Sony

415 'Sony' stories June 2011 - March 2017

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Hands-on: Sony’s Xperia XZ Premium is gorgeous, but that alone doesn’t justify its existence [Gallery]

Edoardo Maggio Mar 1 2017 - 3:47 pm PT

I want to put a disclaimer at the very top of this post: I have used the Xperia XZ Premium for about twenty minutes in one of Sony‘s booths at Mobile World Congress, and everything that follows is just a brief recap of my experience combined with my quick chat with the company’s reps. It therefore isn’t meant to give a final judgement by any means — but we know that the product may be of interest for more than a few, so I’m here to tell you what my very first impressions were…

The thing that immediately struck me about the Xperia XZ Premium is… Sony’s philosophy behind it. There were other OEMs are trying to push design boundaries (like LG and most likely Samsung) or deliver overall compelling packages with a few standout features (like Huawei‘s P10 or even BlackBerry‘s KeyOne). Sony, reluctantly, is simply keeping its own path, seemingly looking at the competition uninterested, from afar.

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MWC 2017 roundup: All the announcements you missed from Samsung, LG, Moto, and more

Stephen Hall Mar 1 2017 - 9:37 am PT

Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain has been in full gear all week, and that means almost all of the biggest Android OEMs are getting together to show off their latest phones, tablets, and other gadgets. Now that things are winding down here in the last couple days of the show floor being open, let’s take a look at all the devices that were announced by Samsung, LG, Sony, Huawei and others…

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Sony announces the mid-to-high end Xperia XZs, Xperia XA1 and Xperia XA1 Ultra [Video]

Edoardo Maggio Feb 27 2017 - 5:46 am PT

In addition to its just-announced XZ Premium flagship, Sony took on Barcelona’s Mobile World Congress to introduce three new devices that (hopefully) cover just about any performance and quality point on the road between the mid and high end.

They are the Xperia XZs, the XA1 and the XA1 Ultra. Let’s check them out…

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Sony announces its flagship device for 2017, the 4K display-featuring Xperia XZ Premium [Video]

Edoardo Maggio Feb 27 2017 - 4:54 am PT

Between all the “X” and “Z” phones released in the past year or so, we all got a little confused. Sony‘s strategy, in particular, seemed everything but clear in regards to its devices’ hierarchy. However, using Barcelona’s MWC as a platform, the Japanese firm announced what it explicitly labels as its “flagship”: the Xperia XZ Premium.

More info after the jump…

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Sony’s 2017 Xperia lineup leaks in new image

Ben Schoon Feb 26 2017 - 6:29 am PT

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.

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First alleged image of the very shiny Sony Xperia XZ Premium leaks

Justin Duino Feb 25 2017 - 12:10 pm PT

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.

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PSA: No, this isn’t the Xperia X 2017, it’s a concept from a known concept artist

Ben Schoon Feb 23 2017 - 9:23 am PT

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.

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All the big Android announcements we expect to see at Mobile World Congress 2017

Edoardo Maggio Feb 20 2017 - 5:59 pm PT

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…

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Sony announces new lineup of Android TV-powered 4K HDR TVs w/ Google Assistant

Ben Schoon Feb 10 2017 - 6:17 am PT

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.

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Sony beats Google’s Pixel, begins pushing out Feb. security patch to several Xperia phones

Justin Duino Feb 2 2017 - 7:17 am PT

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…

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Sony’s Google Cast speakers and Android TVs now work with Google Home

Justin Duino Dec 20 2016 - 7:40 am PT

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.”

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Sony’s affordable aftermarket Android Auto head unit is now available to purchase

Zac Hall Dec 8 2016 - 11:52 am PT

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.

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Sony Xperia XZ Review: The first Xperia of 2016 that’s almost worth its price tag

Ben Schoon Dec 3 2016 - 12:59 pm PT

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…

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Sony Xperia X Compact now available on Amazon, Xperia XZ up for pre-order

Justin Duino Sep 25 2016 - 4:28 pm PT

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.

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Sony Xperia X Compact, XZ to be available September 25th, October 2nd, respectively

Stephen Hall Sep 22 2016 - 9:39 am PT

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…

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Sony announces Xperia XZ, Xperia X Compact smartphones, Xperia Ear accessory

Stephen Hall Sep 1 2016 - 5:04 am PT

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…

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Sony says Android Nougat is coming to many Xperia Z, Xperia X devices, here’s the full list

Stephen Hall Aug 23 2016 - 11:30 am PT

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*.

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New report compares Android OEMs: Motorola is the fastest with updates, Sony has lowest crash rate

Ben Schoon Aug 16 2016 - 12:36 pm PT

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…

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Xperia X Performance owners can now try Android Nougat beta in some countries

Stephen Hall Aug 12 2016 - 3:08 pm PT

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…

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Review: Sony’s Xperia X is a great phone, but it’s hilariously overpriced [Video]

Ben Schoon Jun 18 2016 - 9:47 am PT

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.

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Samsung keeps the first spot beating Apple once again in Asia’s ‘Top 1000’ brands ranking

Edoardo Maggio Jun 17 2016 - 3:47 am PT

The battle between Samsung and Apple for the first spot in the consumer electronics world seems to be never ending. As products get increasingly better it becomes progressively harder for brands like these to win the customers’ hearts (and wallets), but at least for 2016, Asia has spoken…

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Sony’s new Xperia X apparently suffers from overheating issues while video recording

Ben Schoon Jun 3 2016 - 6:27 am PT

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.

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Sony brings its budget-friendly Xperia E5 to the market

Edoardo Maggio May 31 2016 - 4:59 am PT

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…

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Sony’s Xperia XA Ultra is now official with a monster 6-inch display and a 16MP selfie shooter

Edoardo Maggio May 17 2016 - 4:10 am PT

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…

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