Sony Xperia S jogs past the FCC carrying AT&T 3G radios (video)

The FCC boys were clutching at their multimeters in horror when they saw how much work they'd have to do when Sony's new Xperia S rolled into the bunker. Still, their loss is connectivity's gain, as the Ericsson-branded (for now, at least) phone packs quad-band GSM / EDGE, 850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100 UMTS and HSPA, RFID, Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR, 802.11 WiFi b/g/n and GPS. ANT+ is also included, which is a healthy sign that support for the fitness tracker will carry on through Ericsson's departure.

In related news, thanks to a post on the company's Facebook wall we know that the unit will be clad in an "anti-stain shell," -- hinting at a similar nano-coating to what we've seen on the Droid Razr. We've also heard rumors of a fast-charging mode that'll provide an hour's usage with just ten minutes of cable-time. Either way, it won't be long until we find out what's true, since the unit's sashayed past the FCC then it's most certainly on for that promised Q1 launch.

Continue reading Sony Xperia S jogs past the FCC carrying AT&T 3G radios (video)

Sony Xperia S jogs past the FCC carrying AT&T 3G radios (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 27 Jan 2012 12:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony Xperia S hands-on

We had the feeling that the Sony Xperia S might rear its lovely little head at tonight's press conference in the Las Vegas Convention Center -- and indeed this pretty little slab was announced amongst the deluge of products and superstar cameos.

The Sony Xperia S is a smartphone with a bit of an identity crisis, which is to say that there were two versions of the same handset on the showroom floor -- one with the now oddly outdated Sony Ericsson branding along its top bezel, just above the speaker grill and another which simply reads "Sony" in big, block letters. And really, the new naming convention doesn't seem to out of place on the Android 2.3 handset -- it's got a bit more room to breathe up there. And besides, the gorgeous S looks right at home alongside Sony's other glossy hardware.

The Xperia's bright 4.3-inch display monopolizes the upper 2/3 of the handset. Just below this, you'll find three white dots. These line up with the home, menu and back button. Icons for each are embedded in a a sliver of thick glass casing. Upon seeing the handset, we found ourselves attempting to touch the icons themselves -- it turns out it's actually the aforementioned dots that activate the functionality. We appreciate the clear focus on aesthetics here, but the whole thing is a bit counterproductive.

The handset itself has a nice feel, with a concave back, which makes the handset a bit thick than the segments of the Android population attempting to win the title of the "world's thinnest." But hey, you've got to have some place to shove that 1.5GHz CPU and 1GB of RAM, right? And it's good they did, this handset is quite zippy.

Sony Xperia S hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 09 Jan 2012 21:50:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony details Xperia’s Ice Cream Sandwich progress, remains on track for late March kick-off

Yes, Sony Ericsson has already gone about communicating its intention to deliver Android 4.0 to its Xperia smartphone collection, but the company is now sharing further details about the pending arrival. So, we thought you'd like to be in on the know. For starters, the first devices to receive the upgrade will be the Arc S, Neo V and Ray, each of which are on-track for a late March / early April rollout. Then, beginning in late April / early May, Sony intends to deliver Ice Cream Sandwich to the Active, Arc, Mini, Mini Pro, Neo, Play and Xperia Pro handsets. Even the Live with Walkman is set to receive a new lease on life during the time frame. In each case, the latest version of Android will be rolled out in phases, over the course of a few weeks. Now, let's just hope that Sony Ericsson is able to keep to its schedule.

Sony details Xperia's Ice Cream Sandwich progress, remains on track for late March kick-off originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 22 Dec 2011 01:17:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ice Cream Sandwich alpha released for Xperia trio, is Sony Ericsson’s ’143′ to the dev community (video)

Sony Ericsson has a clear stance on the Android dev community: one love. In what is, apparently, a first for the company, an alpha ROM of its in-development Ice Cream Sandwich port is available for install across a trio of unlocked Xperia devices -- the arc S, neo V and ray. But hold your horses on that download trigger finger, this early build is only for "advanced developers" and quite a few features, like Google apps, WiFi, Bluetooth, voice, FM radio and ANT+, simply aren't functional. In other words, don't depend on this as your daily driver, but do dive deep if you know what you're doing and want a peek at Google's soon-to-be ubiquitous OS upgrade. Head on over to the source below for the cautionary how-to and remember to flash at your own risk.

Continue reading Ice Cream Sandwich alpha released for Xperia trio, is Sony Ericsson's '143' to the dev community (video)

Ice Cream Sandwich alpha released for Xperia trio, is Sony Ericsson's '143' to the dev community (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 15 Dec 2011 13:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony Ericsson’s Xperia Acro and Xperia Arc get PlayStation Certified in Japan

Hello, PlayStation Certification! Looks like the Xperia Play is getting a bit of company in Japan, where Sony Ericsson's Xperia Arc and Acro are getting that coveted seal of approval. Updates are actually rolling out across a number of SE phones on NTT DoCoMo, enabling dozens upon dozens of new games to be tailored (and available) for the Arc and Acro in particular. Hit the source link for the official word, and if you aren't camped out in the Land of the Rising Sun, hang tight -- we get the feeling Sony proper is going to be pushing this initiative a lot harder than it has been thus far.

Sony Ericsson's Xperia Acro and Xperia Arc get PlayStation Certified in Japan originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 09 Nov 2011 22:53:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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