Sony Ericsson has announced a new sporty Walkman phone running Android.    Called the Sony Ericsson Live, this is a refreshed WT18i that focuses heavily on music and social networking integration.

Sporting a funky curved design that's definitely less-generic than your average Android slab, the handset measures 56.5 x 106 x 14.2 mm and weighs 115 grams.  The Walkman branding doesn't seem to be as loud as with phones in the line, though, as there's none of that liquid W logo anywhere on the front panel.  Do expect it heavily in the UI, though.

Details of the Sony Ericsson Live include a 3.2-inch scratch-resistant touchscreen 480 x 320 resolution), a 5.0 megapixel camera module (with LED flash and 720p recording), a front-facing VGA camera, aGPS, WiFi, 3G with HSPA, Bluetooth, stereo speakers, a 3.5mm audio slot and microSD card expansion.  Processing will be handled by a 1GHz chip, with the 1,200 mAh battery claiming up to almost 7 hours of talk time.

As with every Walkman handset, there's an emphasis on music-centric features here, including xLOUD (Sony's digital enhancement for speaker output), TrackID, Infinite button (jumps to a music-focused content app), Media Discovery app and access to Qriocity.  The Gingerbread-running phone also boasts "deep Facebook integration," providing access to the social site from many areas of the interface.

While this is far from the most exciting Android release in the last few months, the Sony Ericsson Live should provide an interesting option to younger users who spend most of their time listening to music and fiddling with Facebook.  No pricing yet, but it's slated to roll out sometime in the fourth quarter.

[Sony Ericsson]



Get ready for a new gaggle of Sony Ericsson phones, as they just announced a threesome over at the Communicasia show in Singapore.  These phones consist of: the Sony Ericsson Xperia Ray, the the Sony Ericsson Xperia Active And the Sony Ericsson Txt.

Sony Ericsson Xperia Ray

The more premium of the trio, the Xperia Ray takes on a slate form factor that measures a mere 9.4mm in thickness and weighs 100 g.  Details include a 1GHz processor, a 3.3-inch Bravia capacitive touchscreen (854 x 480 resolution), an 8.1 megapixel camera module (with an Exmor R backlit sensor), a front-facing videocam, aGPS, WiFi, Bluetooth, 3G with HSPA,  300MB of user-available storage and microSD card expansion.  It will be available in four colors (black, gold, pink and red) globally beginning in the third quarter.  No pricing has been given.

Sony Ericsson Xperia Active

The sporty number of the bunch, the Xperia Active brings a funky design and plenty of rugged talents.  Designed for use during physical activity, it comes with a built-in hook slot on the corner, so you can hang it on a neck band or the side of your mountaineering backpack.  The case is dust-proof and water-resistant up to one meter, while the screen can brush off scratches and even respond to wet fingers.

Details include a 1GHz Snapdragon processor, a 3-inch capacitive touchscreen (480 x 320 resolution), a 5.0 megapixel camera (with LED flash), aGPS, WiFi, Bluetooth, 3G with HSPA, DLNA and microSD card expansion.  No pricing, but launch is expected in the third quarter as well.

Sony Ericsson Txt

The lowly feature phone of the trio, the Txt sports a QWERTY candybar form factor, along with a blindingly bright finish.  Details are scarce, but it will have a 2.6-inch LCD and a Friends app that aggregates your social network updates.  Like the other two, it will be available in the third quarter.

[Sony Ericsson]

Granted, that's one ugly promotional photo.  But the pictured handset, the Sony Ericsson Xperia Duo, does look sweet.

Taken by a user from China, the picture depicts the unofficial smartphone right next to the smaller Xperia Arc.  Given that the Arc is actually quite a big phone in its own right, people are expecting the Xperia Duo's screen to be around 4.5 inches.  Yep, them mobile phone screens are definitely getting bigger.

So far, there haven’t been any leaked specs on the Sony Ericsson Xperia Duo.  Well, other than the fact that it's going to be the first dual-core smartphone in the line.  Hopefully, the rest of the hardware gets the premium treatment as well (most likely, since SE does good, solid hardware).

With promo materials being printed, it's very likely that the Sony Ericsson Xperia Duo will be announced soon.  Here's to hoping it comes with stock Android 2.3 on board (probably too much to wish for, though).

[Source]

Sony just announced the first Walkman-branded Android smartphone in their roster.  Called the Sony Ericsson W8, it bears plenty of similarities to the Sony Ericsson X8, except with more color and the Walkman logo slapped on it.

A low- to mid-range smartphone, the new device is a compact handset (3.9 × 2.1 × 0.6 inches) with moderate specs.  A 600Mhz processor runs the action, paired with 168MB of RAM, so don't expect blazing fast performance (it should be serviceable for the target market, though).

Details of the Sony Ericsson W8 include a 3.0 inch capacitive touchscreen (480 x 320 resolution), a 3.2 megapixel camera module, aGPS, WIFi, stereo Bluetooth, 3G with HSPA, FM radio, a paltry 128MB of onboard storage and microSD card expansion (up to 16GB).  Since it's a Walkman phone, it bundles the company's MH410 stereo headset.

Android 2.1 Éclair is the OS of choice, with Timescape UI running on top.  All the usual Google apps are thrown in, along with the Walkman line's various music-centric features and services.

Pricing for the Sony Ericsson W8 has not been announced, although availability for various Asian markets is slated for the second quarter.  It will come in three color choices: azure blue, metallic red, and iconic orange.

[Sony Ericsson]

Techradar just previewed the Sony Ericsson Xperia Neo, the believed-to-be successor of the rather underwhelming Sony Ericsson Vivaz.  Expected to be announced at MWC 2011, it sounds like another solid effort on the hardware end for the company.

Most notable appearance-wise is the design, which is practically a copy of the Vivaz.  While I'm not particularly fond of it, we guess the company saw plenty of merits in the original form factor,  deciding to give it a fresh start.

Details of the Xperia Neo include a 4-inch Reality Display with 854 x 480 resolution (Sony Ericsson's next-gen screen), an 8.1 megapixel camera module (with LED flash and 720p video), a front-facing webcam (either 1.3 or 2.0 megapixels), a 3.5mm headset jack and an HDMI port.  Core hardware consists of a 1GHz Qualcomm processor (the latest gen), an Adreno 205 GPU and 512MB RAM.

As with Sony Ericsson's new efforts, the Vivaz reboot will drop Symbian OS in favor of Android.  According to rumors, it will ship with Android 2.3 Gingerbread -- the latest and greatest smartphone version of Google's mobile OS.

Expect the Sony Ericsson Xperia Neo to be one of the devices showcased by the company at their MWC 2011 booth, where it will likely share table space with the likes of the Xperia Arc and the much-anticipated Xperia Play (aka Playstation Phone).

[via Techradar]

Sony Ericsson just announced their newest Android smartphone.  Called the Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc, the handset packs some serious camera and multimedia features inside its slim, curvy frame.

By curvy, we're talking about a pronounced concave-curve at the rear of the phone that gives it a decidedly elegant feel, apart from making the body look slimmer (8.7mm around the middle) than it actually is.  Frankly, we're loving the design -- it's a nice break from the barely identifiable form factors many of today's smartphones come with.

Details of the Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc include a 4.2-inch capacitive touchscreen (854 x 480 resolution), an 8.1 megapixel camera module (with 720p video recording), aGPS, WiFi, 3G with HSPA, Bluetooth, DLNA, an FM tuner and microSD card expansion (up to 32GB).  Action is controlled by a 1GHz Qualcomm CPU, housed inside the 125 x 63 x 8.7 mm frame.  It runs Android 2.3 Gingerbread, the latest iteration of Google's mobile platform.

The camera sounds sweet -- a wide maximum aperture of ƒ2.4, paired with the Exmor R sensor, which is the same setup included in some of Sony's dedicated digicams.  They're also making a big deal of the Mobile BRAVIA Engine that come with the handset, which we're guessing is a software layer for enhancing multimedia viewing on the phone's display.

If you're looking for an Android smartphone with some serious photography talents, the Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc might just be what you've been waiting for.  It will launch across different markets during the first quarter in two colors: midnight blue and misty silver.  No word on pricing.

[Sony Ericsson]

By now, you've probably heard about the PlayStation Phone from other sites, particularly the scoop broken by Engadget (where they claim the product has been confirmed through multiple, trusted sources, including people close to the project).  While some might still argue for its mythical status, it's likely that there are some real truths about the upcoming smartphone and gaming machine combo.

Here are what's known (though unverified by Sony Ericsson) so far:

1. That picture is of a testing prototype, running an early version of the software the device will use.
2. It looks like a PSP Go and is codenamed "Zeus," with a slide-up landscape orientation that reveals the controls hidden right under.
3. It runs Android 2.X (although, the general consensus is that it will likely ship with 3.0).
4. The gaming controls feature direction buttons on the left, four control buttons on the right and even the standard Select and Start buttons.
5. The outer frame shares some similarities with the Xperia X10.
6. Google is collaborating closely with Sony for the product.
7. Expected specs include a 1GHz Qualcomm processor, 512MB of RAM, 1GB of ROM and a microSD card slot.

Obviously, this story is just starting.  Suffice to say, though, the photo makes a strong case for the actual existence of a PSP Phone, which is a logical next move for Sony's handheld gaming platform.  If it does come to market with the ability to run both Android and PSP games, this could prove a strong and resounding entry back into the competitive smartphone market that Sony Ericsson has been struggling at.

[via Engadget]



Personally, I don't understand why anyone would want a remote control for their already small Android smartphone.  In case you do, however, you might find the Sony Ericsson LiveView of great interest.

Clad in a small frame similar to a digital watch case or one of those new iPod Nanos, it can be clipped to your clothes, attached to a keychain or slipped into a wrist strap like a timepiece.  Dimensions are 3.5 cm on all four sides and 1.1 cm thick.

Details of the Sony Ericsson LiveView include a 1.3-inch OLED screen (128 x 128 resolution), Bluetooth 2.0, a microUSB connector and onboard battery rated at four days of usage.  It's compatible with most smartphones running Android 2.0 or higher.

According to the press release, the device can display incoming texts, new RSS feeds, incoming calls, missed calls, Facebook updates, Twitter updates, calendar reminders and more.  You can also use it to control your phone's music player, as well as make your handset generate sounds when trying to find it.

It comes with support for apps, allowing you to extend its uses even further.  Sony Ericsson will launch a LiveWare Manager app that will pick out LiveView-enabled titles from the Android Market and present them in an interface all its own.

The Sony Ericsson LiveView will come in one color (black) and will debut beginning in the fourth quarter.  It will be sold both as an individual gadget and as part of “Sony Ericsson Experience Packs,” which will bundle it with Sony Ericsson Xperia X10, Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 Mini and Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 Mini PR phones, all of which will be upgraded to Android 2.1 by the time of release.  Pricing information isn't available at this time.

[Press release]

Sony Ericsson announced its first TD-SCDMA smartphone, specifically directed at the Chinese market.  Called the Sony Ericsson A8i, the handset will be running China Mobile's Open Mobile System 2.0, a proprietary platform based on Android.

A quick look at the handset reveals a design aesthetic that's similar to what the company has done with both the Xperia X10 and X8.  It sports 117 x 59 x 14 mm dimensions and weighs 136 grams.

Details of the Sony Ericsson A8i include a 3.5-inch touchscreen display (854 x 480 resolution), a 5.0 megapixel camera, aGPS, 3G, WiFi, stereo Bluetooth, a 3.5mm jack, microSD card expansion (up to 32GB).  Battery is rated at 5 hours of talk time, with 260 hours of standby.

We haven't played with OMS 2.0 first hand, so we're not sure what it's all about.  From the sound of it, though, it inherits most of Android's messaging and overall smartphone capabilities, sans the bundled Google suite of apps.  Since it's a Sony Ericsson device, it comes with their usual set of multimedia software, paired with China Mobile's custom offerings.  There's also CNMB mobile TV on board.

The Sony Ericsson A8i is strictly for release in China.  It will be available in two colors (black and white) sometime in the fourth quarter.

[Sony Ericsson]

Sony Ericsson just announced a number of new phones.  There's the new Xperia X8, a proud Walkman number in the Yendo and a new eco-friendly Greenheart in the Cedar.

Heavily-rumored for a while now, the Sony Ericsson Xperia X8 has finally gotten an official stamp.  Features include a 3-inch touchscreen display (320 x 480 resolution), a 3.2 megapixel camera module, aGPS, WiFi, 3G with HSPA, stereo Bluetooth and microSD card expansion (with a 2GB unit included in the package).

A 600Mhz CPU powers the smartphone, which runs Android (either 1.6 or 2.1, depending on the market) with a four-corner UI (similar to the X10 Mini) and the Timescape feature.  The handset launches in the third quarter of the year in five different colors - white, dark blue, aqua blue, pink and silver.

Next up is the Sony Ericsson Yendo Walkman, an entry-level touchscreen feature phone.  Aside from the obvious music-centric pedigree, it brings a 2.6-inch touchscreen display (240 x 320 resolution), a 2.0 megapixel camera module, stereo Bluetooth, an FM tuner and microSD card expansion.  Naturally, it has Walkman player software on board, but adds social networking capabilities (Facebook, Twitter, Orkut) and a touch version of the standard Walkman UI.   The device will launch in the third quarter of the year, available in a laundry list of colors.

The last phone, the Sony Ericsson Cedar, is part of the eco-friendly GreenHeart line.  Like its brethren, it features recycled materials in its construction, along with a number of green apps on board.  Details include  a 2.2-inch display, a 2.0 megapixel camera module, 3G, social networking integration and a 3.5mm headset jack.  Release is slated for the third quarter, as well.

[Press Release]