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.
YouTube link for mobile viewing
YouTube link for mobile viewing
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.
Reader comments
Sony announces the Xperia S -- 1.5GHz dual core, 12MP camera, 720p screen [updated]
This is a beast. Maybe my next next phone will be from Sony :D
And suddenly the Xperia line got interesting. It appears Sony are upping the quality of these things now that Ericsson's been dropped - no shiny fingerprint-prone plastic and a design that actually looks contemporary. Kudos, Sony.
Real HW buttons? Thank you so much!
My.Next.Phone!
I actually said "ooohh" then when i saw the bottom bezel thing my body literally by itself said "yuk" lol i probably sound like a retard but this is true hahaha
I wish Verizon would get some nice Sony phones like this one... I like how they dropped the Ericsson from the branding and it's just Sony.
Can ya tell i'm jonesen for a new phone with ICS.:P :D
Just saw the update. If ICS can be out by Q2 2012 then this is a stop gap that will be rectified soon. With ICS on it and a minimal skin by Sony this could be the best we have yet. How this wasn't communicated earlier to the press is astounding. Considering that would have been the First question asked.
After watching the video I see why GB was used. They gotta put their spin on CR@P. Since they haven't been able to do that yet with ICS they went with the current standby. If ya want a Camera that does phone calls this is it. If ya want a Phone that has a camera and does much more then a GN is what you want. I can see it now all the phones being debuted here will have GB and if we get any with ICS they will be months away (3rd to 4th Q12) Again I say EPIC FAIL!
Ugh, this Richardyarrell person is still around?
Talk about being pimp slapped the galaxy nexus makes this phone look stupid
That phone is huge just to have a 4.3" screen. Look at that bottom bezel!
very nice. it's long overdue that they dropped "Ericsson" from their name and changed that previous UGLY logo and changed it to the classic SONY logo. finally a decent looking device from SONY.
this could be the beginning of a turnaround.
I must respectfully disagree.
Better than the Galaxy Nexus ?? 12MP !!!
Do Xperia phones have a DAC?
Considering all the time the manufacturers have had with ICS. You would think if they are going to announce at CES at minimum the newest OS for Android would be on them. Can we say Gigantic FAIL! You know this is what everyone is looking for. Anyone with a current Android phone is looking at either upgrading to the new OS on their phone. Or they are looking to get a new god phone with it on it. It truly is pitiful.
I really like the look of this. I would assume the smaller button on the side is the camera button. Not a fan of buttons for the camera but that's minor I guess.
Looks gnarly
Great looking phone... will the every make one for verizon?
haha, verizon. We rarely get anything good.
Well Verizon did get the Xperia PLAY last year. Hopefully sales were good enough for Sony to make a more upscale handset available.Maybe an CDMA/LTE version of the Ion.
what happened to quad core processors. So far the only thing different this year is more camera megapixels....
Wait til MWC. That's when the SGSIII will be released. We also have CTIA as well. Plenty of time for phones to be released.
And the SGSIII is supposed to be a full 4.65". Watch the first speaker in the first video why this Sony is small screen. They aren't marketing to us.
Quad cores is an improvement, but it will drain battery life until they can efficiently use those cores. MP on a camera is also nice, but what they really need is faster shutter speeds. The 'hold absolutely still like we're taking a picture in 1890' method of shooting with cellphones is getting tiresome.
can anyone explain what a zero gap display is?
There is no gap between the glass and the bezel of the phone for lint or other debris particles to accumulate.
Nope not the glass and the bezel, its the glass and the LCD. What this means is there’s no gap between the LCD and front face of the phone aka digitizer, the part your finger touches. Tilt your average smartphone to one side and you’ll notice a small offset between the glass front and LCD.
That's cool and all, but I'm not sure I've ever really cared (tho I have noticed) that there's a slight offset at an angle. 99% of the time I'm looking at the screen from pretty much a front-facing view anyway.
Match? What month's that? :P
Lousy Smarch weather...