Sony Ericsson Xperia Nozomi spotted out again, can’t help but get its photo taken

Sony Ericsson’s forthcoming flagship was already looking like a very handsome slice of smartphone, but it’s even more dashing in these thankfully crystal-clear shots. This latest leak give us a nice close-up of the matte-finished monolith, showing off a dedicated camera button, HDMI port, built-in battery and the conspicuous absence of microSD storage. The LT26i is rumored to possess a 720 x 1280 resolution spread across a 4.3-inch touchscreen, with a dual-core processor behind it. Sony Ericsson also looks to have finally taken the plunge with front-facing shooters, with an as-yet unspecified camera embedded above the screen, while a stylish glassy button bar below seems to run right through the device. Take a peak at the still-codenamed Nozomi — uncovered — after the break, or check out a full 360-degree runaround at the source below.

[Thanks everyone]

Continue reading Sony Ericsson Xperia Nozomi spotted out again, can’t help but get its photo taken

Sony Ericsson Xperia Nozomi spotted out again, can’t help but get its photo taken originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 12 Dec 2011 09:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony posts $350 million loss in Q2 earnings report, forecasts full-year loss

Sony‘s Q2 earnings have just come in and, as you might guess, they’re not particularly glowing. A few days after announcing plans to buy out Ericsson’s stake in Sony Ericsson, the manufacturer posted a quarterly loss of ¥27 billion ($346 million) today, compared with a net income of ¥31.1 billion during the same quarter last year. Last quarter, the firm posted a net loss of ¥15.5 billion, or about $200 million. Sony attributed much of this decline to a stronger yen, lower TV sales and recent flooding in Thailand, which has disrupted its supply chain. On this basis, the company lowered its full year forecast, predicting a net loss of ¥90 billion ($1.2 billion), compared with a net profit of ¥60 billion that it had previously expected. It appears, then, that Sony’s TV division is primed to post an annual loss for the 8th straight year, which would certainly explain those plans for a forthcoming shakeup. Find the full report at the source link, below.

Sony posts $350 million loss in Q2 earnings report, forecasts full-year loss originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 02 Nov 2011 04:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Refresh Roundup: week of October 24, 2011

Your smartphone and / or tablet is just begging to get updated. From time to time, these mobile devices are blessed with maintenance refreshes, bug fixes, custom ROMs and anything in between, and so many of them are floating around that it’s easy for a sizable chunk to get lost in the mix. To make sure they don’t escape without notice, we’ve gathered every possible update, hack, and other miscellaneous tomfoolery from the last week and crammed them into one convenient roundup. If you find something available for your device, please give us a shout attips at engadget dawt com and let us know. Enjoy!

Official Android updates

  • Guess which phone’s finally getting Gingerbread: the HTC Thunderbolt. Yes, we’re being serious. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in, and thanks Eddie for the image!]
  • Gingerbread is now rolling out to the Motorola Droid Pro and Droid 2 Global. [PhoneScoop]
  • The HTC EVO Design 4G wasn’t out for very long before it was ready for a maintenance release. It’s called version 1.19.651.0, and no change log was found right away.
  • More HTC stuff: the EVO 3D also offers a small bug fix in the form of a security update under the name of version 2.08.651.3. [AndroidCentral]
  • The LG Revolution on Verizon’s also officially gaining Android 2.3. [Pocketnow]
  • In the UK, HTC Desire S owners are now finding themselves beneficiaries of the Android 2.3.5 firmware update as well as Sense 3.0. [AndroidCentral]
  • How about a couple for the little guys? CSpire, formerly known as Cellular South, is pushing Gingerbread to its Samsung Galaxy S and Motorola Milestone X. [AndroidCentral(1) and (2)]
  • Sony Ericsson announced this week that Android 2.3.4 is rolling out to the 2011 Xperia lineup around the world. Additional enhancements include 16x video zoom, WiFi DLNA, screen capture capability, ability to attach USB peripherals to Sony Ericsson LiveDock and more.

Unofficial Android updates, custom ROMs and misc. hackery

  • The Samsung Stratosphere on Verizon has been successfully rooted. [AndroidCommunity]
  • HTC devices receiving the official Gingerbread kernel source from HTCDev this week: The Evo Shift 4G, the Thunderbolt and Droid Incredible. [AndroidCentral]
  • When it rains, it pours — the Thunderbolt, on top of receiving Gingerbread and its accompanying kernel source, has also found itself on the receiving end of an Ice Cream Sandwich SDK port. As can be expected, it’s still in prealpha stages and has a few bugs to work out. [AndroidCommunity]
  • If you’re a CM7 user, there’s now a file available that will turn your lock screen into one that resembles Ice Cream Sandwich’s style. [Droid-Life]

Other platforms

  • Microsoft’s pushing a firmware upgrade to the LG Optimus 7 Windows Phone which seems to grace the device with WiFi tethering and the ability to locate hidden WiFi networks. [WMPowerUser]
  • It’s not a BlackBerry firmware update, but many people still have a soft spot for BBM and will be interested to know that RIM is putting out version 6.0.1 with a few enhancements. Head to the source to check it out. [MobileTechReview]

Refreshes we covered this week

Refresh Roundup: week of October 24, 2011 originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 30 Oct 2011 11:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony to buy out Ericsson’s stake in joint venture, call it quits after ten years

We all saw it coming and, sure enough, it’s finally happened. After all the rumors and opaque comments, Sony has just bought out Ericsson’s share of Sony Ericsson, effectively assuming ownership of the entire venture. Ericsson confirmed the buyout this morning, adding that it will receive a cash consideration of €1.05 billion in exchange for its 50 percent stake. Sony, meanwhile, will now have the chance to integrate smartphones more tightly within its arsenal of tablets, laptops and gaming devices. The agreement also gives Sony an IP cross-licensing agreement and ownership of “five essential patent families” pertaining to wireless tech, though the breadth of this coverage remains unclear. The separation won’t be finalized, however, until January 2012, pending regulatory approval. Find more details in the full PR, after the break.

Update: Sony president and CEO Sir Howard Stringer has just addressed the media on the proposed buyout and confirmed that the company will indeed move away from feature phones, as previously stated. This effectively heralds the death of the Walkman line and the dawn of Sony’s exclusively Android era, though Stringer’s not ruling out the possibility of bringing another OS on board. When asked whether his firm would consider buying webOS, the exec said simply, “Never say never.”

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Continue reading Sony to buy out Ericsson’s stake in joint venture, call it quits after ten years

Sony to buy out Ericsson’s stake in joint venture, call it quits after ten years originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 27 Oct 2011 03:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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FCC Fridays: October 21, 2011

We here at Engadget Mobile tend to spend a lot of way too much time poring over the latest FCC filings, be it on the net or directly on the ol’ Federal Communications Commission’s site. Since we couldn’t possibly (want to) cover all the stuff that goes down there, we’ve gathered up all the raw info you may want (but probably don’t need). Enjoy!

Phones

Read – Fujitsu F03D
Read – Motorola RAZR
Read – NEC Casio XGU3296
Read – Samsung GT-I8350
Read – Samsung GT-S5368
Read – Samsung SGH-T679M
Read – Samsung SHV-E120S
Read – Sharp 101SH
Read – Sony Ericsson SOY05 (KDDI)
Read – ZTE GS516
Read – ZTE Movistar One

Tablets and peripherals

Read – Coby Kyros MID1125
Read – Huawei MediaPad 301W
Read – Motorola wireless keyboard

FCC Fridays: October 21, 2011 originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 21 Oct 2011 10:17:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony Ericsson bringing Ice Cream Sandwich to Xperia handsets?

HTC may be busy pondering its Android 4.0 future, but Sony Ericsson is apparently ready to take a bite out of Google’s Ice Cream Sandwich. Yesterday, in a post on its Facebook page, Sony Ericsson’s Dutch branch stated that it will indeed upgrade its Xperia lineup to the latest Android OS, though it didn’t offer any details on release dates. We reached out to the manufacturer for confirmation, and received the following statement:
Sony Ericsson is currently rolling out the upgrade to Gingerbread 2.3.4 across its entire 2011 Xperia smartphone portfolio. This software upgrade will be available through a phased roll out in select markets. Beyond Gingerbread 2.3.4, we plan to upgrade our 2011 Xperia smartphone portfolio to the next Android platform made available to us.

The company went on to say that all official software announcements will be posted on its blog, so we’ll let you know as soon as we have more details.

Sony Ericsson bringing Ice Cream Sandwich to Xperia handsets? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 20 Oct 2011 05:53:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony Ericsson Xperia pro on sale this October, corporate thumbs flex in anticipation

Back at Mobile World Congress in February, Sony Ericsson managed to surprise attack us with the reveal of its Xperia pro. Now, nearly a full year and oodles of leaks later, that Android 2.3 QWERTY slider’s ready to find comfort in consumers’ hands. Hitting retailers globally this October, SE’s 3.7-inch enterprise-minded handset comes pre-loaded with Mc Afee mobile security, Office Suite Pro, and is designed to make syncing with MS Exchange and other email clients a cinch. Business-friendly add-ons aside, the device packs ANT+ (to keep you in peak road warrior shape), and a generous 8.1 megapixel rear camera outfitted with an Exmor R sensor for HD video and 3D Sweep Panorama capture. There’s also a Type & Send widget to make use of the device’s Smart Keyboard — which suggests reply options when slid open — letting you bang out and send off text from the homescreen. Sound like the kind of slider that’ll suit your white-collared needs? Then hit up the source below to get your order on.

Sony Ericsson Xperia pro on sale this October, corporate thumbs flex in anticipation originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 17 Oct 2011 17:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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FCC Fridays: October 14, 2011

We here at Engadget Mobile tend to spend a lot of way too much time poring over the latest FCC filings, be it on the net or directly on the ol’ Federal Communications Commission’s site. Since we couldn’t possibly (want to) cover all the stuff that goes down there, we’ve gathered up all the raw info you may want (but probably don’t need). Enjoy!

Phones

Read – Fujitsu F06D
Read
– Huawei G6151
Read – LG P930
Read – Motorola EX225
Read – Nokia RM-781
Read – Sony Ericsson A3880133
Read – ZTE UV875M
Read – ZTE UV960 (Skate)

Tablets and Peripherals

Read – Motorola TZ700 Car Kit
Read – Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 64GB

FCC Fridays: October 14, 2011 originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 14 Oct 2011 11:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony Ericsson posts lower Q3 profits, will shift ‘entire portfolio’ to smartphones in 2012

It’s been a rough couple of quarters for Sony Ericsson, but things are looking slightly rosier, according to its Q3 earnings report. Today, the company announced break even year-on-year results for the third quarter of 2011, blaming the outcome on lower profit margins and higher taxes, which rose from €12 million to €17 million over the course of a year. According to the report, net profits fell to zero this quarter after reaching €49 million ($67.26 million) during Q3 2010, while sales dropped to €1.59 billion ($2.18 billion) from €1.6 billion ($2.2 billion) last year. It’s not exactly an encouraging trend, but it’s certainly an improvement over the last quarter, when Sony Ericsson posted a net loss of €50 million. As far as its portfolio goes, the company says its Xperia smartphones now comprise 80 percent of all sales, with some 22 million handsets already shipped to consumers. President and CEO Bert Nordberg, meanwhile, confirmed that his company will focus on this market with even more intensity, next year: “We will continue to invest in the smartphone market, shifting the entire portfolio to smartphones during 2012.” You can dig through the numbers for yourself, in the full PR after the break.

Continue reading Sony Ericsson posts lower Q3 profits, will shift ‘entire portfolio’ to smartphones in 2012

Sony Ericsson posts lower Q3 profits, will shift ‘entire portfolio’ to smartphones in 2012 originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 14 Oct 2011 05:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mobile Miscellany: week of October 3, 2011

This week was packed with news on the mobile front, so it was easy to miss a few stories here and there. Here’s some of the other stuff that happened in the wide world of wireless for the week of October 3, 2011:

  • The Pantech Hotshot featurephone (above left) launched on Verizon this week. It’s a full 3.2-inch touchscreen with a 3.2 megapixel camera and video capture. It’s offered for $100 with a two-year contract. [PhoneScoop]
  • AT&T launched the Pantech Link II (above right) this week, a follow-up to the popular Quick Messaging Device. It features BREW mobile 1.0.2 and is available for $10 with a two-year commitment.
  • Cincinnati Bell launched the HTC Sensation 4G for $250 with a two-year contract and after a $50 mail-in rebate.
  • The HTC Amaze 4G is heading north. Canadian carrier Telus has given the device its own piece of real estate on its site, having it listed as “coming soon.” [AndroidCentral]
  • According to benchmark tests, the Sony Ericsson Nozumi actually has a 1.5GHz dual-core Qualcomm CPU and uses Android 2.3.5. [LandofDroid]
  • Open Range Communications, a WiMAX provider in the Denver area, is laying off more than a hundred employees, shutting down its WiMAX service to new customers and the CEO resigned. [PhoneScoop]
  • Prefer the Washington Post over the New York Times? The former has its own Android app now available in the Market for free. [AndroidCentral]
  • The Nokia N9 is now officially for sale in Australia, on Telstra. Vodafone and Optus haven’t put the device on sale yet, though both companies have announced intentions to do so at some point. [ComputerWorld]

Mobile Miscellany: week of October 3, 2011 originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 08 Oct 2011 11:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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