In each issue of Distro, editor-in-chief Tim Stevens publishes a wrap-up of the week in news.
Nokia has been teasing a zoomable Windows Phone smartphone for what seems like ages now, and finally it has been revealed. It's the Nokia Lumia 1020, stepping up another 100 over the 920 thanks to the addition of a 41-megapixel, backside-illuminated sensor sitting behind a six-element Zeiss lens. Video capture is 1080p and the cameraphone intriguingly offers full manual control, but it's basically a Lumia 920 beyond that, with a 4.5-inch, 1,280 x 768 display and a 1.5GHz dual-core Snapdragon processor.
So, naturally, the draw is that camera, and while we've seen some promising early results from stills and videos, we're obviously going to have to spend more time with the thing to see if it's worth the considerable dent it will make in your pocket. Admittedly, it's far more pocketable than Samsung's Galaxy S4 Zoom, but it remains to be seen whether megapixels can really sell phones. We'll find out on July 26th, when the phone will be available at AT&T for $300.
What can you say about a phone that's half a year old, already been reviewed and poised to launch virtually unchanged on T-Mobile's LTE network? Not much, it turns out. But in the event you've been eyeing the Xperia Z as a suitable smartphone replacement, we're here to help guide that purchase decision. Forget specs for a moment -- the most important thing you need to know about this Xperia Z is that it'll be available on T-Mobile July 17th for $99 with a two-year payment plan and it comes in purple (online-only). Otherwise, you're stuck with the default black option, which is still mighty fine to hold and look at, but color is always a welcome differentiator. Variety, people. Spice!
Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile, Sony, Google, T-Mobile
Image via Engadget.
The long wait for the Xperia Z is almost over. Sony CEO Kaz Hirai delivered some good news at the D11 conference when he announced that Sony’s flagship smartphone, the Xperia Z, will be arriving at US carriers shortly. With him was Phil Molyneux, who added that further details on the announcement will be provided in the “coming weeks.” Neither named any specific carriers nor did they expound on the actual date on the phone’s release, but at least we’ve got confirmation that it’s going to be sometime soon.
When asked about how Sony would differentiate the glass-backed and waterproof Xperia Z to the US market, Hirai didn’t go into specifics but said that they had “more work to do.” He, however, pointed out that the Xperia Z was the best-selling smartphone in Japan for six consecutive weeks, saying: “We were able to do that — it’s above and beyond Sony technology. It’s the Sony brand. Think about the marketing prowess we bring.”
VIA [ Engadget ] and [ The Verge ]
The FCC's approval process can be incredibly secretive, since most companies prefer not to leak out any information that could give away the identity of their star products. Sony, on the other hand, is typically the most liberal when it comes to letting us in on the scoop, and its latest device is no exception. In this case, the T-Mobile version of the Xperia Z was spotted with a full spread of external and internal photos along with a detailed user manual (which also gives away the model, carrier association and features such as WiFi calling). If you're still in denial for any odd reason, the docs confirm the inclusion of AWS LTE (band 4) and pentaband HSPA+. T-Mobile still hasn't confirmed that Sony's flagship is coming to its smartphone lineup, but we likely won't have to wait very long before we get an official announcement from the Uncarrier. Head below to check out the docs for yourself; or, for the Cliff Notes version, we have a small gallery of images and screenshots below to get the point across.
Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile, Sony
Source: FCC
After wowing us at CES with the Xperia Z, Sony enticed us at Mobile World Congress with the Xperia Tablet Z. Both devices combine top-notch specs with beautiful industrial design -- pure rectangular forms with a mirror-like finish packaged in thin, light and water-resistant shells. We sat down with product marketing manager Stephen Sneeden in Barcelona to talk about these iconic products. We discussed the "omni-balance" design and the common user experience shared by both devices, which was spearheaded when Kuni Suzuki became Sony Mobile's president and CEO. He explained that some of these design elements will likely be incorporated into future (non-mobile) products and that the both the Xperia Z and Tablet Z are premium, aspirational devices which will become reference points for more affordable models. We then chatted about the Tablet Z's specs, in particular its impressive thickness (6.9mm / 0.27 inches) and best-in-class weight (495g / 0.99lbs). Mr. Sneeden mentioned the TV SideView app, an electronic programming guide with voice activation that's available from the Play Store and takes advantage of the Tablet Z's built-in IR blaster -- he also pointed out that Sony's Music Unlimited and Walkman Player apps will be fully integrated by summer. We touched upon a few other topics, including the Xperia Play and PlayStation Certified program for phones. Check out the full video interview after the break.
Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Mobile, Sony
With Sony's latest flagship making its UK debut this week, what better way to celebrate than giving one away? The kind people at Expansys have donated a device for one lucky reader in the UK, while the handset is still only open to pre-orders. If you've entered one of our giveaways before, you may think you know the drill -- but hold up there sonny, as things have changed. Head past the break, and you'll be greeted with our new super competition entry machine (well, widget). Now you have a choice of methods to let you take part, and you can enter more than once should you so choose. If you preferred the old way, you can still comment to enter, but be sure to tell us via the widget or we'll never know (but we will check that you did comment). Entries are open until 12pm (GMT) / 5pm ET Friday morning, and be sure to read the terms and conditions. Well... what are you waiting for?
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Sony
Source: Expansys UK
If you've been salivating at the thought that Sony's latest flagship would eventually arrive on your turf, then Kaz Hirai just threw a teasing softball into your field of view. At Sony's Mobile World Congress press conference, the company chief said that the Xperia Z would soon be arriving in 60 countries across five continents this week. Of course, without any PowerPoint slides showing which locations it'll land in, it's a little tough to confirm or deny where in the world it'll arrive, but at least you can start badgering your local store, right?
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Sony
The humble islanders who inhabit Great Britain are waking up to the news that Sony's Xperia Z has been priced in the local currency. They can pre-register the unit for £529 in a choice of black, white or purple hues direct from Sony, or pre-order for £449 on Three. Either way, early birds stand to get a free pair of MDR-1R cans with their handset -- worth £200 ($315) no less.
Update: Vodafone has tweeted that the phone will launch (at least in the UK) on February 28th -- a few days earlier than we'd heard before.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Sony
Via: GSMArena
While it's being wheeled through the FCC's underground Washington bunker, it's merely known as patient PY7PM-0280. It's only once it's been through the ordeal of being torn to pieces and put back together again that we can call it the Sony Xperia Z. Given that the documents are now available, it's clear that the commission feels the collection of GSM, LTE and 802.11 a/b/g/n modems are safe enough to hold one to the side of your head. Even better, the snap-happy techno-vivisectionists also included a gallery of teardown pictures, letting us peek inside the guts of the smartphone -- which is good, because if we tried it ourselves, we'd probably void its waterproof properties.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Sony
Source: FCC
