones exclusively. Microsoft also has LG and Samsung on board as well, though they’ve yet to produce any exciting device, unlike Nokia’s Lumina 800 and 900. It’s no secret that Microsoft was late to the smartphone revolution but it would be foolish to rule them out, especially with the amount of cash the company tends to throw towards product promotion like the $500 million spent last year to promote Kinect for Xbox 360.

With Sony’s mobile future purely in their own hands, reports are pointing towards the launch of Windows Phone 8, codename Apollo, as the potential timeframe for Sony to expand its mobile offering. Though not confirmed, multiple sources have said that Sony will be making this transition in later 2012 which also coincides with the launch of Windows Phone 8. For Sony, this could be a big boom as the Android market continues to saturate with feels like 10 new phones are released daily. Windows Phone has yet to catch on with consumers but with Microsoft’s commitment and need for success in the market, it’s not a stretch to imagine that the company will begin to heavily promote their new OS, especially as Windows 8 for computers and tablets is set to launch in the later part of 2012 which will be heavily tied with Windows Phone 8. With few handsets available for the new OS and potential promotions from Microsoft towards Sony, it seems like a no brainer for Sony to support Windows Phone 8 in addition to Android.

For those who would cry foul and argue that Microsoft and Sony are bitter rivals, I will simply point out that Sony’s entire VAIO line runs on Windows which has had Microsoft air commercials using only Sony devices. The mobile space is no different as both companies have a lot to gain from this partnership.

Meet the Sony Xperia U. We Have Specs and Pics

by Sohrab Osati | Mar 1, 2012 | 17 comments

If you’re like us, then you are beginning to see a pattern in Sony’s naming scheme. The Sony Tablet S and P are the first two Android tablets from Sony while the new Sony Mobile division will be releasing the Xperia S, P, ion, and now the Xperia U (yes, ion does throw the whole thing a bit off). Officially unveiled in Barcelona during Mobile World Congress, the Sony Xperia U will be the entry model in Sony’s 2012 lineup of phones and thus, the cheapest of the bunch, though no price has been announced. Still, cheaper doesn’t mean under-powered and while the greatest specs always sound great, many simply don’t need the most high end device while others can’t afford them so it’s good to see Sony offer devices that cater to the entire market.

The Xperia U follows in the tradition of its bigger brothers by offering a Reality Display screen with the Bravia Engine, designed for optimal color playback during videos. Unlike the Xperia S and Xperia P’s 4-inch display, the Xperia U will instead sport a 3.5-inch (854 x 480 pixels) multitouch display and drop the rear facing camera down to 5-megapixels. With a 1GHz dual-core processor, Sony claims that this 3G Android Gingerbread phone (with Ice Cream Sandwich coming shortly after launch) is capable of six and a half hours of talk time. Available in white and black, the Xperia U will be available in Q2 of this year.

For those wondering, despite the phone being available in only two colors, Sony will also be making removable caps (the bottom part) which will be offered in different colors at an unannounced price, hence the reason for the yellow and pink. After the jump, a full specs list awaits you.

Meet the Sony Xperia P. We Have Specs and Pics

by Sohrab Osati | Feb 29, 2012 | 22 comments

Sony has officially unveiled the Xperia P, previously codenamed the Nyphon. Taking a similar design cue from the Xperia S, the Xperia P is designed to be one step lower than the S with a few downgrades like a smaller 8-megapixel camera, versus the 12 megapixel that can be found on the Xperia S. Owning an iPhone 4S, I can tell you that a drop to 8-megapixel is no big deal and probably a welcome for those who might not have a lot of storage space on their phone. Speaking of storage, the Xperia P comes with a 16GB internal memory.

Unlike the white or black finish that can be found on the Xperia S, the Xperia P pays homage to the first iPhone, with a sleek aluminum back (silver, black, and red) while Sony has introduced a new technology called “White Magic” display. This new tech which powers the Xperia P’s 4-inch multitouch display is designed to give better viewing during outdoor use and viewing.

Fans of NFC technology will be happy to know that the Xperia P also supports the eventual doom to carrying cash and credit cards. And if your like most people who own a TV with an HDMI input, the Xperia P also boasts an HDMI out, letting you easily show off your HD videos and photos. Still, if your a dock fan like me and prefer to have set locations for your devices, Sony will also be introducing a dock in Q2 (that’s also when the Xperia P launches) which will have the usuals like charging your device and video out. What’s unique to the dock is the capability of plugging in a USB keyboard and mouse which can then be used to navigate the Android Gingerbread interface (Ice Cream Sandwich is planned for shortly after the devices launch) and be used for writing emails and more.

Sony has yet to announce a price but I believe that it will fall right in the $199 territory (with a two year contract of course). After the jump, the Sony Xperia P specs and our comment section await you.

Sony Ericsson Rebranding Continues. Sony Mobile Now Live for North America

by Sohrab Osati | Feb 23, 2012 | 7 comments

It’s been a few months in the making but now that the divorce between Sony and Ericsson is complete and Sony has announced their new cell phone division, Sony Mobile Communications, Sony is doing all it can to forget about the painful last 10 years. Most relationships tend to do this with burning of pictures and things that remind you of your ex. In the case of Sony, they’ve begun the rebranding of their North American website, which no longer houses the name Sony Ericsson. In fact, thew new destination for Sony smartphones is SonyMobile.com and those who visit the old SonyEricsson.com site are redirected towards the newer, cleaner site. Still, like all old relationships, it’s hard to get rid of everything that reminds you of your ex and for those who navigate over to the product page, they’ll be greeted to many smartphones that still house the Sony Ericsson name. This isn’t a surprise, seeing how there are probably millions of devices in Sony’s inventory. Still, you can be assured that all future phones like the Xperia ion and Xperia S will only contain the Sony name.

Sony Ericsson Finally Ends, Renamed to Sony Mobile Communications

by Sohrab Osati | Feb 16, 2012 | 10 comments

It’s been a long process, with Sony buying the remaining shares of their partnership with Ericsson in mid-October of 2011. The process, which ended up costing Sony 1.4 billion euros ($1.9 billion), awarded Sony more than 4,000 patents that Sony Ericsson controlled while also bringing in all mobile operations in house at Sony. The move was designed to help the company better integrate their mobile line of phones and potentially tablets with Sony assets such as Sony Pictures and services like Music and Video Unlimited. Sony also hopes that, with internal phone designs, they will be better able to leverage their many departments strengths, like screen technology from the Bravia division.

With 2011 far in the rear view mirror, so, it seems, is the Sony Ericsson brand name, as Sony announced Sony Mobile Communications to be the new mobile brand and department. Future phones which were announced at CES, like the Xperia S and Xperia ion, will now ship directly under the Sony name. After the jump, the press release.

Meet the Xperia ion. We Have Specs and Pictures

by Sohrab Osati | Jan 17, 2012 | 26 comments

The Sony Xperia S wasn’t the only smartphone announcement from Sony during CES. Landing again under just the Sony name with their new design direction, the Xperia ion is a 4G LTE enabled phone, exclusive to AT&T in the US. Though similar in design to the Xperia S, the Xperia ion loses the clear antenna design but instead gains a 4.6-inch multitouch screen. Some additional Sony Xperia ion specs include:

1280 x 720 4.6-inch display
1.5GHz dual-core CPU
1GB of RAM
4G LTE
12 megapixel Sony’s Exmor R backlit sensor
1.3 megapixel front facing camera (720p video)
1080p video recording
HDMI out
16GB
Black and White
PlayStation Certified
Android 2.3 Gingerbread

Much like its smaller sibling, the Xperia ion will ship with Android 2.3 Gingerbread but should follow soon with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. Seeing how the phone will ship in Q2 2012, the delay for Ice Cream Sandwich is mostly due to additional carrier testing. Sony is also very vocal about the Xperia ion, being able to go from standby mode to the first shot in 1.5 seconds. After the jump, additional pictures and a press release await you. Of course, your comments are always welcome as well.

Meet the Sony Xperia S. We Have Specs and Pictures

by Sohrab Osati | Jan 16, 2012 | 21 comments

We’ve already given you a video overview of the Sony Xperia S, the latest 3G Android smartphone from Sony during CES 2012. This new breed from Sony has now shed the Ericsson branding, instead opting to display only Sony as the name to appear on the design. More importantly, Sony is also taking a new direction with their first in-house-built device. Long gone is the curved plastic shelling from the previous models and, instead, a new sturdy and solid design in a slightly curved back panel. Those with a keen eye will also notice a clear bar towards the bottom of the screen, indicating the end of the multitouch screen. A closer look will reveal tiny lines criss crossing each other which is actually wiring for the antenna, a clever design choice by Sony. Besides a new design, Sony didn’t forget to bring all new firepower for under the hood. Some of the Sony Xperia S specs include:

1280 x 720 4.3-inch display
1.5GHz CPU
1GB of RAM
12 megapixel Sony’s Exmor R backlit sensor
1.3 megapixel front facing camera
1080p video recording
HDMI out
16GB and 32GB models
Black and White
PlayStation Certified
Android 2.3 Gingerbread

Don’t worry too much about that last spec as Sony has assured us that Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich is right around the corner (Q2 2012) for the Xperia S, which is set to launch in Q1 2012. No specific partners have been announced for this 3G-enabled phone but pricing is expected to land in the $199 range. After the jump, additional pictures and an official press release await you.

As a reader on Engadget said:

sickstysicks
Proof positive that you can design a touch screen phone without looking like a iPhone. Looking at you Samsung.

CES 2012: Sony Xperia S Overview

by Sohrab Osati | Jan 11, 2012 | 17 comments

During Sony’s CES 2012 press conference, the electronic giant, who’s been long looking at tackling the US market with a proper Android handset, unveiled their latest attempt: the Sony Xperia S. Though certain models on the floor, including the one we looked at, still had the Sony Ericsson title, Sony was quick to point out that the finalized model will ship with only the Sony title, seeing how the company has spent nearly $2 billion on a buyout of Ericsson, their long-time mobile partner. The Xperia S is first of a kind for Sony, featuring a 4.3-inch LCD screen with a stunning 1280 x 720 resolution, powered by a 12-megapixel CMOS sensor and equipped with HSPA+ with up to 21MBps speeds. We’ll have plenty more for you in the future about the Sony Xperia S and the Xperia Ion. In the meantime, check out our CES video overview of the Xperia S, which includes a look at the phone’s rate of 1.5 seconds from the lock screen to a still picture.

Sony Ericsson Will End Sponsorship of WTA Tour in 2012

by Sohrab Osati | Dec 23, 2011 | 5 comments

Come the end of the 2012 season, Sony Ericsson will be ending its sponsorship of the WTA tour. Since 2005, Sony Ericsson has been the sponsor of the WTA tour with a six-year contract worth $88 million. The contract was later extended to 2012, after which Sony Ericsson will bow out.

The WTA will soon be on the lookout for a new sponsor;

2012 will be the eighth and final year of the partnership. They have been a great partner and we will miss them.

Sony Ericsson PR manager Graciela Pineda explained that

this was a strategic decision based on the evolution of the business and the brand.

It’s not hard to imagine that part of the pullback from Sony is related to the full buyout of the partnership between Sony and Ericsson in which Sony will buy the remaining 50% of the joint venture. Seeing how the full buyout will cost Sony billions of dollars and the fact that Sony is behind its rivals like Apple and Samsung, Sony needs to save every penny it can and instead use it in R&D and proper marketing of their devices.

Sony Outlines Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich Rollout Time Table

by Sohrab Osati | Dec 22, 2011 | 31 comments

The soon-to-be defunct Sony Ericsson, which will then become just Sony, is revealing its hand when it comes to Android 4.0. The new update, which is called Ice Cream Sandwich, will be coming to quite a few of the Xperia phones in a multi-month, phased rollout. Sony will kick things off with the Xperia Arc S, Neo V, and Ray with a late-March to early-April release window. Then, later in April to early May, the Xperia Active, Arc, Mini, Mini Pro, Neo, Play, Xperia Pro handsets, and yes, Live With Walkman, will get their own chance at upgrading to Ice Cream Sandwich. Don’t expect that all devices will get Android 4.0 at the same time. Sony is very clear that this will be a phased roll out, meaning depending on your phone model and carrier, you could be receiving the update at a different. Sony explains that there is five parts required on their part to make Android 4.0 available to you:

It starts with public push when we as a manufacturer get access to the new Android release from Google
Our developers take the existing Xperia™ software and combine it with the new Android release
Once the coding is done we want to make sure the quality of the new software meets our, our partners and your expectations
Now we feel the new software is ready but we also need to make sure it’s approved by our external partners
All good. We’re all set to roll-out the new software. The story continues in your Xperia™ smartphone

With Sony hoping to climb the Android totem pole to the top, we can only hope that they stay aggressive and that the mentioned time table sticks.

Sony Ericsson to Be No More in Mid-2012, Currently Holds 19% of Android Market Share

by Sohrab Osati | Dec 7, 2011 | 15 comments

The days are now numbered for the once partnership that begin between Sony and Ericsson 10 years ago. The two companies are in midst of filling the final paper work that would end the 50/50 partnership. Though in the early days, the partnership was hailed between the two companies, thanks to Apple and the advent of the smartphone rise, Sony Ericsson began to fall behind and unable to compete with Apple and other Android makers like Samsung and HTC. Kristian Tear, executive VP & head of sales & marketing of Sony Ericsson,

“A lot of planning goes into getting the branding right but we will be done by middle of next year. It will also mean that the marketing and advertising investments will go up. We haven’t been as fierce as we were a few years back but we will step it up, refocus and invest more in brand-building in select markets and India is one of those markets”

Sony is hoping that by bringing all smartphone operations in house and under one roof, the company will be better able to leverage it’s many assets, including their technological strength that has the company building industry leading televisions with the Bravia line and their powerful gaming machine, the PlayStation 3. Sony of course has their hands in the entertainment industry as well with Sony Pictures and Sony/BMG (music).

“Sony is the world’s biggest entertainment company. We were earlier a 50-50 JV, but now that we are a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sony Corp. We expect to gain from its assets on the content , technology and brand side,”

When looking at the larger smartphone market, Sony Ericsson currently only holds 2% of the market thought that number raises to 19% if we consider only Android smartphones. Sony hopes that by bringing in their media and consumer electronic background to the smartphone race, they can create some unique Android smartphones and rise to the top of the Android totem pole, something that they’ve been striving for during the past few years. The company has had some unfortunate setbacks though, mostly out of their hands.

“Last eight quarters have been good for us and we are proud of that. We went from focusing only on volumes to value but the big setback was what happened in Japan with the Tsunami, which put us back for this year quite a bit. But we are going in the right direction,”

With a large fragmentation happening in the Android market and little that differentiates one device from another, Sony has a unique opportunity to pull together all of their assets and offer would be Android buyers and switchers a different take and ecosystem, something that Apple has been able to do.