Get a closer look at the Xperia Z Ultra in purple [Video]

by XB on 10/07/2013

in Videos, Xperia Z Ultra

We have seen a number of hands-on pictures of the Xperia Z Ultra in black and white, however in-the-wild pics of the purple version has eluded us. Well luckily we’ve come across a hands-on video below that gives a quick tour of the Z Ultra in purple. We even get a brief side-by-side with the purple Xperia Z at the beginning too. We’re still not sure which of the three colours (black, white and purple) would get our vote – although we’re probably leaning towards the white version at the moment.

Thanks @musumappa!

Is there a place for a SmartWatch in your gadget portfolio?

by XB on 09/07/2013

in Accessories

Sony will launch the latest iteration of its SmartWatch concept in the next couple of months, but unlike other competitors this is not a space that Sony has just entered on a whim. Sony’s first offering in this space was LiveView which went on sale in November 2010. This was then followed up by the SmartWatch that launched in April 2012. Sony has seen the value of such a wearable gadget for a while now and since the LiveView launched it has helped create a decent ecosystem of dedicated apps for the accessory.

However, whilst Sony is about to embark on its third-iteration of the device, we were wondering how many of you see this as the future? Have you used a LiveView or SmartWatch or even a competitor product such as the Pebble? Has it become an indispensable part of your life or do you just prefer the simplicity of a normal watch? If it doesn’t attract to you, then what would you like to see in a Sony SmartWatch before you bite? We’d love to hear your thoughts below. 

+Andy Wong

Android 4.2: A new flavor of Jelly Bean.

Android 4.2: A new flavor of Jelly Bean.   

       

Android 4.2 takes the speed and simplicity of Jelly Bean to a different level – a completely new camera experience that’s beyond smart, a new form of typing that helps you power through your messages, and much more.        

Simple, Beautiful and Beyond Smart

Amazing Photo Sphere camera

Up, down and all around you, it’s like no camera you’ve ever seen. With Android 4.2, snap pictures in every direction that come together into incredible, immersive photo spheres that put you right inside the scene. View your photo spheres right on your phone, share them on Google+ with your friends and family, or even add them to Google Maps for the world to see.

Explore incredible photo spheres from photographers around the world.

A smarter keyboard, now with Gesture Typing     

Writing messages on the go is easier than ever with Gesture Typing – just glide your finger over the letters you want to type, and lift after each word. You don’t have to worry about spaces because they’re added automatically for you.

The keyboard can anticipate and predict the next word, so you can finish entire sentences just by selecting suggested words. Power through your messages like never before.

Android's dictionaries are now more accurate and relevant. With improved text-to-speech capabilities, voice typing on Android is even better. It works even when you don't have a data connection, so you can type with your voice everywhere you go.

One tablet, many users. 

It’s your fully customized tablet. And theirs, too. With support for multiple users, you can give each person their own space. Everyone can have their own homescreen, background, widgets, apps and games – even individual high scores and levels! And since Android is built with multitasking at its core, it’s a snap to switch between users – no need to log in and out. Available only on tablets. 

Share what’s on your phone on the big screen.

Android 4.2 allows devices to enable wireless display. You can share movies, YouTube videos, and anything that’s on your screen on an HDTV. Just connect a wireless display adapter to any HDMI-enabled TV to mirror what’s on your screen quickly and easily.

Daydream.

Daydream lets your Android device display useful and delightful information when idle or docked. Show off your photo albums, get the latest news from Google Currents, and more.

        

Expandable, actionable notifications. 

Android has always put you in control when it comes to staying notified and connected. Just swipe down from the top of the screen to see all your notifications in one place. Late for a meeting or missed a call? Take action in an instant directly from the notifications shade.      

Live in the Now.

Google Now brings you the information you need, when and where you need it, before you even ask. Google Now tells you today's weather before you start your day, or when the next train will arrive as you’re standing on the platform. With the latest version, you can see popular photo spots nearby, track packages easily, get information about upcoming movies, and much more.         

See what’s new in Google Now.

A new look for Google Search.

It's easier than ever to quickly get answers, explore, and browse search results. Android also lets you search the web with your voice, and it's convenient for getting quick answers on the fly. It speaks back to you and is powered by the Knowledge Graph, bringing you a precise answer if it knows it, and precisely ranked search results, so you can always find out more.        

Fast and smooth.           

We put Android under a microscope, making everything feel fast, fluid, and smooth. With buttery graphics and silky transitions, moving between home screens and switching between apps is effortless, like turning pages in a book.

More reactive and uniform touch responses mean you can almost feel the pixels beneath as your finger moves across the screen. Jelly Bean makes your Android device even more responsive by boosting your device's CPU instantly when you touch the screen, and turns it down when you don't need it to improve battery life.

          

Beam photos and videos.

With Android Beam on Jelly Bean you can now easily share your photos and videos with just a simple tap, in addition to sharing contacts, web pages, YouTube videos, directions, and apps. Just touch two NFC-enabled Android devices back-to-back, then tap to beam whatever's on the screen to your friend.

           

Widgets work like magic.

With Jelly Bean it's now even easier to personalize your home screen. As you place widgets on the screen, everything else automatically moves to make room. When they're too big, widgets resize on their own. Interacting with your favorite apps and customizing your home screen has never been easier.           

 

Accessibility.          

Enable screen magnification to easily zoom or pan the entire screen to get a closer look. Visually impaired users can now enter full-screen magnification with a triple-tap on the screen, and even type and interact with the device while zoomed in. Blind users can use Gesture Mode to reliably navigate the UI using touch and swipe gestures in combination with speech output.

 Google     Privacy & Terms                                                               Android on Google+

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

by XB on 19/10/2012

in Android, Featured Content, Firmware, Xperia acro S, Xperia go, Xperia ion, Xperia J, Xperia miro, Xperia Neo, Xperia P, Xperia S, Xperia sola, Xperia T, Xperia tipo, Xperia U, Xperia V

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!

Source By:  Xperiablog

Could some Xperia Jelly Bean updates arrive before the end of the year?

by XB on 22/10/2012

in Android, Firmware

Last week Sony Mobile confirmed that the new Xperia T/TX/V handsets would get Android 4.1 Jelly Bean by mid Q1 2013. Sony made no mention on when the rest of the 2012 Xperia line-up would see the updates, apart from confirming that most of the range would see the update at some point. Now take the following with a massive pinch of salt, but techenclave is reporting that a number of 2012 Sony Xperia handsets will see Android 4.1 Jelly Bean launch this year.


techenclave says that the “information comes from our sources within Sony Mobile Communications (and a 3rd party in between, trusted source),” we’re not entirely sure what the bracketed part means? Anyway, the site claims that the Xperia S, Xperia ion and Xperia acro S will receive the update by the end of October/early November.


They go on to say that the Xperia U and Xperia sola will also receive the JB update, this is despite the phones not being included in the initial Sony Mobile post. However, Sony did confirm in the comments section that it was “still evaluating potential upgrades for Xperia sola/Xperia U smartphones and will be back with more information shortly.” So if you own either phone we wouldn’t give up hope yet. techenclave says that the Xperia P, Xperia U, Xperia go and Xperia sola will receive the JB update by early December.


Whilst the site claims to have some inside track on the Android Xperia launch schedule, we find it hard to believe. For example, if the news is true, why would Sony Mobile reveal the JB timeline for the Xperia T/TX/V (February 2013), but leave out the others which are meant to launch earlier? If the JB launch for these phones is imminent, then surely Sony would have greater clarity on timing?


Plus, there is every possibility that new firmware would have popped up on the PTCRB website if an update was to release in the next fortnight for the Xperia S, Xperia ion and Xperia acro S . Now we know, the PTCRB isn’t bullet-proof and that sometimes firmware doesn’t appear on the site until much later, but it does have a pretty good track record for most updates.


Whilst we’d love to believe that this report is true, we don’t see it personally. We have covered the Sony Xperia Android programme since day one and Sony has never announced a later date for some phones and pleasantly surprised with an earlier date for other phones down the line. We’d love to be proved wrong, but if the JB launch date really was imminent, Sony would shout it from the rooftops, rather than get the bad PR they did. Sony has kept quiet on timing for the Xperia S and other phones so don’t hold your breath if you’re expecting to see it this year.

Source Via: techenclave. & Xperiablog
 

Sony Mobile trademarks “MyXperia”

by XB on 22/10/2012

in Applications

Sony Mobile has trademarked the term “MyXperia” in Europe through the OHIM (Office of Harmonization for the Internal Market). Looking at the trademark listing, MyXperia relates to a mobile app for “upload, storage, retrieval, download, transmission and delivery of digital content and media“. Could Sony Mobile be preparing to launch its own cloud storage service? We’ll bring you more as we have it.

Source Via: juggly.cn. & Xperiablog

Xperia J will get ‘SMS counter’ function

by XB on 23/10/2012

in Xperia J

It looks like the Sony Xperia J will get a new feature we haven’t seen before called SMS counter. The screenshot below was sent to us by one of our readers which shows the SMS counter in the menu settings. SMS counter will allow you to set a limit on how many SMS messages can be sent per month – good for those on restrictive mobile contracts. We’re not sure if this feature will slowly hit all Sony Xperia handsets, see a larger screenshot below.

Source by: Xperiablog