This MWC Sony is launching more than just phones with the announcement of two new products, the Xperia Ear and RM-X7BT in-car Bluetooth commander. But it isn't done there — we're also getting a quick look atthree conceptual products, the Xperia Eye, Xperia Projector and Xperia Agent. Throughout all of the products, simple design and voice control are common themes.
The Xperia Ear immediately reminds us of Motorola's Moto Hint. It's a small, Bluetooth connected earpiece with more smarts than your average headset. It can keep you up to date with information like the weather and your upcoming appointments, but is also listening for voice commands so you can navigate, dictate messages, perform searches and more. The Xperia Ear hooks into an app on your phone for the processing, and is designed to be worn comfortably all day. Sony will have more information on the Xperia Ear this summer.
On a completely unrelated note, the RM-X7BT in-car Bluetooth commander is a two-part product that consists of a component you attach to your car and a corresponding smartphone app, and when combined offer wireless music streaming and entertainment options. You'll be able to send music from your phone to the car stereo, make hands-free calls and also interact with the app using your voice. You can also find the RM-X7BT starting this summer.
Stepping away from real products and into the future, Sony has three new concepts it's showing off at the show. The Xperia Eye is a small clip-on camera to be worn on your shirt or around your neck, and packs a spherical camera that offers an extremely wide field of view. With face and image recognition technology, the Xperia Eye will be able to capture images throughout your day so you never miss a moment.
The Xperia Projector is a small box designed to be a home communication and information device. When placed on a table it can project an interface onto any smooth surface, like a wall, and give you information in a heads-up interface with touch, gestures and voice controls. Sony's concept image shows a simple interface with the time, weather, upcoming appointments and missed calls.
Lastly, there's the Xperia Agent concept. This little device brings thoughts of the Amazon Echo to mind, as it will respond to voice requests and gestures for a variety of tasks. It can even project information onto surfaces and has a camera for capturing images, opening up plenty of capabilities.
Sony isn't spilling much in terms of details on the concept products, and given the vagueness of their descriptions we don't expect much in the way of release timeframes. We'll surely know more as they get closer to launching.
Source: Sony
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