It's been extensively leaked for a few months, but now the Sony Ericsson "Nozomi" has an official name -- the Sony Xperia S. As with the Xperia Ion, the Sony Ericsson name has been dropped in favor of the new Sony Xperia branding. Most of the specs from the Xperia Ion have been carried over to the Xperia S, with the notable exception being LTE support -- the Xperia S is a HSPA-only device.
Other specs are exactly as we've heard from all the pre-release rumors and leaks. There's a 720p zero-air-gap display on a 4.3-inch chassis, powered by a 1.5GHz dual-core CPU. The beastly 12-megapixel Exmor R camera from the Ion has made it across too. And like its big brother, the Xperia S ships with Android 2.3 Gingerbread, with the promise of an update to 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. Other notable features include panoramic photos and PlayStation certification.
The Xperia S will arrive globally in March. Join us after the jump for the full press release, along with promotional videos and photos.
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First smartphone from the new Xperia NXT series – next generation smartphones from Sony
9 January, 2011, Las Vegas, Nev.
Xperia™ S, the first smartphone from the new Xperia NXT series – next generation smartphones from Sony*, was today announced at Sony’s press conference ahead of the 2012 International CES show in Las Vegas. The new Xperia S is an Android™ smartphone that delivers a stunning viewing experience with a high resolution screen, Sony HD experiences and a 12MP camera that takes pictures in just 1.5 seconds from standby. Xperia S also comes with a powerful 1.5GHz dual-core processor for faster performance.
Xperia S within the world of Sony
The new Xperia S enables easy connectivity with multiple screens for consumers looking to share and enjoy content on whichever screen best suits their situation, whether it’s TV, smartphone, laptop or tablet. Consumers can watch their favourite content from the Sony Entertainment Network by connecting their Xperia S through HMDI to TV or share photos wirelessly with just one touch. Xperia S is also NFC (near field communication) enabled to allow consumers to share content with each other as well as enjoying an increasing number of NFC applications and services.
Biggest and best entertainment experiences from Sony
Xperia S will be able to access the richest entertainment experiences from Sony Entertainment Network**. Music Unlimited offers a global catalogue of 12 million unique songs while Video Unlimited has the latest Hollywood blockbusters and TV shows from all major studios***.
Xperia S is also PlayStation™ Certified, guaranteeing a high quality smartphone gaming experience and access to the PlayStation® Store****.
Instantly Recognizable Design
Xperia S showcases a new design approach referred to as “Iconic Identity”. The design will be replicated across the Xperia NXT series and creates a simple strong look that is instantly recognizable. The transparent element at the base creates an iconic silhouette where the display is emphasized and underlined. In addition, it provides illumination effects and integrates the antenna components.
The user interface has been redesigned to match the minimalistic design of the hardware. The home screen has a new colorful flow background making full usage of HD Reality Display and dual-core processing power.
Availability
Xperia S will be available to consumers globally from the first quarter 2012. Launching on Android platform 2.3 (Gingerbread) Xperia S will be upgraded to Android platform 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) during the second quarter 2012.
