Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc HD in the works with 720p display

Sony Ericsson is planning what we are hearing will be called the Xperia Arc HD with a brilliant 1280 x 720p display using their BRAVIA engine. Now we should probably just call them SONY since they bought out Ericsson’s half recently. So, Sony is prepping a new 720p smartphone to add to their lineup. We’ve heard rumors of the Nozomi packing a 720p screen and possibly a 1.5 GHz dual-core, could this be the same phone?


This would actually make sense given the recent pump from the Arc to the Arc S. Sony could then launch the Arc HD with a faster dual-core processor and a bigger 4.3″ 720p HD display and it would make a perfect upgrade. We are still a little blurry on details and these could be two completely different devices but are still digging for further details on the Arc HD and Nozomi both.
With HTC just announcing the 720p HD Rezound and the Galaxy Nexus en route SONY would be wise to jump on the HD wagon as soon as possible. This would also be a good opportunity to come out with an HD smartphone running on the latest and greatest Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich but this early that is probably doubtful, although I’m sure we’ll be hearing about plenty ICS smartphones from most carriers very soon.
One awesome feature about the Arc HD is while recording full 1080p video users can tap the screen and take full HD quality pictures at the same time, so they have video and a picture of that perfect moment — sounds awesome right? I’ll be looking for more details and let you all know what we find.
[via GSMArena]

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Sony Ericsson Announces Android 2.3.4 Rollout For All Countries – Adds Bonus Features

Back in September, Sony Ericsson announced that they would being rolling out the Android 2.3.4 Gingerbread update to their devices, unfortunately for us here in the states (and other parts of the world), it was only for Nordic countries. Thankfully, today, SE announced that the 2.3.4 update has begun rolling out for the rest of the world but with a few added changes. Highlights of the update include:

• Google Talk with Video Chat for smartphones with front-facing cameras
• Updated Facebook inside Xperia™ functionality for enhanced like, share and discover abilities.
• Xperia™ smartphones introducing world’s first 3D Sweep Panorama functionality powered by Sony.
• 16x video zoom
• The software upgrade will enable consumers to turn their Xperia™ smartphone into a mini-mobile PC by connecting USB peripherals (mouse, keyboard or game controller) to Sony Ericsson LiveDock™ multimedia station. Connect the smartphone to a TV via HDMI to get a big screen experience.
• Gesture input - text input by swiping the finger from one letter to the next
• WiFi DLNA
• Screen capture - allows the user to share a screen grab from anywhere in the phone.

Sony Ericsson devices that can look forward to the update are just about their entire lineup and include the Xperia Arc, Play, Neo, Mini, Mini Pro, Pro, Ray, Active, Neo V, Arc S and the Sony Ericsson Live with Walkman. For a video walkthrough of the new features (you have to see “USB on the go”) check out the video below.

Sony Ericsson (soon to be just “Sony”) has quickly proven to be one of the better Android OEM’s, offering continuous support in regards to updates and with their work in the developer community. Now all that’s left is for SE to deliver some shiny dual-core devices to the US and they’ll be golden.
Thanks, Vlad!
[Via SEBlog]

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• Sony Ericsson Xperia Neo V now available in the UK (tech-gadget.co.in)

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Breaking: Sony Buys Sony Ericsson For €1.05 billion

We heard the rumors circulating for awhile now and it looks like the inevitable has happened — Sony has just bought Sony Ericsson for €1.05 billion. I’m sure some of you are confused with the news thinking, “Wait. Sony bought Sony?” Not quite. Sony Ericsson was actually its own separate company (Ericsson) that turned into a joint venture when Sony essentially bought half of the company back in 2001. This buyout now gives Sony full ownership of the company and allows them to expand their portfolio beyond audio, tablets, laptops and gaming and allows Sony to make a big splash in the smartphone market as well. The agreement also gives Sony a leg up thanks to “five essential patent families” that come with the deal. Nothing is finalized yet with the deal closing January 2012 (pending regulatory approval of course). Full press release can be found below.

Ericsson: Sony to acquire Ericsson’s share of Sony Ericsson

October 27, 2011, 08:16 (CEST)

Sony Ericsson to become a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sony and integrated into Sony’s broad platform of network-connected consumer electronics products
The transaction also provides Sony with a broad IP cross-licensing agreement and ownership of five essential patent families
Ericsson to receive EUR 1.05 billion cash payment
Sony and Ericsson to create wireless connectivity initiative to drive connectivity across multiple platforms
Ericsson (NASDAQ:ERIC) and Sony Corporation (“Sony”) today announced that Sony will acquire Ericsson’s 50 percent stake in Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB (“Sony Ericsson”), making the mobile handset business a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sony.

The transaction gives Sony an opportunity to rapidly integrate smartphones into its broad array of network-connected consumer electronics devices – including tablets, televisions and personal computers – for the benefit of consumers and the growth of its business. The transaction also provides Sony with a broad intellectual property (IP) cross-licensing agreement covering all products and services of Sony as well as ownership of five essential patent families relating to wireless handset technology.

As part of the transaction, Ericsson will receive a cash consideration of EUR 1.05 billion.

During the past ten years the mobile market has shifted focus from simple mobile phones to rich smartphones that include access to internet services and content. The transaction is a logical strategic step that takes into account the nature of this evolution and its impact on the marketplace.

This means that the synergies for Ericsson in having both a world leading technology and telecoms services portfolio and a handset operation are decreasing. Today Ericsson’s focus is on the global wireless market as a whole; how wireless connectivity can benefit people, business and society beyond just phones. Consistent with that mission, by setting up a wireless connectivity initiative, Ericsson and Sony will work to drive and develop the market’s adoption of connectivity across multiple platforms.

“This acquisition makes sense for Sony and Ericsson, and it will make the difference for consumers, who want to connect with content wherever they are, whenever they want. With a vibrant smartphone business and by gaining access to important strategic IP, notably a broad cross-license agreement, our four-screen strategy is in place. We can more rapidly and more widely offer consumers smartphones, laptops, tablets and televisions that seamlessly connect with one another and open up new worlds of online entertainment. This includes Sony’s own acclaimed network services, like the PlayStation Network and Sony Entertainment Network,” said Sir Howard Stringer, Sony’s Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President. Mr Stringer also noted that the acquisition will afford Sony operational efficiencies in engineering, network development and marketing, among other areas. “We can help people enjoy all our content – from movies to music and games – through our many devices, in a way no one else can.”

“Ten years ago when we formed the joint venture, thereby combining Sony’s consumer products knowledge with Ericsson’s telecommunication technology expertise, it was a perfect match to drive the development of feature phones. Today we take an equally logical step as Sony acquires our stake in Sony Ericsson and makes it a part of its broad range of consumer devices. We will now enhance our focus on enabling connectivity for all devices, using our R&D and industry leading patent portfolio to realize a truly connected world” said Hans Vestberg, President and CEO of Ericsson.

When Sony Ericsson started its operations on October 1, 2001, it combined the unprofitable handset operations from Ericsson and Sony. Following a successful turnaround the company has become a market leader in the development of feature phones by integrating Sony’s strong consumer products knowledge and Ericsson’s telecommunications technology leadership. The WalkmanTM phone and Cyber-shotTM phone are well known examples.

With the successful introduction of the P1 in 2007, Sony Ericsson early on established itself in the smartphone segment. More recently, the company has successfully made the transition from feature phones to Android-based Xperia(TM) smartphones. By the end of the third quarter of 2011, Sony Ericsson held a market share of 11 percent (by value) in the Android phone market, representing 80 percent of the company’s third quarter sales. During its ten years in operation Sony Ericsson has generated approximately EUR 1.5 billion of profit and paid dividends totalling approximately EUR 1.9 billion to its parent companies. Prominent models include “XperiaTM arc” and “XperiaTM mini” which received 2011 EISA Awards, while recent notable additions to the lineup include “XperiaTM PLAY” and “XperiaTM arc S”.

The transaction, which has been approved by appropriate decision-making bodies of both companies, is expected to close in January 2012, subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals.

Ericsson has accounted for its 50 percent share in Sony Ericsson according to the equity method. Following completion of the transaction, Ericsson will have no outstanding guarantees relating to Sony Ericsson and will no longer account for Sony Ericsson as an investment on balance sheet. The transaction will result in a positive capital gain for Ericsson which will be defined after closing of the transaction.

SEB Enskilda is acting as Ericsson’s sole financial advisor in the transaction.

[Via Engadget]

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• Sony Ericsson Xperia ray hands-on [Video] (goandroid.co.in)

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Sony Ericsson Xperia ray hands-on [Video]

For Sony Ericsson fans or those with small fingers in the world, I have a phone for you. Just arriving at the Android Community labs today is the Sony Ericsson Xperia ray. This little smartphone may be tiny but it definitely packs a punch. Below we have some details and photos for you to check out. Plus, I’ve compared this small and sleek phone to something with a size more in line with most phones for a comparison and to show just how small it really is, so check out the video after the break.

Under the hood of the Xperia ray you’ll find a Qualcomm Snapdragon 1.0 Ghz single-core processor, 512MB of ram, and a 4GB micro-SD card. While that may not be a dual-core powerhouse listing we do have an amazingly awesome display and an equally stunning camera. The Xperia ray only has a 3.3″ LED display but we have a high 854 x 480 resolution instead of the lower res many phones have in the smaller display market. Add in the slightly higher 854 resolution and Sony’s Bravia screen technology the ray actually looks quite gorgeous. The small screen and higher resolution actually makes images and icons on-screen almost too small, but they are bright, crisp and look excellent.

One of the show stoppers here is that even though we have a slim 9.3mm chassis Sony has still added a large 8.1 megapixel camera as well as a 1.3 MP front for chatting. The camera around back should be of high quality like most things from Sony and is said to take some exceptional images. We’ll give the camera a good testing in our review so if that interests you be sure to check back soon.
Along with those impressive specs above all crammed into a small and thin frame we also have Android 2.3.4 Gingerbread and Sony’s Timescape UI improvements. With deep Facebook integration and the usual suite of Sony apps such as Video and Music Unlimited we actually have some good content out of the box without heading to the Android Market. Sony provided us with a gold colored device, almost like a fine white wine. They also are offering the Xperia ray in White, Gold, Red (pinkish) and Black but lets see that video shall we.
Sony Ericsson Xperia ray hands-on


For more details you can see the Sony announcement from late September stating the ray is unlocked and available now across the US. This device is fully unlocked and while we have an AT&T SIM on board, it will also work with other GSM carriers such as T-Mobile. Could this be a truly small smartphone for those that don’t like all the huge phones we are seeing now days, while still being powerful and up to date? Be sure to check back shortly for our full review. Below you’ll find a cool bonus video thanks to Sony Ericsson and then a few more photos in the gallery below.
Bonus video: Xperia ray

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Sony Ericsson 2011 line of Android devices to get Android 4.0

If you are rocking a Sony Ericsson Android smartphone that is running Android 2.3.4 or an older version of the OS you have something to look forward to for next year. Sony has announced in the Netherlands that it will be upgrading all of its 2011 Android devices to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich in 2012. Exactly when in 2012 is anyone’s guess.

Sony Ericsson made the announcement via Facebook in the Netherlands. We already know that Motorola is promising to update the new and cool Droid RAZR to Ice Cream Sandwich in early 2012. I would bet that “early” time frame is when the OS will be available for everyone. It doesn’t look like smartphone markers are wasting any time getting the OS ready.
Smartphones specifically getting the update include the Xpreia Play, neo and neo V. The Mini Pro, Xperia and arc Ray will also get the update. Apparently, the translated Dutch Facebook post reads as follows:

We are planning our 2011 Xperia smartphone portfolio after Gingerbread 2.3.4. upgrade to the next Android platform. The official Sony Ericsson communication about software upgrades will always be my international colleagues publish on our Blog: http://blogs.sonyericsson.com/

[via AllAboutPhones]

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Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc S and Live with Walkman now on Three UK

Two of Sony Ericsson's more interesting devices have just made their way onto Three UK at subsidized prices. The Xperia Arc S and SE Live with Walkman are now available for free on any of Three's standard 24-month contracts.
The Arc S, SE's new flagship device, can be yours for £28 per month, while the Live with Walkman is offered for a more frugal £18 per month. With its shiny new 1.4 GHz CPU, the Arc S gives a modest boost from the original Arc's 1 GHz chip, and boasts new functionality like 3D panoramic recording. The SE Live with Walkman, which represents the manufacturer's current budget offering, is offered free on contracts of £18 or more per month.
We'll have a review of the Arc S appearing in the next week or so, so keep wathcing. In the meantime you can check out our first impressions of the Arc S and Live with Walkman from last month's Xperia Party.

Source: Three UK

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Sony Ericsson to go all smartphone in 2012

The numbers for Sony Ericsson (SE) for Q3 2011 are in and they show that SE is starting to turn things around a bit from the horrible quarter it had in Q2 2011. In Q3 2100 SE shipped 9.5 million units compared to the 7.6 million units shipped in Q2 2011. The Q3 11 number is still down from the 10.4 million SE moved in Q3 2010. The average selling price was up in Q3 2011 to 166 euros compared to 156 euro last quarter.



Total sales for Q3 11 added up to 1,586 million euro compared to 1,193 million euro in Q2 2011 and 1,603 million euro in Q3 2010. SE has also stated that 80% of the sales it makes are smartphones and it has shipped 22 million Xperia smartphones so far. The gross margin for the quarter was 27% down 3% year-on-year.
The biggest thing that came out of the earnings event was the factoid that SE pans to move its entire portfolio to smartphones in 2012. That means a bunch more Android devices on the market since SE is using Android on its smartphones. It also means if you have your eye on some sort of SE feature phone you better buy it soon.
[via SlashGear]

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Sony to go it alone? RIP Sony Ericsson

Well, something had to give. Sony Ericsson​, once one of the most successful mobile manufacturers in the world, has become a bit of a laughing stock of late. It’s about a year behind rivals when it comes to dual-core, and the much-hyped Xperia Play – once touted as an “iPhone killer” – is languishing in bargain bins at £150.
It’ll come as little surprise then that Sony is reportedly in talks to buy out Ericsson from their ailing joint venture.

A source “with direct knowledge of the matter” told Reuters that Sony hopes to go it alone in future. At present, tablets (including the Tablet S and Tablet P), gaming devices (such as the PSP), and consumer electronics come from Sony, while smartphones come under Sony Ericsson.
"Up to now Sony's products and network services have all been separate. Unifying them would be positive," said Yoshiharu Izumi, analyst with JP Morgan Tokyo. "If they can leverage their games and other network services I think they can lift their share." Hmm, we’ll see.
"The talks are not something that have been announced by Sony. We are declining to comment," said a Sony spokeswoman in Tokyo. Not denying the existence of the talks then?
Sony Ericsson is well into double figures with its smartphone output this year, and the reaction has largely been “meh”.

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Sony looks to buy out Ericsson’s half of Mobile Division

If you are like the many of users that just thought Sony phones came with a last name, that being Ericsson — you were wrong. The joint venture that began back in 2001 looks to possibly be coming to an end as Sony is about to close the deal and buy Ericsson’s half of their mobile division according to reports. Sony plans to bring all the operations in house to go along with the TVs, Cameras, Media Players, and more that they’ve produced over the years.

Apparently the Japanese company plans to take the reigns of the mobile division and bring it up to par with the rest in the market. Combining forces from their tablet, smartphone, and handheld gaming divisions into one that will all work together on various levels as they develop future products. According to the Wall Street Journal, the acquisition for the Stockholm company’s half of the team is about to be closed and Sony will take charge.
Obviously this will kill the “Ericsson” part of the brand, and we are unsure if in the future we’ll just see shiny SONY logos on devices or if they’ll continue to use a name like the Xperia. Analysts have valued Sony Ericsson at $1.3-$1.7 billion not to mention all the mobile patents in their portfolio. This could also be a move from Sony to acquire some patents in the process to fend off possible lawsuits like we’ve seen lately. The deal is expected to be finished here soon but no official details or cash values have been tossed around. As soon as we hear the asking price we’ll be sure to update with further details.
Sony has been known to release some pretty quality products over the years so hopefully this will bring them up to par with the likes of Samsung. I’m hoping we see more Sony branded Android offerings here in the states soon.

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Sony Ericsson is “patent safe” says CEO

A lot of lawsuits are being thrown around in today’s competitive smartphone industry, with the most famous ones being the ongoing battle between Samsung and Apple. Instead of focusing on innovation and besting their rivals – companies seem more concerned about bringing patents to the table and getting sales of devices blocked and banned all over the world. But there’s one company that seems to be staying away from all these legal issues, and that company is Sony Ericsson.

According to the company’s CEO, Bert Nordberg, Sony Ericsson is “one of the most patent safe companies around… Apart from our own 6,000 patents, we’re licensed to use the combined patent portfolios of both our owners, Sony and Ericsson.” Judging by how nobody seems to be throwing lawsuits their way, it looks like they’re not doing anything wrong. Not to mention, Sony Ericsson’s devices usually stand out from the crowd and don’t look like offerings from the competition.
Unfortunately things aren’t so rosy for companies like HTC and Samsung. With Google’s proposed acquisition of Motorola in order to defend Android; hopefully things work out in the end. Google just has to make sure that it stays unbiased if it manages to buy up Motorola Mobility.

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Sony Ericsson Xperia Ray heads to the US, unlocked and on sale now

ny Ericsson today has just announced the SE Xperia Ray for the US markets. We last saw the Ray clearing the FCC with AT&T radios but now it is finally here and available for purchase unlocked and ready to rock. You can buy it now at many online retailers including Newegg.com and more for just $429 fully unlocked.

The Xperia Ray may not be a top tier high end smartphone but it has the specs to hold up well against most of Sony’s current offerings. A decent mid range phone the specs come in with a 3.3″ 480 x 848 display with Sony Ericsson’s Bravia engine for true colors, Android 2.3 Gingerbread, a Qualcomm single-core 1.0 GHz processor, 512MB of RAM and a powerful 8.1 megapixel camera capable of some amazing HD video capture. Here are a few more images and video to see more if you’d like.

Xperia Ray features video







The best part of that awesome video demo has to be the Michael Bay moment when the Xperia Ray transforms into an HD camcorder, who agrees? Again this Android 2.3 powered smartphone is available now in the US and comes fully unlocked. This means you can use it on AT&T, T-Mobile, and any other GSM carrier you choose. This is a well rounded smartphone and while it may not be dual-core, everything else is quite nice and will make any photography or SE fan plenty happy.

The Xperia Ray was announced at $429 but today Neweegg.com has it on sale for just $379 in all four colors (shown below). So head on over to Newegg and snatch up one of these fully unlocked smartphones. Then if you dare, flash some CM7 once it becomes available.
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Sony Ericsson Supports The Android Modding Community – Helps Developers Build Custom ROMs

Sony Ericsson is well aware of the Android modding community and unlike other OEM’s who try and squash it, they’re doing their part to help support it. Whether it’s creating a custom ROM or modifying the kernel, the Sony Ericsson Developer program is aimed at helping these devs cook up nice and stable custom ROMs and they’re starting with a group of devs called “FreeXperia.” These are the guys responsible for creating custom ROMs based on CyanognenMod and porting/modifying them to various Xperia devices lke the Play and Arc.
Sony Ericsson was one of — if not the first Android OEM to announce they would provide the option to unlock the bootloaders in their 2011 Xperia lineup. Karl-Johan Dahlström, Head of Developer Relations for Sony Ericsson and all around nice guy (whom I had the pleasure of meeting at E3 this year), has been doing a great job at keeping Sony Ericsson devices open thanks to his close work with developers. According to Mr. Dahlström,

“We firmly believe in the openness of Android and we are really impressed by the huge activity shown in our products. By being supportive and open, we hope to both learn from the open community, and also share knowledge when that is possible.

When it came to Sony Ericsson’s involvement with the FreeXperia developers,

We were impressed by the passion shown and decided to help out with some bits and pieces. A few proprietary solutions needed to be explained and we helped them with that. We also supported the group with approximately 20 devices, to make their work easier.

Sony Ericsson would also like to remind you that unlocking the bootloader and loading a custom ROM on their devices will more than likely void your warranty. A risk we’ve been willing to take since rooting our G1′s back in the day. For your normal, average Joe Schmoe consumer, keeping your device is 100% stock is usually the wisest choice. Either way, it’s refreshing to see the steps Sony Ericsson has taken to support the Android modding community and something other Android OEM’s can definitely learn a thing or two from.
[Via SonyEricssonBlog]

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China’s HTC Sensation Variant First to Use ST-Ericsson NovaThor SoC

At first glance, the HTC Sensation Z710t doesn’t differ much from the phone first introduced last spring, but underneath the familiar exterior lurks the new ST Ericsson NovaThor SoC. The handset is headed for China Mobile and couples the 1GHz Nova A9500 dual-core application processor with the Thor M6718 mobile for connectivity to the carriers TD-SCDMA network. The pairing is designed for speed on all fronts.
Otherwise, the Sensation remains largely the same with a 4.3-inch qHD display and 8MP camera. Pricing an release date for the handset are currently not available.

Powerful New ST-Ericsson Platform makes Debut in HTC Sensation Z710t
China Mobile’s latest TD smartphone based on state-of-the-art NovaThor™ platform
Geneva, September 26, 2011 – China Mobile and HTC have launched the first smartphone to be based on ST-Ericsson’s powerful new NovaThor platform. The Sensation Z710t offers consumers immersive 3D graphics, fast web browsing, high-definition multimedia and the ability to run several advanced Android applications simultaneously with exceptional performance and battery life.
Underneath the hood of the HTC Sensation Z710t are ST-Ericsson’s Nova™ A9500 dual-core application processor, running at 1GHz, and ST-Ericsson’s Thor™ M6718 modem, which can connect to China Mobile’s extensive TD-SCDMA network, enabling consumers to get online at broadband speeds across much of China. The HTC Sensation Z710t also sports an eight megapixel camera and a 4.3 inch display.
“ST-Ericsson’s new NovaThor platform has enabled us to develop a world-class Android smartphone for China Mobile’s TD network,” said Matthew Costello, Chief Operating Officer of HTC. “Consumers are going to be captivated by the fast and responsive multimedia experience delivered by the HTC Sensation Z710t.”
“The launch of this exceptional HTC smartphone highlights both the capabilities of our NovaThor platform family and our wholehearted support for China Mobile’s drive to bring world-leading smartphones onto its TD network,” said Pascal Langlois, senior vice president, chief sales and marketing officer of ST-Ericsson. “Consumers and Android application developers alike will relish the raw power and 3D graphical capabilities of the HTC Sensation Z710t.”

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CyanogenMod and FreeXperia team up to offer CM7 on 10 Sony Ericsson devices

Back in August we first heard a few minor details that the members of CyanogenMod were planning to support more device, especially a wide array of Sony Ericsson smartphones. Yesterday Cyanogen himself (Steve Kondik) confirmed support for 10 new SE phones over on Google+. With a joint effort by the CM team and the group known as FreeXperia we can expect to see CM7 and future releases support many Sony Ericsson and Xperia play devices moving forward.

While none of the phones pictured above are Sony Ericsson it does show the wide array of smartphones supported by CyanogenMod, and now with 10 more coming I’m sure plenty of users are excited for things to come. Detailed on Google+ Cyanogen mentioned all 10 SE phones they plan to initially support — they include:
- Xperia Arc
- Xperia Neo
- Xperia Mini
- Xperia Mini Pro
- Xperia Play
- Xperia Ray
- Xperia X10
- Xperia X8
- Xperia X10 Mini
- Xperia X10 Mini Pro
Kondik also mentioned that the FreeXperia team is now a part of the CyanogenMod development group, this means that with upcoming releases from Sony Ericsson like the rumored Nozomi users can expect to see support by CM7 or 8 for many new phones as they come out.
Great news for all the Sony Ericsson users out and around, CM is one of the greatest custom ROM’s available for Android and will be for a long time to come.
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Sony Ericsson Arc S arriving Friday 30th September

We are pleased to announce that the Sony Ericsson Arc S will be arriving into our warehouse this coming Friday. We are receiving both colours – Midnight Blue & the Pure White versions.
The natural upgrade to the original Arc running on Android 2.3 Gingerbread with an 8.1 auto focus camera – This really is value for money priced at £291.66 GBP you can’t really go wrong!
Features of the Sony Ericsson Arc S include:

• Android 2.3 Gingerbread OS
• 4.2” Reality Display
• 1.4GHz processor
• Unique Slim Arc Design
• Sony Mobile BRAVIA Engine
• 8.1 megapixel camera with Exmor R mobile
• 720p HD video recording
• DLNA technology

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HTC Radar vs. Sony Ericsson Xperia Ray

We compare HTC's upcoming Mango masterpiece, the Radar, with Sony Ericsson's next-gen Xperia Ray

As Microsoft readies its first major Windows Phone update, Mango, manufacturers prepare to unveil their new devices to the world, based upon the upgraded software. One of the first to be announced was HTC's Radar, a slim, good looking device that aims to capitalise on the virtues of Windows Phone 7.5.
To put the Radar through its paces we've picked out a corking contender in the shape of Sony Ercisson's Xperia Ray, an Android device that has plenty to offer.

Power
The HTC Radar is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon chipset which consists of a 1GHz Scorpion CPU and Adreno 205 GPU, giving the device a nice, even power base from which to run. We'd have liked to see more than the 512MB RAM on offer though, as we can't see it ageing terribly well once the dual-core WP7.5 devices hit the shelves.
The Sony Ericsson Xperia Ray runs on an identical chipset to the Radar, with a 1GHz Scorpion processor sitting beside the self-same Adreno 205 GPU and, like the HTC, the Xperia Ray only offers 512MB RAM, making it Mr. Average in the Android field, as well as this contest.
Both device's do offer internal storage too, with the Radar boasting 8GB of memory, with no support for Micro SD cards, and the Xperia Ray offering 1GB internal and support for up to a 32GB card.
Winner - Draw

Form & Build
HTC Radar - 120.5 x 61.5 x 10.9 mm, 137 g
Sony Ericsson Xperia Ray - 111 x 53 x 9.4 mm, 100 g
The Radar looks every inch the modern HTC device, with minimalist lines, a neat black and grey chassis made of plastics and metal and no hardware keys apart from the power switch.
The device isn't ugly, but it certainly won't win any contests for outstanding beauty, in fact it's a device that's instantly forgettable and we can't decide whether that's a good thing or not, frankly.
The Xperia Ray is another of Sony Ericsson's plastic fantastic Xperia series and you'll be hard pushed to find anything specific to like about it.
From the emaciated, curved back to the clumsily designed key layout on the front, aesthetic appears to have been roundly forgotten on the Ray and the lack of any discernible metallic elements in the construction renders the device a bit of a lightweight overall.
Winner - HTC Radar

Display
The HTC Radar features a 3.8-inch S-LCD screen which operates at a resolution of 480 x 800 and offers up a pixel density of 246ppi, making it captain average once again.
The screen does benefit from a dose of Corning's Gorilla Glass though, so you can rest easy knowing it won't scratch or be otherwise damaged if you give it a bit of general abuse.
The Xperia Ray features a 3.3-inch LED-backlit LCD display which runs at a resolution of 480 x 854 and knocks-out a pixel density of 297ppi, giving a it a pleasing edge over the Radar.
Sony Ericsson hasn't opted to give the device any toughened glass or other perks though, so you'll want to treat it with kid gloves.
Winner - Sony Ericsson Xperia Ray


Software
The HTC Radar is one of the first devices that will run Microsoft's Windows Phone 7.5 aka Mango and the device is all the better for it.
The OS has some smart new features such as unified inbox, greatly upgraded social network integration, Silverlight 4 and Internet Explorer 9.
The platform is still as user friendly as it was in its first incarnation and we're pleased to see Microsoft has expanded the UI to offer more customisation features.
Good job, Microsoft.
The Sony Ericsson Xperia Ray runs on Google's Android platform which has plenty of its own to offer, such as solid security, tons of apps and games (the majority of which are free) and pleasing widgets to keep you up to speed with the information and apps that matter to you.
On the Xperia Ray version 2.3.4 (Gingerbread) is present, overlayed with SE's own TimeScape UI, which brings some much needed eye-candy to the fore, as well as some natty social networking nous in a neat timeline driven UI.
It's impossible to pick a clear winner in this category because it's generally a matter of personal taste. Both Google and Microsoft have created pleasing, productive mobile platforms - so unless you have already, get out there and test them both before making a decision based upon OS.
Winner - Draw

HTC's Radar has taken its first beating. The device is certainly decent quality and it's great to see the company launching a new smartphone to go hand-in-hand with the upgrade to the OS, but why the heck didn't it make the Radar just that little bit more 'updated'.
The only thing new and eye-catching is Mango, and other users will be able to install that to their own devices when it's rolled out.
The Sony Ericsson Xperia Ray is worthy winner today, but it isn't anything to top the charts either.
It's a solid, mid-range Android smartphone which brings together some of Sony Ericsson's key strengths (and some of its notable weaknesses) to give users a device which won't let them down, but don't expect it to excel either.

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Sony Ericsson Xperia Neo Receives Android 2.3.4

The Sony Ericsson Xperia Neo has received its Android 2.3.4 update. It brings with it the new version of Google Talk with video chat support, but Sony Ericsson has also sprinkled more desirable goods into the folks. We get a Swype-like keyboard, a panoramic photo option in camera, screen capture and enhancements to their Facebook integration. This one’s going out in Nordic countries right now but we can’t imagine it will take long to make its way to other regions. Sony Ericsson is expected to complete rollout to all regions in October. [Xperia Blog]

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Sony Ericsson Xperia Ray available now

If there’s one phone we’ve given a verbal bashing more than the HTC ChaCha this year, it’s the Sony Ericsson Xperia Ray. The poor bastard.
To be fair, the Sony Ericsson Xperia Ray looks fine, but coming from a manufacturer that’s easily into double figures with its Android output this year alone, it’s just a little underwhelming. Sorry, Raymond.

Anyway, if you haven’t been put off by our incessant bullying, you can now grab the SIM free Sony Ericsson Xperia Ray from

Clove for £299.99. Play.com is a little more expensive at £329.99.

It’s also available from O2 on a variety of 18M and 24M contracts, from free to £79.99 up front. Of course, remember with O2 you have to throw on a “Data Allowance” bundle on top of the advertised tariff. Cheeky gits.
The Sony Ericsson Xperia Ray has a 3.3in display, 8.1MP camera, 1GHz processor, 1,500mAh battery, and runs Android 2.3.3 (Gingerbread) with Facebook Inside. It’s a mere 9.4mm thick.
Vodafone and Orange are expected to join the Sony Ericsson Xperia Ray party later in the year.

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Sony Ericsson Live with Walkman teardown photos posted at FCC

Over the past year or so, Sony Ericsson has been bringing their A-game to the Android smartphone and oddities market, and with the combination of the forever-famous Walkman brand name, they’ve got a good chance of continuing to increase business built on the Google mobile OS platform. What’s up today is an FCC listing of the Sony Ericsson media player known as Live with Walkman, a long name for an interestingly quite possibly awesome future mobile device running Android. Look like the originally announced bright white to you?

Everyone likes to see the insides of their handsets before they see the outsides in action, right? Have a look right here and see some guts! Sony Ericsson has never been known for bad looking insides, and they certainly don’t disappoint with several layers of green, black, and gold. What we know about this device right this moment is that it’s got a 5 megapixel camera on the back, a VGA camera on the front, a 3.2-inch 480 x 320 pixel resolution TFT LCD display, more than likely a 1.2 or 1.5 GHz single-core processor inside, and a big fat slew of Sony and Sony Ericsson-specifically optimized apps and sound-related features.

This device has been announced to be coming out inside the fourth quarter of 2011, all of its features appearing to sort of pale in comparison to the tip we’ve reported on the Sony Ericsson Nozomi 1.5 GHz dual-core processor and a fantastically dense-pixeled display. We’ve also got word that the Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc S coming inside September, and though we’re almost certainly not going to be getting Ice Cream Sandwich any time soon, Android 2.3.4 Gingerbread should be pretty much a fix.
[via FCC]

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Ice Cream Sandwich Sony Ericsson XPERIA Rumors Disspelled

If you happened to be browsing the UK site SoMobile yesterday for some mobile news, you got a heaping helping of surprise when you found that a UK spokeperson supposedly confirmed the notion that all 2011 Sony Ericsson XPERIA devices would be getting Android’s next-gen mobile OS. From what we understand given the information we got from Eric Schmidt himself, this new version of Android will be released inside October or November of 2011. What we’re to understand now is that Android 4.0 has NOT been decided on for the XPERIA 2011 lineup as of yet, this being confirmed directly to Chris Davies of SlashGear in this morning’s UK afternoon.

While this may come as a surprise to some, those of the ladies and gentlemen in the audience who know of the potential for Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich can guess that Ice Cream Sandwich may not be the best system to add to an already-established line of Sony Ericsson devices. Sony Ericsson representatives spoke with SlashGear today saying the following:

“When it comes to future platforms of the Android OS, we will make them available to consumers in a timely manner as long as they improve the user experience and are viable from a hardware point of view.” – Sony Ericsson to SG

We know from our original official introduction to Ice Cream Sandwich back at Google I/O 2011 that “This new version of Android wont have any new hardware requirements.” This means that should a device be capable of running Ice Cream Sandwich if it’s already capable of running either the tablet-based Android 3.x Honeycomb or the handset-based Android 2.3.x Gingerbread. The announcement above only covers the news that Sony Ericsson had “confirmed” they’d be upgrading their 2011 line, instead they’re just noting that there’s no official policy that they’re sharing on upgrades at the moment.
Will we see 2011 Sony Ericsson XPERIA devices upgraded to Ice Cream Sandwich?
Only your barber knows for sure.
[via SlashGear]

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