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.

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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.

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

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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.

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

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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.

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

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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.

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Major League Gaming takes smartphone games seriously, announces Xperia Mobile Gaming Arena

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If OpenFeint's lightweight social connections and leaderboards lack the competitive edge your inner hardcore gamer craves, maybe Major League Gaming's latest mouthful will satiate your demands for satisfaction. The Xperia Mobile Gaming Arena presented by Sony Mobile (we told you it was a mouthful) hopes to give smartphone toting gamers a serious cross-platform battleground, offering iOS and Android users competitive leaderboards and up to $10,000 in prizes. Currently the smartphone gaming platform only supports Gameloft's Modern Combat 3: Fallen Nation, but MLG hopes to enlist more competitive titles in the coming months. "The MLG community thrives on competition," explains Major League Gaming CEO Sundance DiGiovanni, "with our new mobile platform, we are now enabling gamers to engage in competitive play no matter where they are." Ready to climb that leaderboard? Get your game on at the source link below, or read on for MLG's official press release.

Continue reading Major League Gaming takes smartphone games seriously, announces Xperia Mobile Gaming Arena

Major League Gaming takes smartphone games seriously, announces Xperia Mobile Gaming Arena originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 03 May 2012 09:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony Xperia U gets torn to pieces, FCC destroys something beautiful

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There's not much we don't already know about Sony's Xperia U (formerly the Kumquat), the entry-level Gingerbread handset for the company's revamped mobile offerings. Fortunately, those brave boys down in the FCC's underground bunker decided to dissect the handset and delve into its internals, where we can still see some of that Ericsson branding -- presumably it doesn't see any harm in using up some of its old parts if they're hidden from view. Old-timey livery issues aside, the appearance of the handset bodes that all is on schedule for arrival in the second quarter of the year.

Sony Xperia U gets torn to pieces, FCC destroys something beautiful originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Apr 2012 10:52:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony Mobile reshuffle sees Nordberg out, Kunimasa Suzuki in, business as usual

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Major changes are afoot over at Sony. After rebranding its mobile division, the firm has also now moved aside the former Ericsson exec who initially came with it. Kunimasa Suzuki will replace Bert Nordberg as CEO of Sony Mobile on May 16th, after leaving his current role as Executive Vice President at Sony proper. Nordberg will still have a hand in the division, taking on the role as Chairman of Sony Mobile Communications' board. Sony's Xperia S might be fresh-faced, but it's soon to come up against stiff competition -- the handling of which will no doubt be Suzuki's first true test.

Continue reading Sony Mobile reshuffle sees Nordberg out, Kunimasa Suzuki in, business as usual

Sony Mobile reshuffle sees Nordberg out, Kunimasa Suzuki in, business as usual originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 04 Apr 2012 07:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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