So we’ve just seen the US-only Xperia Ion revealed at CES, now it’s time for something for us. The Sony Xperia S is a 4.3″ model with a BRAVIA Engine Reality Display running at 720×1280 resolution, with the pixels pushed about the place by a dual-core MSM8260 processor running at 1.5GHz.
There’s a 12megapixel Exmor R camera inside the Xperia S just like there is within the Xperia Ion, with a similar 1.3MP front-facing chat camera, while it’s also PlayStation Certified for gaming, has 32GB of onboard storage and includes NFC support. And here it is…
…which you may recognise as the phone we’ve seen many times before and the internet used to call the Xperia Arc HD. But it’s not that. It’s the Sony Xperia S. Officially. It’ll launch at the back end of Q1 2012, so ought to beat the new 2012 Samsung and HTC models to market.
Here’s the full press release, which confirms the “first quarter 2012″ launch window, also stating the Xperia S will arrive with Android 2.3 onboard – with an update to Android 4.0 planned for Q2. The full spec sheet is available on the official Xperia S site.
First smartphone from the new Xperia NXT series – next generation smartphones from Sony
Xperia™ S, the first smartphone from the new Xperia NXT series – next generation smartphones from Sony*, was today announced at Sony’s press conference ahead of the 2012 International CES show in Las Vegas. The new Xperia S is an Android™ smartphone that delivers a stunning viewing experience with a high resolution screen, Sony HD experiences and a 12MP camera that takes pictures in just 1.5 seconds from standby. Xperia S also comes with a powerful 1.5GHz dual-core processor for faster performance.
Xperia S within the world of Sony
The new Xperia S enables easy connectivity with multiple screens for consumers looking to share and enjoy content on whichever screen best suits their situation, whether it’s TV, smartphone, laptop or tablet. Consumers can watch their favourite content from the Sony Entertainment Network by connecting their Xperia S through HMDI to TV or share photos wirelessly with just one touch. Xperia S is also NFC (near field communication) enabled to allow consumers to share content with each other as well as enjoying an increasing number of NFC applications and services.
Biggest and best entertainment experiences from Sony
Xperia S will be able to access the richest entertainment experiences from Sony Entertainment Network**. Music Unlimited offers a global catalogue of 12 million unique songs while Video Unlimited has the latest Hollywood blockbusters and TV shows from all major studios***.
Xperia S is also PlayStation™ Certified, guaranteeing a high quality smartphone gaming experience and access to the PlayStation® Store****.
Instantly Recognizable Design
Xperia S showcases a new design approach referred to as “Iconic Identity”. The design will be replicated across the Xperia NXT series and creates a simple strong look that is instantly recognizable. The transparent element at the base creates an iconic silhouette where the display is emphasized and underlined. In addition, it provides illumination effects and integrates the antenna components.
The user interface has been redesigned to match the minimalistic design of the hardware. The home screen has a new colorful flow background making full usage of HD Reality Display and dual-core processing power.
Availability
Xperia S will be available to consumers globally from the first quarter 2012. Launching on Android platform 2.3 (Gingerbread) Xperia S will be upgraded to Android platform 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) during the second quarter 2012.
It’s smooth to use, the 1080p display is sharp, clear and bright, the device is extremely light and thin and therefore very pocketable and portable — much more so than other 5-inch phones we’ve used. And yet… we’re a bit unimpressed by the overall package…
A relatively high-spec smartphone, with a 4.5″ display running at 480 x 854 resolution and powered by a 1.2GHz dual-core processor, plus the Ascend G510 arrives running Android 4.1.1 — albeit potentially hindered by Huawei only sticking 512MB of RAM inside it..
The Panasonic Eluga marks the company’s return to the European mobile phone scene years after several years of absence, and it’s come back to us with a moderately high-spec Android model that features a rather stylish, slim case.
Sony returns with an all-new mobile design for 2012, pairing a dual-core processor with a 720p display. It’s a lovely phone, but is it enough to end our Samsung and HTC obsession?
LG’s updated Prada phone comes with an absolutely crazy black & white theme, but is it just for fashionable suit wearers who want to make themselves look a bit more interesting?
MarkG
/ January 9, 2012Very Nice Indeed.
Adrian68
/ January 10, 2012It looks very nice, but I suspect some people, myself included will be waiting to see (either at CES or later on) what Samsung will be replacing the SGS II as their flagship phone, also what HTC can come with too
Gary_C
/ January 10, 2012I want something like that, only running unskinned Android 4.0. Who’s going to give me that? Probably only Huawei
David
/ January 11, 2012To be fair, the skinning on it looks to be quite light. But yeah ‘pure’ Android 4.0 would be nice from something other than the Nexus.
JB
/ January 10, 2012We’ll see… I currently have a Sony Xperia Arc which I love and is due to get ICS and, having seen the beta release for the phone it looks like the skinning is relatively light. The skin on the current OS is quite light and stylish. Fingers crossed.
Binky
/ January 10, 2012Love it. *bins battered HTC Desire*
Niels Christiansen
/ January 11, 2012I can only second the notion that Sony (Ericsson’s) light skinning is a good thing. One thing I very much like and is a largish factor is actually TimeScape. Does a phone come with it or not?