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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 Xperia VL brings dash of toughened-up LTE to Japan
We were intrigued by Sony's Xperia V back at IFA, but deals with specific carriers haven't been very forthcoming. Japan's KDDI is covering that gap by pledging to carry Sony's mid-size Android 4.0 phone as the Xperia VL. Everything we know and (mostly) love about the dust- and water-resistant phone is intact, including that thin sensor-on-lens 720p display, the 13-megapixel camera, the 1.5GHz Snapdragon S4, NFC and LTE-based 4G. The one question remaining is a definitive release date: Sony will only promise an Xperia VL launch before the end of the year, although there's talk at Impress Watch of a release on November 2nd for ¥30,000 ($381) after carrier discounts. Let's hope for the company's sake that other carriers sign up for the V and VL sooner rather than later.
Mobile Miscellany: week of October 1st, 2012
If you didn't get enough in mobile news during the week, not to worry, because we've opened the firehose for the truly hardcore. This past week, FCC Chairman Genachowski weighed in on what must be done to keep the spectrum crunch from becoming a crisis, pricing leaked for the Motorola RAZR HD LTE at Rogers and Japan got a version of the Xperia V to call its own. These stories and more await after the break. So buy the ticket and take the ride as we explore the "best of the rest" for this week of October 1st, 2012.
Sony Xperia V packs new sensor-on-lens touchscreen tech, promises a 'true direct touch experience'
If you thought LG's Optimus G and Nokia's Lumia 920 had future touchscreen tech all sewn up, then be ready to welcome Sony's own contribution. Its sensor-on-lens touchscreen will debut on the Xperia V, combining the sensor and lens component of a standard capacitive display, reducing the number of layers, glare and other interference. This improves both image quality and the screen's responsiveness -- Sony reckons the experience brings it in line with the aforementioned on- and in-cell touch display technology. During our brief hands-on at IFA, we found the Xperia V was certainly responsive enough, but perhaps some of that sensation can be attributed to the new screen, rather than the dual-core Snapdragon processor powering it. We'll be sure to give it a thorough testing when our review model appears.
Early benchmark scores are in for the Sony Xperia T, TX and V
We've already benchmarked the Galaxy Note II and the ZTE Grand X IN at IFA, and as the week wraps up we're circling back to test the mettle of other handsets announced here in Berlin. We ran mobile benchmarks on Sony's new flagship Xperia T, the Xperia TX (the US version of the T) and the LTE-enabled Xperia V. All three devices pack dual-core Snapdragon S4 Krait processors clocked at 1.5GHz, and they're currently running Ice Cream Sandwich -- though a Jelly Bean update is reportedly on the way. Meet us past the break for a first look at how these smartphones stack up.
Sony Xperia V hands-on (video)
The slightly shier Xperia V was mentioned ever-so-briefly in Sony's IFA presser -- but that's not to say there's nothing to see. We've just got our hands-on with the firm's newest LTE handset, and it's a lightweight 127 grams, comes with a 4.3-inch, 1,280 x 720 display and boasts iPx5/7 water resistance. It's also packing Sony's new ClearAudio+ technology. It's got that familiar Xperia curve, which we like, plus a rough silver finish around the edge. Check out our hands-on video after the break, with more impressions coming soon.%Gallery-163652%
