Xperia mini and Xperia mini pro hit UK pre-order, Dated for August release

The diminutive Xperia mini and Xperia mini pro handsets are now both available to pre-order sim-free in the UK. Play.com has flagged the release date of the handsets as 5 August where the Xperia mini will set you back £209.99 and the Xperia mini pro (including a keyboard) will cost £239.99. These are more expensive than the X10 mini products were on release, but we wouldn’t be surprised to see the Xperia mini lower than £200 shortly after launch.

Hope Malaysia will launch it too on August 2011, Xperia Ray might be launch on September 2011. So, it won't crash on the month of launching date.

Sony Ericsson releases second ‘Challenge Xperia’ video

Sony Ericsson has released its second Challenge Xperia video for the Xperia arc. If you remember back, the first involved driving a car only using the Xperia arc display. The second challenge also relates to the display and in particular the brightness aspect.
They set up an array of Xperia arc handsets into a blacked out shed. They then used these Xperia arcs at full brightness to make the flowers bloom. We’re not too sure what the point of this particular exercise was but it’s pretty nonetheless. Check out the video here.

Impossible or not? One daring driver, one hell of a racetrack and no vision
except for three brilliant Xperia™ arc screens. Watch the clip below

CommunicAsia – New Xperias, Feature Phone and Smart Extras

Just now over in Singapore some of my colleagues are showing three new phones and two new smart extras, all of them will be available in selected markets from Q3 this year.
For the full press releases for all this with full specifications etc head over to the Sony Ericsson Press Room
The first two phones are the new additions to the Xperia^TM family of smartphones:
Xperia^TM ray

Xperia^TM ray is a fully fledged Android smartphone on the latest Android platform for smartphones, a.k.a. Gingerbread. It also features the 8.1 MP Exmor R^TM camera and the Reality Display with Mobile BRAVIA® engine as known from e.g. Xperia^TM arc. What’s special about it though is its size and design. I’ve been using one for a few days internally now and it really is a special kind of smartphone. It’s sleek and beautifully designed and its more narrow form factor almost remind me of the feel of the successful models W880 and W890. Despite its slim (9.4mm) and small footprint it has a FWVGA display, i.e. same 854×480 resolution as e.g. Xperia^TM arc, but in a 3.3 inch display size which give an amazing feeling of high resolution and clarity. It also has a very elegant blackness to the display which makes it nearly invisible when in standby, making it blend into the black glass front perfectly. The slimness, lightness and more narrow form factor really makes it slip into my jeans pockets perfectly. It’s also built around an internal aluminum frame that comes out on the edges as side lines. This gives an extremely solid feeling to it. Despite its sleek form factor it still packs the same 1500 mAh battery as Xperia^TM neo so there shouldn’t be any compromise on battery life either. For me personally this could very well be the perfect form factor in a smartphone! Here’s a video showing some of the thoughts behind the design of Xperia^TM ray:







XperiaTM active

Xperia^TM active is also a different kind of smartphone compared to the earlier phones in the Xperia family. While it packs a full feature set of Android Gingerbread, a 3 inch 320×480 Reality Display with Mobile BRAVIA® engine and a 5MP camera with HD-video recording etc it also is dustproof and water resistant. The resistance to dust and water meets the standard of IP67 which is described like this:

“According to International Protection Rating. IP67 implies that when the phone is correctly mounted to maintain its dust and water resistant qualities, there is no ingress of dust (digit 6) and that ingress of water (digit 7) in harmful quantity shall not be possible if the device is dropped in fresh water under up to 1 m of submersion for a duration of maximum 30 minutes.”

You can find more information in the IP rating standard here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IP_rating
What this really means is that Xperia^TM active is the smartphone that you don’t have to be as careful with as previous ones. You can use it for an active live, out running in the rain etc without being worried that your phone will be damaged from it. If you’re not the active type there are of course also lots of other situations where a more resistant phone comes in handy, me being a lucky father of two little girls can definitely see a case for it besides exercising in the rain
The scratch resistant screen also uniquely incorporates wet finger tracking, to ensure the phone works perfectly when either the screen or your fingers are wet.
Besides that it also is a beautiful smartphone which really gives a feeling of sturdyness to it even though it has basically the same form factor as the previously announced Xperia^TM mini.
Remember, most of our phones, including Xperia^TM active, also features ANT+ which makes it possible for you to connect a compliant heart rate monitor directly to your phone to monitor your heart rate in lots of different exercise applications out there.
Here’s a video of Xperia^TM active:





We’re also announcing a new feature phone over in Singapore:

Sony Ericsson txt

The Sony Ericsson txt is a feature phone with features inspired by Xperia^TM at an affordable price. As a sister phone to the previously announced Sony Ericsson txt pro it gives you excellent support for messaging on the go with a full QWERTY keyboard and incorporates an SMS shortcut key for quick and easy messaging. It also comes with an embedded “friends” application that lets you instantly follow Facebook and twitter updates from your selected top five friends. It comes with Wi-Fi, a 2.6 inch screen and a 3.2 MP camera.
Last but not least my friends over at Extras haven’t been lazy either. We’re announcing two new Smart Extras that further build on extending the proposition of our Xperia^TM smartphones through accessories that enable new functionality.



LiveDock^TM
The first Smart Extra^TM out in Singapore is the LiveDock^TM multimedia station. It gives you the ability to seamlessly integrate your Xperia smartphone into your home. Simply connect your phone to the docking station and it will launch your specified application automatically for you. If you own more than one LiveDock^TM you can even set them to launch different applications, e.g. a world clock at your desk at work and perhaps a photo gallery for slideshows, kind of like a digital photo frame, at home.

LiveSound^TM
The LiveSound^TM hi-fi headset gives an excellent sound experience combined with a stylish tangle-free design. It also has LiveKey^TM control which gives you the possibility to access applications in your phone directly with a simple push of a button on your headset. As an example you can start your sports app by pressing the LiveKey^TM control. Pressa again during your workout to get information such as heart rate or distance covered. All this keeping your phone in your pocket. It’s built on a new generation of speaker drivers which combines a decrease in physical size with a breakthrough in audio quality. For me personally the new softer ear buds (that come in different sizes) gives a perfect fit and the flat tangle-free cord is a brilliant enhancement.

  Written by Rikard Skogberg

Introducing Sony Ericsson txt.

 22 June 2011

• Sony Ericsson txt integrates full QWERTY keyboard
• SMS shortcut key for faster messaging
• Friends application for greater social interaction

22 June 2011, Singapore – Sony Ericsson today unveils Sony Ericsson txt, an entertaining messaging phone. A sister phone to Sony Ericsson’s recently announced Sony Ericsson txt pro, Sony Ericsson txt has a full view QWERTY keyboard and a SMS shortcut key. The phone also features a “friends” application that enables users to see Facebook™ and Twitter™ updates at a glance from their top five friends.
Sony Ericsson txt is Wi-Fi™ enabled and comes equipped with a 3.2mp camera with video recording. The phone feels comfortable in the hand with a rounded back.
Quentin Cordier, Global Product Marketing Manager, Sony Ericsson said: “Sony Ericsson txt is the perfect phone for easy and fast messaging on the move. We wanted to give consumers that prefer a full view QWERTY keyboard an entry point into the world of Sony Ericsson.”
Sony Ericsson txt will be available globally in selected markets from Q3 2011.

Sony Ericsson txt at a glance.
*Please note that all services mentioned below may not be available in every market.
Colours

• White
• Black
• Pink
• Blue

Facts

• Size:  106 × 60 × 14.5 mm
• Weight: 95 grams

Camera

• 3.2mp camera
• Send to web
• Video recording
• Audio recording
• File container

Music

• Bluetooth™ stereo (A2DP)
• Media player
• Music tones (MP3/AAC)
• PlayNow™ service
• TrackID™ music recognition

Internet

• Web browser (Obigo™ Q7)

Communication

• Call list
• Conference calls
• Facebook™ application
• Friends application
• Polyphonic ringtones
• Speakerphone
• Twitter™ application
• Google Talk™
• Vibrating alert

Messaging

• Text messaging (SMS)
• Multimedia messaging (MMS)
• Instant messaging
• E-mail
• Conversations
• Google Mail™
• Predictive text input
• Sound recorder

Design

• Keyboard (QWERTY)
• Picture wallpaper

Entertainment

• Java™
• Radio (FM radio with RDS)
• Video viewing
• YouTube™

Organiser

• Alarm clock
• Calculator
• Calendar
• Flight mode
• Notes
• Stopwatch
• Timer
• E-Manual
• Phonebook
• Setup guide

Connectivity

• Bluetooth™ technology
• Micro USB support
• WLAN (Wi-Fi®)
• MediaGo™
• 3.5 mm audio jack
• USB mass storage
• USB High speed 2.0 support
• USB support

Display

• 2.6 inches
• 262,144 colour TFT
• 240 x 320 pixels
• Scratch-resistant

Memory

• Phone memory (user-free): Up to 100MB
• Memory card support: microSD™, up to 32GB

Battery life

• Talk time GSM/GPRS: Up to 3 hrs 12 min*
• Standby time GSM/GPRS: Up to 416 hrs*

• Music listening time: Up to 23 hrs
• Video playback time: Up to 5 hrs 15 min

• *According to GSM Association Battery Life Measurement Technique. Battery performance may vary depending on network conditions and configurations, and phone usage.

Networks

• GSM GPRS/EDGE 850, 900, 1800, 1900

In the kit

• Battery (1000 mAh)
• Charger
• Micro USB cable for charging, synchronisation and file transfer, and user documentation.

Source by: Sony Ericsson Press Room

Get fit with Sony Ericsson Xperia™ active

22 June 2011

• Dust proof and water resistant smartphone powered by Android™
• Scratch resistant multi touch screen with wet finger tracking
• All the applications for your active life, including on-screen heart rate monitoring through ANT+

22 June 2011, Singapore –Sony Ericsson today announced Xperia™ active, a compact smartphone targeting consumers with an active lifestyle, in conjunction with CommunicAsia 2011 in Singapore. With a 3” screen and running the latest Android platform for smartphones (Gingerbread 2.3), the phone packs Reality Display with Mobile BRAVIA® Engine, a 5mp camera with HD video functionality, and a powerful 1Ghz processor. Xperia™ active is dust proof and water resistant* and uniquely incorporates wet finger tracking, to ensure the phone works perfectly when either the screen or a user’s fingers are wet.
The phone comes pre-loaded with sports apps that enable consumers to easily track their fitness levels. Users can set their ideal training route using the built-in GPS, Barometer and Compass. On-screen heart rate and pulse can be monitored in realtime (enabled by ANT+ wireless networking technology), while the iMapMyFitness app can monitor day to day performance.  Additionally, Facebook inside Xperia™ allows consumers to share their progress and experiences with friends.
Fredrik Månsson, Global Product Marketing Manager, Sony Ericsson said: “Xperia™ active is the ultimate smartphone for an active life. Not only is it packed with all the features and applications consumers need for a worry free mobile life, it also comes with a set of accessories that make it fun and easy for them to take it everywhere, whatever their daily plans are.”
Maria Sharapova, a three time grand slam winning tennis player added: “I love this smartphone because it perfectly fits both my professional and personal needs.  It keeps me in touch with my friends as I travel the world on the pro tour and tracks my fitness both on and off the court.”
Extras included in the box to further build the consumer experience:

• One extra exchangeable soft touch back cover
• Detachable ear hooks for the portable handsfree active headset
• Wrist strap to keep the phone close at all times
• An arm case for use during a workout
• 2GB memory card to save all your special moments
• Micro USB cable for charging and computer data transfer

*Water resistant – the phone can be kept under 1m of water for 30 mins.
Sony Ericsson Xperia™ active will be available globally in selected markets from Q3 2011.

Sony Ericsson Xperia active at a glance.
*Please note that all services mentioned below may not be available in every market.
Colours

• Orange band with black back cover – white extra cover in the kit
• White band with black back cover – white extra cover in the kit

Facts

• Operating system: Google™ Android 2.3 (Gingerbread)
• Size: 55 x 92 x 16.5mm
• Weight: 110.8 grams

Camera

• 5 megapixel camera
• 8x digital zoom
• Auto focus
• Aperture f/2.6
• Face detection
• Face recognition
• Flash/Photo light
• Flash/LED
• Geo tagging
• HD video recording (720p)
• Image stabiliser
• Red-eye reduction
• Scene detection
• Self-timer
• Send to web
• Smile detection
• Touch capture
• Touch focus
• Video light
• Video recording

Music

• Album art
• Bluetooth™ stereo (A2DP)
• Media player
• Music tones (MP3/AAC)
• PlayNow™ service*
• Sony Ericsson Music Player
• TrackID™ music recognition*
• xLOUD™

Internet

• Android Market™*
• Bookmarks
• Google™ search
• Google Voice Search*
• NeoReader™ barcode scanner
• Pan & zoom
• Web browser (WebKit)

Communication

• Call list
• Conference calls
• Facebook™ application*
• Google Talk™
• Noise Shield
• Polyphonic ringtones
• Skype™**
• Sony Ericsson Timescape™
• Speakerphone
• Twitter™ (Timescape™ integration)*
• Vibrating alert

Messaging

• Conversations
• Email
• Google Mail™*
• Instant messaging
• Multimedia messaging (MMS)
• Predictive text input
• Sound recorder
• Text messaging (SMS)

Design

• Auto rotation
• Four-corner Home screen
• Keyboard (on-screen, 12 key)
• Picture wallpaper
• Reality Display with Mobile BRAVIA® Engine
• Touch screen
• Live wallpaper
• Dust and water resistant
• Wet finger tracking

Entertainment

• 3D games
• Health mate
• Media browser
• Motion gaming
• Radio (FM radio with RDS)
• Radio (FM)
• Video streaming
• Video viewing
• Walk Mate
• YouTube™*

Organiser

• Alarm clock
• Calculator
• Calendar
• Document readers
• eCompass™
• E-Manual
• Flight mode
• Google Calendar™
• Google Gallery 3D™*
• Infinite button
• iMapMyFitness
• Phonebook
• Setup guide
• Stopwatch**
• Tasks**
• Timer**
• Torch functionality
• Widget manager

Connectivity

• 3.5 mm audio jack
• aGPS*
• Bluetooth™ technology
• DLNA™ Certified
• Google Latitude™*
• Google Maps™ for Mobile
• Google Maps™ with Street View*
• Media Transfer Protocol support
• Micro USB support
• Modem
• Native USB tethering
• Pressure sensor***
• Synchronisation via Facebook™*
• Synchronisation via Google Sync™*
• Synchronisation via Sony Ericsson Sync
• Synchronisation with computer
• Synchronisation via Microsoft® Exchange ActiveSync®
• USB mass storage
• USB High speed 2.0 support
• USB support
• Wi-Fi®
• Wi-Fi® Hotspot functionality
• Wisepilot™ turn-by-turn navigation*

Display

• Reality Display with Mobile BRAVIA® Engine
• 16,777,216 colour TFT
• Capacitive touchscreen (multi-touch) with wet finger tracking
• 3 inches
• 320 x 480 pixels
• Scratch-resistant mineral glass

Memory

• Phone memory (user-free): Up to 320MB
• Memory card support: microSD™, up to 32GB
• Memory card included: 2GB microSD™

Battery life

• Talk time GSM/GPRS: Up to 4 hrs 53 min*
• Standby time GSM/GPRS: Up to 351 hrs*

• Talk time UMTS: Up to 5 hrs 31 min*
• Standby time UMTS: Up to 335 hrs*

• Music listening time: Up to 25 hrs
• Video playback time: Up to 8 hrs 30 min

• *According to GSM Association Battery Life Measurement Technique. Battery performance may vary depending on network conditions and configurations, and phone usage.

Networks

• UMTS HSPA 900, 2100
• GSM GPRS/EDGE 850, 900, 1800, 1900

• UMTS HSPA 800, 1900, 2100
• GSM GPRS/EDGE 850, 900, 1800, 1900

In the kit

• Xperia™ active
• 1200mah removable battery
• Sport stereo headset
• Arm case
• Wrist strap
• 2GB microsd™ memory card
• Exchangeable cover
• Charger
• Micro USB cable for charging
• Synchronisation and file transfer, and user documentation

* This service is not available in all markets.
** This feature is not pre-installed.
*** Enhance your GPS navigation by for example measuring the height levels or to be used as barometer to provide you your local weather forecast.

Source by: Sony Ericsson Press Room

Sony Ericsson stunt with Xperia™ ray

22 June 2011

• Sleek, beautiful smartphone with stylish aluminium frame
• Reality Display with Mobile BRAVIA® Engine with 8.1mp camera and Exmor R™ for mobile
• Latest Android platform for smartphones (Gingerbread 2.3) with Facebook inside Xperia™

22 June 2011, Singapore – Sony Ericsson today announced Xperia™ ray – a stunning new smartphone alongside CommunicAsia 2011 in Singapore. With a 3.3” screen and running the latest Android platform for smartphones (Gingerbread 2.3), the phone packs in a powerful 1Ghz processor, Reality Display with Mobile BRAVIA® Engine, a 8.1mp camera with Exmor R™ for mobile and HD video functionality. At only 9.4mm thin, Xperia™ ray incorporates market leading design for which Sony Ericsson has become known.
To add to a full set of specifications, the phone incorporates a front facing camera and a scratch resistant screen with excellent resolution and brightness and integrated touch keys.  Sony Ericsson’s unique integration of Facebook inside Xperia™  delivers a unique consumer experience for greater social interaction. In combination with the Google services, as well as access to over 200,000 Apps via the Android Market™, it provides a solid and entertaining smartphone foundation.
Daniel Sandblom, Global Product Marketing Manager, Sony Ericsson said: “We expect Xperia™ ray to appeal to consumers who are looking for a combination of beautiful design and a rich feature set. We are able to uniquely deliver this with a combination of premium materials and multimedia features provided by Sony.”
Sony Ericsson Xperia™ ray will be available globally in selected markets, including Japan, from Q3 2011.

Sony Ericsson Xperia™ ray at a glance.
*Please note that all services mentioned below may not be available in every market.
Colours

• Black
• Gold
• White
• Pink

Facts

• Operating system: Google™ Android 2.3 (Gingerbread)
• Size:  111 x 53 x 9.4mm
• Weight: 100 grams

Camera

• 8.1mp camera
• 16x digital zoom
• Aperture f/2.4
• Auto focus
• Face detection
• Face recognition
• Photo light
• Front-facing camera (VGA)
• Geo tagging
• HD video recording (720p)
• Image stabiliser
• Scene detection
• Self-timer
• Send to web
• Smile detection
• Sony Exmor R™ CMOS sensor
• Touch capture
• Touch focus
• Video light
• Video recording
• Video stabiliser

Music

• Album art
• Bluetooth™ stereo (A2DP)
• Music tones (MP3/AAC)
• PlayNow™ service
• SensMe™
• Sony Ericsson Music Player
• TrackID™ music recognition application
• xLOUD™ Experience

Internet

• Android Market™
• Bookmarks
• Google™ search
• Google Voice Search
• NeoReader™ barcode scanner
• Pan & zoom
• Web browser (WebKit)

Communication

• Call list
• Conference calls
• Facebook™ application
• Google Talk™
• Noise Shield
• Polyphonic ringtones
• Sony Ericsson Timescape™
• Speakerphone
• Twitter™ (Timescape™ integration)
• Vibrating alert
• Video chat ready

Messaging

• Conversations
• Email
• Google Mail™
• Instant messaging
• Picture messaging (MMS)
• Predictive text input
• Text messaging (SMS)

Design

• Auto rotate
• Keyboard (on-screen, 12 key)
• Keyboard (on-screen, QWERTY)
• Picture wallpaper
• Reality display with Sony Mobile
• BRAVIA® Engine
• Touch screen
• Wallpaper animation

Entertainment

• 3D games
• Media browser
• Motion gaming
• Radio (FM radio with RDS)
• Video streaming
• YouTube™

Organiser

• Alarm clock
• Calculator
• Calendar
• Document editors
• Document readers
• E-Manual
• Flight mode
• Google Calendar™
• Google Gallery 3D™
• Infinite button
• Phone book
• Setup Wizard
• Widget manager

Connectivity

• 3.5 mm audio jack
• aGPS
• Bluetooth™ technology
• DLNA Certified™
• Google Latitude™
• Google Maps™ with Street View
• Media Transfer Protocol support
• Micro USB support
• Modem
• Native USB tethering
• Synchronisation via Facebook™
• Synchronisation via Google™ Sync
• Synchronisation via Sony Ericsson Sync
• Synchronisation with computer
• Synchronisation via Exchange ActiveSync®
• USB High speed 2.0 support
• USB mass storage
• Wi-Fi®
• Wi-Fi® Hotspot functionality
• Wisepilot™ turn-by-turn navigation

Display

• Reality Display with Mobile BRAVIA® Engine
• 16,777,216 colour TFT
• Capacitive touchscreen (multi-touch)
• 3.3 inches
• 854 x 480 pixels
• Scratch-resistant mineral glass

Memory

• Phone memory (user-free): Up to 300MB
• Memory card support: microSD™, up to 32GB
• Memory card included: 4GB microSD™

Battery life

• Talk time GSM/GPRS: Up to 6 hrs 50 min*
• Standby time GSM/GPRS: Up to 430 hrs*

• Talk time UMTS: Up to 7 hrs*
• Standby time UMTS: Up to 440 hrs*

• Music listening time: Up to 36 hrs
• Video playback time: Up to 6 hrs 45 min

• *According to GSM Association Battery Life Measurement Technique. Battery performance may vary depending on network conditions and configurations, and phone usage.

Networks

• UMTS HSPA 900, 2100
• GSM GPRS/EDGE 850, 900, 1800, 1900

• UMTS HSPA 850, 1900, 2100
• GSM GPRS/EDGE 850, 900, 1800, 1900

In the kit

• 1500mAh battery,
• Stereo portable handsfree
• 4GB microSD™ memory card
• Charger
• Micro USB cable for charging
• Synchronisation and file transfer
• User documentation
• (LiveSound™ in selected markets)

Smart Extras™ appropriate for Xperia™ ray:

• LiveSound™: Available as part of the package with Xperia™ ray in selected markets, this provides consumers with the best possible audio experience combined with a stylish, tangle-free design. The headphones also allow consumers to remotely access applications from the phone through LiveKey™ control, which gives consumers direct access to their applications with a simple push of a button.
• LiveDock™ gives consumers the ability to seamlessly integrate their Sony Ericsson smartphone into their home. By simply connecting their smartphone to the docking station, consumers will be able to easily launch applications from the Android Market™ and charge their phones at the same time.

Source by: Sony Ericsson Perss Room

Sony Ericsson announces Xperia ray, Xperia active and Sony Ericsson txt

Sony Ericsson used its time in CommunicAsia 2011 today to unveil three new phones - two in the Xperia smartphone line, and one messaging featurephone with a portrait physical QWERTY. The company is not participating per se, with a booth and everything, but it got around a quickie press conference to unveil this three new additions to its cell phone portfolio.

First in line was the Sony Ericsson Xperia ray, which previously had leaked under various monikers, like ST18i, Urushi and Azusa. This one has a whiff of the Xperia arc, since it is pretty thin, at 0.37" (9.4mm), and very light at 3.53oz (100g), and also sports the same 8MP Exmor R camera sensor and LED flash with a 1GHz Qualcomm chipset.

The Xperia ray brings the screen down to 3.3", though, with the pretty good for this size 480x854 pixels of resolution and Mobile Bravia Engine shenanigans. The phone is running the latest Android 2.3 Gingerbread and will be available in select locations in Q3 of this year in black, gold, white and pink. Good thing is that it also sports a front-facing camera, unlike the arc, and it comes with a 4GB microSD card in the box.

  Sony Ericsson Xperia ray

The second smartphone piqued our interest, though - it is called the Sony Ericsson Xperia active, and, as the name suggests, is targeting the outdoorsman in you. It's a 3-incher, with 320x480 pixels of resolution and scratch-resistant display (aren't they all) that is allegedly able to accurately track your fingers even when wet. This hints at the biggest added value of the Xperia active - it is waterproof up to three feet (1m) for up to 30 minutes. See a video of some brave Russians dunking a prototype Xperia active in a fishbowl to prove it (Russia is obviously one of the target markets):



To complement the water- and dustproof sealing, the company throws in a couple of extra sensors like compass and barometer, as well as apps like iMapMyFitness, Personal Trainer, Pulse Watch and Pedometer plus "torch functionality". The cool thing is that а 5MP camera capable of HD video with LED light found its way in the waterproof housing as well, so the Xperia active will capture those 720p videos under water you've always missed on the Motorola DEFY. This one also comes with Gingerbread and will be outed in Q3, with white or orange band, and black battery cover. There is a replacement soft-touch white battery cover in the box, 2GB microSD card, and it also comes with a wristband and arm case for all the joggers out there.

     Sony Ericsson Xperia active

And the last one standing is the Sony Ericsson txt, which will also come in Q3 of this year. It is a messaging-oriented featurephone, with 2.6" display and a physical portrait QWERTY keyboard, plus dedicated text messaging key, and social networking integration with Facebook and Twitter galore. Extrapolating from its recently announced slide-out QWERTY brother, the Sony Ericsson txt pro, it sports a 3.2MP camera on the back without an adjacent flash. The Sony Ericsson txt will be available in white, black, pink and that electric blue you are seeing in the picture below.

                                                               Sony Ericsson txt

There are no price details on these three new phones from Sony Ericsson, and no mention exactly which markets will see them, but we will keep our eyes peeled.

Thanks, Philip!
Source by: SonyEricsson and IT168 (requires login)

Sony Ericsson selects NXP’s NFC Solution for its Android-based Xperia Smartphones

NFC enables mobile entertainment experiences

Today NXP Semiconductors N.V. (NASDAQ: NXPI) announced that its world leading near field communication (NFC) technology has been selected by Sony Ericsson for inclusion in its Android-based smartphones. Sony Ericsson, a leading, global mobile handset manufacturer focused on communications and entertainment, will use NFC to further enhance its consumers’ mobile experiences, creating a portfolio of smartphones that enable mobile transactions. Using simple touch gestures, consumers will be able to make purchases or connect to a point of sale (POS) terminal, ticketing terminal or location-based promotional tag simply and securely with their NFC-enabled smartphones.

NXP provides complete embedded, secure NFC solutions and recently announced that its NFC software is open source on the Android platform and enables the Google Wallet application. Sony Ericsson intends to use the NXP PN65 NFC solution in their Android-based smartphones, which includes the NFC radio controller, the embedded secure element and NFC software. The embedded secure element enables NFC to be used for mobile transactions. Building on NXP’s extensive background in secure identification, the PN65 uses advanced cryptography to offer the highest level of security for transactions, with the technology already being extensively used in contactless banking cards, e-passports, e-ID cards and secure access systems.

“Building on Sony Ericsson’s leadership in Android and mobile gaming, the integration of near field communication into our Android-based Xperia™ portfolio is another step in delivering the most entertaining smartphones,” said Jan Uddenfeldt, Chief Technology Officer at Sony Ericsson. “NFC offers our consumers the ability to broaden their communication experience beyond the phone, and we are poised to drive the development of new, exciting and creative entertainment experiences.”

“This latest move from Sony Ericsson is another proof point of the strong momentum and potential of NFC,” said Rick Clemmer, president and CEO, NXP Semiconductors. “Based on continued strong customer endorsements we have the opportunity to increase the sales of our NFC products 2-4 times as a percentage of total NXP revenue in the second half of 2011 from the approximately one percent it represents today. NFC offers a game-changing opportunity for mobile phone manufacturers to provide creative and innovative smartphones to their customers.”

NFC is a market proven technology co-invented by NXP in 2002. In 2004 NXP co-founded the NFC Forum to lead the collaboration with all industry stakeholders and help standardize the technology. NFC technology evolved from a combination of contactless identification (RFID) and interconnection technologies. Ranked as the number one contactless IC vendor by ABI Research for three years in a row, NXP is the global leader in NFC solutions, field proven in over 150 NFC trials and landmark commercial deployments worldwide.

Update on Gingerbread for Xperia™ X10i fall on August 2011

June 20th, 2011
Back in March we announced that we are working on a Gingerbread update for Xperia^TM X10. Our developers have been working hard on this and the work has progressed well. Development and testing is still ongoing and the current plan is start the roll-out in the beginning of August.

For more information on what to expect from this update please re-visit the original post from back in March, most of it is still valid:

A few things have changed since then.

First of all – we’ve seen your feedback about losing some of the camera features of the original Xperia^TM X10. Our developers have been working on it and I can now confirm that also the Gingerbread version of the X10 software will keep the original camera UI as in the Éclair version. I can also confirm that the new Facebook inside Xperia^TM functionality introduced in the 2011 Xperia^TM products will also be in the Xperia^TM X10. More info on what it is and what it does at: http://www.sonyericsson.com/cws/products/services/facebook-inside/overview?cc=gb&lc=en.

As said in March most of the 2011 Xperia^TM software functionality from e.g. Xperia^TM arc will be included. The UI with the desktop layout and pinch-to-overview gesture will be similar and Gingerbread features like Wi-Fi & USB tethering, App storage on SD-card etc are included. Also the customizable horizontal app tray and the media experience widgets from the 2011 Xperia^TM Products are in, including an integrated equalizer in the music player. Of course also apps that require Android versions 2.2 or 2.3 will now be possible to download from Android Market, e.g. Adobe flash.

One difference compared to the 2011 products is that DLNA will not be included. Extra type approvals were needed for that and we were unable to prioritize that without jeopardizing the time schedule. There are both server and client alternatives downloadable from Android market though.

For Xperia^TM X10 mini, mini pro and X8 there are as communicated earlier no plans to update beyond the current Éclair version. There are two mains reasons for this: The Xperia^TM X10 mini, X10 mini pro and X8 all have less RAM memory than Xperia^TM X10. By this we can’t guarantee a good user experience by upgrading beyond Android 2.1. The upgrade of Xperia^TM X10 also was made possible due to that we had a code base that mostly could be reused. For the mini’s, who have a different user interface, this possibility did not exist.

With regards to the roll-out plan, as said back in March, this will first and foremost be made available to generic trade kits. Even if there will be some operator kits getting this upgrade, as said before – some of you will not be able to upgrade your customized version of Xperia^TM X10.

I’ve recorded the hands-on video below to give you a view of what it looks like. Let me know in the comments section if there are follow-up questions or certain use cases you want me to go through!



Written by Rikard Skogberg.

Panorama Shot's from Xperia X10i.

Last week we brought you news of a new Panorama app that Sony Ericsson has released for the Xperia X10. It seems to be a very smart app and a very easy way to capture panorama shots without the traditional method of ‘stitching’ your pictures together.


One of our readers, Pat, got in touch to share some of the impressive samples he has taken in and around Sydney. Some of the shots have some banding issues and the ones in well lit conditions come out best. However, they are all well worth checking out on his blog, What are your impressions of the app? Have you managed to get decent results?

Panorama Shot's from Xperia X10 

Ok well as I sort of said in the last 2 post's Sony Ericsson has come out with a beta app for Panorama shots. The app allows you to create an easy panoramic picture by selecting a direction, pressing the capture button and then panning the camera to shoot the photo. This is a ‘Sony Ericsson Beta’ app so it is still work in progress, however from my play time it is very good and well worth downloading. However, if you want to give it a try you can always download the apk here. From what I know it's only available for the Xperia X10.

But I have a few shot's from my travels today.

This first shot, is at Sydney Flemington Markets, it's just a great place to experience. All the fresh food, and unusual fruit and veg. All the different nationalities, and the amount of non-English speaking people selling their produce. They certainly know their money :P As for the shot it's self, it isn't perfect, and it was pretty dark at the time it was taken, despite the lights. It was taken around 5.00am before the sun even showed signs of showing. I found the app worked a lot better during brighter conditions.

This next shot, was in well lit conditions, and for whatever reason banding occurred, but I still really like this shot. It has a kinda old feel to it. The shot is taken in Haberfield, along Ramsay Street, just down from Pasticceria Papa one of the best shops when you want a treat. Tho I was heading down to Colefax Chocolates.   :)

The next few shot's are just in my Aunty's Backyard, and were probably the best shot's of the day.

Overall I found the app really easy to use, tho It's not as great as the IPhone app's I have seen that do panorama shot's.

Tomorrow night I plan on writing up on my new identity, it's still been developed, but I'm pretty sure my logo will be finalised by then...still doing some minor tweaks  :)

That's it from me for now

Pat  :)


Graphic Design By Pat.