Sony has been rumored for a while now to debut a few new phones at MWC this year, and if a new image from infamous leaker Evan Blass is to be believed, we’re now getting our first close look at Sony’s full 2017 Xperia X smartphone lineup.
Sony first announced the Xperia XZ at IFA last year and made it available for US customers in October. In our review, we noted the handset’s fantastic performance, but it isn’t quite worth its $649 retail price mostly because it lacks a fingerprint sensor in the US.
Product leaks are extremely common nowadays, and it’s becoming harder for any upcoming product to avoid being in the spotlight for months leading up to launch. However, for as many real leaks that are out there, there are just as many fake ones, and some of them are extremely convincing. That’s the case with a new “leaked” render of an upcoming Sony smartphone. It’s actually just a concept.
Barcelona’s famous fair, the Mobile World Congress, is just around the corner. As always, (almost) all the big names in mobile will join the party to show the latest and greatest coming out of their R&D. And while Samsung’s absence may represent a hit for the general vibe of the coming days, there will certainly be no shortage of new products and announcements.
So let’s dig through them a bit…
Android TV hasn’t seen much popularity since its release a few years back, but the platform is slowly gaining ground yet again. Recently, it showed up in LeEco’s collection of affordable 4K TVs, and just last month, Nvidia unveiled its powerhouse Nvidia Shield TV, also powered by Android TV. Now one of the platforms earliest supporters, Sony, is back with a new collection of 4K HDR TVs, all with Android TV under the hood.
Every month Google gives device manufacturers an updated build of Android with security patches that remove vulnerabilities and fixes bugs. Although we normally see these patches hitting Pixel and Nexus devices first, it would appear that Sony is on top of its game this month and is already rolling out the February security patch to several of its handsets before it arrives on any of its competitor’s devices…
Sony has announced that it is rolling out a firmware update to its line of 4K HDR Android TVs and Chromecast built-in speakers, allowing them to be controlled by Google Home. Up to this point, you had to use a phone or tablet to individually cast content to your Sony devices but now you can simply talk to your Home and say, “Ok Google, play some Christmas music on my Sony speaker.”
Sony announced back in August that it was entering the Android Auto head unit scene with its $499 6.4-inch XAV-AX100 receiver, and starting today you can buy the sleek aftermarket screen for yourself.
There’s been a trend going on this year with Sony, and it’s not a good one. With the new Xperia X line, the company is releasing some solid pieces of hardware which we love, but they’re pretty expensive, even by flagship standards…
Sony announced two new devices at IFA this year, the Xperia X Compact and the Xperia XZ. While the latter of the two is only available for pre-order right now, the Xperia X Compact starts shipping in the US today. If you’re waiting for the XZ, you won’t have to wait long as it will begin shipping on October 2 for $700.
We first got a look at Sony’s new Xperia X Compact and Xperia XZ back at IFA 2016, but when they were announced, we didn’t know what pricing would be or when the phones would launch in the US. Now, we know that they’re both going to be just as expensive as other phones that have hit the Xperia lineup in recent years, and that they’re coming to the US on September 25th and October 2nd, respectively…
Sony at IFA in Berlin, Germany, has today announced two new smartphones in its Xperia X family. The first is the Xperia XZ, a new 5.2-inch flagship that features a much-improved camera and look, and the second is the Xperia X Compact, a new 4.6-inch entry that compliments the rest of the Xperia X line providing an option for those looking for something a bit smaller…
Now that Android 7.0 Nougat is rolling out to Nexus devices, it seems appropriate timing that Sony would finally come out and announce which of its phones will be getting the update. Here it is, straight from the horse’s mouth:
We will make Android 7.0, Nougat available for: Xperia Z3+, Xperia Z4 Tablet, Xperia Z5, Xperia Z5 Compact, Xperia Z5 Premium, Xperia X, Xperia XA, Xperia XA Ultra and Xperia X Performance*.
One of Android’s least desirable aspects is updates. There are new updates available constantly, but depending on the device you have, you may not see if for quite some time. Some OEMs are good at pushing updates, and others, well, not so much. Thanks to a new report from Apteligent, we now know who is best, who is worst, and much more…
Earlier this year, Sony began offering an early Developer Preview version of Android Nougat to owners of older Xperia Z handsets. Now, the company (via XperiaBlog) is apparently offering an early beta of Android 7.0 Nougat to owners of the Xperia X Performance as well. Unfortunately, it’s only available to people in select countries…
Sony’s Android smartphones have never truly been the best of the best, but picking up an Xperia from time to time has always been something I’ve enjoyed. Now in 2016, Sony has ditched their Xperia Z lineup in favor of the new Xperia X lineup. This new line brings a lot of changes, but is it worth your attention? I’ve been using Sony’s Xperia X for the past several days now, and here are some of my thoughts on it.
Sony’s camera sensors are some of the best available today, but several of their devices have suffered when recording video. In a recent video, YouTube user Damir Franc showed in real-time (via Xperia Blog) how quickly the Xperia X would shut down the camera due to heat even when shooting nothing more than 1080p.
In the myriad of flagship devices that get announced almost every month, we tend to forget that a big chunk of Android customers comprises people that care little about all the fancy features higher-end devices carry, and mostly need a tool to get a few things done.
That’s the market Sony is targeting with its latest handset. After quickly retracting all mentions of the Xperia E5 from social media briefly after unveiling it last week, the Japanese firm is officially announcing the device today…
Sony‘s moves in the mobile space continue to be somewhat confusing, as the company’s dedicated division continues to underperform, but that is not stopping the Japanese firm cranking out new and increasingly weird smartphones.
Today is the turn of the XA Ultra — which we had previously seen rumored as C6 Ultra — which packs fairly unique specs, namely its 16MP front facing camera and a monster 6-inch panel…
Despite having unveiled its new Xperia X lineup at MWC earlier this year — replacing its Z series of flagships — Sony seems to have taken a confusing path. The X Performance, which is the highest-end model of the three, can’t claim to be a true successor to its older Z5 brother, because of both largely identical specs and scarce worldwide availability.
In the UK, for instance, the X Performance is the only unavailable model of the family. According to a Sony spokesperson, however, the device “may ultimately make it to the country” (via TechRadar), while fans of big phones may soon get their hands on the C6 Ultra model, a 6″ monster that @OnLeaks is now showing in all of its 3D-rendered glory…
At the beginning of the month, HTML code suggested that the Android N Developer Preview would make its way to non-Nexus devices. Working with Google, today Sony is the first OEM to follow through with a developer preview of Android N for the Xperia Z3.
While the biggest smartphone news of the day belongs to the HTC 10, Sony has announced that the over-specced Xperia Z5 Premium will now come in pink. Nothing has changed internally and the device will be available in select countries starting in May.
Announced at CES and spotted last week, the Huawei Watch for Women now has a Google Store listing. While not yet available for purchase, it confirms that the watch will be available to purchase in the US sooner rather than later. Additionally, the Marshmallow Android Wear update for the Sony SmartWatch 3 is finally rolling out today.
