Tag Archives: SonyMobile

Sony aims for third place in global smartphone popularity contest

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Sony aims for third place in smartphone contest

Taking a bullish approach to the competitive world of smartphones, Sony's head of mobile told reporters earlier today that the company wants to claim third place. Yep, not first or second (Apple or Samsung, depending on your metric of choice) but the other guy -- enough to make it on the podium. IDC recently ranked Sony in fourth place for the last quarter, claiming 4.5 percent of the mobile market, ahead of ZTE, but behind Huawei and those aforementioned smartphone sovereigns. Kunimasa Suzuki added that the company's plan might involve humbler models pitched at developing nations. Hopefully those cheaper Xperia devices will arrive soon, as Sony's running out of letters. And heck, there's nothing wrong with third place.

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Source: Reuters

Sony begins exploring Firefox OS, dares Xperia E owners to experiment with new ROM

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Sony begins exploring Firefox OS, dares Xperia E owners to experiment with new ROM

Well, that didn't take long. A mere couple of days after announcing it, too, would be jumping on the Firefox OS bandwagon, Sony's now let it be known that it's making an "experimental" ROM available to devs (or any common, daring owner) with an Xperia E device. According the company's Developer World blog post, this developmental version of Mozilla's fresh mobile software is being released in order to show the current progress of the OS project, as well as in hopes of receiving feedback that'll be beneficial toward the finished product. Folks interested in tinkering with the Firefox OS ROM can hit the source link below to see what it all entails, while those only looking for a quick peek will find just that in the video situated right after the break.

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Via: The Verge

Source: Sony Developer World

Sony Mobile has ‘an ambition’ to launch Firefox OS device in 2014

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Sony Mobile has 'an ambition' to launch Firefox OS device in 2014

Despite what your feelings may be about Firefox OS, various OEMs and carriers are clearly content with having more options to explore. The latest outfit appears to be Sony's Mobile entity, which, earlier today, announced it had reached a multi-year deal with Telefónica that will "explore the development" of a device running Mozilla's novel operating system. What's more, Deputy Chief Executive Officer and Head of Products Business Group, Bob Ishida, says Sony Mobile engineers are already working on a project with the new mobile OS on the block, adding that the eventual goal is to "bring a product to market in 2014." Now, whether we'll see higher-end slabs than some of the ones we've experienced thus far, well, dear readers, that remains to be seen.

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Via: The Next Web

Source: Telefónica

Sony’s Xperia Tablet Z announced: 1.5GHz quad-core, 10.1-inch 1,920 x 1,200 screen and 6.9mm thickness

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Sony's Xperia Tablet Z announced 15GHz quadcore, 101inch 1,920 x 1,200 screen and 69mm thickness

Announced bright and early in Japan today is the Sony Xperia Tablet Z that we've been hearing about. As you'd expect, this 10.1-inch Android 4.1 tablet features the same design language as its smartphone counterpart, but it's what's inside that really sells this device: a Qualcomm 1.5GHz quad-core APQ8064 processor, 2GB RAM, 32GB storage, a 10.1-inch 1,920 x 1,200 screen (with Mobile Bravia Engine 2), an 8.1-megapixel Exmor R camera, NFC, LTE (MDM9215M radio), microSD expansion and Sony's very own "S-Force" virtual surround sound technology. Amazingly, these are all packed tightly into a 6.9mm-thick, 495g-heavy body which not only takes a huge leap from the retiring Xperia Tablet S, but it also beats the Toshiba Excite 10 LE that was once the champion in both fields. That's right, Sony now has the world's thinnest and lightest 10-inch tablet! Oh, and did we mention that the Tablet Z is both waterproof and dustproof as well? We'll update you guys once we get hold of info on pricing and availability.

Update: For those wondering, Blog of Mobile says this new tablet packs a 6,000mAh battery, which is actually a tad smaller than the Excite 10 LE's 6,690mAh cell. Hopefully Sony's power management will bring its tablet up to about the same mobility performance.

Gallery: Sony's Xperia Tablet Z announced: 1.5GHz quad-core, 10.1-inch 1,920 x 1,200 screen and 6.9mm thickness

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Source: Sony Mobile

Sony promises top-end handset to compete with GS III and iPhone, implies its existing flagship doesn’t

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Sony promises topend handset to compete with GS III and iPhone, implies its existing flagship doesn't

Sony Mobile's sales chief, Dennis van Schie, has gone on the record with a pledge that just about crosses the line from marketing to manifesto. Speaking to the Financial Times Deutschland, he said Sony "will create, in the near future, a flagship model that can compete with Apple's iPhone and Samsung's Galaxy S III." Such a claim doesn't sound like a ringing endorsement of the manufacturer's existing top-end offering, the fast yet flawed Xperia TL, but it does raise our hopes for CES, since FTD reports that the superphone in question will be presented in early 2013 at both the Las Vegas show and Mobile World Congress. On a related note, van Schie also promised that Sony's chaotic array of online storefronts would become better integrated by the end of 2013, with every user being able to use a single ID across all their devices to access content -- something that sounds simple, but evidently isn't.

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Sony promises top-end handset to compete with GS III and iPhone, implies its existing flagship doesn't originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 16 Nov 2012 06:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bring the noise! Sony confirms HD Voice support for Xperia T

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DNP Sony confirms HD Voice support for the Xperia T

In the fast moving world of smartphones, giant HD displays just aren't enough anymore. The new hot commodity in the land of mobile is "HD Voice." Sure, the technology isn't exactly brand new, but using it over post-3G high speed networks is. The selling point here is high quality noise cancellation, which allows a phone's user to be heard clearly in the noisiest of environments. The latest device to hop on the bandwagon is Sony's Xperia T. When describing this feature, the herculean consumer electronics maker got downright emotional saying, "you feel closer to the person you are talking to." While we're not too sure about that, HD Voice did impress during our ears-on session. The major caveat here is that this feature requires that both parties have HD Voice capable handsets. So, until this concept becomes more mainstream, Xperia T owners' phone calls are likely to be close, but no cigar.

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Bring the noise! Sony confirms HD Voice support for Xperia T originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 18 Oct 2012 22:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hands-on with Wikipad, the $500 Android gaming tablet (video)

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Handson with Wikipad, the $500 Android gaming tablet

The Wikipad is an anomaly. It's a 10.1-inch, $500 Android tablet aimed squarely at gamers -- an expensive portal to a platform many mobile game developers have abandoned due to piracy. It's got an IPS display with 1,280 x 800 resolution, an NVIDIA Tegra 3 T30 quad-core 1.4GHz processor, 1GB of DDR2 RAM, and Android 4.1 Jelly Bean (at launch). So ... it's not quite as sharp in the graphics department as some other tablets on the market, nor is it as pretty as its main handheld gaming competition, the PlayStation Vita. On top of that, it's from an engineering firm that you've never heard of -- Wikipad is also the name of the business behind the tablet, and this is the company's first product launch. Oh, and did we mention that the main selling point is an attachable game controller that frames half the tablet in a mess of plastic buttons, joysticks, and speakers? And no, the controller won't be sold separately, nor will it work with any other tablet.

Defying all logic, however, the Wikipad feels like a surprisingly solid piece of equipment (regardless of the fact that the prototype model we used was hand-built). From the light but solid construction of the tablet's chassis, to its grippy molded rear -- which helps both for gripping the tablet without the controller attached and assists sound amplification when the device is laid down -- nothing about the device feels cheap. As a tablet, it's speedy and responsive. Apps load quickly and smoothly, and it's got extra loud speakers for gaming without headphones (or for David Guetta, as was demonstrated to us). The custom skin it was running felt a bit rough -- the apps get reorganized with a gaming focus and slapped onto a flippable cube, which caused some visual stuttering from pane to pane. Another feature of the custom OS is a special 3D game launcher, which includes sections for Nvidia's Tegra Zone, PlayStation Mobile games, GameStop-suggested titles, and Google Play. There are some less than exciting ad banners attached to this launcher, but they're easily ignorable. Though Gaikai is still working with the Wikipad post-Sony buyout, CEO James Bower told us the game streaming service won't be there at launch -- he's hoping it'll arrive by year's end, "but that's up to Sony."

Gallery: Wikipad hands-on

Continue reading Hands-on with Wikipad, the $500 Android gaming tablet (video)

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Hands-on with Wikipad, the $500 Android gaming tablet (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 26 Sep 2012 14:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony’s Xperia acro S now on sale in unlocked form for $650

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Sony's Xperia acro S now on sale in unlocked form for $650

Shortly after leaping through the requisite FCC hoops, Sony's 1.5GHz Xperia acro S is now on sale to able and willing Americans. For those who've forgotten, the 4.3-inch smartphone packs a 720p panel, IP55 and IP57 dust / water resistance, inbuilt NFC, Bluetooth, a 12.1-megapixel camera around back, a battery good for up to eight hours of yapping and Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean). In unlocked form, it'll set you back $649.99 -- or, for the Sony faithful, just 64,999 Rewards points. Sadly, you can't get one stamped with a Sony Ericsson logo for the sake of nostalgia at any price. Per usual, the source link is awaiting your order.

[Thanks, Kevin]

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Sony's Xperia acro S now on sale in unlocked form for $650 originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 21 Sep 2012 17:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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