Last month, Sony rolled out Ice Cream Sandwich upgrade for Xperia arc S, Xperia ray and Xperia neo V, and now company confirmed that the remaining 2011 smartphones: Xperia arc, Xperia neo, Xperia mini, Xperia mini pro, Xperia pro, Xperia active and Sony Ericsson Live with Walkman will start receiving their updates in a few days.
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Two weeks ago, Sony promised that Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich update for update for 2011 Xperia smartphone beginning mid-April and now they are rolling out software update.
For the time being, the update will be made available for Xperia arc S, Xperia neo V and Xperia ray consumers in Sweden, Denmark, Iceland, Finland and Norway.
According to Sony, The software will initially be made available for Xperia arc S, Xperia neo V and Xperia ray for consumers in Sweden, Denmark, Iceland, Finland and Norway. For the above models, the software rollout will continue over the next 4-6 weeks, becoming available in other global markets.
In order to upgrade your 2011 Xperia smartphone you will need to connect to a PC or Mac – please visit http://www.sonymobile.com/update and follow the instructions.
Following on, Xperia arc, Xperia PLAY, Xperia neo, Xperia mini, Xperia mini pro, Xperia pro, Xperia active and Sony Ericsson Live with Walkman will receive their scoop starting from the end of May/early June.
Sony Mobile has confirmed that Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich update for 2011 Xperia smartphones will start from mid-April 2012.
The first Xperia models to receive the upgrade will be Xperia arc S, Xperia neo V and Xperia ray. Following on, Xperia arc, Xperia PLAY, Xperia neo, Xperia mini, Xperia mini pro, Xperia pro, Xperia active and Sony Ericsson Live with Walkman will receive their scoop starting from the end of May/early June.
Previously, Sony stated that Android 4.0 update for the Xperia arc S, Xperia neo V and Xperia ray would commence from end of March/early April. This implies that Sony delayed the ICS update for Xperia line-up and not only that now you won’t receive any update requests or notifications and the update will be available for download via PC Companion and Bridge for Mac (i.e. not over the air via 3G or WiFi).
Source:- Sony Mobile
After completing the acquisition of Sony Ericsson and renaming it to Sony Mobile Communications, Sony has now launched the official Sony Mobile website making sonyericsson.com a history. You can check out the new Sony website by hitting the source link below.
Source:-Sony Mobile
Sony today announced that the transaction to acquire Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson’s (“Ericsson”) 50% stake in Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB (“Sony Ericsson”) has been completed as of February 15, 2012 (Central European time). Now the fully Sony owned Sony Ericsson will be renamed Sony Mobile Communications, though few of the recently released devices will keep Sony Ericsson name.
Sony (Ericsson) has announced a global strategic alliance with Billabong to launch the Xperia Active Billabong Edition smartphone in select markets. The Xperia active Billabong Edition will feature preloaded Billabong screenscavers, videos and Billabong LIVE, a mobile app now available in the Sony Ericsson channel in Android Market, and the Xperia PLAY will boast an exclusive surf game, Billabong Surf Trip.
Other specs are identical to that of Xperia Active which includes - a 3-inch HVGA display, 1GHz single-core processor, 5MP camera and Gingerbread Android 2.3 (upgradable to Android 4.0).
Here we’re little confused by both Sony Ericsson and Sony brand but Sony Ericsson which is soon to be Sony, brings out two new smartphones for the Japanese market Xperia acro HD and Xperia NX alongside with Xperia ion and Xperia S.
The Xperia acro HD, the follow-up to Xperia acro with popular Japan-specific features including infrared port data exchange, mobile wallet and mobile TV. It features 4.3-inch HD LCD display, a 1.5GHz dual-core CPU, a 12MP rear camera with Exmor R, 1.3MP front-facing cam, supports handwriting input, a 1840mAh battery and 16GB of internal memory. It is scheduled to launch around March 2012 by NTT DoCoMo.
Xperia NX, a variant of Xperia S for the Japanese market and has been scheduled for release in February 2012 by NTT DoCoMo.
Sony Ericsson officially confirmed that the first 2011 Xperia smartphones will be upgraded to Android 4.0 starting from end March/early April 2012. The first smartphones to get the upgrade are Xperia arc S, Xperia neo V and Xperia ray. Soon after, starting from end April/early May, Xperia arc, Xperia PLAY, Xperia neo, Xperia mini and mini pro, Xperia pro, Xperia active as well as Sony Ericsson Live with Walkman will get their upgrades.
Xperia smartphone owners will receive a notification in the phone instructing them to download the software over the air via 3G or WiFi. Alternatively, they can connect to a computer and download it via PC companion.
Source:- Sony Ericsson Blog
OnLive, announced that its free OnLive app for Android has been updated to support the slide-out game controls on the Sony Ericsson Xperia PLAY smartphone, enabling gameplay of almost all OnLive games, including the latest AAA console-class titles. The Xperia PLAY combines Android smartphone touchscreen control with what every console gamers dreams of: slide-out dedicated gaming keys, analog touch joysticks and shoulder buttons. The just-updated free OnLive Android App delivers the missing piece: AAA high-performance console-class games playable directly with the slide-out controls, streamed over the Internet for instant on-demand play.
Source:- Android market
Good news for Sony Ericsson’s Walkman series fans in India, Sony Ericsson Live with Walkman (WT19i in white) now available on flipkart for Rs 14,550 ($275). Black color model is expected to be available in store in the fourth week of December, but no exact release date is available for the moment. Live with Walkman features 3.2-inch TFT HVGA display, a 1GHz Qualcomm Scorpion processor, running Android 2.3 Gingerbread, a 5MP rear camera and 0.3MP front camera. It also packs 320 MB onboard memory, 512 MB of RAM and microSD card slot upgradable to 32GB. Hit the source link below to take a look at it.
Source:- Flipkart(1), (2)
Sony today announced that select Sony Walkman MP3 players can now access its Music Unlimited cloud-based digital music service through a downloadable application.
The new Walkman application allows users to listen to their favorite Music Unlimited channels and playlists without being connected to the Internet. Simply connect the device to a PC, select the channels and playlists from your Music Unlimited account, and synch to your Walkman. The selected music will be accessible on your Walkman wherever you go.
Sony Entertainment Network's Music Unlimited service features an ever expanding global catalogue of over 10 million licensed songs and is currently available in nine countries including Australia, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, New Zealand, Spain, United Kingdom, and United States.
The service is also available across Sony's 2010, 2011, and future models of network-enabled BRAVIA HDTVs, Blu-ray Disc players, Bly-ray Disc Home Theatre Systems as well as PlayStation3, PSP (PlayStationPortable), personal computers including VAIO personal computers, Android-based tablets including Sony Tablet as well as others, and Sony Ericsson's Android-based mobile devices including Xperia arc, Xperia PLAY, Xperia X10, Xperia X8 and Xperia neo, and Android-based third party devices.
Source:- Sony
The Sony Ericsson Xperia active is now available at Newegg.com and other online retailers for $339.99. This Gingerbread device offers a 1GHz CPU, 5MP rear-facing camera, on-screen heart rate and pulse monitor using ANT+ and 3-inch 480 x 320 touchscreen with wet finger tracking ability. Read more detailed specs of Xperia active after the break.
Xperia active Key Features and Pricing:
Color options:
The Xperia active Gear Kit Includes:
Source:- Newegg
This guest post is by Kate.
Nokia has dominated the world of cellular handsets for a long time now. But the recent upsurge in the sale of Android based phones from other manufacturers seems to threaten the position of Nokia as a world leader in the ever growing world of mobile phones. Nokia has invested its trust in the Windows Phone 7 operating system to serve as a backbone for its future range of smartphones and a competitor for the iOS and Android. However, as most of us know, Nokia has a huge consumer base in the market of lower-end phones. And it seems that Nokia is doing its best to cement its position quite firmly here. It has been advocated that Nokia is preparing an OS called Meltemi for its low-end range of phones.
Meltemi is a Linux-based operating system. The codename”Meltemi” is of Greek origin. It is not being touted as the next big operating system that would take the market by storm, but the very purpose of Meltemi is supposed to be of giving a much needed performance boost to the basic devices. It is also being seen as a replacement for the aging Symbian operating system. This move from Nokia accounts for the fact that 47 percent of their profit in the second quarter has emerged from the sales of the low-end feature phones. While companies such as Samsung also focusing on their own operating system for smartphones such as Bada, the development of a new operating system and that too, for the low-end phones is actually quite an interesting and innovative move by Nokia.
The feature phones do not have capabilities that could meet smartphones, but they surely do boast of features such as ability to access the internet among other useful features for the budget customer. Meltemi comes into picture as Nokia’s vision to develop an operating system which has capability to exceed well beyond the “S40” operating system but which at the same time, can perform on similar and less expensive hardware. It is not a full-fledged OS such as Android or iOS but should be fairly capable. However, Nokia will still continue with the development of inexpensive Windows phone devices in some markets.
Till now, the feature phones and the smartphones simply mean two different worlds of mobile experience. Meltemi should prove to be very useful for bridging somewhat, the ever increasing and seemingly wide gap between feature phones’ OS and the big players, be it Android or iOS. It should help the customers from the emerging markets to first realize the power of a smart and efficient operating system on a low-end phone and then, help them to shift to the era of Android, iOS or Windows Phone 7 based smartphones.
On a conclusive note, this new and fresh approach from Nokia should get a positive response on behalf of the customers. It should enhance and add richness to the user experience on a low-end phone. It could also prove to be the biggest factor in justifying Nokia’s position as the top-dog in the emerging markets.
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About the author: Kate is a blogger by profession. She loves writing on luxury and technology. Beside this she is fond of mobile phones. She is planning to buy Sony Ericsson Xperia Ray. These days she is busy in writing an article on Nikon Binoculars.
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The official photo of Sony Ericsson Nozomi (LT26i) has leaked online and is likely to feature a 12-megapixel camera and a 1280x720 pixel HD capacitive touchscreen.
Sony Ericsson Nozomi is expected to be announced next year during the Mobile World Congress, in February and will be equipped with a dual-core processor and Sony Ericsson’s Timescape user interface.
Via Phone Arena
Source:- IT168
LG has teamed up with cloud storage provider Box.net and as a result offers not 5GB or 10GB, but 50GB of free cloud storage.
LG users who sign up for an account with Box through their LG Android mobile devices between November 30, 2011 and March 31, 2012 will enjoy the benefits of free, secure cloud storage and sharing for the lifetime of the account.
The Box for Android 50GB promotion is applicable to Android OS 2.1 or above with display resolution 320x480 or higher. The promotion is available in the U.S. only.
P.S. Sony Ericsson mistakenly posted a promo offering Xperia owners 50GB free storage via the Box for Android mobile app. This offer is not active but definitely on the card.
The Xperia arc S and Xperia neo V running Android 2.3.4 (Gingerbread) are now available for purchase in the U.S. at the Sony Store.
Xperia arc S Key Features and Pricing:
Xperia neo V Key Features and Pricing:
The Sony Ericsson Xperia arc S and Xperia neo V are available unlocked, at Sony Store. Additional availability can be found at other retailers such as Newegg.com starting early December.
Source:- Xperia arc S, Xperia neo V
Sony Ericsson now globally roll out Android 2.3.4 update for Xperia Line up and when that firmware hits your handset, don’t be surprised if you find "Gesture input" through which you can input text by swiping the finger from one letter to the next.
The phones that will get the software update are: Xperia arc, Xperia PLAY, Xperia neo, Xperia mini, Xperia mini pro, Xperia pro, Xperia ray, Xperia active, Xperia neo V, Xperia arc S and the Sony Ericsson Live with Walkman. The update will be available for all unlocked phones and most operator variants but there will be local deviations. There are also some deviations on feature upgrade depending on phone model. Google Talk video chat will only be available for phones with front facing camera. Xperia PLAY will not get 3D panorama sweep but it will get HD video recording and the other goodies below.
The highlights of the update are:
Source:- Sony Ericsson Blog
Ericsson 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.
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.
Skype announced Skype 2.5 for Android which supports additional 14 Android devices which takes total to an exciting 41. Now Skype video calling will also be available by default on several Motorola Devices including the Atrix and XOOM.
With Skype 2.5 for Android, the list of Android devices added Skype video support for include:
The Skype 2.5 for Android update also brings further video enhancements. You can now switch between portrait and landscape mode during video calls, and zoom in with a simple double tap on the screen.
Skype also improved support for bluetooth headsets and included a number of bug fixes and performance enhancements, which should further boost the user experience of Skype for Android on your phone.
In addition, as with recent Mac and iOS update, there will be an advertising platform introduced in this new release. Advertising will not be shown to users that have Skype Credit, a Calling or Skype Premium subscription.
Skype 2.5 for Android (Android Market)