New CyanogenMod 10 release for Xperia devices brings camera fix

The latest release of CyanogenMod 10 (CM10), based on Android 4.1.1 Jelly Bean, has been updated to include a fix for the camera. The FXP145 release from the FreeXperia team brings camera support for the first time and should mean that most can use this ROM for daily use. The camera will now work for all 2011 Xperia devices and for the Xperia acro S, Xperia ion and Xperia S. You can download it here.

There are a few compromises though, there is no 1080p video recording and only 5MP resolutions will work in the default camera application. There also seems to be an issue with Facebook crashing on some phones. However, patches are already available for the camera here and Facebook here. These will be rolled into the next FXP146 release. Seems like a great achievement by the FreeXperia team and brings a stable enough Jelly Bean ROM to those willing to try it.

Thanks Andy!

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Android 4.1 Jelly Bean for 2012 Xperia devices rolling out from mid Q1 2013

Sony Mobile has this morning confirmed that Android 4.1 Jelly Bean for its new Xperia devices (Xperia T, Xperia TX and Xperia V) will start to receive the update from the middle of Q1 2013. Sony Xperia devices that launched earlier this year including the Xperia S, Xperia acro S, Xperia ion, Xperia P, Xperia go and Xperia J will be upgraded to Android 4.1 in “due course”. Looks like Xperia miro, Xperia tipo, Xperia tipo dual, Xperia sola and Xperia U users are excluded. 

The release date for Jelly Bean is later than we expected, we had always assumed it would launch later this year. Recent owners of the Sony Xperia T/TX may feel the most annoyed especially since Sony said that the handsets will be “upgraded to Android version 4.1 (Jelly Bean) following launch“. We interpret ‘following launch’ as near enough immediately after release – certainly not four months later.

We suspect that the JB launch for the other 2012 Xperia models could take as long as early Q2 2013, given that no concrete information has been given. It’s hard not to commend Sony Mobile for updating many of its mid-range handsets along with their higher-end models. However, Xperia sola and Xperia U owners will rightfully be arguing why they won’t be seeing the update. It’s certainly not a question of hardware specification.

What we do know by now is that Android version upgrades are a slow and painful process for all manufacturers. There’s also every likelihood that Sony Mobile is hindered with the sheer volume of handsets it has released this year and last. Trying to update and certify a new Android version update for all of these handsets must be a logistical nightmare. Let’s hope that as time goes on, Sony gets better at releasing more timely updates.

Thanks Stojan!

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News : Xperia ion LTE (LT28i) Android 4.0.4 ICS update starts rolling out

Good news for those of you with the LTE version of the Sony Xperia ion (LT28i), the Android 4.0.4 ice Cream Sandwich update has started to roll out. The new firmware will update you to version number 6.1.E.1.19. From what we can gather the update has started to roll out in Hong Kong and Taiwan, so we would expect it to hit other regions shortly. At this stage we do not know if there are any firmware differences between this version of ICS and that currently on the Xperia S and Xperia P. 

Via Sony Xperia HK.

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News Sony Xperia GX (Japan) and Xperia ion (India) Ship to Store Now

Finally this awesome beast we featured it on many news and leak picture has finally went public at last

It features a 4.6 inch display of 720p resolution, dual-core 1.5 GHz Snapdragon S4 processor, 13 MP camera and 1 GB of RAM, all running on Android 4.0.4 ICS. The curved back is reminiscent of last year's Xperia Arc, measuring 11.5 mm at its thickest point.

Unfortunately, it appears that the GX is currently exclusive to the Japanese market, but there are rumors that Sony will be unveiling an international version at this years' IFA trade show in Berlin.

Meanwhile, the international version of the Xperia ion has hit the Indian market. The ion also has a 4.6 inch screen of 720p resolution, but a 12 MP camera instead of the GX's 13 MP. It is currently available through Snapdeal.com for INR 36,000, or about €530.

Source | Via 1 | Via 2

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Latest Sony Xperia phones announced for South East Asia

Sony Mobile yesterday held a media event in Singapore where it launched the latest six Sony Xperia handsets for the South East Asia region (Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia). As expected, no new Xperia models were announced, instead we saw the official launch of six handsets for the region including the Xperia acro S, Xperia go, Xperia ion, Xperia miro, Xperia neo L and Xperia tipo.

Our man on the ground (owl_order) got hands-on with most of the devices and came away with positive thoughts. The event itself encouraged creativity in line with Sony Mobile’s current “Made of Imagination” marketing slogan. There was an open canvas where the media was invited to paint their own creations along with coloured sands to rub into the rugged smartphones. 

Whilst some may bemoan the lack of an announcement for a high-end flagship, it is quite clear that Sony Mobile is targeting the low-end smartphone segment and sees it as a good growth opportunity. After all, market research firm Canalys recently estimated that more than 40% of smartphones in China will be priced under $200 by 2015.

This was a point echoed by Matthew Lang, Head of Sony Mobile SEA & Oceania Customer Unit saying that the expanded portfolio left Sony Mobile “in a much better position to meet the diverse consumer needs of emerging markets such as Indonesia and Malaysia” and that these phones will “strengthen our footprint in Southeast Asia markets”.

Anyway, check out the gallery below where you’ll find pictures from the event along with some hands-on photos with the phones. As we’ve previously seen, three new apps for the Xperia range will be introduced (Walkman, Album, and Movies) and you can see some photos of these. Towards the end you’ll also see something we haven’t seen before, notification settings for the lock screen on the Xperia ion. See all of the pictures below.

New Sony Xperia handsets to launch in South East Asia in Q3 2012

These are the handset SKUs due to launch in South East Asia over the third quarter of 2012. Not all colours will be available in each region, see the list below to see which colour of handset is launching in each country. The Xperia go will initially launch with Android Gingerbread, whilst all other models will be pre-installed with Ice Cream Sandwich. Prices have not been confirmed.

If you want to see the full specifications of each device please click on “SPECIFICATIONS” at the top of the site which has all of these phones listed or the “COMPARISON” tab to compare specs between phones. The “GALLERY” tab includes press photos for all of the listed phones too.

Indonesia

Xperia acro S (black, white and pink)
Xperia go (black, white and yellow)
Xperia ion (black and red)
Xperia miro (white, white/gold, black and black/pink)
Xperia neo L (black and white)
Xperia tipo (black, white, red and blue)
Xperia tipo dual (black and silver)

Malaysia

Xperia go (black, white and yellow)
Xperia ion (black and red)
Xperia miro (white, white/gold, black and black/pink)
Xperia neo L (black and white)
Xperia tipo dual (black and silver)

Singapore

Xperia acro S (black and white)
Xperia go (black and white)
Xperia ion (black)
Xperia miro (black and white)
Xperia neo L (black and white)
Xperia tipo dual (black and silver)

Thanks again to owl_order!

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Fast Capture demoed on Xperia ion, beats Galaxy Nexus

One of the big marketing points that Sony has been talking about its new smartphones is Fast Capture. Sony claims that you can take a picture from standby in just 1.5 seconds on both the Xperia ion and Xperia S. This was put into practice by the Phandroid team, who decided to put the Xperia ion up against the Galaxy Nexus to see which handset could snap a picture the quickest.

Galaxy Nexus runs Android 4.0 ICS, which features camera optimisations including zero shutter lag. However, this was still not enough to beat the Xperia ion, which was markedly quicker. Check out the video showdown below.

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Sony Ericsson will be rebranded as Sony Mobile Communications

Sony Ericsson as a whole will be rebranded as the ‘Sony Mobile Communications’ division within Sony. All future phones released from this division, including the Xperia ion and Xperia S, will carry the Sony logo and font.

Sadly, this means that Sony Ericsson’s liquid energy logo will also be retired. We bid farewell to both the Sony Ericsson logo and font. They will be missed. Maybe the last ‘Sony Ericsson’ device, the Xperia arc S, will become a bit of a fan’s collector’s item in the future. Onwards and upwards.

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Xperia S white paper confirms NO microSD slot and 1750mAh sealed battery

The white paper for the Sony Xperia S (LT26i) is now available to download. There’s not too much we already didn’t know, but we do have confirmation that storage will be taken care of 32GB eMMC flash memory and there is no mention of expandable storage via microSD card. Sony says it will also have between 1 to 1.5GB of internal storage.

It also confirms that the Xperia S will come with a 1750mAh sealed/non-removable battery capable of 7 hours and 30 minutes of GSM talk time, 25 hours of music listening and 6 hours and 30 minutes of video playback.

The Xperia S uses the same Qualcomm Snapdragon S3 MSM8260 chipset found in the Xperia ion, including a 1.5GHz dual-core processor and Adreno 220 GPU. The Xperia S will have 1GB of RAM. In terms of networks, the Xperia S will use UMTS [HSPA 850 (Band V), 900 (Band VIII), 1900 (Band II), 2100 (Band I)] and GSM [GPRS/EDGE 850, 900, 1800, 1900]. You can download the white paper for yourselfhere

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Xperia ion product page live; promo shots and video

The Sony Xperia ion may not look as striking as the Xperia S, but checking out the video attached below reveals the Xperia ion has a very understated design. The Xperia ion chassis is made from magnesium and it also features a no air-gap display, last seen in the Xperia arc.

The product page for the handset is now also live, where you’ll find further details on the handset. See some promo pictures for the Xperia ion below along with a hands-on video. Also note the “Use of Sony brand subject to regulatory approval” disclaimer below each photo!

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