Sony Xperia E, Xperia E Dual Now Available Online

Sony's Xperia E and its dual-SIM variant Xperia E Dual smartphones are finally available for purchase (after a 3-month wait since the announcement since the announcement back in December 2012). These entry-level smartphones have been listed on Flipkart and Infibeam.

People can buy the Xperia E in various color variants such as White, Pink, Black and Champagne for a price of Rs 9,990 (champagne color variant is priced at Rs 10,990). The Xperia E Dual is available in Champagne and Black color variants for a price of Rs 10,990.

Both the entry-level smartphones have similar tech specs, except that Sony Xperia E runs Android 4.1 out of the box, whereas Xperia E Dual comes with the older Android 4.0 ICS (although upgradable to 4.1). Here's the list of known specifications:

• 3.5" HVGA multi-touch screen with scratch-resistant glass and pixel dimensions of 320x480 (262,000 colours TFT).
• Quad-band 2G (GSM 850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz); Quad-band 3G (850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz).
• Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean) (on Xperia E); Android 4.0 upgradable to Android 4.1 (on Xperia E dual).
• 1 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon MSM7227A CPU, 512 MB RAM.
• 3.2 megapixel camera, 4x digital zoom, Geotagging, Touch capture.
• 4 GB internal storage (up to 2.2 GB user-accessible); 32 GB microSD card slot.
• 4.5" (l) x 2.3" (w) x 0.4" (11.0 mm) (d); weighs 115.7 grams.
• A-GPS, Bluetooth, DLNA Certified, Wi-Fi.
• 3.5 mm audio jack, Micro-USB port, USB 2.0.
• Accelerometer, Proximity sensor.
• 1500 mAh battery with claimed talk time of roughly 6 hours, standby time of 22 days, 33 hours of music, and 8 hours of video playback.
• Package Contents: Handset, Battery, Charger, Stereo Headset MH410c, Micro-USB cable, User documentation.
• Available Colours: Xperia E – Black, Pink, White; Xperia E dual – Gold, Black.

The Xperia E and Xperia E Dual are clearly just entry-level smartphones from a high-end brand. Smartphones with similar tech specs would otherwise sell at far lower prices. If you can spend one grand more, you'd get this well-specced yet affordable smartphone - the Karbonn S1 Titanium which is priced at Rs 10,200 (online retailer price) and offers a quad-core processor and a 4.5 inch IPS display.

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Sony Xperia Z And ZL With 5" Screen Goes Official

Amidst speculations and rumours about it 5" phablet handsets, Sony has put up press shots of two of its smaprtphones, which will probably be up at CES 2012. The similar-looking devices are said to be powered by Snapdragon S4 chipset with a 1.5 GHz quad-core processor, Adreno 320 GPU, and 2 GB of RAM. The handsets will feature a 5" 1080p display, 13 megapixel main Exmor RS camera, and a front-facing camera to make voice calls. The front camera on the ZL seems to be oddly placed on the base of screen though. Although nothing is mentioned about the OS version it'll feature, it should probably run Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean) out of the box.

While these are official press shots confirming the existence to the two handset variants, rumours of the Xperia X launch at CES with a rather similar spec sheet is also making rounds. The Xperia X is speculated to be a dual-SIM variant of the ZL (looking at the placement of the front-facing camera). Sony launching three similar handsets and a single event seems a bit strange, but since CES is just round the corner, we won't have to wait too long to figure out the company's plans.

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Sony Xperia J With Android 4.0 And 4" Screen Surfaces Online For Rs 16,500

As Sony allegedly readies itself for a phablet war, it is capitalising on the mid-range Android smartphone segment — riding on the festive season. The latest entrant in its Xperia lineup to reach Indian shores is the Sony Xperia J. Running Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich), Flipkart.com suggests that it comes with a 1 GHz CPU and an Adreno 200 GPU.

Here is a list of specifications from Sony's UK site listing:

• Quad-band GSM (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz); quad-band 3G (850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz).
• 4.0" FWVGA TFT capacitive multi-touch screen, scratch resistant Corning Gorilla glass with pixel dimension of 854 x 480 and 16,777,216 colours.
• Android 4.0 (ICS).
• 1 GHz Qualcomm MSM7227A processor and 512 MB of RAM.
• 4 GB internal storage, 32 GB microSD card slot.
• 5 mp main camera with LED flash and Auto focus VGA video recording @ 30 fps; 0.3mp front-facing camera.
• Camera Features: Geotagging, Self-timer, Touch focus, Image stabilizer, VGA video recording, 4x digital zoom.
• Micro-USB 2.0, Wi-Fi hotspot, DLNA certified, Assisted GPS, Bluetooth.
• Accelerometer, proximity sensor, compass.
• 4.9" (l) x 2.4" (w) x 0.4" (9.2 mm) (d); 124 grams.
• 1750 mAh battery with talk time of 6 hours in 2G and 7 hours in 3G, 40 hours of music, 8 hours of video.
• Available colours: Black, Gold, Pink, White.

The handset in available in white and black variants. You can pre-order one via Flipkart.com. (When you place an order, you'll earn a Flipkart e-Gift Voucher worth Rs 500!) Delivery is expected to commence next week. 

 

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Sony Working On Xperia "Phablet" With 5" Screen

Samsung started the "phablet" revolution with its GALAXY Note. Soon enough, another Korean manufacturer, LG, embraced thisnew form factor. Whether these gadgets are comfortable to use as cellphones is a matter of debate, but they do have takers. Just last week, HTC joined the party with its J Butterfly in Japan. Sony is now testing these waters, apparently: According to a Japanese website, they are already testing a 5" prototype device. They've also provided a picture as evidence, which looks convincing to me. Going by the image, the handset has a sleek metallic body and a very thin display bezel. The Japanese source claims the phone is codenamed Odin (C650X), and that it has specs as so:

• 5" Full-HD screen, 1080x1920 pixels.
• Quad-core Snapdragon S4 Pro chipset.
• 2 GB of RAM.

If that's for real, it's definitely going to be a killer combination of outstanding screen and powerful CPU. More importantly, the design is far superior to what most Android manufacturers have on offer.

The only major event coming up in the next few months is the CES 2013 in January, which is when we can expect this gadget to go official.
 

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Sony announces Jelly Bean update for various Xperia models

Sony has recently announced that the Android v4.1 (Jelly Bean) update will be released to a number of Xperia models in the first quarter of 2013.

The handsets that are scheduled to receive the Jelly Bean update in the first quarter of 2013 are the brand’s latest models, which include the Xperia T, Xperia TX, and Xperia V. Sony has announced that global models of the Xperia S, Xperia acro S, Xperia ion, Xperia P, Xperia go, and Xperia J will be upgraded to Android v4.1. However, as of now, there is no word on the date of availability of Android v4.1 for these handsets.

Jelly Bean coming to new Sony Xperia handsets early next year

As per the announcement by Sony, “We were glad to provide the Android 4.0.4 upgrade for our 2011 Xperia portfolio across most markets and the majority of models but, after thorough evaluation, we have concluded they will not be upgraded beyond Ice Cream Sandwich.” It now appears that as far as updates go, it is the end of the line for the 2011 Xperia models.  Sony states that upgrading to versions higher than Ice Cream Sandwich would not guarantee owners of these smartphones the user experience they expect and Sony demands. Sony will, however, continue to support all these products with firmware maintenance releases. 

For those not in the know, this flagship handset from Sony, the Xperia T comes equipped with a 4.6-inch HD display. Commenting on this Sony says that along with the Mobile Bravia Engine in tow, it is capable of offering razor sharp clarity. With most of the major brands going the quad-core direction, Sony has opted for a 1.5GHz dual-core processor and the reason behind this, the brand states, is that it is for an improved battery life, fast performance and sharp graphics.

Commenting on the launch of the Sony Xperia T at the IFA 2012 event, Kunimasa Suzuki, President and CEO of Sony Mobile Communications, said, “This year's IFA marks an important milestone for Sony and Sony Mobile Communications. Xperia smartphones are at the heart of Sony's mobile strategy of delivering a consistent user experience across devices, enabling consumers to easily and quickly access the world of entertainment that Sony delivers”

Here is a quick look at the highlighted features of the Sony Xperia T:

• 4.6-inch HD Reality Display powered by the Mobile BRAVIA Engine
• LTE, UMTS / HSPA+ radios, NFC
• 13MP fast capture camera with LED flash and a 720p HD front camera
• Full 1080p HD video recording capabilities
• 16GB internal memory along with a MicroSD card slot
• MicroSIM
• FM radio, MHL

With Android Jelly Bean already becoming official at this year’s Google I/O, one would expect the handset to run the latest version of the Google mobile operating system straight out of the box, this is not the case and it comes equipped with Android v4.0.4 (Ice Cream Sandwich). However, the brand has announced that an upgrade to Android v4.1 (Jelly Bean) will be available shortly after the Xperia T is launched. The smartphone is powered by a 1.5GHz dual core Qualcomm MSM8260A Snapdragon S4 processor and it features 1GB of RAM and an Adreno 225 GPU. 

The handset also comes equipped with NFC capabilities and with this, users can tap to connect to other Sony NFC capable devices by using ‘a one touch function.’  Commenting on this feature Sony says, “Sony is putting NFC at the heart of content sharing through its 'One-touch' function, taking NFC beyond the traditional uses such as e-ticketing and payments. Now, consumers can easily and instantaneously enjoy their music and photos across an array of NFC enabled Sony devices, by simply touching one to another to establish a wireless connection without a cumbersome pairing process.”

As expected, this will be the handset that will be first in the running to get the Jelly Bean update.

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Review: Sony Xperia go

Pros:Water- and dust-proof; Sturdy build; Sleek design; Impressive sound quality; Smooth UI.

Cons:Weak earpiece; no front-facing camera.

Sony Xperia go
MRP: Rs 20,000 (Store Locator)
Street price (As On 11-Oct-2012): Rs 17,800 (Infibeam.com); Rs 18,500 (BuyThePrice.com;Flipkart.com)


No matter how careful we are with our smartphones, accidents do happen. One fall or a single water splash, and you might end up killing your beloved phone. To address this, manufacturers have come up with water-resistant and extra-sturdy handsets in the past. Sadly, most of those phones were so ugly that I wouldn't want to carry them in public. Sony is hoping to change that with its sleek Xperia go; let's find out just how tough this Japanese fella is.
 

Design And Build Quality
The retail box comes with the phone, charger with detachable USB cable, and earphones. The handset measures 4.4" (l) x 2.4" (w) x 0.4" (9.8 mm) (d), and tips the scales at 110 grams. The Xperia go is an IP67 (Ingress Protection 67) compliant phone. The number 6 refers to total protection against dust particles, and "7" refers to the gadget's ability to withstand water immersion (max. 1 metre). I've verified Sony's claim, and the Xperia go is indeed a waterproof phone. It's worth mentioning that the touchscreen is responsive even when it's wet.

The phone is rugged, and manages to look trendy too. In fact, it looks like any other modern smartphone, which is big plus for a phone labelled "tough". (Remember how fugly the Motorola DEFY+was?) The Xperia go's back panel is extremely sturdy, and all the ports are sealed by plastic flaps. All in all, the Xperia go is the best looking waterproof phone I've ever seen.

The handset's 3.5" screen with Mobile BRAVIA, with pixel dimensions of 320x480, is protected by scratch-resistant mineral glass. The display is bright, and it offers wide viewing angles. Because of the low pixel density, however, the icons tend to have jagged edges. Apart from that, the display is good, considering the device's price tag.

The Xperia go is powered by a 1 GHz dual-core CPU, and has 512 MB of RAM. It sports a 5 mp camera with LED flash. Here's are the detailed specs:

• 1 GHz NovaThor U8500 dual-core Cortex-A9 CPU, ARM Mali-400 GPU, 512 MB RAM.
• Quad-band GSM (850, 900, 1800, 1900  Mhz); Dual-band 3G (900, 2100 MHz).
• 3.5" capacitive multi-touch screen (480x320 pixels) protected by scratch-resistant mineral glass, Mobile BRAVIA Engine, 16 million colours, Handwriting recognition.
• 5 megapixel auto-focus camera with LED flash, 16x digital zoom, Face detection and Smile detection, Fast Capture; No front-facing camera.
• FM radio with RDS, Micro-USB 2.0, 3.5 mm jack.
• Wi-Fi with hotspot functionality, DLNA certified, Assisted GPS.
• 8 GB of internal storage (4 GB user-accessible), 32 GB microSD card slot.
• Supported Video: 3GPP, MP4, MKV, AVI.
• Supported Audio: MP3, 3GPP, MP4, SMF, WAV, OGG.
• 1305 mAh battery.
• 4.4" (l) x 2.4" (w) x 0.4" (9.8 mm) (d), 110 grams.
• Available Colours: Black, White, Yellow.

UI And Applications
The Xperia go features Sony's custom UI on top of Android 2.3 (Gingerbread). The interface is the same as what we've been seeing on the latest Xperia series handsets. Thanks to a dual-core CPU, the phone runs smooth, except when you have too many apps open in the background. Sony has gone quite some way to make this phone a pleasure to use; the upcoming ICS update will probably make things even better.

Although the onboard web browser is snappy, it's not as fast as its ICS counterparts. It supports Flash 11, so you can watch 720p web videos without any problems. Google Maps works fine with A-GPS (Assisted-GPS). The handset comes with preinstalled apps including Compass, Torch, and miCoach; the latter is meant for wannabe athletes and is available for free at Google's Play Store.


Multimedia
The Xperia go has TrackID music recognition support; TrackID can download album art and info for your music library. The music player's interface as well as the sound quality is very good. Additionally, you get plenty of equaliser and surround sound settings.

Coming to video playback, the handset can handle MP4, DivX, XviD, and 3GP videos up to 720p. Needless to say, you can get additional codec support by downloading RockPlayer or MXPlayer.

The 5 mp autofocus camera is accompanied by an LED flash. It's packed with features such as Sweep Panorama, Sweep Multi Angle,and 3D Sweep Panorama. There's also the Fast Capturefunction,which allows you to take a snap without unlocking the phone. Check out the second screenshot in the gallery.

The snapper delivers decent pictures by 5 mp standards. Photos show a good amount of detail, but the slight yellowish tint can be annoying.

The Xperia go can record 720p videos at 30 fps in MP4 format. Video playback is smooth, and the detailing is good. Click here to check out a video sample.


Telephony, Messaging, Battery, And Verdict
The device's signal reception was good throughout our tests. However, I find the earpiece is quite weak - but I guess that's the tradeoff with a waterproof phone. On the messaging front, the portrait keyboard feels a bit cramped; it's good in landscape mode.

In our tests, the 1305 mAh battery kept the device powered on for a little less than 5 hours under heavy use. With normal use though, you can expect it to last for a day. The Xperia go offers excellent build quality, sleek design, great music quality, a good camera, and a pleasant UI. On the minus side, it lacks a front-facing camera, and it hasn't received the ICS update yet. Overall, it's great value at Rs 18,500.

Features: 3.5/5
Design And Build Quality: 4.5/5
Performance: 3.5/5
Value For Money: 4/5
Mojo: 4/5

Overall Rating: 4/5

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Hands on with the Sony Xperia tipo

Sony Mobiles launched a new Xperia series device today in our country’s capital – the Xperia tipo. While it may not be the best choice of a name, the somewhat funky new smartphone is designed to cater to the youth of today. Here’s a quick looksee into the new handset before we get into a full blown review. Design The tipo is available in two variants – a single SIM (GSM) device and Dual SIM (GSM + GSM). At this time, a dual SIM smartphone is just what Sony needs to combat the competition. However, that being said, in the specs department, the tipo will have a hard time competing with the low budget rulers like Micromax, Spice, Karbonn and iBall . Well placed To start off, the handset features a 3.2-inch display sporting a resolution of 320 x 480 pixels. It looks good, no argument there, but with other devices highlighting 5-inch displays, this one’s not going to be too easy when it comes to videos. Secondly, it’s equipped with a 3.2 megapixel camera and again, we see budget devices that have 5MP cameras in the same range. A few choice of color options will be available While it does come in a variety if funky colours – Red, White, Blue, Balck, the tipo really isn’t the sleekest looking device on the shelf or the slimmest. In fact, at 13mm in depth, it’s a little bit on the bulky side. The smooth matte-like finish gives the handset a little added sheen. The Dual SIM edition features a small (quite small) SIM selector key on the right hand side under the volume rocker. The SIM cards have a neat little tray system (slot) that’s quite convenient for slipping them in and out. The micro USB port is placed on the bottom left hand side of the device with the handsfree port on the top near the power/sleep button. Xperia tipo SIM slots The tipo features 2GB of on board storage, which is great and quite enough to download plenty of apps for your daily routine or social networking moments. A (Hot Swap) micrsoSD card slot is also available with support for additional storage up to 32GB. Since Sony is focusing on the handset's media prowess, it has bundled a very comfortable looking handsfree kit, but it’s not unlike any of the others you’d find with other Sony devices. Like previous editions, the Live with Walkman for one, the loudspeaker on this handset is way above average. In a crowded room, music still managed to resound quite audibly from the tipo like it didn’t even break a sweat. A quick look at the tipo's specs Features The Xperia tipo ships with ICS (Android version 4.0), which is good news and bad news for Sony Mobiles again. The good news is—fans will at least have one of the new iterations of the OS in a very affordable price bracket. The bad news—there are cheaper devices and those with slightly better features that also come bundled with ICS in its raw, unencumbered form. No messy bloatware or cluttered unarticulated UIs gumming up the works. Finally we're seeing Sony embrace ICS. Is Jelly Bean on the Charts? Unknown What’s worse is that it has got this smartphone running on a Qualcomm 800Mhz processor with an Adreno 200 GPU. Sure, things ran quite smoothly on the test devices and all preloaded apps and features opened up with ease. There was just the tiniest hint of lag witnessed on all the demo units we tested at the launch. It was acceptable, all things considered. But again, we’re in that stage now where 800Mhz, as functional as it may be for ICS or the manufacturers using it, just doesn’t quite cut it anymore. Handsets with larger displays and higher res cameras, some even of the dual-SIM variety, are priced in the same space and are equipped with 1GHz processors. Of course, a Qualcomm processor is a Qualcomm processor and would potentially fare better than some of the higher end options embedded into the budget brands, but that’s something we can report on only after running benchmarks and a full barrage of tests in our labs. Dual SIM features via the Android Settings menu Managing dual-SIM functionality seemed like a fairly easy task and we’ll also be going into it into a little bit of detail when we do a full blown review. The features can be easily accessed from the settings menu. What Sony is also ‘pushing’ in terms of USP, is a data management feature. However, this feature is quite native to ICS (and up) enabled Android devices. Via the settings menu, you can choose the Data Usage option and not only check the amount of data you’re using but also put a cap on the amount depending on your plan from your service provider. Easy access to either SIM at the press of a button There’s also an FM radio on board. With connectivity options ranging from Wi-Fi (with hot spot functionality) and 3G (HSDPA up to 7.2 Mbps) to Bluetooth with A2DP, the tipo is a well connected device). First Impression Off hand, from simply handling the device at the launch event, it doesn’t come off as an altogether impressive piece of hardware. It is nevertheless well enough priced at Rs. 9,999 for the single SIM version and Rs. 10,499 for the dual-SIM edition. Its closest big-name competition is from Samsung, who has been in the budget Android market game for some time now with handsets like the Galaxy Y Duos and its Lite edition as well as tthe Champ devices. However, in this particular case, the local brands like Micromax et al offer far more value for your money. Having said all that, we have yet to review the device and put it through its paces. From initial usage, taking into account the specifications as they stand, the Xperia tipo seems like it could come out on top if you’re looking for a big-branded device. In some of these case, it’d be advisable to note that here we’re talking about quality versus bulky feature quantity. It is a good thing though, to see the big players get off their high horses and offer the budget segment some seriously worthy options. Stay tuned to this space for the full review of Sony Mobile’s Xperia tipo. Credits:tech2.in

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Rumour: Press Shots Of Sony's 9.4" Android Xperia Tablet Leaked

     
According to the latest rumour doing the rounds, Sony seems to be readying a new Android tablet. This is a rather brave move, considering its previous attempt crashed and burned at the market. Going by what appears to be a bunch of press shots, Sony's next slate will be thinner than the Tablet S, but will retain its unique fold-out design to some extent.

Currently, the exact name of this slate is still unknown. However, since the pictures display Xperia branding, the grapevine is calling it the Xperia Tablet. While confirmed hardware details are unavailable, Sony fansite XperiaBlog.net has hazarded the following specs in a previous leak about the tablet, taken from a company presentation:

• 9.4" screen with pixel dimensions of 1280x800.
• NVIDIA Tegra 3 chipset.
• 8 mp rear camera, 1 mp front camera
• 6000 mAh battery with 10 hours of operation.
• Aluminium clad, splash-proof body that's 40% thinner than the Tablet S.
• Runs Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich).

The Xperia Tablet is expected to be unveiled at the IFA 2012, which will begin on the 31st of this month.

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Sony Xperia Ion launched in India at Rs. 35,999

 
Sony's spanking new Android smartphone Xperia Ion has now reached Indian shores. The launch comes after the phone was showcased in the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) earlier this year. The Android v2.3 (Gingerbread) handset is priced at Rs. 35,999 on Snapdeal.com.

The Xperia Ion ships preinstalled with the outdated version of Android OS, but an upgrade to Android v4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) is in the pipeline. This NFC-ready phone is available in red and black variants. The price is quite a premium for a phone that ships with a really old implementation of Android. However, the handset makes up for it in the specs department. At any rate, you are still left at Sony’s mercy for the ICS update, especially since there’s no word on whether the Ion will receive Jelly Bean at all.

Sony launches Android 2.3-powered Xperia Ion in India

The Xperia Ion toes to the current trend of smartphones bearing large displays, with its 4.6-inch LCD screen and sporting a resolution of 1280x720 pixels. The phone is powered by a 1.5GHz dual-core processor and an Adreno 220 GPU. It features a 16GB expandable memory expandable upto 32GB with its microSD card slot. The primary camera is rated at 12MP and is capable of 1080p video recording. The device is also equipped with a 1.3MP front-facing camera for video conferencing at 720p resolution. Its 1900mAh battery is well endowed and should offer decent battery backup time considering its hardware specs. The manufacturer claims a standby time of upto 400 hours with 2G and upto 350 hours with 3G, radio-enabled. Being a Sony product, the Ion is PlayStation certified and carries the Walkman branding as well.

Other specifications include:

• 4.6-inch TFT LCD supporting 1280 x 720 pixel resolution
• 3G HSDPA 2100, Bluetooth 2.1 with A2DP and EDR, Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Hotspot, DLNA, USB 2.0
• GPS, A-GPS with GLONASS
• 12MP camera and 1.3MP front camera
• FM radio with 3.5 mm audio jack
• 1GB RAM, 16GB internal memory, External memory support upto 32 GB

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New colour trims of Sony Xperia SL spotted, shows it means business

It’s ePrice once again with another leak from Sony’s camp and this time, we have new colour trims of the Xperia SL. Previously spotted in blue and pink, the new leaked picture shows the phone in black, silver and white shades as well, for the grownups. We still don’t have too many details about the phone but from the name itself, it feels like a successor to the Xperia S with a faster processor. This won’t be their flagship phone as that spot will be taken up by the Xperia ‘Hayabusa’ or LT29i which will sport a 13MP camera and a larger screen.

New colour trims

The Xperia SL leaked earlier this month in a log sheet, which showed a new model, LT26ii. If the phone is going to be based on the Xperia S then the specifications shouldn’t be too different from the current model. The only thing different would be a faster CPU that’s rumored to run around 1.7GHz. The chipset used is said to be a Qualcomm MSM8260 SoC but that could change by the time the phone launches. These are the current specifications of the Xperia S, which should also be the same for the SL: 

• 4.3 inch display with a 1280 x 720 pixel resolution
• 3G, EDGE/GPRS, Wi-Fi (Hot spot), Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA
• NFC, Bluetooth with A2DP, USB 2.0
• GPS with A-GPS support
• 12 megapixel BSI Sensor (Rear) with LED flash, 1.3 megapixel front camera
• Stereo FM Radio
• 32 GB internal memory, 1GB RAM
• HDMI for AV out

We’ve already reviewed the Xperia S, which is currently priced at Rs. 29,000, and here’s what we had to say about the device, "The Xperia S is unlike any other flagship phone we’ve seen from Sony Ericsson in the past and represents a bold new direction for the company. The phone has a beautiful build and feels premium and packed to the gills with features. However, it’s far from perfect. There are some sensitivity issues with the capacitive buttons, camera performs poorly in low-light indoor shooting and the microSIM is annoying. However, at this price, it’s certainly one of the better options compared to the Sensation XE. If you can live with these little issues then we recommend the Xperia S for its beautiful screen, great design, good camera (for outdoor shooting) and feature rich app selection out-of-the-box."
 
There’s still no telling when Sony will make it official but IFA is just around the corner where we expect Sony to unveil the Xperia J and the LT29i so they may just unveil it during the event later this month.

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Sony Rolls Out ICS Update For Xperia S With New Media Apps

The launch of Sony's flagship smartphone, the Xperia S, was disappointing, as it was shipped out with Android 2.3(Gingerbread). However, an ICS update was due later in the year, and making good its promise, Sony has announced the upgrade. This new firmware will come along with some added features to its media apps. Apart from the Android 4.0.4 upgrade, users will now have access to a tweaked UI over the stock Holo UI, alongside media apps such as Walkman and Movies.

The Walkman app is similar to the one that is a part of Sony'sWalkman series phones, which also features Facebook integration and accessing music-related content from Gracenote. The Movies app will streamline media playback, and offer online support for information including movie posters and plot, among other things. Another app introduced is the Albumapp, which gives easy access to browsing, commenting, and sharing photos directly from the phone to Facebook, and other photo sharing websites.

It is an over-the-air update, which can be directly accessed from the phone through cellular or Wi-Fi networks, though we would suggest you to consider using Wi-Fi, as it is a 200 MB update. You can watch the video on Xperia's YouTube channel for a step-by-step procedure to update your phone.

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