We go hands-on with the waterproof Sony Xperia go (video)

We go handson with the waterproof Sony Xperia go video

The spiritual successor to last year's Xperia Active has been given a performance boost. Now packing a dual-core 1GHz processor, Sony hopes it'll manage to keep up with your surf-heavy lifestyle. At least, that's the explanation we reckon underpins the Xperia go's (or Xperia advance) certified dust and waterproofing. The phone is notch above the Xperia miro and Xperia tipo hardware wise, although the software remains less so, leaning on the increasingly creaky Android Gingerbread. (Sony says it's coming -- but it wont be available on launch.)

Those curved corners and design lines bring it close to the aesthetic of the Xperia S, P and U -- although it does lack that pervasive see-through bar. The increased processing power made web browsing a pretty painless affair, while wet finger tracking means you'll still be able to use the 3.5-inch touchscreen in the British Summer surf. The device will be priced around £250 (around $390) in the UK and is pegged to arrive over the next few months in white, black and yellow -- the latter has swiftly become our favorite. Take a visual tour of the yellow option in our gallery and hands-on video right after the break.

Continue reading We go hands-on with the waterproof Sony Xperia go (video)

Filed under:

We go hands-on with the waterproof Sony Xperia go (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 10 Jul 2012 14:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

Sony Xperia miro and Xperia tipo hands-on (video)

Sony Xperia Miro and Xperia Tipo handson video

Sony's smallest additions to its smartphone roster won't launch until late August, but that didn't stop us dabbling with both handsets at Carphone Warehouse's Christmas (already?) show in London earlier today. The point of interest here is Ice Cream Sandwich, which arrives ready-to-go on both devices. The Xperia tipo will be arriving in Europe in its single SIM guise, with the dual-slot brother launching in Asia. It feels unerringly light in the hands at 3.5 ounces, while the 3.2-inch 480 x 320 TFT screen and 800MHz processor just about suffices for web browsing. There's a 3.2-megapixel camera on show on the back, with room for microSD storage expansion.

The Xperia miro expands the touchscreen to 3.5 inches, and whacks the camera up to five megapixels, although you won't find the same Exmor R sensor that impressed on preceding devices. There's a nice curvature below the Android capacitive button row, although the backing is unfortunately plain on both color options we saw. In sort, both devices aren't going to wow you with their technical prowess -- although they might with their prices. The Xperia tipo is set to arrive in August priced below £100 (less than $155), while the slightly larger Xperia miro will arrive around a month later, priced around £150 ($232). Head on past the break for a video of both handsets in action.

Continue reading Sony Xperia miro and Xperia tipo hands-on (video)

Filed under:

Sony Xperia miro and Xperia tipo hands-on (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 10 Jul 2012 13:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

Sony Xperia P blushes in metallic pink

Sony Xperia P blushes in metallic pink

If the black, grey and red hues of existing Xperia P models really weren't cutting it, Sony has just previewed a new color option -- pink. The device made a brief appearance at Sony's Weibo event, matching the metallic finish of our review model, but throwing in a little extra feminine charm. No news on release regions or dates, but given the Asia-centric reveal, we suspect it's unlikely to be gearing up for a world tour.

[Thanks Kihoon]

Filed under:

Sony Xperia P blushes in metallic pink originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 10 Jul 2012 10:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceePrice (translated)  | Email this | Comments

How would you change Sony’s Tablet P?

How would you change Sonys Tablet P

Sony's Tablet P was an enormous gamble with its clamshell form factor that meant it could easily slide into a jacket pocket. Unfortunately, it suffered from terrible execution: flimsy build quality, lack of software support and the gaming options were bested by the older Xperia Play. But of course, that's just our review -- so what has it been like out there as your daily driver? If you've bought and used one, why not tell Sony what you'd have done differently in the comments below?

How would you change Sony's Tablet P? originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 01 Jul 2012 23:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

Sony kicks off an Xperia Ion TV ad campaign for the US, meets your daily explosion quota (video)

Sony kicks off an Xperia Ion TV ad campaign for the US, meets your daily explosion quota

Sony isn't known for rolling out the red carpet when one of its phones arrives Stateside, although that's partly because US carrier-endorsed versions are few and far between. It clearly sees the Xperia Ion as worth the five-star treatment it's giving the rest of the 2012 Xperia line: the company is starting a rare TV ad campaign to pitch its 720p wunderkind to an American audience that might not have noticed the Ericsson badge going away. As you'd expect, the pseudo single-take spot ends up being as much a vehicle for pushing other Sony projects as it does for the Android phone in question; we hope you don't mind getting a brand overdose. With that in mind, there's more action and explosions per square capita than in any other smartphone ad in recent memory, so if you're upset that other smartphone ads are just too... peaceful, click Play and get your fill of danger.

Sony kicks off an Xperia Ion TV ad campaign for the US, meets your daily explosion quota (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 25 Jun 2012 13:24:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

Sony keeps Xperia upgrade train rolling, brings ICS to Mini Pro

Sony keeps Xperia upgrade train rolling, brings ICS to Mini Pro

Software update sagas typically center around carriers and OEMs failing to deliver to users in a timely manner -- or, even at all. Not so with Sony, which continues to set itself apart from the mobile pack by keeping to its public timetable and doling out the Android 4.0 upgrades to Xperia handsets globally. And despite community concerns that featherweight devices like the Mini Pro wouldn't make the cut, the company's surprising owners by making the Googlefied OS goods available to download for that diminutive handset now. You'll need to have the proprietary PC Companion software installed to access it, but after that, all should be smooth ICS sailing.

Sony keeps Xperia upgrade train rolling, brings ICS to Mini Pro originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 07 Jun 2012 23:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceThe Inquirer  | Email this | Comments

Sony announces Xperia Go and Xperia acro S: waterproof and dual-core (video)

Sony announces Xperia Go and Xperia acro S: waterproof and dual-core

If you were underwhelmed by the middling specs of Sony's past toughphones, you might want to take a look at the latest pair to join the 2012 Xperia family. First up, the Xperia go houses a 3.5-inch 480 x 320 display with a dual-core 1GHz processor, powering the (unfortunately still) Gingerbread interface. Sony has reiterated that Android 4.0 will find its way to both new devices. The Xperia go also throws in a 5-megapixel camera and the same wet finger tracking seen on the Xperia Active, which will mean the phone can be steered during underwater adventures. You be able to pick from white, black and yellow color options when the phone arrives in Q3 this year.

The Xperia acro S bumps the screen resolution up to 720p, slathered across a 4.3-inch surface, alongside a 12-megapixel camera and dedicated shutter button. It appears to be the global version of the Japan-only Xperia acro HD and arrives PlayStation-certified. Like the Xperia go, it totes IP55 and IP57 ratings for dust and water resistance, plus NFC capability of Sony's SmartTags. The Xperia acro S will land in black, white and pink color options -- but we're still waiting to hear more precise availability details. Video tours for both handsets are right after the break.

Update: We've been told that the Xperia go will launch as the Xperia advance in the US -- but dates and prices remain a mystery.

Continue reading Sony announces Xperia Go and Xperia acro S: waterproof and dual-core (video)

Sony announces Xperia Go and Xperia acro S: waterproof and dual-core (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 30 May 2012 04:50:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceSony Mobile (1), (2)  | Email this | Comments

RIM’s global sales head departs after 14-year stretch

Image

Research in Motion's head of global sales is leaving the company after serving the BlackBerry maker for 14 years. Patrick Spence joined the company before it had even produced its first smartphone before rising to his current position, based in London. Reuters hints that he was dissatisfied about being passed over for the vacant CEO's position, due to be filled by former Sony Ericsson man Kristian Tear later this year. A spokesperson for the Canadian company said that Mr. Spence would be moving to a leadership role in another industry.

[Image Credit: Globe and Mail]

RIM's global sales head departs after 14-year stretch originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 24 May 2012 11:53:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Tech Eye  |  sourceReuters  | Email this | Comments

Gmail advert ruins AT&T’s big surprise, Sony’s Xperia Ion arrives stateside in June

Image

Someone at Google's advertising department has probably received the hairdryer treatment this morning after a Gmail advert prematurely revealed that Sony's Xperia Ion would arrive in June. The banner ad popped up atop Droidmatters' inbox and revealed that the Stateside version of the Xperia S will turn up just in time for Summer.

Continue reading Gmail advert ruins AT&T's big surprise, Sony's Xperia Ion arrives stateside in June

Gmail advert ruins AT&T's big surprise, Sony's Xperia Ion arrives stateside in June originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 09 May 2012 10:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Talk Android  |  sourceDroidmatters  | Email this | Comments

Visualized: Apple and Samsung occupy the 99 percent… of phone profits

Image

Financial maven and maker of beautiful graphs Horace Dediu has found that between the top eight mobile phone vendors, Apple and Samsung share 99 percent of the total spoils. Of RIM, LG, Sony (Ericsson), Motorola, Nokia and HTC, only the latter made a profit -- claiming that left over one percent. The remaining six all recorded losses for the quarter, Mr. Deidu adding that several of those companies are carrying feature phone businesses that they should shed before they become an albatross around their neck.

Visualized: Apple and Samsung occupy the 99 percent... of phone profits originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 04 May 2012 12:17:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Macrumors  |  sourceAsymco  | Email this | Comments