Sony’s CES Launches | Unveils XPeria ION: Their 1st LTE Step
Some exciting news from Las Vegas in the massive Sony Booth (for every time I’ve been at CES, Sony’s area takes up damn near the entire exhibit hall /HugeExxagerationButSeriouslyTheyDoItBig) with multiple product releases in every possible category of an electronic consumer’s life. And according to Kazuo Hirai, Executive Deputy President of Sony Corporation, “Sony is committed to designing technologies for every aspect of consumer entertainment – in or out of the home, on the go, in the air, at work, at play, or wherever life takes you.” And along with their multiple product launches and offerings in a wide variety: audio, video, mobile, etc., they’ve also expressed a clear intent in tying everything together with storage and network services for one to manage mountains of created and consumed content.
Among their highlights from this week’s CES has been their next generation “Crystal LED Display” TV’s with self-emitting technology. The tech is employed in a full-HD 55 inch prototype that’s promised to deliver significantly improved specs to viewers in terms of pixel count, clarity, and even field of vision.
Additional product highlights include upgrades to their digital camera stable with updates on their Handycam®, Cybershot®, and NEX lines; new high-performance speaker docks and home-audio options;
and the launch of their first ever Android powered Walkman.
But what’s been most compelling for me has been their offerings in products that promote the “tying everything together” theme that Hirai spoke of; products that allow consumers to produce, share, and consume digital media anywhere. Most notable from Sony this week included quirky WiFi capable Blogger HD cams, their PLAYMEMORIES content-sharing services, and most importantly, the launch of their first product in the LTE sphere, the unveiling of their Xperia ION.
To be honest, Sony hasn’t quite sparked much excitement in the mobile sphere for quite awhile, but their Xperia ION looks promising. Set to be released on AT&T’s wireless networks, it will be Sony’s first LTE enabled mobile. And as their opening move, they’ve opted to come out swinging with some solid specs that are in line with the market’s other heavy hitters:
Xperia™ ion smartphone from Sony®
First LTE Xperia smartphone available exclusively in the US with AT&T this spring
- The first LTE smartphone from Sony
- HD powerhouse with two HD cameras front (1080p) and back (720p), a 4.6-inch HD screen (1280 x 720) and HDMI-out support
- Reality Display with Mobile BRAVIA® Engine
- 1.5GHz dual-core processor for fast browsing and content download
- 12MP back camera with Sony Exmor R™ for mobile along with Fastest Capture to take shots in just 1.5 seconds from standby
- NFC enabled to access growing range of NFC applications and services
- With HD sharing through DLNA, HDMI and BRAVIA Sync, Xperia S can quickly and easily stream content for a full HD experience on TV
- Visually brilliant smartphone, powered by Android™
- Launching on Android platform 2.3 (Gingerbread) Xperia S will be upgraded to Android platform 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) during
From what we’ve seen, the phone seems gargantuan with its 4.6″ screen, but with its ultra crisp Bravia® powered display and subtle curved lines, it’s not too bad to see and hold. And a product like this is extremely important for Sony, who has very forwardly declared a new inter-connectivity theme with all their consumer products. They’ve stated that one of their highest priorities is to increase their smartphone presence in North America with Sony Ericsson becoming a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony called: “Sony Mobile Communications”. One of their aims is to provide an HD experience to any device or screen of a consumer’s choosing, and we (and our eyes) couldn’t be more delighted.
