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All posts tagged "sony ericsson"


Monday, May 9, 2011

Small Form Factor Android Phones Coming from Sony Ericsson in August

Posted by Craig Horlacher in "Android News" @ 07:00 PM

http://gizmodo.com/#!5799069/the-so...-android-phones

"The Sony Ericsson Xperia Mini and Xperia Mini Pro take off right where the X10 Mini and X10 Mini Pro did before them, as in they're super tiny Android phones that pack a little bit o' punch."

Sony Ericsson has two new Xperia Android phones on the way this August. The Mini and the Mini Pro. The Xperia Mini and Mini Pro both have a 320x480 screen with a 3" diagonal, 1GHz CPU, and a 5MP rear camera. The Pro version adds a slide out keyboard and a front facing camera. Sony Ericsson claims the Mini is the smallest Android phone capable of recording HD video. Both phones will also have Gingerbread which is great.

To me any capacitive (it matters because you're not as accurate with a finger as a stylus) screen smart phone with a diagonal smaller than 3.7" and a resolution of less than 480x800 is probably not something I would recommend to anyone. You may think 0.7" is a very small difference but look at those screens side by side and you'll see the difference is huge. They went with a HVGA (320x480) screen which is just a bad idea for any current Android phone.

I'm always glad to see more choices out there. Really, for someone coming from a Blackberry Curve or Bold the Xperia Mini Pro may be just the thing they want but neither of these are Android phones I can get excited about. What are your thoughts? Would you consider an Android phone with that screen size or resolution?


Friday, May 6, 2011

Xperia Play, LG Revolution, and Droid X2 are on their way to Verizon

Posted by Craig Horlacher in "Android News" @ 07:00 AM

http://www.droid-life.com/2011/05/0...nd-xperia-play/

"Our friends at Verizon just reached out to share with us the upcoming May release schedule for a variety of new devices including the DROIDX2, LG Revolution, and Xperia Play."

It sounds like there is a good chance we'll be seeing three high-end Android Phones coming to Verizon this month. The Droid X2, LG Revolution, and the Xperia Play (PlayStation Phone). The Droid X2 has a Dual-Core Tegra 2 CPU/GPU which should give some excellent performance but this phone has no front facing camera. The LG Revolution uses a second generation Snapdragon and while it's single core, it should be no slouch, not to mention it has 4G. One major selling point of the LG Revolution is it will be the first Android Phone to support Netflix streaming. The Xperia Play comes with game emulators and a slide out game-pad with two analog controls as well as the other standard Playstation buttons and dpad.

Are you waiting for one of these three phones? I'm not sure which would be my pick. I'm not a fan of 4G since it doesn't make a difference most of the time and it hurts battery life, plus Verizon has had some issues with their LTE service. I love the idea of the Xperia Play but want to try one first and see what games are actually available for it once it's released. It will ship with Gingerbread so that's a plus. I like the sound of the Droid X2 with the Tegra 2, qHD LCD display, and 768MB of RAM, but I know the lack of a front facing camera would be a deal breaker for some. What are your thoughts?


Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Live On Your Wrist: The Sony Ericsson LiveView

Posted by Jon Westfall in "Android Slates/Tablets & Accessories" @ 06:00 AM

Product Category: Accessory
Manufacturer: Sony Ericsson
Where to Buy: Expansys
Price: $99.99
System Requirements: Most phones running Android 2.2, list here
Specifications: Dimensions 11.0 x 35.0 x 35.0 Weight 15.0 g, micro-USB charging, wearable on a clip or on included watchband.

Pros:

  • I don't have to take my phone out every 10 minutes during a meeting;
  • Plugin system shows promise;
  • Low price.

Cons:

  • Reconnection is a pain;
  • Some assembly required;
  • Lack of touch screen.

Summary: The LiveView is a device that acts as an "essentials" screen for your smartphone, tethering to it and displaying notifications and incoming messages. It's described as a LiveView Window to your world. But how well does it actually accomplish this task? Read on for the scoop. Read more...


Friday, April 1, 2011

Engadget Reviews The Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc: They're Getting Better

Posted by Jason Lee in "Android News" @ 02:30 PM

http://www.engadget.com/2011/03/30/...ria-arc-review/

"Like all good things Sony Ericsson, the Xperia Arc didn't wait for an official announcement to make itself known."

There are two product names that are not allowed in my house, Apple and Sony. I've been burned enough by the "if you don't buy all of our stuff it really isn't going to work well for you" ecosystem. Memory Stick anyone? Though it appears that if you try and squeeze a little Ericsson into the mix things aren't quite as bad.

All of Sony Ericsson's Android exploits to date have been what I would call a borderline tragedy. Horribly outdated versions of Android, terribly slow and buggy custom UIs, and not a drop of support or even an update. The Arc on the other hand might actually be an okay device. Almost. It's still skinned to death yet the most annoying features of SE's previous Android adventures, Time Scape and Media Scape, have been reduced to simple widgets which you can quickly drag to the trash (where they belong). You are then left with a somewhat stock, yet overly skinned, Android experience. An absolute surprise is that the device will actually ship with the latest version of Android, 2.3! The SE launcher can be fixed with some Launcher Pro love, so if you can get passed the mess they've made of the stock messaging and contact apps and such this might not be too bad of a smart phone. What are your thoughts on Sony Ericsson's latest Android attempt?


Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Sony Ericsson is Fighting for Freedom with the New Xperia Android Phones

Posted by Craig Horlacher in "Android News" @ 07:00 PM

http://www.engadget.com/2011/03/29/...w-xperia-andro/

"[Sony Ericsson] will provide a secure and legal way for eager Android hackers to gain full control of the bootloader on some of its upcoming 2011 Xperia line of phones. All four models are covered, the Xperia Play, Neo, Pro, and Arc, however you have to make sure you buy a handset that isn't SIM-locked to a carrier and then there are territorial considerations to take into account."

Motorola has a bad track record of being custom bootloader friendly and HTC is starting to act the same way. I was stunned when I heard Sony Ericsson is doing what they can to change this trend. Carriers may get in the way in some cases but Sony Ericsson will let you unlock the bootloader on their new Xperia Android phones! This is great news and, I think, more proof that they're getting serious about Android. Besides announcing four Android phones they recently announced that the X10, which they previously said would not get Froyo, will now be getting Gingerbread!!! I'm glad to see all the new competition coming out of the woodwork in the Android world this year! What are your thoughts on the new Xperia phones? Are you waiting for one of them? I like what I've seen of the Xperia Play!


Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Exclusive Game For Xperia Play and the G2X Announced

Posted by Karey Westfall in "Android News" @ 02:30 PM


Two great annoucements: First, the Xperia Play phone from Sony Ericsson will exclusively launch the game BackStab on it's phone. The game appears to be an action type game with the ability to battle opponents. It will be available for all Android devices eventually, but to get it first purchase the Xperia Play. Second, T-mobile has announced the G2X, which will be available this spring. This new phone will be the first duel core device for T-mobile and will come with games, a 4 inch screen and Android 2.2. So keep your eyes peeled for both the G2X and the Xperia Play!


Update: Rumor has it that the G2X will be available April 15th. Read about it here.


Tuesday, February 15, 2011

First Sony Ericsson Xperia Pro Video and Photos Released

Posted by Karey Westfall in "Android Mobile Operators" @ 06:30 AM

http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/13/...first-hands-on/

"Amazing! Sony Ericsson actually managed to keep something secret from us. The Xperia Pro is the one handset from its MWC presser today that wasn't known about in advance..."

Little is know about the upcoming Xperia Pro from Sony Ericsson. So check out these photos and video for a little sneak peek on the new gaming phone!


Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Coming Soon: The Sony Ericsson Xperia Play, A Gaming Phone

Posted by Karey Westfall in "Android News" @ 08:00 AM

http://www.androidguys.com/2011/02/...m+(AndroidGuys)

"Rumors of a PlayStation phone have swirling for months, and more recently we learned it will be called the Xperia Play and saw a fairly thorough hands-on with the device."

As some of you may know from the (slightly creepy) Android commercial aired during the Super Bowl, Sony Ericsson will be releasing a gaming phone called the Xperia Play. Not many details about the phone are confirmed as of now, but we expect to hear more when Sony Ericsson officially announces the phone this Sunday. If this phone delivers with awesome gaming capabilites and connectivity, it may change both the mobile phone and hand held gaming fields. If anything, it should be popular with the young gaming crowd (and us older gamers too!)


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