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Refresh Roundup: week of August 26th, 2013
Your smartphone and / or tablet is just begging for an update. 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 we could find during the last week and crammed them into one convenient roundup. If you find something available for your device, please give us a shout at tips at engadget dawt com and let us know. Enjoy!
Refresh Roundup: week of May 27th, 2013
Your smartphone and / or tablet is just begging for an update. 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 we could find during the last week and crammed them into one convenient roundup. If you find something available for your device, please give us a shout at tips at engadget dawt com and let us know. Enjoy!
Sony confirms its My Xperia smartphone recovery service, starts limited trials
Sony piqued its fair share of interest when it trademarked the My Xperia name for an online service -- what could it do in the cloud that it hadn't already done? Tracking lost devices, it seems. The now-official My Xperia service trial gives Sony phone owners the equivalent to a recovery tool like Find My iPhone or the early form of HTCSense.com, letting them pinpoint a missing Xperia and ping it, lock it down or wipe at least some of its data. Be ready for a very gradual launch, however. The very first wave of tests involves just Xperia acro S users in Nordic countries, and the trial will expand only to 2012 smartphones in the region that are still running Android 4.0. Those of us further abroad will have to wait for the eventual worldwide expansion if we want to easily find that Xperia S buried between the couch seats.
Sony to start Xperia upgrades to Jelly Bean by mid-Q1, rules out all 2011 phones
We've got mixed news for those who were wondering just where Sony's Jelly Bean updates were headed. The good? Sony has narrowed down its upgrade schedule for the Xperia T, Xperia TX and Xperia V to the middle of 2013's first quarter, or roughly February. Just about every other reasonably capable 2012 model is also getting an upgrade once Sony has narrowed down the timetable, ranging from the Xperia S through to the Xperia ion and Xperia go. Brace yourself for the dark side of the news, however: not a single 2011 Xperia phone will make the Jelly Bean leap, no matter how quick or recent it might be. The company was "not able to guarantee" the experience the devices would have with the newer OS, we're told. While we know that some older phones would have been borderline at best, that cutoff won't be pleasant for anyone whose Xperia Arc S is already out of the Android upgrade loop after less than a year.
Sony's Xperia acro S now on sale in unlocked form for $600 (updated: new pricing)
Shortly after leaping through the requisite FCC hoops, Sony's 1.5GHz Xperia acro S is now on sale to able and willing Americans. For those who've forgotten, the 4.3-inch smartphone packs a 720p panel, IP55 and IP57 dust / water resistance, inbuilt NFC, Bluetooth, a 12.1-megapixel camera around back, a battery good for up to eight hours of yapping and Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich). In unlocked form, it'll set you back $649.99 -- or, for the Sony faithful, just 64,999 Rewards points $600. Sadly, you can't get one stamped with a Sony Ericsson logo for the sake of nostalgia at any price. Per usual, the source link is awaiting your order. Update: Sony's just issued official PR for the US release of the Xperia acro S with adjusted pricing. Now, the unlocked handset will be available for $50 less than previously listed.
Sony Xperia acro S jumps through FCC hoops
Water and dust-proof certified, Sony's Xperia acro S was bound to survive the FCC's prodding and poking. The examination confirms some Euro-centric, but AT&T-friendly, HSPA radio bands and offers up some (oddly squashed) real-word glimpses at a phone that's got already going under two different names. Yep, this 4.3-inch phone's already launched in Japan as the Xperia acro HD, although there's been no word on a release on US shores. Radio test fans can hit up the source for yet more details and some side profile shots.
Sony announces Xperia Go and Xperia acro S: waterproof and dual-core (video)
If you were underwhelmed by the middling specs of Sony's past toughphones, you might want to take a look at the latest pair to join the 2012 Xperia family. First up, the Xperia go houses a 3.5-inch 480 x 320 display with a dual-core 1GHz processor, powering the (unfortunately still) Gingerbread interface. Sony has reiterated that Android 4.0 will find its way to both new devices. The Xperia go also throws in a 5-megapixel camera and the same wet finger tracking seen on the Xperia Active, which will mean the phone can be steered during underwater adventures. You be able to pick from white, black and yellow color options when the phone arrives in Q3 this year. The Xperia acro S bumps the screen resolution up to 720p, slathered across a 4.3-inch surface, alongside a 12-megapixel camera and dedicated shutter button. It appears to be the global version of the Japan-only Xperia acro HD and arrives PlayStation-certified. Like the Xperia go, it totes IP55 and IP57 ratings for dust and water resistance, plus NFC capability of Sony's SmartTags. The Xperia acro S will land in black, white and pink color options -- but we're still waiting to hear more precise availability details. Video tours for both handsets are right after the break. Update: We've been told that the Xperia go will launch as the Xperia advance in the US -- but dates and prices remain a mystery.
