While Google’s latest approach to smart TVs involves Google Cast, Android TV is still around with new partners and models announced at CES earlier in the year. Now, RCA has revealed details and pricing for its new line of 4K Android TV sets that will be available in June.
The Sony Xperia Z5, Z5 Premium and Z5 Compact have all had price cuts before they’ve even hit the market. Prices were revealed just a few days ago, and Sony has already seen fit to adjust the price points. Perhaps in response to the sense of disbelief at how expensive they would be…
Sony has struggled in recent years to stand out in an ever-crowded smartphone market. During a keynote yesterday that saw Sony CEO Kazuo Hirai say that the “best is yet to come” for the Japanese technology company, we got to see a slew of much-anticipated Android-powered Xperia Z5 smartphones. We did not, however, learn what the prices would be. Now it seems we have, and they’re not cheap…
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Just a few days after the press renders leaked, Sony has officially taken the wraps off its newest ‘super mid-range smartphones’. The Xperia C5 Ultra is a large phablet, while the M5 is a more traditional size and shape for a smartphone. Both are aiming to offer almost-flagship specs for a lower price, and will hit store shelves in select markets from the middle of August.
The Sony Xperia Z2 waterproof phone with 4K video recording
Sony announced four new products at Mobile World Congress: two new Xperia phones, a matching tablet and a fitness band.
The Xperia Z2, the replacement for its Z1 waterproof phone, adds 4K video recording, SteadyShot image-stabilisation, digital noise-cancelling stereo mics and what the company describes as its ‘brightest and most vivid’ LED display. We first got wind of the 4K video capabilities last month via a screengrab of the camera app …
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It wasn’t so long ago that buying a camera capable of 4K video recording would set you back well into five figures; today, you can do it on a smartphone. Acer got there first with the Liquid S2, followed by Samsung with the Galaxy Note III. If leaked software obtained by ExperiaBlog is indeed intended for the Xperia D6503 Sirius – codename for Sony’s successor to the Xperia Z1 – Sony will soon be joining the list.
A screengrab of the camera app shows a 4K video button whose description reads ‘Record video in 4K ultra high definition.’ Other camera features shown are slow-motion video (rather strangely labelled ‘Timeshift video’), background defocus (emulating the shallow depth of field of a large-sensor DSLR) and various add-on effects …
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Over the last few months, interest 4k TVs, monitors, and content has increased dramatically. YouTube has been streaming content in 4k for a while now, but using Flash. GigaOm is now reporting, however, that at CES next week, YouTube will introduce 4k streaming using its new VP9 codec. This is a new royalty-free codec developer by Google as an alternative to H.265 video codec used by other 4k video implementations.
Back in 2010, Google tried to gain traction with its VP8 codec, but due to tough competition and a lack of hardware support, those plans didn’t exactly pan out. In order to avoid the same issues with VP9, Google has already lined up a large number of hardware partners. At CES, LG, Panasonic and Sony will be demonstrating 4k content with the VP9 codec, while 19 other companies have agreed to support the codec, including ARM, Intel, Broadcom, Marvell, Toshiba, Sharp, and Samsung.
Smartphone manufacturers are making it hard to keep up to date these days: just as we’d got used to enjoying the ability to record 1080p full HD videos, the first handsets capable of recording 4K video are emerging. Google added 4K video support to Android in the latest 4.3 version.
Acer is claiming that its 6-inch Liquid S2 will be the first, though as the phone is being officially unveiled at the IFA this week, it may have company from Samsung’s new Galaxy Note – also rumored to have 4K recording on board. The Acer also won’t be available in the U.S. at launch, with the handset hitting Europe first …
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