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Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc S available now on Vodafone UK
Can't wait for your high-speed Xperia Arc upgrade? Well, you'll be glad to hear that Vodafone's Xperia Arc S page has now gone live, and we've confirmed with the UK phone network that the curvy smartphone will also be available in-store from tomorrow. Signing up for a two year plan at £31 per month nets you the gradient blue version for free. Aside from a new super-charged 1.4GHz processor and a "3D sweep panorama" mode, other specs are all-but identical to the original. Certainly not a deal-breaker, with an Exmor-equipped 8.1 megapixel shooter and that 4.2-inch Reality Display both squeezed into its very pocketable profile. So, please form a orderly queue at your nearest Vodafone store if that sounds like your thing -- or you could just click on the link below.
Xperia Play finally gets HD video capture, catches up with smartphone siblings
The Xperia Play's incoming Android 2.3.4 update appears to add an extra nugget of functional goodness in the form of high-definition video-recording. What, the Xperia Play didn't do so already? Nope, Sony Ericsson neglected to add that functionality to the phone's five megapixel shooter from the start. Fortunately, the new software update rectifies this, so when you're not blasting those PlayStation hits of yesteryear, you'll be able to chronicle your pet's adventures in crystal clear 720p. Courtesy of XDA Developers, see proof of the Play's new HD recording abilities after the break.
Game on: Sony Ericsson Xperia Play 4G ready at AT&T for $50
Just over four months after the unique device hit Verizon stores, the Sony Ericsson Xperia Play 4G has now made it past AT&T's front door and onto shelves nationwide. The unique factor on this particular version of the "PlayStation Phone" is the inclusion of 14.4Mbps HSPA+ -- with enhanced backhaul, naturally -- and will be the first PlayStation-Certified smartphone on AT&T's network. At $50, the pricing is certainly competitive since it ships with Android 2.3.3, a 1GHz single-core CPU, Adreno 205 GPU, 4-inch 854 x 480 display, and seven pre-loaded games. At a full $150 less than Big Red's launch price, the carrier may move a few units. If you're one of those that could be persuaded, head to the source link and get your shopping on.
Mobile Miscellany: week of September 12, 2011
This week was packed with news on the mobile front, so it was easy to miss a few stories here and there. Here's some of the other stuff that happened in the wide world of wireless for the week of September 12, 2011: Vodacom South Africa has joined the data throttling club, though this carrier is taking a slightly different spin: BlackBerry users consuming more than 100MB of data each month will find their download speeds downgraded to GPRS or EDGE. The company claims this will only affect less than five percent of its BlackBerry customers. [via N4BB] Bada fans: the Samsung Wave 578 is featured on Orange's site as "coming soon." [via The Inquirer] Motorola announced the availability of the Fire and Fire XT in India this week. [via Motorola] The Sony Ericsson Xperia Ray is now being sold at Vodafone UK. [via Vodafone] Parrot announced the most recent addition to its lineup of Bluetooth products, called the Minikit+, a refresh of its popular hands-free speakerphone. The new model offers simultaneous pairing and voice commands. [via Parrot] Research in Motion is hoping to put the NFC functionality in OS 7 to good use, as it announced that the BlackBerry Bold 9900 / 9330 as well as the Curve 9350 / 9360 will support HID's iCLASS digital keys, which means corporate folks will able to use their smartphone as an access card. [via PhoneScoop] While digging through the Droid Bionic's webtop app, the names of two unknown Motorola phones were discovered: the Edison and the Common. Little is known about the Common, but a recent FCC filing mentioned the Edison and is speculated to be the follow-up to the Atrix, albeit sans LTE as originally hoped. [via Droid-Life] The manager of the Windows Phone 7 Marketplace, Matt Bencke, wrote a post pleading developers to submit their Mango-compatible apps as soon as possible, as the new update is coming to existing phones soon and it's obviously very important to have Windows Phone 7.5 run as smooth as possible. [via WMPowerUser] A leaked Radio Shack roadmap indicates the HTC Vigor should be available in stores by October 20th, and the QWERTY-packing Samsung Stratosphere will be up for online ordering as early as October 6th. As this is a third-party retailer, we can't say with surety that these dates reflect the carrier's official release. [via Droid-Life]
Refresh Roundup: week of September 5, 2011
Your smartphone and / or tablet is just begging to get updated. 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 from 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! Official Android updates Verizon was spitting out new refreshes left and right this week, as we saw Gingerbread begin to roll out as OTA downloads on the Motorola Droid 3, HTC Droid Incredible, and -- get this -- even the Motorola Droid 2 R2-D2 edition. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in] Interestingly enough, Android 2.3 for the Droid 2 Global was already getting pushed out, but was pulled just a couple days later after a Microsoft Exchange encryption issue was discovered. We've been told the updates will resume "soon." [via Droid-Life] Finally, Verizon also pushed out one other software upgrade -- this time on its 4510L LTE MiFi. (Thanks, Matt) HTC continues to expand its bootloader unlock tool to more phones, region by region. This week the company enabled support for the EVO 3D in Canada and Europe. [via Phandroid] Unofficial Android updates / custom ROMs / misc hackery The Motorola Droid 3 and Droid X both now have access to an SBF -- System Boot File -- to act as a safeguard for anyone who manages to brick their phones. [via Droid-Life (1) and (2)] Recently we heard about the Honeycomb ROM for the HTC Flyer getting leaked by MoDaCo, but no screenshots were available at the time. This week, however, someone successfully grabbed a few images to share with the world (shown in the above image). The ROM appears to run on Android 3.2 with HTC Sense 1.1 for tablets as the featured UI. [via AndroidBugle -- thanks, Dennis] Let's talk a little more about leaked Sense ROMs. We've already seen Sense 3.5 working on the Desire HD, and now we have another device to add to the list: the EVO 4G. [via XDA] The first kernel for unlocked bootloaders on the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 is now waiting for your download, so head over to the link for instructions. [via XDA] If you've been waiting and hoping for CyanogenMod 7 on your HTC Sensation or EVO 3D so you can shed the Sense UI, that time may be very close at hand. According to a member of the CyanogenMod team, an early alpha build for both devices may be available by the end of this weekend, so keep an eye out. [via Phandroid] Other platforms Two new unofficial ROMs -- one for Windows Phone Mango and another for NoDo --are now available for the Samsung Omnia 7. The Mango ROM improves the device's radio, camera drivers and motion sensors, in addition to a few other enhancements. [via WPCentral] Refreshes already covered this week Vizio rolls out Tablet software update, promises performance boosts aplenty
Artists hack Sony Ericsson's Xperia phones to see the unseen universe, use fire as a flash
For most of us, cellphones are for texting, calling and maybe the occasional tweet, but what happens when you hand them over to some of the world's most creative minds? Giving hackers, artists and intellectuals free reign to mess with the various Xperia phones, Sony found out just how capable its handsets really are. Using a few tweaks and hacks, artists were able to create an installation that breathes fire when you snap a photo, a remote-controlled boat with GPS and a bike that uses colored lights to spell out secret words only visible when captured on camera. When Sony asked astrophysicist Joshua Peek to give it a go, he took full sky maps and telescope image data to build an app with an up-close view of electromagnetic patterns in the sky. To round out the project, musician Annabel Lindquist composed a song based on the sounds of Paris she recorded with an Arc. Now, if they could just mod one to avoid dropped calls, we'd be all set. Videos of their ingenuity in action after the break.
Sony's Xperia Play bringing exclusive content to AT&T customers Sept. 18
Sony's Xperia Play smartphone will be available through AT&T on September 18, complete with PlayStation gamepad and running on Android's Gingerbread (2.3.3) platform. The Xperia Play has been available through Verizon since May 26, and AT&T is offering some exclusive content for its customers' patience, including 4G capability, a "stealth blue" paint job, and the Sony Ericsson Multimedia Dock DK300 and music cable. AT&T's Xperia Play will come with seven pre-loaded games, in a slightly different lineup than we saw with Verizon's release: Dungeon Defenders: Second Wave Asphalt 6 Adrenaline Star Battalion Madden NFL 11 The Sims 3 Tower Bloxx: My City Crash Bandicoot The Xperia Play will cost $49.99 with a new two-year agreement through AT&T, which is drastically less than Verizon's initial offer of $199.99 with the same agreement. However, AT&T's Xperia Play doesn't come pre-loaded with Tetris, which is totally worth the extra $150, in our opinion.
Sony Ericsson Live with Walkman Android phone gets busted open by the FCC
Somebody's not wasting anytime. Just last month we reported on the musically minded Android handset, and now what looks to be a decidedly darker version of Sony Ericsson's Live with Walkman has made its way through the FCC and come out the other end in pieces -- literally. Since the outfit didn't hold back much in its initial announcement, we won't be making any big discoveries here, but if you're into dismembered smartphones we've got a gallery of the shredded handset awaiting you below.%Gallery-133113%
Sony Ericsson's Xperia Play 4G hitting AT&T on September 18th for $50 on contract
We knew good and well it was coming, and come it has. Sony Ericsson's Xperia Play has made the natural GSM shift in the States in order to grace Ma Bell's airwaves, and despite the "4G" naming convention, this fellow will be topping out at HSPA+. In other words, LTE lovers will need to look elsewhere. This marks the first launch of a PlayStation-certified smartphone for AT&T, and given that it's been around the block a time or two, the carrier is (smartly) pricing it at just $49.99 on a two-year contract -- a buck-fifty less than what it launched for on Verizon Wireless. As we'd heard, it'll ship with Android 2.3.3, a 1GHz CPU, Adreno 205 GPU, a 4-inch display (854 x 480) and will arrive in an exclusive 'stealth blue' hue. AT&T customers will also be blessed with a gratis Multimedia Dock (DK300) and MC100 music cable, not to mention seven pre-loaded games at no charge. Full details on that are hosted up after the break, and interested consumers can line up to grab their own on September 18th. %Gallery-132961%
Sony launches party pack of noise-cancelling headphones, your personal discotheque awaits
To the joy and delight of babysitters everywhere, Sony announced a boatload of new noise-cancelling headphones and earbuds to keep you sane in loud situations. Leading the pack are the $200, on-ear active / passive MDR-NC200D headphones, which have a 40mm drivers in each ear, 22-hour battery and folding design. For $150, users wanting portability can cop the smaller in-ear MDR-NC100Ds, which have a lower price tag and 13.5mm drivers. Both headphones feature Sony's "Artificial Intelligence Noise-Cancelling" technology, which claims to automatically reduce ambient noise by around 98.2 percent -- because you know, precision matters. Also launching today are two new smartphone headsets -- the $40 in-ear DR-EX14VP and the $60 DR-XB23VP earbuds -- with connectivity to Android, iPhone and BlackBerry phones, as well as Sony Ericsson, Nokia and other phones thanks to an included compatibility cord. Pulling up the rear are the new iPhone control headsets -- the $60 DR-XB22iP in-ear silicone hybrids, the $40 DR-EX61iP earbuds and the $150 "over-the-head" DR-ZX701iP. Currently accepting pre-orders, the headphones will be available for purchase sometime in October -- just in time to tune out the doorbell this Halloween. Check out the full PR after the break.
Mobile Miscellany: week of August 29, 2011
This week, as always, was packed with news on the mobile front, so it was easy to miss a few stories here and there. Here's some of the other stuff that happened in the wide world of wireless for the week of August 15, 2011: More rumors are circulating about the upcoming Sony Ericsson Nozumi, originally leaked two weeks ago. The new specs getting floated around are even better than we previously thought, which include a 1.5GHz dual-core CPU, 1GB of RAM, 4.3-inch display with 1280 x 720 resolution for a PPI of 342, and NFC. (Thanks, David) [via XperiaBlog] The Motorola Milestone 3 -- the GSM twin of the Droid 3, essentially -- was released in Brazil this week and will be available in select Latin American countries later this month. [via AndroidCentral] Just as we're getting used to the idea of a white HTC EVO 3D at Radio Shack, it's now reported that a purple version will soon be available exclusively at Best Buy. [via PocketNow] The BlackBerry Torch 9860 has two new Canadian homes, as it launched this week on Telus for $100 and SaskTel for $130. Both carriers involve setting up a three-year commitment. [via MobileSyrup(1) and (2)] Did someone mention SaskTel? Yes, the carrier is jumping on the 4G bandwagon by announcing its intent to deploy LTE by the fall of 2012. [via MobileSyrup] AT&T's LG Thrill 4G is finally getting released tomorrow after several weeks of delays. While the phone will be offered for $100 by the carrier itself, you'll be able to get it at Costco for $30. [via PhoneArena] Alongside the Kyocera Milano, Sprint will also launch a new feature phone called the Kyocera Brio. The Brio will offer a QWERTY keyboard, a 192MHz CPU and will run Java. [via Electronista and AndroidCentral] At HTC's Windows Phone launch this week, reps confirmed that all of its new Windows Phones will indeed have the mobile hotspot feature included, though it won't be a part of the software update to the company's existing lineup. It's likely to be added with a future refresh, but apparently the feature was added too late in the process to get thrown into the initial rollout. (Thanks, Gilles) [via Pocket-Lint]
Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc S hands-on (video)
The only way you missed Sony Ericsson's Xperia Arc S at today's IFA press conference, is if the slim handset happened to be turned sideways at the time. The 4.2-inch phone was the one of the bigger announcements at the event, sporting a 1.4GHz processor, an 8.1 megapixel camera, a Reality Display and the ability to convert 2D images into 3D. Like the new Walkman, however, Sony seemed largely interested in showing off the handset's ability to transfer content onto its line of Bravia displays. Check out a brief hands-on video with the new Arc after the break.%Gallery-132254%
Sony Ericsson announces Xperia arc S at IFA, coming in October
Sony took to the stage at IFA 2011 to unveil its latest handset, the Sony Ericsson Xperia arc S. It appears to be a refresh of the original that was launched earlier this year. The super-slim device just got a few bumps in features, including a 1.4GHz Qualcomm MSM8255 processor and an 8.1 megapixel camera with an Exmor R sensor that includes a "3D sweep panorama" mode, which offers the ability to take 2D (read: not stereoscopic) images and convert them into 3D. The new device will offer a similar 4.2-inch Reality Display that we've seen in the original Arc, and will be available in five colors globally this October. Click on past the break for the company's official presser. %Gallery-132147% Joseph Volpe contributed to this report.
Live from Sony IFA 2011 press event
What better way to kick this year's IFA conference in beautiful Berlin, Germany than a good old fashioned Sony press conference? We're getting ready to get things started here, so sit down, grab a beverage and reach for those 3D glasses to read along at home [note: this liveblog is not in 3D]. Photos by Zach Honig.
Mobile Miscellany: week of August 22, 2011
This week was packed with news on the mobile front, so it was easy to miss a few stories here and there. Here's some of the other stuff that happened in the wide world of wireless for the week of August 15, 2011: Phone Releases Fido launched the Samsung Galaxy Q, also known as the Gravity Smart in the US, on Thursday. [via MobileSyrup] The BlackBerry Curve 9360 can already be purchased on Telus for $50 with a three-year contract, and the Torch 9860 will be available on August 30th. [via IntoMobile and CrackBerry] SouthernLINC Wireless announced the immediate availability of the Motorola Titanium, offered for $150 with a two-year commitment. T-Mobile released the Samsung Gravity TXT, a basic messaging phone that's on sale for $10. [via UnwiredView] Cricket has begun offering a new messaging phone called the Samsung Comment, which offers a full QWERTY keyboard, stereo bluetooth, a microSD slot and 1.3MP camera. It can be had for $90 with no commitment required. [via PhoneScoop] Other news The government of South Korea, in reaction to Google's planned acquisition of Motorola, now intends to form a consortium of local companies that will work together in building a brand new mobile operating system. [via IntoMobile] Randall Milch, Chief Counsel for Verizon, is so frustrated with the patent wars going on that this week he filed an appeal to President Obama, asking for him to provide assistance in the matter. [via PhoneScoop] The Motorola PRO is expected to debut in the UK in mid-September, though pre-orders are already taking place at select authorized resellers. [via UnwiredView] Leaked posters indicate the BlackBerry Torch 9850 will be offered by Verizon and screenshots show the same phone going to US Cellular, though we're still unsure of the release date or pricing. [via CrackBerry(1) and (2)] Last week we reported on the rumored Sony Ericsson Nozumi, a smartphone that will likely feature a 1.4GHz single-core Qualcomm S2 CPU, Adreno 205 GPU, and 4.3-inch display with 1280 x 720 resolution. At the time, it was assumed to be only selling in Japan; however, there's a good possibility the Nozumi will end up available globally instead. [via XperiaBlog] Pantech's LTE phone on Verizon may actually end up being called the Breakout (rather than the "Apache"), according to a leaked screenshot. When released, it'll feature a 1GHz CPU with 512MB of RAM, dual cameras, and will be preloaded with Gingerbread. Not much to write home about at this stage in the game, considering these are incredibly similar to the specs of the LG Revolution. However, it would be the first 4G phone on Big Red that has a 4-inch display. [via AndroidCentral] T-Mobile may be planning to throw a data pay-per-use feature onto any smartphone that currently has its internet access blocked. If this happens, it will affect current customers as well as new ones. [via TmoNews] Dish has petitioned the FCC for permission to use 40MHz of allocated spectrum to begin building out an LTE-Advanced network. [via PhoneScoop]
Samsung Galaxy W to launch on Three network in the UK next month
Samsung-thusiasts in the UK will be happy to know that the brand spanking new Galaxy W is coming to the British Three network in September. Just yesterday, we caught a glimpse of this beaut running Gingerbread with a 3.7-inch WVGA touchscreen, 5 megapixel camera, 4GB of internal memory, a 1.4GHz processor and HDSPA connectivity. Those on Three can also expect the new line of BlackBerrys -- the Curve 9360, the Torch 9810 and the Bold 9900 -- soon, as well as the white Samsung Galaxy S II and the Sony Ericsson Xperia ray sometime in September. We hope to get some hands-on time with the W at IFA in Berlin next week -- roadtrip anyone?
Sony Ericsson updates Xperia line with the latest Gingerbread goods
Android update junkies are in for a treat from Sony Ericsson. The handset maker's serving up the freshest batch of Gingerbread to its Xperia line of smartphones starting this October. Bundled in to this 2.3.4 rollout are a bunch of OEM enhancements, bringing along deeper Facebook integration that'll let you like and share your app discoveries with friends, and "3D sweep panorama technology," so you can snap those self-portraits for 3DTV viewing. SE's also thrown in a native screen capture function and, of course, there's Google Talk with Video Chat. The Neo V will be the first phone out of the launch gate with these baked-in tweaks, but if you've got a beefier Xperia device, it's probably better just to wait.
Sony Ericsson Xperia Ray shows up on Vodafone UK, inches towards launch
If you've been counting down the days leading up to the Xperia Ray's release, get set to add a few more X's to that calendar. A recent product page over on Vodafone UK teases an imminent launch for the svelte, Sony Ericsson handset, and slims down that multi-hued selection to one gold-backed option. The 3.3-incher had previously been up for pre-order on Play.com with a purported mid-August release, only to see that date slip back into the folds of September. Whenever the phone does finally make it to market, expect to see this quadband HSPA-capable device sporting an 854 x 480 Reality display, 1GHz processor, 8.1 megapixel rear-facing camera and Android 2.3. Import-minded types can look forward to running an unlocked version on AT&T, or just wait around for a potential stateside release. Eager for more info? Then head to the source below where you can sign-up for the deets.
Sony Ericsson unveils Live with Walkman handset for music-loving Android users
Four months after unveiling the relatively bare bones W8, Sony Ericsson has now taken the wraps off yet another Walkman phone, known as the Live with Walkman. Powered by a 1GHz processor, this Android handset features a 3.2 inch, capacitive touchscreen (with somewhat disappointing HVGA resolution), a five megapixel AF shooter with 8x digital zoom, and a front-facing VGA camera capable of capturing HD video in 720p. The petite, Gingerbread-equipped device also packs a lackluster 320MB of RAM, provides up to 32GB of microSD storage, and offers either tri-band 3G support (HSPA+) at 850, 1900 and 2100MHZ, or dual-band 3G at 900 and 2100MHz, depending on the model. And, as you'd expect, Sony Ericsson has placed a special emphasis on the music phone's media capabilities, beefing it up with enhanced audio and Qriocity integration. The specs may not sound earth shattering, but we'll wait until we get pricing information before casting judgment. The Live with Walkman is slated to hit "selected markets" by Q4 of this year, but you can find more information in the full PR, after the break.
Mobile Miscellany: week of August 15, 2011
This week was packed with news on the mobile front, so it was easy to miss a few stories here and there. Here's some of the other stuff that happened in the wide world of wireless for the week of August 15, 2011: Vodafone's very own budget-friendly Facebook Phone, the Vodafone 555, is now on sale. £62.50 is all it will take to get the non-touchscreen featurephone in your fingertips. [via SlashGear] A spec sheet and screenshots of the Sony Ericsson Nozumi leaked this week. The handset will likely feature a 1.4GHz single-core Qualcomm S2 CPU, Adreno 205 GPU, and 4.3-inch display with 1280 x 720 resolution. Interestingly enough, the phone is rumored to require a micro SIM, much like the iPhone 4. [via XperiaBlog] US Cellular launched two new Android devices for its prepaid lineup, the Samsung Gem and HTC Merge. The Gem offers a 3.2-inch WVGA display, 800MHz CPU, and Android 2.2 for $140, while the Merge is a global-capable QWERTY slider with a 3.8-inch display, Android 2.2, and more for $300. [via US Cellular] Immediately following Google's acquisition of Motorola, discussion centered around the possibility of the latter company becoming the preferred OEM for Android -- a privilege that would, in theory, include designing and producing the next Nexus. Andy Rubin, the head honcho for the open-source OS, put such rumors to bed by offering more insight on the approval process for upcoming Nexus phones, and insisted that HelloMoto will continue to be treated the same as every other OEM; it will have to bid for the job just like every other company does. [via AndroidCentral] The Huawei Blaze, a budget Android handset that runs on Gingerbread, may arrive in the UK as early as September. The Blaze would mark the first time we've seen the company offer a phone under its own branding in the UK. [via CNet] Shocked to hear the Kyocera Echo isn't selling as well as the company had hoped? Yeah, neither are we. Nonetheless, in the hopes of sparking sales, it's started offering twelve premium games for free to the first 10,000 downloads as part of its "summer of free apps" campaign. Good luck with that. [via Electronista] With all of the buzz rightfully centered around Nokia and its quest for Windows Phone dominance, how bright does Vertu's future look? If Eldar Murtazin is to believed, Espoo's luxury phone branch will also be on the receiving end of WP7 devices. The main difference with Vertu's version compared to the rest of Nokia's lineup? It'll most likely be covered with gold and diamonds. [via WMPowerUser] The Samsung Galaxy Q, another name for the Gravity Smart, is now available on Rogers. The device is geared toward the lower end, so it may not be the most lustworthy letter in the Samsung Galaxy alphabet. [via MobileSyrup]
