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Sony Mobile rebranding quietly begins, changes to roll out over the next month
With the assimilation of Ericsson's wireless stake now neatly a footnote in its corporate history, Sony's moving on and making its newfound freedom known -- albeit quietly. According to a rep for the company, its first rebranding baby steps began just last night, with the former SonyEricsson portal now redirecting to SonyMobile.com. Other related properties, like its social networking extensions and various related digital properties, are also slated to make the transition throughout March, with further announcements planned for Mobile World Congress next week. We'll be there live in just a few days, so stay tuned. In the meanwhile, hit up the source below to see synergy at its finest.[Thanks, Kevin]
Sony Xperia U 'Kumquat' pics leak, gets sized up ahead of MWC
It looks like one of Sony's latest creations, the Xperia S, could be getting a little brother at next week's Mobile World Congress, according to a series of leaked pics. Sixteen crystal-clear images show the new sibling -- none other than the previously seen ST25i, aka Xperia U or Kumquat -- snuggled up to the Xperia S. As it appears, the handset will likely be a lower-end offering in the Xperia lineup: it's said to feature a 3.5-inch FWVGA (854 x 480) Reality Display, a 1GHz dual-core CPU, Exmor R sensor with 720p video capture and a tiny user-replaceable 1,290mAh battery. Oh, and Android 2.3.7 is rumored, though the rumor specifically mentions it will soon be upgraded to ICS. If these whispers turn out to be accurate, the U will likely be pitched as a smaller and less expensive option for fans of the Xperia S's design. Also, we don't foresee the device's Sony Ericsson branding to make an appearance at the show, given the two companies' recent divorce. To check out the full suite of comparison pics, check out the source link below. [Thanks, Pavlo]
Sony finalizes divorce with Ericsson, renames itself Sony Mobile Communications
More than half of America's married couples will tell you, breaking up is hard. Hard and expensive. After living in denial, dodging rumors and eventually coming to terms with the inevitable, Sony has finally taken over Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson's 50-percent stake in the pair's former joint venture, a move that was earlier reported to have cost €1.05 billion ($1.37 billion) to complete. The now fully Sony owned Sony Ericsson will be renamed Sony Mobile Communications, though a few of the outfit's already announced children are keeping their papa's name. Hit the break for Sony's small press release.
Sony Ericsson hangs ten, launches Xperia Active Billabong Edition
Sony Ericsson is looking to start a bromance with the McTwist-loving, Double-Cork-landing, A-Frame-riding masses jonesing for a new Android device. The handset maker has announced a "global strategic alliance" with Billabong to launch the Xperia Active Billabong Edition smartphone in select markets. The handset will come preloaded with exclusive content, including Billabong screen savers, and bundle several Billabong-branded games and applications. As the two companies tell it, the Xperia ABE is the "ideal smartphone for extreme sports enthusiasts." Accordingly, Sony Ericsson hardware is about to start making appearances at various "major" Billabong events. Unfortunately, this next bit is really going to harsh your mello: the hardware is identical to that of the Xperia Active announced back in June, complete with a single-core 1GHz processor, Gingerbread, a 3-inch Reality display and a five-megapixel shooter. Even with its no-so-extreme spec sheet, we give SE a gnar-lay for effort.
Sony ST25i Kumquat leaves fruity name behind, becomes Xperia U
We deal with enough fruitiness all day, so it's refreshing -- pardon the pun -- to see that Sony's ST25i Kumquat is leaving its citrusy roots behind for some good ole-fashioned corporate branding. A document found on the website of Indonesia's FCC equivalent lists the handset as the Xperia U ST25i, which lines up nicely with Sony's existing LT26i Xperia S nomenclature. Of course this also makes us wonder if Sony's planning to follow in Samsung's Galaxy-branded footsteps by creating an orchard of Xperia models. We'll just have to wait and see, right?
Leaked Sony image: Is this the ST25i Kumquat?
What's this? If this is true, it looks like one of the jilted partners in the Sony Ericsson split is doing all it can to ruin the nice surprises planned for next month's MWC. An image has appeared at Xperia Blog that purports to be of the ST25i Kumquat, which, if you've been paying attention is the cheapest of the three phones due in April listed on the leaked roadmap from a few days ago. The design language matches the Nozomi and the Xperia S we played with at CES, but the on-screen icons are clearly bigger: pointing us in the direction of this having a cheaper display (with a worse resolution) than its brothers. Don't let that Sony Ericsson logo fool you either, the company's producing versions that bear both branding, at least for this set of releases. We're off to grab a microscope and see if we can't glean any more facts from the snap.[Thanks, Joseph]
Snapdragon-toting Sony smartphones to get extra global positioning help from The Other GPS
Frustrated by the performance of GPS on your current Sony Ericsson phone? Well, if you've got the latest software and a device carrying Qualcomm's Snapdragon S2 or S3 processor, you're in luck. Alongside bright new darlings like the Xperia S and Xperia ion, all will be able to hook up to GLONASS, Russia's very own interpretation of GPS. Support on another global positioning network will increase the total of satellites orbiting around you from 31 to 55 -- more ways to find exactly where you got lost. GLONASS support has already launched on smartphone luminaries such as the iPhone 4S and the pocket-stretching Galaxy Note, but we're very happy to hear that the extra functionality will arrive on older Xperia handsets. According to the developer's own testing, the GLONASS assistance often improved accuracy by as much as 50 percent and should similarly reduce the chances of us being outed as map illiterates. You can grab more info on all the GLONASS goodness at the source below.
Sony Ericsson swallows $317 million pre-tax loss as end draws near
Sony Ericsson's tearful breakup continues with more woe as as the venture had to eat a pre-tax loss of €247 million (roughly $317 million). Bosses cited "unfavorable macro-economic conditions" and the Thai flooding as the reasons for the loss. Ericsson probably won't mind having such an unfavorable penultimate quarter with the company, given that it's set to receive €1.05 billion (around $1.9 billion) when Sony buys out its share of the joint telecoms business within the next month.
Leaked Sony 2012 smartphone roadmap reveals potentially birdy, minty flagships
Grab a bowl of salt and start pinching, folks. A sales report for Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications India is floating around the internet that's purportedly packing a list of 2012's planned handsets along with suggested pricing. The 11-strong list is in Rupees, and whilst we've reproduced it in full above, it's worth bearing in mind that cellphones in the "developing world" (no offense intended) are often more expensive than the equivalent handset in the US (the 16GB iPhone 4S, for example costs $650 in the US but $882 in India). The "Pepper" codename seems to tie in with what we've been expecting, but the Nypon blurrycam images we've seen don't follow the company's 2012 design language -- so we doubt they're real. That said, it's clear that a pair of flagships will arrive in the second half of the year: the code-names don't shed too much light, since Hayabusa means "Peregrine Falcon" and Mint -- well, we can hardly expect Sony to produce a phone with a built-in breath freshener, can we?
Two Sony MirrorLink car stereos coming in Q2, along with compatible Samsung smartphones (hands-on video)
For everybody who's waited with bated breath for the widespread arrival of MirrorLink, take heed because the smartphone / car stereo integration technology is about to make a significant splash in the first half of this year. Along with the Sony XAV-601BT and the XAV-701 HD -- two MirrorLink-enabled Sony head units set for a Q2 arrival -- we've also just learned Samsung will introduce MirrorLink support for its smartphones during this time frame as well. Even Sony Ericsson's jumping into the fray, although the company wasn't able to provide any additional details regarding availability. Be sure to read on for our impressions of the new toys, along with a video of the same.
Sony's SmartTags and Smart Wireless Headset Pro hands-on
Sony's SmartTags were present at CES though locked down so we missed the chance to see them at work -- though, the concept is very straightforward. The tags use NFC to switch your handset's profile: plop one on the desk at work to perhaps mute your set and turn vibration on, leave one in the car to activate nav, and so on. The other accessory on hand was Sony's Smart Wireless Headset Pro, a Bluetooth set with a display capable of showing calendar info, call history, and of course, it plays tunes both wirelessly or with a memory card. We like the tags, that idea's a winner, though, who knows if it'll wash with your average cell user. The headset while pretty is a fingerprint magnet like no other, if you want glossy, you'll pay the price in polish trying to keep it looking pretty. Follow on for a pile of pics of the goods. Mat Smith contributed to this report.
Sony SmartWatch hands-on (video)
Alongside Sony's pair of new Xperia handsets, the company's taken the chance to offer up some new smart accessories to augment those very Android phones. Here's the SmartWatch. The spiritual successor to LiveView, the clippable watch detaches from the flexible watch strap. In fact, we've been told that the device can be transplanted to any watch strap. It's connected to Bluetooth through your phone -- acting as a notifier and music play as well as the capability to answer calls and check-up on social networks like Facebook and Twitter. The capacitive touchscreen ably picked up our prods, although you'll need to tap the side-button to wake the display. Thanks to the lightweight rubbery strap, it's not a chore to wear either, with several strap color options readied for launch. It's not attempting to match the resolution of your smartphone, although it plays nice with any Sony phone running Android 2.1 and above. We go wrists-on after the brea, but you can expect the device to adorn your arm some time this quarter at around $149. Sean Cooper contributed to this report.
Live from the Engadget CES Stage: an interview with Sony Ericsson
Sony Ericsson's product marketing manager Stephen Sneeden joins us to discuss the future of the brand and hopefully give us the lowdown on all the spicy new mobile goodness headed our way soon. Head past the break for all the action at 3:30PM ET.
Sony Ericsson keeps busy before the break-up, intros Xperia NX and Xperia acro HD for Japan
While we've been bamboozled by both a Sony and Sony Ericsson-branded Xperia S, the soon-to-be-divorced company still has a few handsets left to belt out of its once happy home. Alongside its new HD flagship and the LTE-powered Xperia Ion, Japan is getting treated to its own two slabs of smartphone magic. The Xperia acro HD will match Japan-centric features like mobile wallet and TV tuner found in the original, but present it all with the same 720p Reality Display we admired on the Xperia S. It'll arrive in four guises: aqua, black, sakura (that'll be pink, then) and ceramic (read; off-white). It's joined over in Nihon by the Xperia NX, which is apparently a Japanese-flavored Xperia S and keeps with the monochromatic flavors we've seen at CES. Sadly, we'll have to admire from a distance -- these Japanese market customization jobs are very unlikely to arrive elsewhere. Get the full Xperia 2012 story in the English press release after the break, or decipher the Google-translated source below for the full nitty-gritty.
Sony set to launch gorgeous Xperia S at CES?
Hot on the heels of the Xperia Ion launch chez AT&T this morning, it would seem Sony may have yet another trick up its sleeve in the form of the Xperia S. While nothing is official until Sony tells us so, the newest -- and if looks alone count -- and nicest Xperia packs a 1280 x 720 4.3-inch display, MSM8260 dual-core thrumming away at 1.5Gz, and a 12 megapixel shooter that'll capture at 1080p. Sadly the word is that it'll launch in the second quarter running Android 2.3 and not our beloved Ice Cream Sandwich. Design-wise, the Xperia S looks like others in its family with the gentle curve in the back but what immediately caught our eye is the small translucent lit -- notification with this would look brilliant -- bar toward the bottom. Here's hoping this is the real deal, and if so we'll be back in a few hours with a load of vids and pics of it in action.
Sony Ericsson 'Pepper' MT27i surfaces, has some design spice
While we wait mere days for Sony to unveil whatever it's got cooking for its smartphone arm, another mysterious phone has leaked ahead of any formal reveal. This prototype black and white handset still carries the full Sony Ericsson branding, and it's rumored to pack a 3.7-inch screen at 480 x 854 resolution. It's purportedly powered by a dual-core 1GHz processor and is, according to Xperia Blog, the successor to the moderately-priced Xperia Neo. There's the same three capacitive buttons, with an unspecified front-facing camera and a five megapixel camera rumored on the back. If Sony has deigned it worthy of a Vegas showing, expect to see some close-up impressions very soon. [Thanks Joseph]
Sony Ericsson's Nozomi gets handled, something awfully similar gets an official tease
Hello, New York! Oh, and a Sony Ericsson handset, too. SE may be on its way out officially, but there's still a product or two in the pipeline worth pushing out. We've heard whispers of a so-called Arc HD and Nozomi for months on end, and while it's unclear which of the two (if it's either) is shown above, there's no question that this is something that'll see the market. One shot is currently posted over at Sony Ericsson's German Facebook page (shown after the break), where a teaser line promises that "the new Xperia" to be officially unveiled "next week." Next week, as you may have guessed, is CES, and coincidentally, the fine folks over at ITProPortal have wrapped their paws around an SE handset (above) that they're confident is the aforementioned Nozomi. Weirdly, the camera location on the phone they procured is different than the official SE shot above, leaving us to wonder if two new superphones are on tap. Whatever the case, you can bet we'll be bringing the dirt as soon as it's hauled in. [Thanks, Shubham]
OnLive now fully supports the Xperia Play, virtual thumbsticks and external controllers need not apply
Earlier this month, the good folks at OnLive released apps for both iOS and Android, granting mobile access to its cloud gaming service. However, its implementation was incomplete -- there was no support for the Xperia Play's slide-out controls. The company didn't leave owners out in the cold for long, however, as it has updated the Android app to fully support all of the handset's hardware just in time for the holidays. So, you're no longer constrained by the vagaries of touchscreen controls or forced to fork over your recently received Christmas dough for OnLive's wireless controller to get your tactile gaming on. Get all the good news in the PR below.
Sony Ericsson LT28at with 4.55-inch HD display, 13MP camera and LTE gets Bluetooth certification
Reading entries to the Bluetooth SIG for device certification can be a frustrating activity. They're generally void of any telling detail aside from the device's model number, and they rarely give any insight into what we can expect from the upcoming product. The Sony Ericsson LT28at, a handset we haven't seen or heard from before, decided to be a little different and use the opportunity to get a little pre-CES scoop. The LT28a -- not to be confused with the LT26i (Nozomi), a rumored handset with a 4.3-inch HD screen and 12MP camera -- claims to offer LTE, a 720p HD Reality display, 13MP rear camera with an LED flash and a front-facing cam capable of taking 720p HD video, and is said to take the Xperia lineup into "superphone territory." Sounds nice, but we have a feeling the land will be populated by hostile forces of all kinds at CES, so we hope they're prepared.
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.