At this point it seems pretty certain that LG is going to be putting out a Nexus phone, but it may not be Google’s only dancing partner. A few pictures that popped up over at the XperiaBlog show what’s purported to be a Sony Nexus phone, the Nexus X. More »
What we’re seeing this morning is a couple of photos that have appeared on Picasa with the name Sony Nexus X attached to them – dare we assume? Though quite likely an elaborate mock-up of what could be in the future, the notion of a Sony Nexus device is not new – back when the Xperia Play was released, it was revealed that it was a Nexus device before being turned down in favor of the Nexus S. It also plays well with the notion that Google’s future Nexus releases will go with more than one manufacturer rather than just Samsung or HTC.
Here with this Sony device we’re seeing a complete lack of “Xperia” brand naming and some form shaping unlike anything Sony has delivered before. You can see some styling choices that certainly ring a Sony bell, enough to make us think it’s possible, but the family resemblance with the Galaxy Nexus makes one believe this might be a hybrid. This device has some metal (or plastic that’s made to look metal) on the bottom back, soft plastic up top, and a single LED flash near a large-lensed back-facing camera.
NOTE: If you weren’t already, take an extra grain of salt with this supposed leak. It’s more important at the moment to think about the implications of such a phone rather than assuming this one is real – but keep in mind that it COULD be real, too. You never know until you know!
There’s a single microUSB port on the left of the device along with three pogo-pins for wireless docking. It appears that this device will be released with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich or greater, such is the color scheme in the user interface. The front of the device also has a right-side front-facing camera and two sensors as well. You’ll also notice a lack of any off-screen buttons, the home set of three being rather Nexus-friendly right along the bottom inside the display.
This device, if it is indeed real, could be released at the same time as the LG Nexus 4 (or Nexus G), with more than one manufacturer bringing the heat at the same time to show Google’s power. This is the new vision for Google, a re-imagining of their original Android mission to release a single phone that would be out on every single carrier at once. Will Sony be able to do justice to the next version of Android in a vanilla iteration? We shall see!
[via Xperia Blog]
Sony Nexus X mockup appears unlikely is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
NTT DOCOMO announced today its 2012 winter lineup of 16 models for launch in or after November, including nine smartphones, one tablet, four feature phones, one photo panel and one mobile Wi-Fi router. DOCOMO’s newest collection of high-quality smartphones satisfies a wide range of user needs by offering high-end CPUs, large-capacity batteries, high-resolution displays and distinctive designs suited to specific customer segments.
Key features of the new lineup include the following:
All …
It’s not unusual for a device to be sold under a couple of different names for the purposes of carrier branding, or to distinguish a global GSM model from its US bound LTE sibling. Sony seems to be trying for a record though, with the Xperia T adding a fourth rebranding. The company’s latest flagship is landing on AT&T here in the US as the Xperia TL. At an event today in NYC the carrier broke out the curved 4.6-inch LTE Android device and we took the opportunity to give it yet another chance to impress us, after falling short of “wow” it’s first few times around the block.
Back at IFA 2012, when we first got up close and personal with Sony’s latest flagship, we were left feeling rather unimpressed and things haven’t changed. The fit and finish of the TL just doesn’t live up to the big boy breeches of its high-end ilk. Yes, it feels good in the hand, owed in part to that matte plastic back and subtle arc S-like curve, but the materials feel cheap. Thankfully, that sentiment doesn’t spill over into its performance, as the 1.5GHz dual-core S4 powering the device does an admirable job keeping navigation brisk.
With a 720p HD Reality display powered by the outfit’s Mobile BRAVIA Engine, you’d expect superb readability from the handset, especially in the dim light of this event. Though colors on the panel are bright and viewing angles seem to hold up fairly well, we did take issue with its overall brightness. Even pumped up to max, the screen just seemed a bit too dark for our tastes.
As with all things carrier-branded, this one lands with a host of AT&T apps onboard alongside three of Sony’s own like Media, Album and Walkman. The build of Android on the device is still Ice Cream Sandwich with a light skin, but we were assured an upgrade to Jelly Bean is forthcoming and, given the company’s track record, we’re inclined to believe it. This official Bond Android phone’s targeted for a holiday season release, so sit tight if you want to go all in on this Xperia. Click on past the break for a brief video tour.
Gallery: Sony Xperia TL for AT&T
Terrence O’Brien contributed to this report.
Continue reading Sony Xperia TL for AT&T hands-on (video)
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Sony, AT&T
Sony Xperia TL for AT&T hands-on (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 04 Oct 2012 17:50:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Sony is looking to ramp up their mobile efforts even more by introducing PlayStation Mobile, a new service that allows gamers to play a handful of games across different mobile platforms. The service will allow you start a game on one device (like the Vita), and pick up where you left off on another device (like an Android smartphone or tablet).
There are a couple caveats that you should be aware of, though. First, the service only works on “PlayStation Certified” devices, which means the Vita, obviously, but also only a handful of newer Android devices from Sony and HTC. The list consists of the Xperia Play, Xperia Arc, Xperia S, Xperia Ion, Xperia Acro, Xperia Acro HD, Sony Tablet S, Tablet P, the HTC One X, One X+, One S, and One V.
Second, PlayStation Mobile only works on up to three devices. This isn’t too much of a problem, since most users wouldn’t own more than a Vita, smartphone, and tablet at once, but for a service where its main selling point is playing games on multiple devices, you’d think they would allow unlimited devices or at least more than three.
Once you purchase games, and have PlayStation Mobile installed on three of your devices, you’re pretty much good to go. The games take advantage of both the Vita’s touchscreen and gaming controls, as well as the on-screen virtual DualShock controller for the Android devices. Right now, there are only 20 games to choose from, but we’re guessing that number will grow over time.
[via Android Community]
Sony PlayStation Mobile launches for Vita and select Android devices is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
After what feels like a mighty long time since it was first announced, Sony’s cross-platform PlayStation Mobile store is now up and running with an initial line-up of games (plus one lonely-looking app) for the PlayStation Vita and PlayStation Certified Android devices. That hardware category currently includes Sony’s latest tablets and Xperias, plus HTC One-branded handsets — check the source link for a full list and installation instructions. So far, we can access PSM on the Vita via a new tab on the PlayStation Store, and we know that readers are having luck on devices in the US — including the Xperia Play — but the One X (both global and AT&T) has only given us error messages. If you succeed or fail, please post your results below and we’ll update accordingly.
Update: Okay, there are definitely teething problems on HTC devices and we’re reaching out for an explanation. Meanwhile, owners of the Nexus 7 and the Xperia Ion on AT&T bring happier tidings.
[Thanks to Paul and all who’ve commented]
Filed under: Cellphones, Gaming, Handhelds, Tablets, Sony
Sony Playstation Mobile store now live, offers cross-platform games and apps from $0.80 originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 03 Oct 2012 06:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Sony’s Xperia TL is one of the highlights of the company’s Xperia lineup of smartphones. This is because the device packs some of the most impressive mobile camera technologies from Sony. It comes with a fairly impressive 13-megapixel rear camera which is ultra-quick, being able to go from sleep mode to taking shots within 1.5 seconds.
The device also packs many other great features such as the ability to capture HD video with both the front and rear cameras. It has a 4.6-inch HD display which comes at a resolution of 1080 x 720. For those who have been eagerly waiting to lay their hands on it, the good news are here. AT&T has officially announced the device which will arrive with 4G LTE connectivity. (more…)
By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 Goes On Sale At AT&T For $149.99, AT&T To Get The Xperia X10 This Summer?,
Sony only outed its newest trio of Xperia smartphones just over a month ago in Berlin, and AT&T has just announced that it’s already grooming the device for a U.S. launch.
Oh, and in case you care, the phone will also appear on-screen as James Bond’s phone of choice in Skyfall. Then again, what else is new — Daniel Craig’s version of the iconic secret agent has been using Sony phones for his two previous forays on-screen.
Here’s a quick recap of the T/TL in case you really don’t feel like clicking that link — Sony’s new flagship sports a 4.6-inch Reality display running at 720p, a 1.5GHz dual-core Qualcomm MSM8260-A processor (the same as the one seen in HTC’s slim One S), and a fast-booting 13-megapixel camera.
In terms of connectivity, the TL will play nice with AT&T’s LTE network, and there’s an NFC chipset tucked in there as well to help facilitate one-touch file sharing (and potentially Isis-powered mobile payments?). The whole shebang runs on Android 4.0.4 Ice Cream Sandwich for the time being, and while Sony confirmed that a Jelly Bean update would be pushed “following launch,” there’s no telling how long it’ll take an update like that to pass through AT&T’s testing and certification process.
Honestly though, AT&T’s announcement isn’t exactly news if you’ve been paying close attention these past few weeks. In the days leading up to Sony’s Xperia unveiling at IFA, it was revealed that Sony Mobile had filed a trademark application for “Xperia TL” with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Even more tell was the fact that the Xperia T was spotted on a U.K. retailer’s website rocking AT&T’s familiar logo (see below) just a few days after Sony’s official announcement. The real meat here — when the TL will launch and how much it’ll cost when it does — is notably absent in AT&T’s release.
Strange, but true: it seems James Bond is an Android man and the Xperia TL, his phone of choice. Well, at least that’s the marketing tie-in made possible by Sony’s corporate synergy. Regardless, the company’s latest smartphone flagship has found a new stateside home on AT&T’s 4G LTE network. The 4.6-inch device, unveiled at IFA 2012, reps a 720p HD Reality display powered by Mobile BRAVIA Engine, 13-megapixel rear module capable of “sleep to snap” fast capture and runs a skinned build of Ice Cream Sandwich atop a dual-core 1.5GHz S4 CPU. It also comes loaded up with three of the Japanese outfit’s media apps — Walkman, Movies and Album — a bevy of exclusive content (e.g. ringtones, wallpaper, etc.) from the next Bond film, Skyfall, and packs one SmartTag in the box for use with the handset’s NFC chip. There’s no official word on when this black beauty’s set to hit retail shelves — or pricing, for that matter. But if the imminent arrival of its galactic stablemates is any indication, expect to see it in “the coming weeks.” Official PR after the break.
Continue reading Sony Xperia TL joins AT&T’s 4G LTE lineup as official James Bond phone
Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile, Sony, AT&T
Sony Xperia TL joins AT&T’s 4G LTE lineup as official James Bond phone originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 01 Oct 2012 09:35:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Well, it looks like Sony’s in-house software developers have decided this is the perfect week to deliver delicious treats to a large portion of the company’s mobile lineup. Not long after outing updates for the Tablet S and Xperia Ion (in the US), the electronics giant is now bringing Ice Cream Sandwich to handsets such as the Xperia go, Xperia U and Xperia sola. The refresh itself brings a slew of novel traits to the trio of Xperia slabs, including a “new way to experience” music, photos and video, improvements to the lockscreen, the ability to resize widgets and the addition of a “multitasking” button. While the standout features remain the same across the board, the Xperia sola does get an added bonus in the form of a so-called, self-explanatory glove mode — which is made possible by the device’s “floating touch” technology. Sony does note that availability of the 4.0 upgrade will vary by market and, not surprisingly, carrier requirements. Let’s just hope you get to enjoy the changes soon.
Filed under: Cellphones, Software, Mobile, Sony
Sony starts delivering Ice Cream Sandwich update to Xperia go, Xperia U and Xperia sola originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 29 Sep 2012 01:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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