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New Sony Xperia device drops liquid energy logo?

May 132012

Another Sony Xperia smartphone has apparently leaked. While there is little information about the device, it reveals one interesting fact. A picture of the back of it shows no Sony Ericsson liquid energy logo ball. If so, it could be the first Sony Xperia device not to have the logo associated with the former Sony-Ericsson partnership.

Sony Xperia smartphone with no liquid energy logo

The picture also reveals capacitive buttons below the display rather than the in-display ones of the just released Sony Xperia GX and Xperia SX.

I wondered during our Sony Xperia S unboxing how much longer Sony would keep the Sony Ericsson logo. It appears that its end could be near.

Canada: Android 4.0 upgrade now available for Sony Tablet S

Posted by Jerome No Responses »

May 102012

Sony Canada today announced via Twitter that the much anticipated Android 4.0 upgrade for the Sony Tablet S is now available.

Android 4.0 is now available for Sony Tablet S! Next time you connect to Wi-Fi it should prompt you for a system update

No reason was given as to why it took a few additional weeks for the update to make its way up to Canada after its U.S. release.

Gadgetorama unboxes the Sony Xperia S

Posted by Jerome No Responses »

May 072012

The Sony Xperia S has landed at Gadgetorama headquarters. Before diving into a review, we took a few minutes to unbox the device and capture the event on video for your viewing pleasure.

Our full review of the Sony Xperia S will be up within the next few days.

I will also reveal that plans are afoot at Gadgetorama headquarters to improve the quality of future videos!

Sony ST21i ‘Tapioca’, ST23i ‘Tapioca DS’ and WT23i Walkman spotted on benchmarks

Posted by Jerome No Responses »

May 022012

Three more upcoming Sony devices have been spotted courtesy of benchmark websites. The Sony ST21i Tapioca showed up on the NenaMark 2 benchmark results; the Sony ST23i Tapioca DS surfaced on the GL Benchmark website; and, the Sony WT23i Walkman courtesy of the AnTuTu benchmark app. Both Tapioca devices were first spotted on a leaked Sony 2012 product roadmap.

All three share similar specifications. All three show an 800MHz processor and a HVGA (320×480) display. The Tapiocas are both running Android 4.0 but the WT23i Walkman was still running Android 2.3.4. Maybe it will run Android 4.0 by the time it is released. Xperia Blog suggests that the Tapioca DS could be a dual-SIM variant of the Tapioca.

Sony ST21i NenaMark2 benchmark results

There is no word yet on availability and it is likely that North America will not see these three entry level devices.

Read more: Sony ST21i Tapioca (NenaMark2), Sony ST23i Tapioca DS (GL Benchmark) and Sony WT23i Walkman (Blog of Mobile) (Source: Xperia Blog)

Rumour: Sony Xperia LT29i Hayabusa details revealed

Posted by Jerome No Responses »

May 012012

If a leaked Sony roadmap is any indication, Sony could have a new Xperia flagship smartphone sometime this summer. The LT29i Hayabusa could land in July and the price suggests a higher-end device. It now appears that not only has it been captured on camera but that a few specifications have also been revealed.

Rumoured Sony Xperia LT29i Hayabusa

It could be powered by a new Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro processor that features an Adreno 320 GPU instead of the Adreno 225. It looks set to sport a 4.55-inch 720p HD display, a 13MP camera capable of HDR video recording, and a 2,200mAh battery. It might also be quite thin at about 7 millimeters.

The launch appears on track for sometime in Q3, possibly as the Xperia GX.

The original Chinese post also mentions a successor, the LT30i, in October. Could this be the Mint I?

Read more: Baidu (in Chinese) [Google translation] (Source: Phandroid)

At the Sony Entertainment Network services media event

Posted by Jerome No Responses »

Apr 292012

Sony Canada this week held a media event in Toronto to launch its Sony Entertainment Network which now spans music, movies, games and user created media. Essentially it is a “portal for all of your digital entertainment needs. Movies, music and games across multiple devices (Sony and non-Sony) from one convenient account.” It consists of four key services: Video Unlimited, Music Unlimited, PlayStation Network, and the just launched PlayMemories storage service. It comes at a time when consumers increasingly look for streaming content on a variety of devices from televisions to tablets and smartphones, said Dan Phillips, Director of Television Marketing, Sony of Canada.

Tasty treats

Services overview

PlayStation Network is the venerable gaming platform-focused portion of the service. It is accessible via the PlayStation 3 as well as PlayStation portable devices such as the recently launched PS Vita. It offers multiplayer gaming, downloadable content, as well the PlayStation Plus subscription which offers more. There is also the PlayStation Home virtual world where you can interact with other PlayStation players.

Entry-level Sony Xperia ‘Tapioca’ (ST21i) revealed

Posted by Jerome Comments Off

Apr 272012

Pictures of the upcoming Sony Xperia ‘Tapioca’ (model: ST21i) have surfaced online. Its design shares more in common with the Xperia sola than with the Xperia S. It’s not clear if it will also sport the same floating touch technology as the Xperia sola.

Rumoured Sony Xperia ST21i Tapioca

The specifications that accompany the pictures meet earlier ones except for a bump to Android 4.0:

Processor: 800MHz single-core Qualcomm MSM7227
Operating system: Google Android 4.0
Cellular connectivity: WCDMA
Other connectivity: 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth
Display: 3.2-inch HVGA (320×480)
Input: Capacitive touchscreen
Memory: 512MB ROM
Storage: 4GB onboard
Rear-facing camera: 3.2MP
Battery: 1,460mAh

There is still no word on pricing and availability.

Android 4.0 update now available for Sony Tablet S

Posted by Jerome Comments Off

Apr 262012

Right on schedule, Sony today announced that an Android 4.0 upgrade is now available for the Sony Tablet S. The update brings with it a number of new features including Sony’s exclusive “Small Apps”:

Enhanced lock screen
- Direct access to Notifications
- Unlock direct to camera
New panoramic camera mode
Enhanced Gallery media viewer
- Direct SD card access + photo editing tools
Exclusive “Small Apps’ for multi-tasking
- Calculator, Browser, Remote Control
- Move to screen edge for reduced clutter
New Home Screen actions
- Drag icons together to create folders
- Add names to folders
Enhanced web browser
- Switch from mobile to desktop web sites
- Save pages for offline viewing
Access files directly from SD card
Native screenshot capture
- Press “power” and “Volume –“

Sony’s “Small Apps” resemble widgets that run of top of already running applications like Google Maps or YouTube. For example, you could bring up a calculator or a remote control for Bravia televisions.

The update should be waiting for you the next time you connect to Wi-Fi.

Update: Sony Canada has confirmed via Twitter that the update is “coming soon” to Canadian Tablet S owners.

2011 Sony Xperia smartphone Android 4.0 upgrades begin today

Posted by Jerome Comments Off

Apr 132012

Sony Sony announced today that it has begun to roll out Android 4.0 upgrades for its 2011 Xperia smartphones. As previously announced, the first devices to be upgraded will be the Xperia arc S, Xperia neo V and Xperia ray. The deployment has started in Sweden, Denmark, Iceland, Finland and Norway. Over the next 4 to 6 weeks, Sony will gradually add other global markets. There is no word yet on where Canada falls in the deployment.

Sony will list available software kit (customized for specific operators and handsets) on their support community website.

Since there are minor differences in the software depending on product, country and operator we have a unique identifier that we call Sales Item (SI). The SI is identified by an 8-digit numbers in the format XXXX-XXXX. To find out what SI number your phone has, please take off the back-cover and take out the battery. Under the battery you will find your SI number.

Updates for the Xperia arc, Xperia PLAY, Xperia neo, Xperia mini, Xperia mini pro, Xperia pro, Xperia active and Sony Ericsson Live with Walkman will follow starting in late May or early June.

Upcoming Sony Xperia smartphone to use 4.3-inch AMOLED display?

Posted by Jerome Comments Off

Apr 052012

Sony Sony’s Xperia smartphones have all sported LCD displays so far but that could soon change. A report by the China Times suggests that Taiwan-based AU Optronics will begin to supply Sony with a 4.3-inch AMOLED panel for use in a future smartphone. Shipments are scheduled to start in the second half of the year.

No further details about this AMOLED Xperia smartphone have been revealed so far. A leaked Sony roadmap suggests that the manufacturer has a few flagship-type devices (Hayabusa and Mint I based on their price) set for release later this year. Perhaps this will be one of them.

Sony will be AU Optronics’ first AMOLED customer.

Read more: China Times (in Chinese) [Google translation] (Source: Unwired View)

Sony Mobile Communications announces new president and CEO

Posted by Jerome Comments Off

Apr 042012

Sony Sony Mobile Communications today announced that Kunimasa Suzuki will become President and CEO of Sony Mobile Communications effective May 16^th 2012. Bert Nordberg, the current President and CEO and former Sony Ericsson leader, will step down to become Chairman of Sony Mobile Communications’ board.

“Kuni has a vast experience in product planning and management in the information technology and mobile product business, as well as experience of cultivating business in emerging markets,” said Kazuo Hirai, President and CEO of Sony Corporation. “He is a strong leader and the right person to oversee Sony Mobile Communications as we establish a new business structure as ‵One Sony’ intended to reinforce and accelerate our overall business management.”

Sony closed its acquistion of Ericsson’s share in their Sony Ericsson joint venture earlier this year. It renamed its new subsidiary has since then been integrating its operations into its own.

Sony Xperia Android 4.0 upgrades to start in mid-April

Posted by Jerome Comments Off

Mar 302012

Late last year, Sony (as Sony Ericsson) outlined Android 4.0 upgrade plans for its 2011 Xperia smartphone lineup. Everything was set to kick off in “late March or early April” but timelines have slipped a little bit with everything now getting underway in mid-April.

Our developers have been hard-at-work to ensure we’re on track and the highest standards are met to deliver you the best possible user experience on Xperia 2011 smartphones with the upgrade to Android 4.0 platform release.

First up will be upgrades for the Xperia arc S, Xperia neo V and Xperia ray. The rollout is expected to take between 4 and 6 weeks.

A second wave will begin in late May or early June. It will cover the Xperia arc, Xperia PLAY, Xperia neo, Xperia mini, Xperia mini pro, Xperia pro, Xperia active and Sony Ericsson Live with Walkman.

Lastly, the still unavailable Sony Xperia S will get its Android 4.0 upgrade in the later part of the second quarter.

Sony warns that Android 4.0, with all its new features, will require more system resources and that performance may be impacted in some scenarios. It put together a closer look at some of the expected changes. For example, it found that many applications use slightly more RAM under Android 4.0.

Sony also warns that “the availability and scheduling of this software upgrade and specific models upgradeable to Android 4.0 will vary by market and carrier requirements.”

Sony Tablet Android 4.0 updates coming starting in April

Posted by Jerome Comments Off

Mar 262012

Sony had announced earlier this year that it would upgrade its tablets to Android 4.0 in the spring time frame. Sony Japan has now given us a more specific window, announcing that upgrades for both the Sony Tablet S and Sony Tablet P will be available starting in late April. As promised, the updates will include not only Android 4.0.3 but some additional features as well.

Among the Sony tablet specific enhancements will be some new photo features such as the ability to activate the camera directly from the lock screen, edit photos in the gallery application, and the ability to take panoramic pictures. With a new app, the tablets will also be able to access content recorded with a Sony Blu-Ray recorder.

Sony is also introducing “small apps” which resemble widgets that will run on top of already running applications like Google Maps or YouTube. For example, you could bring up a calculator or a remote control for Bravia televisions.

Specific timelines for Canada and the U.S. were not provided. The tablet S timeline will hopefully line up given that there are no carrier approvals or certifications to obtain but the Tablet P update may take longer as AT&T will likely need to certify it.

Sony also announced a Wi-Fi-only version of the Tablet P but there is no word on if and when it will hit North American shores.

Read more: Sony Japan (in Japanese) [Google translation] (Source: The Verge)

Sony Xperia S coming to Rogers Wireless (Updated)

Posted by Jerome Comments Off

Mar 232012

Sony this week announced that the Xperia S had begun to ship globally but no Canadian carriers have yet announced plans for this device. Sony Mobile Canada has now outed at least one of them courtesy of its Facebook page. As predicted, it’s none other than Rogers Wireless.

Sony Xperia X "Coming Soon" to Rogers

Sony Mobile only promises that the Xperia S is “Coming Soon.” There is no word on pricing yet either.

Update: And now it’s gone! References to the Sony Xperia S have been removed. Did Rogers change their mind? Or did someone hit the post button a bit too soon?

Read more: Sony Mobile Canada (via Facebook)

Sony unveils new Xperia smartphone ad

Posted by Jerome Comments Off

Mar 222012

Sony today showed off its latest ad titled ‘Made of imagination.’ Set to hit TVs Saturday, March 24^th, the stop-motion video features 8-year-old Jake Ryan explaining what makes Sony Xperia smartphones “so special.”

The ad was directed by Wes Anderson who has also directed films such as Fantastic Mr. Fox and The Royal Tenenbaums.