Sony unveils 2012 Walkman range: Android 4.0 F series and refreshed entry-level E series (eyes-on)

Sony unveils refreshed Walkman range Android 40 F series and entrylevel E series eyeson

The Walkman F800 is Sony's latest PMP; a 3.5-inch Android media player that replaces the company's middling Z series. Perhaps the most intriguing point is that the new media player will arrive with Android 4.0 from the start, alongside the usual raft of WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity options. Storage choices range from 8GB, through to 16GB and 32GB, with 4.5 hours of video playback apparently possible on the handhelds. It's the new flagship media player for Sony, and will launch in Europe priced at around £210 ($279).

The noise-cancelling E series (and an even-more-bare-bones version) has also been refreshed. The hardware hasn't changed that much, aside from a larger 2-inch LCD screen, but there's a whole raft of new patterns and colors. The petit slabs will arrive alongside a new dock that will run off the PMP's own battery, augmenting the existing built-in speaker. If you liked the E series, but need something a little more wireless, then the just-announced Bluetooth-toting Walkman S770BT may hit the spot. Aside from that addition, the device otherwise lists the same specifications as the E series. Sony tells us that all three Walkman families will be available in Europe starting today -- and we managed to handle both the new noise-cancelling E474 (£80, or around $80) and the F800 last week. Unfortunately, we were only able feel around the device, as unfortunately neither were powered up. The F series feels a lot like a solidly-built smart phone, with a matte black finish -- the device arrives in just the single color option. Meanwhile, the E series attacks the rainbow, with a range of patterns. These feel predictably lighter, and should slip into pockets very easily. Take a closer look at the PMP pair in the galleries below.

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Sony unveils 2012 Walkman range: Android 4.0 F series and refreshed entry-level E series (eyes-on) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 18 Jul 2012 07:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony VAIO E Series 14P gets Ivy Bridge processor nudge, improved display

Sony VAIO E Series 14P gets an Ivy Bridge nudge

While they may not be the Sony ultrabooks we're still all itching to see, the company's E Series 14P laptops have reappeared with some Ivy Bridge bones. According to Sony Australia, the previously Intel Core i3 processor has been bulked up to a third-generation 2.1GHz Core i7-3612QM, capable of 3.1GHz with Turbo Boost. That's not the only difference, with the 14-inch display boosted to 1600 x 900 and a new choice between AMD'S Radeon HD 7670M or Intel's HD Graphics 4000 to provide the graphical horse power in the updated hardware. The aluminum-splashed laptops, priced at $1,500 AUD (around $1,608 USD), will still house Sony's Gesture Control functions. This should allow you to navigate around websites and media playback with some arm flailing -- provided you're using Microsoft perennials like Internet Explorer 9 and Windows Media Player. These updated specs are tinged with some (minor) bad news; it looks like the pink iteration won't be getting the same improvements seen on the black and white models. Regardless, monochrome fans can hit up the source for all the new details.

Sony VAIO E Series 14P gets Ivy Bridge processor nudge, improved display originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 23 Apr 2012 08:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony unveils E Series 14P laptops with gesture-based controls

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They may not be the thinnest or most powerful machines Sony's ever introduced, but the new trio hopes to catch a few hearts here and there. A follow-up to those flashy VAIOs we saw a while back, these E Series models are each packing a 14-inch, 1366 x 768 display, an Intel Core i3 2550M CPU with 4GB of RAM and your choice of AMD Radeon HD 7670M or Intel HD Graphics 3000 -- all while promising up to seven hours of battery life. Run-of-the-mill specs aside, Sony's Gesture Control feature will allow you to swipe between pages and adjust bits like music playback -- though, at the moment it only works with Windows Media Player, IE9, PowerPoint and PowerDVD. The company's yet to reveal the 14P's price tag, but in the meantime you can decide which color best suits you by checking out the gallery below.

Sony unveils E Series 14P laptops with gesture-based controls originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 10 Apr 2012 13:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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