Sony Xperia Z1 press image and metal chassis leaks

The Sony Xperia Z1, erstwhile known as 'Honami', has leaked once again, this time through a press image. This latest image shows the device in three colors: black, white and purple.

The colors are identical to the ones the Xperia Z is sold in and the device itself looks remarkably similar.

One major difference between the exterior of the Z and the Z1, however, is the metal frame that runs around the device. It's unclear whether the metal acts are merely the frame for the device or also doubles up as the antenna as on the iPhone.

The Xperia Z1 is Sony's upcoming flagship Android smartphone that has been rumored for quite some time now. It is said to have a 5.0-inch FullHD display, quad-core 2.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor, 2GB RAM, 20 megapixel camera and all the bells and whistles you expect from a flagship Android device these days.

The Xperia Z1 is expected to be announced officially at an event in Berlin on September 4.

Source

Sony Xperia SP and Xperia L to go on sale in UK this month

Sony extended its collection of mid-range smartphones with the launch of Xperia SP and the Xperia L to its budget line up. Previously we only knew the smartphones will launch in Q2, but the good news is that we will only have to wait until the end of this month to get them in UK, according to a listing from some online retailers.

The Sony Xperia SP and Xperia L have been listed as "expected in April" at the Carphone Warehouse's website. Clove is also expecting to get its first stock this month.

These early listing point to a price tag of £323(about $490) for the Sony Xperia SP, while the Xperia L is expected to be priced around £234 (about $355).

And while you are waiting for the stock to arrive, feel free to check out our first hands-on impressions ofSony Xperia SP and Sony Xperia L.

Source

Xperia ZL up for pre-order in US, contract free from $720

The Sony Xperia ZL is up for pre-order in the US from Sony's own retail store. The device comes in two unlocked options - an HSPA version that's up for $720 contract-free and a 4G-enabled $760 one. The latter works on LTE bands 2, 4, 5 and 17, so it should, in theory, be usable on AT&T's network. The 4G variant should begin shipping to users starting April 8.

If you're all about the speedier network access then it's more prudent to spend the extra 40 bucks for the 4G variant, but if HSPA speeds suit your data needs then $720 could be the better option. Either way the pricing is steep.

Sony says that the ZL will become available for purchase through other retail stores soon.

The Xperia ZL is the non-water resistant sibling to the Xperia Z. It manages to pack a 1080p 5" screen, 13 MP camera and Snapdragon S4 Pro chipset into a smaller footprint, so if IP certification isn't a must for you, the ZL could be the better choice.

Source | Via

Sony Xperia Z gets an update, fixes sudden-death issue

Sony is now seeding the first update for the Xperia Z (C6603) flagship. Its build number is 10.1.A.1.434, the Android version stays 4.1.2 Jelly Bean and the Kernel seems to be the same - 3.4.0.

Even though there is no official change log for this unexpected update, rumors have it the new release addresses the sudden-death issue plaguing random Xperia Z (C6603) units. So, while it doesn't add any extra functionality, the update might save quite a lot of trouble for many Xperia Z owners out there.

Sony is releasing the update in stages both via the PC Companion app and over-the-air. You should check both for the update and if it isn't available for you already, it should pop up in a few days.

If you are of the impatient kind, you can follow the source link to download the update and proceed to flash it manually but, since doing so will void your warranty, you better make sure you know what you are doing.

Source | Via

Sony Xperia SP, Xperia L EU pricing revealed

Sony announced the latest addition to its Xperia lineup earlier today but left out the pricing details. Luckily that didn't last too long as the Xperia SP and Xperia L have already been priced in Europe.

Sony Xperia SP, the mid-range offering from the company, which packs a decent a hardware is priced at €419 (about $545) and the entry-level Xperia L smartphone will carry a price tag of €299 (about $387) in Germany.

In Netherlands, the Sony Xperia SP is rumored to go on sale for €399 (about $516) and the Xperia L smartphone is said to be priced at about €279 (about $362).

We have already got our hands dirty with the Xperia SP and Xperia L. Check out our first impressions on the latest Xperia smartphones.

Source

Sony Xperia SP announced with 720p LCD, dual-core Krait and LTE

Sony has just introduced the latest addition to its smartphone lineup called Xperia SP. The mid-range smartphone runs on Android 4.1 Jelly Bean and comes with a 4.6" 720p Bravia Engine 2 LCD and a Qualcomm Snapdragon MSM8960Pro chipset.

The Sony Xperia SP's dual core Krait CPU is clocked at 1.7GHz, while an Adreno 320 GPU is in charge of graphics. There's 8GB of storage, but you can use the microSD card slot to expand that. The 8 megapixel camera is capable of shooting 1080p video and there's a VGA front-facer to take care of video chats.

  
Sony Xperia SP official photos

The Sony Xperia SP features a plastic body and with a co-moulded aluminum frame, measures 130.6 x 67.1 x 9.98 mm and weighs 155g. There's an illuminated notification strip, which can be customized to flash in different colors depending on who is calling.

The connectivity department offers the usual Bluetooth, GPS/GLONASS, Wi-Fi and MHL-powered microUSB as well as NFC and LTE.

The battery inside the Sony Xperia SP has a capacity of 2370 mAh, which combined with the Sony home-backed Stamina mode, should give you pretty good power autonomy. The official stand-by times are 635 h (GSM), 734 h (UMTS) and 709 h (LTE), while talk time is rated at 18 h 53min.

The Sony Xperia SP should be available in white, red and black from Q2, but its pricing is yet to be confirmed.

We had a chance to spend some quality time with the Sony Xperia SP and we can give you some live photos of the smartphone. Don't forget to check out our hands-on with the smartphone over here.

Sony Xperia SP live photos

Sony unveils the mid-range Xperia L

The Sony Xperia L joins the mid-range ranks in Sony's smartphone portfolio with a cameraphone twist to it. The Xperia L is equipped with an 8MP camera, which uses Sony's latest mobile Exmor RS sensor and offers a built-in HDR mode for both stills and video. What's more, the smartphone comes with a dedicated camera shutter key.

As for the rest of the features on the Xperia L - the whole thing revolves around a 4.3-inch screen with a resolution of 854x480px and a scratch-resistant cover glass.

Under the hood there's a 1GHz Qualcomm MSM8230 chipset, which utilizes a CPU with two Krait cores so performance should be respectable.

Even though the camera and the large screen will probably be the biggest selling point of the Xperia L, one of its highlights is the LED at the bottom of the handset, which produces some neat illumination effects matching in color the image you are looking at on the screen.

Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and 3G HSPA connectivity are a given, but there's also NFC support for one-touch connecting to NFC-capable accessories.

  
Sony Xperia L official photos

The Xperia L has a 1900mAh battery and a battery STAMINA Mode for optimizing power consumption.

The Xperia L will be available in white, red or black and will run Android 4.1 Jelly Bean straight from its launch in Q2 this year.

We had the chance to have an early look at the Sony Xperia L, so don't miss our hands-on.