Xperia U update solves network issues; Xperias P, Go and Sola also due fixes

Sony is pushing out another Android 2.3 Gingerbread-based firmware update for its leading entry-level handset, the Xperia U, according to reports. Forum posts indicate that the new version 6.0.B.3.184 is now starting to appear on Xperia U handsets across Europe. According to XperiaBlog, that same firmware has also been certified for the Xperia P, Xperia Go and Xperia Sola, which use the same ST Ericsson NovaThor chip.

In a post on the company’s official community forum, a Sony Xperia rep indicated that the new updates had been put out to fix networking issues with these phones.

We have received isolated consumer complaints about network selection issues for the products Xperia™ U, Xperia™ P, Xperia™ sola and Xperia™ go in connection with Android 2.3.7 SW version 6.0.B.3.162, successfully resolved by re-starting the phone.

Further optimizations of the network selection procedures were made and affected consumers are recommended to upgrade their handset SW to a new Android 2.3.7 SW version to be available from early August onwards.

So hopefully this update fixes any issues that Xperia P, U, Sola and Go owners may have been experiencing. And with this bug fix out of the way, we’re sure they’ll be hoping for a swift update to ICS later this quarter.

Source: XperiaBlog, XDA, Sony community forum

Leaked renders purport to show Sony Xperia SL's fresh coat of paint

Sony's IFA 2012 line-up has been subject to some major leakage over the past couple of weeks. We've already seen leaked photos and spec sheets for the international Xperia GX (LT29i Hayabusa), the Xperia J and the Xperia Tablet, and now it's the turn of the "Xperia SL."

As previously rumored, the SL seems to be an Xperia S with a fresh coat of paint and a shiny new CPU. In addition to the black and white exteriors used by the Xperia S, the SL brings silver and pink to the table. And the 1.5GHz dual-core Snapdragon S3 powering the S is clocked up to 1.7GHz in the SL. Essentially, it's a spec bump similar to the move from the Xperia Arc to Xperia Arc S in late 2011. There's also a fairly important software change, too -- the SL runs Andorid 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich out of the box.

The images above (and the couple more after the break) have appeared over on Chinese site ePrice, along with specs for the rumored device. They're unconfirmed at this point, but ePrice has proved fairly accurate at sniffing out unreleased Sony phones in the past.

Anyone tempted by this re-vamped Xperia S? Let us know in the comments.

Source: ePrice; via: XperiaBlog

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Sony Xperia S, P and Sola arrive SIM-free in the U.S.

The Xperia P and Xperia S have been available for some time in Europe, and today both phones make their debut in the United States. If you want either phone, you'll have to stump up the full SIM-free price, as neither is available subsidized on-contract. The Xperia P selling for $479.99 in black, silver and red at the Sony online store, while Newegg offers it for a slightly more reasonable $388.99. The Xperia S (in black and white) can only be found on Newegg at this stage, and comes with a similarly eye-watering price of $469.99. Meanwhile, the Xperia Sola, which has yet to launch in Europe, is available for $299.99.

We'll be honest here -- we don't think either phone is going to be a smash hit at its current price points, especially in a marketplace where Sony isn't well established as a smartphone manufacturer, and where consumers are used to subsidized phones at the $100-200 level. It also doesn't help that Sony's charging top dollar for what amounts to last-generation tech -- the Xperia S and Xperia P feature fairly low-powered dual-core CPUs and run Android 2.3 Gingerbread. In addition, you'll only be able to use them on AT&T's 3G and HSPA+ network in the U.S., due to radio limitations.

In any case, if you absolutely must have a Sony smartphone, and the Xperia Ion doesn't float your boat, you can now pay an inordinate amount of cash to own one of your very own. Just make sure you check out our reviews of the Xperia S and Xperia P before you part with your cash.

Source: Sony Store, Newegg; via: XperiaBlog

Sony Xperia Miro up for pre-order in the UK, £126 SIM-free

 

The Sony Xperia Miro, the social-focused, entry level offering from Sony, has gone up for pre-order in the UK at Clove. The price is set at £126 SIM-free, which is an incredible price-point for an Ice Cream Sandwich phone. It's small, looks fantastic, and will go head-to-head in the budget stakes with the HTC Desire C. 

The official price and availability is still to be confirmed, but the device can be pre-ordered at the source links below. 

Source: Clove

Sony Xperia GX and SX reportedly coming to Japan in July and August

Sony announced the Xperia GX and Xperia SX just a couple of days ago with an estimated "summer" launch window for both devices. But today leaked documentation obtained by XperiaBlog offers a little more granular detail. According to info obtained by the site, the Xperia GX will arrive in July, with the Xperia SX following shortly after in August. (This roughly matches a leaked Sony roadmap which appeared back in January.)

The documents also reveal plans for NTT Docomo branding atop the Xperia GX's 4.6-inch screen, as well as size and weight info. Apparently the device will weigh 127 grams and measure 131mm x 69mm x 10.2mm. As it features the same arched back design as the Xperia Arc, the thinnest point of the GX measures 8.6mm, same as the Galaxy S III. Apparently it'll also ship with a 1700mAh battery, which should hopefully be enough to power its 1.5GHz dual-core CPU and 720p Sony Reality Display. As we reported earlier in the week, other specs include a 13MP rear camera with 1080p video recording, 1GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage.

And in Xperia SX news, renders included in this latest leak reveal that the phone will apparently ship in pink and orange, in addition to the already-revealed black and white flavors.

Unfortunately there's no news on when (or if) either device will see an international release. Sony tells us that these phones are "designed specifically for the Japanese market," adding "we have not made any announcements with regards to possible availability in other markets."

If you like poring through Japanese technical documents, you'll find more info from today's leak over at the source link.

Source: XperiaBlog

Sony announces the Xperia GX and SX - new, buttonless ICS phones for Japan

Sony continues its tradition of launching desirable new products in Japan first, with today's announcement of two sleek new smartphones in its home territory -- the Xperia GX and Xperia SX. Both phones run Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, and jettison the traditional capacitive keys found on older handsets in favor of more up-to-date (and Android style guide compliant) virtual keys. The SX boasts that it's the world's lightest LTE smartphone, while the GX looks to be a spiritual successor to last year's Xperia Arc.

The Xperia GX bears a striking physical resemblance to the rumored Sony LT29i Hayabusa, and the specs are a pretty close match, too. It's got a 4.6-inch 720p Sony Reality display, a 1.5GHz dual-core CPU -- an unnamed chip, but rumored to be a Snapdragon S4, a 13MP EXMOR R rear camera and 16GB internal storage. A tantalizing bag of tricks to be sure, and one that easily matches the high-end offerings from other manufacturers.

Meanwhile, Sony's also launching what it says is the world's lightest LTE smartphone, the Xperia SX, which weighs just 95 grams. This is a 3.7-incher with a slightly chunkier design, but similar specs to its big brother. It's got a 1.5GHz dual-core CPU, 8GB internal flash and an 8MP EXMOR R rear camera, plus Japan-specific features like IR data exchange and mobile TV. Both SX and GX come in black and white, and are to launch in Japan this summer.

We have to say, the Xperia GX in particular looks like a gorgeous piece of kit, with some tasty internal hardware. Our fingers are firmly crossed for an international launch for this device in the months ahead. Come on, Sony, let's bring this thing to Europe (and maybe America, too). People want to give you their money.

We've got the full press release, and more photos, after the break.

Source: Sony; read more

Xperia P and U pegged for early May launch in the UK

Hot on the heels of the Xperia S come Sony's mid-range and entry-level offerings, the Xperia P and Xperia U. We got to see both devices at the announcement event at Mobile World Congress a couple of months back, and if you're interested in picking either up, you should only have another 2-3 weeks left to wait.

UK retailer Clove Technology now lists both upcoming Xperia phones for pre-order, with an expected release date during the week commencing May 7. The Xperia P is available in black and silver, and will set you back £330 off-contract, the Xperia U comes in black and white, and sells for £204.

Pre-order pricing and release dates are always subject to change, but Clove has a proven track record when it comes to this sort of thing. And given the closeness of the purported release dates, we're inclined to believe them in this instance.

For more on the Xperia P and Xperia U, check out our hands-on coverage from MWC.

Source: Clove Technology (1, 2)

Sony outlines Xperia ICS update plans - manual upgrade only, starting mid-April

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Sony Mobile (or Sony Ericsson, as it was known back then) was one of the first Android manufacturers to step forward with a a definitive upgrade plan for Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. We've even seen public beta ROMs released for a couple of devices by Sony devs, and active engagement with the community to track down bugs.

Today Sony's offering up more details about exactly when each of its 2011 (and 2012) Xperia handsets will be getting the latest version of Android. The manufacturer had previously promised updates during Q1, but with just two days of the current quarter remaining, it should come as no surprise that things haven taken a little longer than anticipated.

The first Sony devices to get ICS will be the Xperia Arc S, Xperia Neo V and Xperia Ray, starting mid-April. Next up it's the Xperia Arc, Xperia Play, Xperia Neo, Xperia Mini, Xperia Mini Pro, Xperia Pro, Xperia Active and SE Live with Walkman, which will get ICS from "the end of May/early June."

If you've just bought a brand new Xperia S, though, you'll be in for a much longer wait. Sony's new European flagship isn't expected to get ICS until late Q2. As we said in our review, the Xperia S is a phone which sorely needs that ICS update, and early adopters will no doubt be frustrated to find themselves at the back of the line.

Sony also revealed that for 2011 Xperia phones, ICS will be an optional upgrade rather (through the PC Companion app) than a automatic over-the-air update. This is similar to the strategy adopted by Sony Ericsson with the Xperia X10's Gingerbread update. Writing on its Developer World Blog, Sony explains that ICS may actually degrade performance for some users due to increased memory use, and changes to the way SQL databases are handled, so it's not forcing the update on anyone in an OTA.

More technical details are available at the source link, but the upshot is that Sony's giving customers a choice between sticking with the familiar and stable Gingerbread experience, or living life on the edge with ICS. As far as we're concerned, that's got to be a good thing.

Source: Sony Mobile Blog; Sony Developer World

Sony releases ICS beta ROM for Xperia Play, invites advanced devs to test games

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Sony's been more transparent than most manufacturers in the way it's handled its Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich updates. It released a couple of early ICS builds for various 2011 Xperia phones over the past few months, and now the manufacturer has a fresh beta ROM prepared for yet another device -- the GSM Xperia Play. As Sony prepares to roll out the Play's ICS update, it wants advanced users to see how the phone's library of games holds up on the new version of Google's OS.

To get an early look at Ice Cream Sandwich on your Xperia Play, you'll need an unlocked device on the latest firmware, as well as an unlocked bootloader (check Sony Mobile's bootloader site). You'll then need to flash the new ROM onto your device using some command-line wizardry. After you're done, Sony wants to know what you think, and it's set up a thread over on the XDA forums to collect feedback from testers.

A word of warning, though -- Wifi connectivity is apparently not functional in this beta, and there are no Google apps included either, apparently due to licensing issues. The latter can be solved by finding, downloading and flashing the apps yourself, but the lack of Wifi will probably be a deal-breaker for many. That said, we expect enterprising Android hackers to have a workaround for that before too long.

For more info, along with download links, check Sony's dev blog, linked below.

Source: Sony Developer Blog

Sony explains Xperia Sola's 'floating touch' technology

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AppId is over the quota

When Sony unveiled the Xperia Sola yesterday, it was keen to tout its new "floating touch" technology as a major selling point. Unlike other touchscreen phones, the Sola can detect when a finger is hovering over the screen, not just when it's made contact. This, potentially, could present some interesting new ways of interacting with touchscreens -- for example, the Sola's browser will allow users to hover their finger over the screen like a cursor when selecting links.

Today, Sony has gone into more detail about exactly how this "magical" new technology works, debunking our theory of millions of tiny wizards living under the screen. On the company's mobile developer blog, engineer Erik Hellman explains exactly what's involved. Essentially, the Xperia Sola contains two types of capacitive sensor. There's a mutual-capacitive sensor, used for multi-touch, and a self-capacitive sensor, which generates a stronger signal, allowing it to detect conductive objects (like your greasy paws) from further away. Self-capacitive sensors aren't multi-touch capable, and mutual-capacitive sensors aren't strong enough to detect objects at a distance, but if you combine both in a single screen, you get the best of both worlds -- multi-touch when you're touching the screen, and floating touch when you're not.

We're definitely interested to see what third-party devs can do when they get hold of this tech. In the meantime, more technical details can be had over at the source link.

Source: Sony Developer Blog

Sony unveils Xperia Sola with 'floating touch' technology

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Sony has today revealed the Xperia Sola, a new 3.7-inch Android smartphone similar to the Xperia P and Xperia U, which were unveiled a couple of months ago. If you've been following the rumors over the past few months, you'll recognize this as the MT27i "Pepper".

The Xperia Sola is packing a brand new technology called "floating touch", which allows the screen to sense when there's a finger hovering over it. The main use case highlighted by the manufacturer is web browsing -- on the Xperia Sola, users will be able hold their finger over a web page like a cursor, before touching the screen to select. It's an interesting concept, but we'll have to spend some time with the device before we're completely sold on it.

The Xperia Sola also sports a different profile to most of Sony's other 2012 smartphones. There's no clear element near the bottom of the device, and the screen protrudes from the base, likely due to whatever extra tech Sony's crammed in behind it to facilitate that "floating touch" feature.

Internally, the Xperia Sola closely matches the Xperia P -- there's a 1GHz dual-core ST-Ericsson chip inside, a 3.7-inch "Reality Display", and all of Sony's usual software stuff on top of Android 2.3 Gingerbread (an update to ICS is promised for "Summer 2012"). You also get NFC support, which lets you use Sony's "SmartTags" to automate certain tasks when they're in range.

The Xperia Solai will launch globally in black, white and red during the second quarter of the year. We've got today's full press release, alongside some introductory videos, after the jump.

Sony Xperia “Pepper” image in the wild – upcoming announcement?

A Sony roadmap leaked last January, suggesting three devices would be announced at Mobile World Congress (code named Kumquat, Nypon and Pepper). Only two of these made it to the stage in Barcelona, now named the Xperia P and Xperia U. But what about the third one? An official image of the Pepper (MT27i) has just leaked, and we might see an announcement soon.

The leaked roadmap stated that all three devices would be released next April. So this could be proof that the Xperia Pepper is ready to head out the door. It looks very nice, with all the major characteristics of Sony’s new design. The difference is that it’s lacking the translucent bar. And it looks like there’s a dedicated camera button in there.

Rumored specs include a 1GHz dual-core processor, a 5 MP camera, a 3.7-inch FWVGA screen (854×480), 512 MB of RAM and NFC support. We’re not sure what Android version it will be running. But if it follows recent Sony patterns, it should come with Android 2.3 with an update coming at a later date.

It’s not a bad device, but definitely not the best out there. We’ll have to wait and see how pricing turns out. For now, let’s stay tuned for the official announcement. As always, take this with a grain of salt; these are all unofficial details.

What do you guys think of this device? It’s definitely good looking. But would you rather get the Xperia P or U?

First Sony Xperia S software update now available through PC Companion app

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AppId is over the quota

If you were one of the lucky few able to grab an Sony Xperia S in Barcelona during MWC, today you'll be able to pick up a new software update to version 6.0.A.3.67. The update isn't yet going out over the air, but it is available through Sony's PC Companion app for Windows.

Unfortunately the package doesn't include the sorely-needed Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich update -- that's due sometime during the second quarter. However, we're hoping the update fixes a few niggling issues we've been noticing with our review unit, including some radio wonkiness and difficulty automatically disconnecting from Wifi routers when out of range. If you've picked up the new software on your Xperia S, be sure to point out any changes or fixes over in the comments.

For more on the Xperia S, check out our initial review and hands-on video.

O2 UK launches Sony Xperia S

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AppId is over the quota

Following Three's announcement yesterday, O2 UK has become the second British network to launch Sony's new flagship handset, the Xperia S. Subsidized prices start at £79 on the cheapest £16.50 per month contract, while a bump up to a £21.50 per momth plan will get you the Xperia S for free, along with 200 minutes, unlimited texts and a 500MB data allowance. Unlike Three, O2 isn't selling the Xperia S on pay-as-you-go, so you'll need to open up a new line, or burn an upgrade if you want to pick up the O2-branded version.

The Xperia S is the first of Sony's new Xperia NXT series to launch internationally, going on sale first in Barcelona during Mobile World Congress. It sports a dual-core CPU, a 4.3-inch 720p "HD Reality Display" and a whopping 12MP camera. We've already given you our first impressions of the Xperia S, and we'll have a full review posted in the next few days.

Source: O2 UK