Cell Phones » sony ericsson

Xperia X10 family’s Android 2.1 upgrade coming by end of September, says Sony Ericsson UK

admin — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 16:22:18 +0000

When we talked to Sony Ericsson for the Xperia X10 for AT&T review, reps informed us that the phone is upgradeable but no further information could be provided. Now, we can’t say if this latest bit is global or just for those across the pond, but the official Twitter account of SE’s UK arm wrote today that Android 2.1 is “due for release before the end of September this year.” Certainly a step up from the Q4 2010 time frame we heard previously, but again, we’ve no clue if this applies to the US as well — we’ve messaged a stateside rep and will let you know what we hear. A blessing for some X10 family owners, just a cherry on top for others.

[Thanks, Henrik]
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SOURCE:@SonyEricssonUK (Twitter)

Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 for AT&T review

admin — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 20:47:12 +0000

We’ve already published a pretty exhaustive review of Sony Ericsson’s Xperia X10 some five months ago, but it’s taken until this month for it to reach AT&T’s network and retail chain. A lot’s changed in the mobile phone market since then — the iPhone 4, the EVO 4G, Dell Streak, numerous Verizon Droids, and so on. Does the X10 still compete? Read on to find out.

Same as it ever was

By and large, we’re looking at identical hardware (and mostly identical software) as our review unit from back in March, so we’ll be brief. The phone feels lighter than you might expect for a 4-inch smartphone, and while we like the matte backing, the glossy front has just as much of an affinity for fingerprints and smudges as we’ve (unfortunately) come to expect. There’s a 3.5mm headphone jack next to the power button and micro-USB port, a dedicated camera button and volume rockers on the side, and just below the screen there’s the familiar Android menu, home screen, and back buttons. For a split second, we forgot that the magnifying glass next to volume down actually means “zoom out,” and as such we are still lacking a dedicated search button. And it’s still annoying.

Going through the box, aside from various leaflets and informational papers, we find a Sony Ericsson-branded headset, a micro-USB cable, and an USB charging dongle for home power outlets. Our favorite part of the this bright orange-and-white package, though, has to be the screen film with “TXTNG & DRIVING… IT CAN WAIT” written on it. Words to live by, sure, but we’ve been known to leave the film on for a few days while we find an alternate screen protector, and ain’t gonna cut it.

Wrap-up

When we first reviewed the X10, it had a lot more going for it. But now we have to look at it from the context in which it was released: a smartphone arguably over the hill before it even set ground in Ma Bell, retailing for $150 on contract. For just $50 more you can get the Samsung Captivate, arguably an improved version of this form factor in almost every way (screen, Android OS version, hardware). For $50 less, there’s the iPhone 3GS equipped with iOS 4 — and that’s all assuming you’re committed to AT&T. The camera is its bright point, but even that gets knocks for surprisingly low-quality video capture. If that really matters, do yourself and pick up a point-and-shoot camera instead; save that upgrade discount for something you won’t try to strangle before the two-year commitment is up. For all the things that make the X10 Mini Pro enjoyable — size, snappiness, physical keyboard — they’re just not here, but the limitations seem to have stuck.
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Sony Ericsson Vivaz coming September 5th to AT&T

admin — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 08:38:47 +0000

In the mood for a good Ma Bell camera phone (emphasis on the camera more than phone)? Sony Ericsson and AT&T have just now decided to bring the Symbian S60-packing Vivaz stateside, still touting a 720p autofocus HD video mode and a 8.1 megapixel camera. Price of entry is $80 on contract (after $50 mail-in rebate) and according to the press release will hit retail September 5th in Galaxy Blue — or should you like a more specified celestial color, a Venus Ruby option will be offered online for a limited time. Just don’t forget it’s a resistive screen; lose the stylus or you’ll be keeping a fingernail long for about two birthdays. Press release after the break.
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Channel Your Inner Filmmaker With the New Sony Ericsson Vivaz™ Now Available Exclusively at AT&T

DALLAS and ATLANTA, Aug. 25 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ –

News

* AT&T* and Sony Ericsson today announced the Sony Ericsson Vivaz™
* Capture HD video(1) or high resolution photos with 8.1 megapixel camera
* Available in the vibrant Galaxy Blue or for a limited time at www.wireless.att.com in the attractive Venus Ruby
* Vivaz comes complete with a 3.2″ nHD 16 million color touchscreen
* Exclusive for AT&T customers for $79.99, with a two-year service agreement and after a $50.00 mail in rebate, on September 5 in AT&T company-owned retail stores and online at www.wireless.att.com

Customer Benefits

With Vivaz™, AT&T customers can capture spontaneous moments and memories instantly with two quick camera keys – video and photo, which lock focus on the action as soon as it starts. Pre-loaded links to YouTube™ and Picasa™ Web Albums make it easy to upload HD videos and high resolution photos for sharing with friends and even the world.

In addition to its superb imaging features, Vivaz is loaded with applications to keep customers connected to their world. Topping that list is AT&T Social Net, allowing customers to share exciting moments with friends–on Facebook®, MySpace™ and Twitter®–all through one simple application. Other highlights include Wi-Fi®, aGPS with AT&T Navigator®, Stereo Bluetooth® wireless technology, and Vlingo® voice recognition interface for searching the Web, composing notes, and more.

Key Features

* AT&T Wi-Fi Hotspots – With Vivaz™ and a qualifying AT&T data plan, you have unlimited access to AT&T’s entire nationwide Wi-Fi network at no additional cost. Perfect for uploading your latest HD video masterpiece while taking a load off your feet.
* 3.2″ nHD screen – Customers can view photos and videos in vivid nHD detail.
* Multitask Effortlessly – Have multiple applications running simultaneously and easily switch between them, including the ability to multitask while uploading HD video via Wi-Fi.

Quotes

“Working with Sony Ericsson to deliver a best-in-class video and camera phone on the nation’s fastest mobile broadband network gives our customers even more opportunities to express themselves through their favorite social networks,” said Michael Woodward, vice president, Mobile Phone Portfolio, AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets. “With Vivaz capturing photos and video in stunning HD and sharing it on YouTube™ or Picasa™ Web Albums is quick and easy.”

“Shooting and sharing brilliant HD content is what creativity-minded consumers want from their mobile devices right now and we are delivering it with Vivaz™,” said Paul Hamnett, senior vice president, Sony Ericsson North America. “With a host of dynamic multimedia and social networking features, and offered at a very attractive price, we are putting the power of spontaneous HD in the hands of everyone.”

For the complete array of AT&T offerings, visit www.att.com

*AT&T products and services are provided or offered by subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T brand and not by AT&T Inc.

Price of $79.99 requires a 2-year service agreement and smartphone data plan. New smartphone customers may choose from two AT&T monthly data plan options, $15 for 200 MB of wireless data or $25 for 2 GB.

(1) 720p video recording; display rendering is nHD (640×360 pixel ratio)

Mobile Broadband coverage not available in all areas.

Limited-time offer. Other conditions & restrictions apply. See contract & rate plan brochure for details. Subscriber must live & have a mailing addr. within AT&T’s owned wireless network coverage area. Up to $36 activ. fee applies. Equipment price & avail may vary by mrk & may not be available from independent retailers. Early Termination Fee: None if cancelled in the first 30 days, but up to $35 restocking fee may apply to equipment returns; thereafter up to $325. Some agents impose add’l fees. Unlimited voice services: Unltd voice svcs are provided primarily for live dialog between two individuals. No additional discounts are available with unlimited plan. Smartphone Data Plan Requirement: Smartphones require a DataPlus (200MB) or DataPro (2GB) plan. If you exceed your initial data allowance, you will automatically be charged an additional $10 for each additional 1GB provided on DataPro or an additional $15 for each additional 200MB provided on DataPlus. All data allowances, including overages, must be used in the billing period in which the allowance is provided or they will be forfeited. An Enterprise Data Plan is required for corporate email, company intranet sites and business applications. For more details on Data Plans, go to att.com/dataplans. Offnet Usage: If your mins of use (including unltd svcs) on other carrier’s networks (“offnet usage”) during any two consecutive months or your data use during any month exceeds your offnet usage allowance, AT&T may at its option terminate your svc, deny your contd use of other carriers’ coverage, or change your plan to one imposing usage charges for offnet usage. Your offnet usage allowance is equal to the lesser of 750 mins or 40% of the Anytime mins incl’d with your plan (data offnet usage allowance is the lesser of 24 MB or 20% of the KB incl’d with your plan). Sales tax calculated based on price of unactivated equipment. AT&T Wi-Fi Hot Spots- Based on non-municipal company owned and operated hotspots. A Wi-Fi enabled device required. Other restrictions apply. See www.attwifi.com for additional services, restrictions and locations.

About AT&T

AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T) is a premier communications holding company. Its subsidiaries and affiliates – AT&T operating companies – are the providers of AT&T services in the United States and around the world. With a powerful array of network resources that includes the nation’s fastest 3G network, AT&T is a leading provider of wireless, Wi-Fi, high speed Internet and voice services. A leader in mobile broadband, AT&T also offers the best wireless coverage worldwide, offering the most wireless phones that work in the most countries. It also offers advanced TV services under the AT&T U-verse® and AT&T | DIRECTV brands. The company’s suite of IP-based business communications services is one of the most advanced in the world. In domestic markets, AT&T Advertising Solutions and AT&T Interactive are known for their leadership in local search and advertising. In 2010, AT&T again ranked among the 50 Most Admired Companies by FORTUNE® magazine.

Additional information about AT&T Inc. and the products and services provided by AT&T subsidiaries and affiliates is available at http://www.att.com. This AT&T news release and other announcements are available at http://www.att.com/newsroom and as part of an RSS feed at www.att.com/rss. Or follow our news on Twitter at @ATTNews. Find us on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/ATT to discover more about our consumer and wireless services or at www.Facebook.com/ATTSmallBiz to discover more about our small business services.

About Sony Ericsson

Sony Ericsson is a 50:50 joint venture by Sony and Ericsson established in October 2001, with global corporate functions located in London and operations in all major markets. Our vision is to become the industry leader in Communication Entertainment; where new styles of communicating through the internet and social media, become entertainment. Sony Ericsson offers exciting consumer experiences through phones, accessories, content and applications. For more information please visit: www.sonyericsson.com.

© 2010 AT&T Intellectual Property. All rights reserved. AT&T, the AT&T logo and all other marks contained herein are trademarks of AT&T Intellectual Property and/or AT&T affiliated companies. The Liquid Identity logo and the Sony Ericsson Vivaz are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB. Sony is a trademark or registered trademark of Sony Corporation. Ericsson is a trademark or registered trademark of Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson. Bluetooth is a trademark or registered trademark of Bluetooth SIG and any use of such mark by Sony Ericsson is under license. YouTube and Picasa are trademarks or registered trademarks of Google Inc. Vlingo is a trademark or registered trademark of Vlingo Corporation. Fortune is a trademark or registered trademark of Time, Inc. MySpace is a trademark or registered trademark of MySpace, Inc. Facebook® is a registered trademark of Facebook, Inc. Twitter is a trademark or registered trademark of Twitter, Inc. Wi-Fi is a trademark or registered trademark of the Wi-Fi Alliance. All other marks contained herein are the property of their respective owners.

Note: This AT&T news release and other announcements are available as part of an RSS feed at www.att.com/rss. For more information, please review this announcement in the AT&T newsroom at http://www.att.com/newsroom.

SOURCE AT&T Inc.
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FCC cracks open Sony’s Xperia X8, posts user’s manual and revealing photos

admin — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 06:25:47 +0000

Sure, that Xperia X8 in the picture may look demure, but the FCC doesn’t mess around — mere seconds after we found this shot of the 3-inch, Android 1.6 handset, we stumbled across a PDF showing the phone in — ahem — various states of dress. Now, we try to run a clean site here, so you’ll have to hit our source link to find those salacious pics (and manual) yourself, but if you want some nice, tasteful shots of the device’s exterior and ports you’ll find them immediately below. No new specs here, by the way — it’s the same quad-band GSM HSPA handset with WiFi, Bluetooth 2.0, A-GPS and FM radio we’ve seen before.
VIA:
SOURCE:FCC

Celebrity Nerds: Justin Timberlake — secret Android lover?

admin — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 08:22:38 +0000

Celebrity Nerds confirms what you always knew, deep in your heart of hearts: that stars are nerds like us. Send in your own confirmations of this fact right here.

Oh, Justin Timberlake. Why does he insist on confusing us? Known BlackBerry user (plenty of photographic evidence to back this one up) JTimbs recently got our hearts all a flutter when he tweeted — about Entourage, no less — from the Twitter for Android app. Wait, what? Android? Yes, that’s right. So, of course we’ve spent the last hour doing ‘research’ on the internet searching desperately for photographic evidence. What did we find? Just a photo culled from the top of Celebrity BlackBerry Sightings — but this is no BlackBerry, friend. No, they’ve got it all wrong, if you ask us. Timberlake, known Sony spokesperson, appears to be holding an Xperia X10. Of course, that raises an even more troubling question — Twitter for Android works only on devices with OS 2.1 and above, so the X10 running its current version of 1.6 wouldn’t cut the mustard. Unless Justin is getting special treatment from Sony with an Eclair device? Our heart just skipped a beat.

Update: Just to clarify, Timberlake’s tweet did not come from the X10′s Timescape app. As you can see right here, those tweets are identified as coming from “Sony Ericsson X10.”

[Thanks, Trucker boy]
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SOURCE:Twitter, X17 Online

Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 officially debuts on AT&T: $130 on contract

admin — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 18:45:33 +0000

If ever there were a place for using the phrase “it’s about time,” this would be it. If you’ll recall, we heard rumors that Sony Ericsson’s Xperia X10 would be headed to AT&T as far back as November of last year, possibly proving just how grueling the certification process is for getting a handset onto Ma Bell’s network. Those whispers tease seem to be confirmed today. The Android-powered X10 (v1.6 so far as we can tell, but the PR carefully dodges the issue) will be available for consumers starting on August 15th, with the handset boasting a 4-inch touchpanel, 1GHz Snapdragon processor, inbuilt GPS, 8.1 megapixel camera (with LED flash), 8GB of onboard memory, a 2GB flash card and a couple of SE’s own apps atop the stock Android build (Mediascape and Timescape). AT&T’s claiming that this bad boy will set you back $149.99 on a 2-year service plan, but Sony’s saying that it can be picked up in a local Sony Style store for $20 less. Oh, and if you wait a week, it’ll be $49.99 on contract over at Amazon. Decisions, decisions.

Update: Yep, it’s Android 1.6. Commence weeping.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Show full PR text

AT&T and Sony Ericsson Announce the Xperia™ X10

Smart meets entertaining – Sony Ericsson’s flagship Android smartphone offers an open and integrated world of communication, entertainment and social media

DALLAS and ATLANTA, Aug. 9 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — AT&T* and Sony Ericsson today announced a dynamic multimedia experience with the Android™ based Xperia™ X10, available August 15. The Xperia™ X10 introduces Sony Ericsson’s unique and entertainment-driven Xperia™ platform to U.S. customers in a cutting-edge, beautiful and fun package.

The Xperia™ X10 comes fully loaded with a 4-inch crystal clear touch display, superfast 1GHz Snapdragon processor and a GPS. The smartphone also features an 8.1 megapixel camera with smile detection, face recognition, autofocus and LED flash. The device comes with 8 GB of on-board memory and a 2 GB in-box memory card, with expandable memory up to 32 GB.

Sony Ericsson’s custom user experience is great for the intersection of communications and entertainment. Two signature applications, Mediascape and Timescape™, build on the Android platform to enhance the experience for users.

* Mediascape on the Xperia ™ X10 gathers music, photos, videos and content from your phone’s memory card and online, letting you browse, search, listen and share your media from one unified view. For example, view photos taken on the device as well as your Facebook® and Picasa™ web albums. Or, when listening to a favorite song on your phone, press Sony Ericsson’s infinite button to access related content about the artist pulled from the phone’s memory as well as albums, songs and video content from YouTube™ and search results from Google.
* Timescape™ is a unique communication application that automatically organizes social interactions in chronological order, leaving users free to concentrate on keeping in touch on-the-go. From Facebook® and Twitter® updates to photos, emails and text messages, a scrolling menu offers easy viewing and organization of all communications. Additionally, tap the Timescape™ infinite button to bring up and view all communications from a single person in a single place.

“Sony Ericsson has created a unique choice for our smartphone customers looking for a fun and smart device,” said Michael Woodward, vice president, Mobile Phone Portfolio, AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets.

“Sony Ericsson is raising the bar for entertainment-rich phones with the launch of the Xperia ™ X10,” said Paul Hamnett, senior vice president, Sony Ericsson North America. “With the convergence of our user experience platform and the Android OS, we are bringing consumers a smartphone experience that is not only exciting, but also very refined. Following the successful global launch of the Xperia™ X10, we are pleased to partner with AT&T to launch this phone in the U.S. market.”

Pricing and Availability

The Sony Ericsson Xperia™ X10 smartphone will be available in black at AT&T stores, authorized retailers and www.wireless.att.com on August 15 for $149.99 after a two-year service agreement and minimum smartphone data plan.

For the complete lineup of AT&T offerings, visit www.att.com.

*AT&T products and services are provided or offered by subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T brand and not by AT&T Inc.

Viewable screen display area is measured diagonally.

A portion of memory is used for data management purposes.

Data charges apply for content and updates transferred through the mobile Web.

Sony teases something smarter, our money’s on Xperia

admin — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 16:07:33 +0000

Sony’s website is slowly ticking down the hours, minutes and seconds until the company’s latest product launch, but like all other Sony teasers in recent memory, there’s little real doubt. If references to “X10″ peppered through the site’s source code left any doubt, this picture should clear it up — mark our words, that’s an Xperia X10 underneath the clock. Apparently the four-inch Android smartphone is finally ready for its US debut, though whether it’s “smarter” or no will probably depend on AT&T launch, and be sure to read our full review.

Update: As numerous commenters and tipsters have pointed out, Sony hasn’t gone to much trouble to hide what’s going on — all you need to do to see the trademark Xperia logo is drop that image into a photo editor and crank up the brightness.

[Thanks, Jason]

Exclusive: Sony Ericsson to introduce Android 3.0 gaming platform and PSP Go-like smartphone

admin — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 08:01:33 +0000

Android platform has heretofore been relatively underwhelming, but that looks like it’s all about to change. It seems that Sony Ericsson — a company that has yet to even introduce an Android 2.0 device — is at work on a project to redefine gaming on Google’s mobile platform. We now know (via a trusted source) that the company is actively and heavily developing a brand new gaming platform, ecosystem, and device (possibly alongside Google) which are already in the late stages of planning. And we’ve got the goods on it.

Here’s what we can tell you about the hardware: if you’re a gaming fan, this is exactly the kind of phone you’ve been waiting for. The device is described as cross between the Samsung Captivate and the PSP Go — in other words, it’s a landscape slider with game controls in place of the typical QWERTY keyboard. The D-pad is here, but instead of the small joystick, the device will have what was described as a “long touch pad” for analog controls, along with standard PSP buttons and shoulder buttons. The phone has a large display, described as being between 3.7 and 4.1 inches with WVGA or better resolution, a 5 megapixel camera that we’re told might not be final, and it’ll likely have a 1GHz Snapdragon CPU on board. The phone is mostly black with some silver highlights, and the gamepad area is white / silver in color. Apparently it’s currently branded as a Xperia device, but it looks like it will carry PlayStation branding as well. Those who’ve seen the phone say it looks “pretty damn sexy.” The mockup above probably doesn’t do the actual hardware justice, but it should give you an idea of what you’ll be dealing with.

On the software side, it looks like the device will be running Gingerbread (Android 3.0) with a phone-specific skin, and there will be a new area of the Android Market specifically for the games. That content will be initially accessible only by the halo device, but from the sounds of things, these titles might be made available to other Android phones if their specs and button layouts meet requirements. Games will be graphically in the range of PSX or PSP games, meaning true 3D gaming is headed to Android. Titles currently being shown off seem to be focused around some older PSX as well as new PSP offerings, with God of War, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, and LittleBigPlanet possibly on tap, and future plans for titles which incorporate augmented reality features.

In terms of release, it’s possible that the phone and ecosystem could be introduced as early as October of this year, but we have yet to confirm.

Right now we’re working on getting even more detail about the phone and partnership, but we can tell you now that this is not a random rumor — we have reason to believe that what we’ve heard and seen is real and coming to market. It makes perfect sense in a way — Google gets a much-needed push into the gaming and entertainment space for Android, while Sony (via its partnership with Ericsson) finally delivers the PlayStation phone users have been wanting. We see it as a major win for both companies and the consumer… and we always need another distraction. Stay tuned to this space for updates as we get them, and in the meantime, start socking away the pennies.

Additional reporting by Chris Ziegler

Gartner and IDC agree: the Android invasion’s accelerating around the world

admin — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 23:58:33 +0000

Last quarter we reported on some pretty stellar growth numbers for Android in the global smartphone marketplace. Back then, Google’s OS had a 9.6 percent slice of the pie, but today that’s ballooned to a robust 17.2 percent, meaning that in terms of end-user sales over the last three months, Android has nearly matched RIM’s BlackBerry sales. That’s quite the feat when you consider that a year ago the latter was shifting ten times more units than the former. This extraordinary growth rate has narrowed down Symbian’s lead at the top, in spite of Nokia’s favorite OS actually shipping on more phones this year, while the big loser of the quarter has to be Windows Mobile, which contracted both in terms of market share and actual shipments.

Overall, smartphone sales were up by 50 percent year-on-year, according to both Gartner and IDC, while Gartner adds that mobile devices as a whole grew at a tamer 13.3 percent pace. In terms of phone manufacturers’ global share, Nokia and Samsung have held on to their top positions, LG, Sony Ericsson and Motorola have experienced some uncomfortable shrinkage, and HTC, RIM and Apple have capitalized to expand their portions. Looking over to IDC’s smartphone share data shows, again, that all smartphone makers are growing remarkably well, but it does highlight HTC (129 percent) and Samsung (173 percent) as really improving their presence in the sector. The reason? Android, Android, Android.

Cell Phones » sony ericsson

Xperia X10 family’s Android 2.1 upgrade coming by end of September, says Sony Ericsson UK

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Same as it ever was

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