SE Loyalist Blog

Sony Ericsson Satio Review

noreply@blogger.com (Karun) — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 12:58:00 +0000

My friend Michell Bak at se-blog.com has posted an extremely detailed review of the Sony Ericsson Satio.

There’s no doubt the Satio is a good sign of change at Sony Ericsson and perhaps a glimpse at what’s to come, not only from Sony Ericsson but all the manufacturers.The camera is undoubtedly one of the prime features of the Satio and I reckon many people would buy or consider buying the phone purely because of the camera. I’ll admit that it was one of my primary reasons for getting the Satio, despite having a much, much better professional grade dSLR – having a decent camera on you at all time is something you’ll end up appreciating. Another positive side of the Satio is its media functionality, which is without a doubt among the best of its class. Sony Ericsson’s Media application works brilliantly, and although it lacks a few features (which will hopefully be added in future firmware revisions!), I would reckon it makes up for it on speed and user friendliness.

Read the entire review of the Sony Ericsson Satio

Sony Ericsson Kurara (U5i) passes FCC

noreply@blogger.com (Karun) — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 12:53:00 +0000

There's news on the net about a new device - U5 passing FCC. The U5 is nothing else but the Kurara, which we had shown you earlier.
The ‘Kurara’ will be launched under the Entertainment Unlimited banner.It runs on an ARM Cortex A8 processor clocking 600 MHz with PowerVR SGX graphics and will be based on the Symbian S60 platform. It will sport an 8 megapixel camera capable of recording HD videos (720p).

Via: FCC

XPERIA X10 passes FCC

noreply@blogger.com (Karun) — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 12:43:00 +0000

The Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10 has passed through the scrutiny of the Federal commission, but the interesting part is the 3G test. The tested UMTS bands were I, IV and VIII, or in other words 900/1700/2100MHz,which more or less means that the device will be picked up by T-Mobile.

Reports also confirm a XPERIA X10a version, for the US - most probably for AT&T.

Via: FCC

Satio, X10 beat iPhone 3GS for gaming

noreply@blogger.com (Karun) — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 06:51:00 +0000

Mobile games developer Fishlabs has given Sony Ericsson a welcome boost, by praising the gaming capabilities of its new Satio smartphone and saying it's more powerful than the iPhone 3GS.

The developer has just got hold of a prototype Xperia X10: A Qualcomm Snapdragon-powered beast with a 1GHz processor, OpenGL ES 2.0 support and an 800 pixel-wide screen. The Fishlabs team hasn't had chance to push all that pocket power to its limits yet, but is expecting big things for this mini-computer.

"We have to convey it looks stunning, indeed," the Fishlabs folks blog. "As the X10 is an Android based phone it will take a while until we have our first game running on it. But one thing is for sure... it promises high-end smartphone gaming on the big screen."

More immediately, Fishlabs has been dabbling with the Symbian-powered Satio. According to mobile game developer Fishlabs’ boss Michael Schade, the Sony Ericsson Satio’s powerful hardware inside make it a superior gaming machine: “The Satio features the same 3D-Chip PowerVR SGX as the iPhone 3GS running Symbian on an even more powerful CPU ARM11 clocked at 600MHz”, he writes in his blog. He also points out how easy it was to port an iPhone game, Rally Master Pro, from the iPhone to Symbian for the Sony Ericsson Satio, while increasing the screen resolution in the process.

XPERIA Pureness now available

noreply@blogger.com (Karun) — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 08:51:00 +0000

Sony Ericsson XPERIA Pureness is now available in stores, the company doing well to introduce it just in time for the holiday season.

The specs on the XPERIA Pureness may seem a little limited, but that was Sony Ericsson's intention all along.It is meant to “refine the mobile phone to its most essentials functions - Talk. Text. Time.” The handset comes with all the essential features of a device, while eliminating all that is unnecessary in form and function, hence the tag 'Pureness'.

But in return you get a transparent screen (a first) and a concierge service for less money than a Vertu.By the way, this might just be the cheapest way to get a concierge service of your own.

"Pureness Concierge" is basically Sony Ericsson's way of providing you personalised service.It is basically a 24-hour concierge service that’s available in a number of cities. All you have to do is simply call the concierge team and they'll help book you into the best restaurants, health clubs, concerts, plays, events and nightclubs.

Sony Ericsson have set up a dedicated minisite to promote the Pureness concierge service. The service is country dependent, so make sure to read the benefits list to see what they have to offer for your locale.

Another new thing to note is 'Xperia Services'. With your Xperia Pureness, you get a tailor-made service package. From the support panel in the phone, you can choose to contact Sony Ericsson's dedicated Xperia services support team or go straight to their Web support. And in the unlikely event your Xperia™ Pureness stops functioning, SE promises to give you a replacement phone within 48 hours in most areas.

The sales package includes an HBH-IS800 Bluetooth headset and a 2GB M2 card. The Xperia Pureness can be yours for 990 US dollars (676 euro) or Rs 45000, which really isn't that much considering that usually you get concierge service with diamond studded phones and all.

Live Pics: Elm & Hazel

noreply@blogger.com (Karun) — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 08:18:00 +0000

The folks at se-first have posted loads of live pics of the newly announced handsets Elm and Hazel.

The devices sport a standard feature set and there's not much new except their green credentials.The devices introduce two new features: Clear Voice and Noise Shield.

Clear Voice is a technology that is supposed to make a caller's voice more understandable and distinguishable from eventual background noise. This is achieved by adopting the sound level depending on background noise (i.e. in loud environments, the sound level is increased automatically) Noise Shield is quite the opposite, it reduces background noise during a call in order to improve the voice quality for the person that gets your call. Hit the links below to view more Live pics of the two devices.

Sony Ericsson Hazel Live Pics Sony Ericsson Elm Live Pics

Greenhearts 'Elm' and 'Hazel' Announced

noreply@blogger.com (Karun) — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 07:12:00 +0000

Sony Ericsson Hazel

Today Sony Ericsson presented their latest Greenheart tree-hugging phones - the aptly named Elm and Hazel. Those two are no slackers in functionality as they come with Wi-Fi, GPS and pioneer social networking integration via homescreen widgets. They also pack some innovative sound enhancing technologies such as Noise Shield, Clear Voice and Intelligent Volume Adaptation.

Sony Ericsson Elm

Screen resolution remains at the QVGA standard (320 x 240 pixels), but the one on the Hazel is 2.6 inches large and sports a 16.7 million colour TFT, whereas it’s only 2.2 inches on the Elm sporting a 262.144-colour TFT.

The Sony Ericsson Elm and Hazel pack 5 megapixel auto focus cameras, Wi-Fi connectivity and GPS receivers complete with the preinstalled Google Maps and Wisepilot mapping applications. The Sony Ericsson Elm has a thickness of 14 mm and a weight of 90 grams whereas the Hazel has a thickness of 16 mm and a weight of 120 grams.

Both the Elm and the Haze have rich multimedia features including support for SensMe, TrackID, and MegaBass. Screen auto rotation is also available thanks to the built-in accelerometer.

Another first from Sony Ericsson is the online backup of personal information at sonyericsson.com. There are no further details about the service mentioned, but we guess you'd be able to recover all your info if your phone gets stolen.

The Sony Ericsson Elm will be available in Metal Black and Pearly Rose from Q1 2010. The Sony Ericsson Hazel will be available in Superior Black and Passionate Rouge from Q2 2010.

Official Press Release
Official Product photos - Elm
Official Product Photos - Hazel

Xperia X10 - Launching January 18th?

noreply@blogger.com (Karun) — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 06:38:00 +0000

Xperia X10 is Sony Ericsson's flagship device for 2010. With a huge 4 inch touchscreen, a 8MP camera and a 1GHz Snapdragon processor under the hood, the handset is exactly the kind of device which every tech enthusiast dreams of. According to Sony Ericsson, the device is slated for a Q1 2010 launch although they did manage to let slip a February 10th launch date. However a listing on Play.com shows that they have the device for pre-order with a January 18th, 2010 release date. The X10 can be yours for £529.99 ($860) so I guess its time for you to start saving.

Via: Phandroid & Play.com

New firmwares for Satio & Aino

noreply@blogger.com (Karun) — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 06:49:00 +0000

Sony Ericsson has confirmed that firmware updates for Satio and Aino are now available (An update for Yari is coming soon).

As per initial reports, the update for the Satio has improved the performance and significantly enhanced the overall stability. The update for Aino includes fixes for lower battery consumption and improvements to GPS, WLAN and Bluetooth. The popular Loco Roco game is also bundled within the update.

Users of Yari can look forward to an update which will enable lower battery consumption and improvements to GPS and Bluetooth. Two new games– Snowboard Rush and Hamster Hustle and an improved game shop will also be included.

First Live - Pic of Sony Ericsson Susan

noreply@blogger.com (Karun) — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 06:56:00 +0000

Here's the first Live pic of the upcoming Sony Ericsson Susan. There had been quite a bit of speculation on the OS that this device sported, with many hoping that it would come with Android on board. However its more or less confirmed that it runs on Sony Ericsson's proprietary platform.

Via: Anroidin

Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 Preview

noreply@blogger.com (Karun) — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 12:34:00 +0000

The folks at PhoneArena have just posted a small preview of the Xperia X10, and they're mighty impressed. Here's what they had to say:

If the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 was to be released on the market today, it would be a smashing hit. It comes with great design, eye-pleasing interface and proper integration of social networks and services. Moreover, the X10 has what it takes to win over its rivals in terms of hardware – 4-inch screen, fast 1GHz processor and 8.1-megapixel camera. All this sounds truly impressive, but when do we get to see it hit the shelves? Officially, the Xperia X10 is expected in Q1 2010. We do hope that Sony Ericsson manages to roll out the phone on schedule, because delays equate to an increased number of strong rivals. As of today, however, things are looking good for Sony Ericsson´s first Android device and its future seems serene.

Read their complete Xperia X10 Preview

XPERIA X10 Live Pics

noreply@blogger.com (Karun) — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 07:50:00 +0000

The folks at Esato have just had the chance to play around with the upcoming XPERIA X1. They have posted loads of high quality pics of the X10 which really makes you impatient - it is expected to be launched in Feb 2010. Click the images below for the full view :)

See more Pics of the Xperia X10

XPERIA X10 Preview

noreply@blogger.com (Karun) — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 07:36:00 +0000

GsmArena has posted a preview of the upcoming Android Monster - the Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10. In case you're still clueless about it, I suggest you take a look at its specs below, which'll help you understand why the world is going ga-ga over this device.

General: GSM 850/900/1800/1900 MHz, UMTS 900/1900/2100 MHz, HSDPA, HSUPA

Form factor: Touchscreen bar phone

Dimensions: 119 x 63 x 13 mm, 135 g

Display: 4" 65K-color TFT capacitive touchscreen, 854 x 480 pixels

Platform: Qualcomm QSD8250 Snapdragon 1 GHz processor

OS: Android 1.6 (Donut)

Memory: 1GB storage, 256MB RAM, microSD card slot, 8GB card included in the retail box

Camera: 8 megapixel auto-focus camera with LED flash and face detection; touch focus, WVGA (800 x 480 pixels) video recording at 30fps

Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.1 with A2DP, standard microUSB port, GPS receiver with A-GPS, 3.5mm audio jack

Misc: Sony Ericsson Timescape and Mediascape UI, built-in accelerometer

You like what you see don't you? ;)

Anyhoo...here's what they had to say:

The display contrast is nice and the sunlight legibility is the best we have seen on a Sony Ericsson handset. In fact out there in the bright sun, the Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10 is as good as the Apple iPhone.

All the homescreens, lockscreen, menus, submenus, notifications areas and internal buttons have been redesign completely by Sony Ericsson. As a result, X10 brings a completely new underwater-like blue interface and looks completely different from it Android siblings.
Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10 takes pretty good photos with excellent detail and colors even at this early pre-production stage. There are no visible problems with the lens or processing algorithm. There are some things here and there that need polishing, but we are more than satisfied with the results.

Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10 is far from official release but it's clear it's full of potential. It has among the currently fastest ticking hardware platform. The 4-inch screen is as big as you can fit on a mobile phone without hampering usability. So yes, the XPERIA X10 is one great package that will take on the competition with no hesitation.
Choosing Android is smart move by Sony Ericsson, since the OS is still new and developing, with free open-source code and a growing App Market. And most importantly, it's not plagued by the Windows Mobile or Symbian legacy.

The Timescape and Mediascape interfaces allow for a completely new user experience on the Android platform. HTC Sense UI will definitely get a run for its money.
Unfortunately, there are at least two and a half months to go before Sony Ericsson release the XPERIA X10 and they still have a lot of work to do and a lot of edges to polish. Chances are we'll be getting a real treat in February 2010.

Xperia Pureness Live Pics

noreply@blogger.com (Karun) — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 07:20:00 +0000

SE-Blog has posted loads of live pics of the XPERIA Pureness or the X5 as you know it as. Yeah..its the one with the transparent display! ;) It has Michell impressed so much that he's contemplating ditching his Satio in its favour :) Hit the link below to check out the Pics.

Xperia Pureness Live Pics

First video of the Kurara

noreply@blogger.com (Karun) — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 17:08:00 +0000

The guy who shot the video surely wouldn't win any awards but here's it folks! The very first video of the Sony Ericsson U5 or 'kurara' as you probably know it as.

PS3 Remote Play for X10 - A possibility

noreply@blogger.com (Karun) — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 06:37:00 +0000

Sony Ericsson has hinted that it could launch a "PS3" app similar to that found on the Sony Ericsson Aino handset launched earlier in the year for the Android OS, when the company's new Xperia X10 handset launches in February.

Christopher David, head of developer and partner engagement at Sony Ericsson, said “It makes a lot of sense for it to be on other handsets. It should be expected".

So far, the PS3 app runs on the Aino’s Nexus UX platform, allowing users to access the PS3 from the phone and stream content to their handset from anywhere in the world. The X10 already sports the same DLNA and wireless connectivity as the Aino, plus has a fast 1GHz Snapdragon processor and four-inch screen – all well suited to gamers.

"For it to work you would need wireless and DLNA connectivity," said David, after Pocket-lint tried to lure more than an "it's possible" answer from the man, when asked to engage in the new Sony Ericsson Nexus UX platform for the X10.

As for other apps to expect in the future? David was keeping quiet, however he did acknowledge a "good question asked" as to whether Sony Ericsson's Play Now store, that allows users to download movies and music, would get an Android app of its own.

"You never know", was the official response with a wry smile.

Via: Unthinkable

Xperia X10 Hands-On

noreply@blogger.com (Karun) — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 06:09:00 +0000

Michell attended a local Xperia X10 event yesterday where he managed to play around with the X10 for a while. Quite a bit of new info and loads of nice pictures. Here's an excerpt:

"I simply love the Timescape application. It seems to work brilliantly. Note that it’s a separate application developed by Sony Ericsson and that the default home screen is the ordinary Android home screen. You can however set Timescape to be your home screen, if that’s what you want. An awesome thing is that it’s modular, meaning you can check which tabs to show and you’ll even be able to install plugins to add additional tabs."

"Face recognition seems to be an excellent feature, capable of tagging people in the photos you take and receive on your X10."

"The phone does come with a built-in magnometer (compass), and coupled with the GPS you can use augmented reality applications. I was shown one application in which you could add several different layers on top of the camera view."

"It’ll be released with Android version 1.6, but a future firmware update will introduce Android 2.0. The major improvements in 2.0 have however already been added to the X10 by Sony Ericsson, i.e. Bluetooth file transfer, Exchange support and social media services support.The pricing of the X10 will be roughly the same as the launch price of the Satio."

Read his complete Xperia X10 report

Sony Ericsson Kurara Previewed

noreply@blogger.com (Karun) — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 04:59:00 +0000

Eldar Murtazin, the man- the legend behind Mobile-Review has done it again. A preview of the Sony Ericsosn Kurara has been published at Mobile-Review, with loads of pics and Eldar's own views. If you're looking to lay your hands on the Kurara, this preview is certainly worth a look.

Here's what he had to say:

Although there is one area where it excels and that’s UI, for it’s the fastest Symbian-based smartphone to date, based on Cortex A8 with 256 Mb RAM.at this point, it’s said the Kukara will retail for 400 Euro at the minimum, which is simply too much for a product of this caliber. If it hits the market at this price point, it won’t have even a chance to make any sort of impact.

The U5’s production cost hovers at around 200 Euro, so by forgoing their lust for extra-high margins and opting to retail it for 300 Euro ( around Rs 21000), they’d be able to turn it into a milestone device and a true icon for its segment. In a way, it’d be more like the Sony Ericsson T610/K750 that shined on the market several years ago. Which route will they pick? We’ll see in a couple of months. If they fail to cut its price down to 300 Euro, the U5 will pass unnoticed.

Hope you're listening Sony Ericsson.

While made out of plastic, it feels pleasant in the hand. The back cover is so thin that sometimes it seems that you’d be able to pierce it with your finger. Yet, it feels quite sturdy and not loose by any means. The phone carries a microSD memory card slot, although there isn’t much bundled memory at all. The display seems to be pretty sensitive, as it’s similar to the one employed in the Satio. On top of that, the U5 boasts a 3.5mm audio jack at the top, as well as a microUSB socket. As far as its battery time is concerned, in our tests it lasted around one day, although we did give it a run for its money there. Its proprietary UI sports a twitter client, and a Satio-esque Facebook app.

The U5’s camera is nothing to write home about, and except for its 720p resolution for video. ( hope SE works on this!)

The product doesn’t offer any innovations that can make one open his mouth and say “Wow” – it’s a solid, likable phone, whose fate depends entirely on its price tag. At 300 Euro it’ll be a bestseller, make no mistake about that; however if they opt to charge a premium for the non-existent brand value, it won’t make any impact on the market. All in all, the U5 is a decent phone, but it needs a fitting marketing strategy more than anything else right now.

Read the entire preview of the Kurara

Kurara HD video sample (720p)

noreply@blogger.com (Karun) — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 04:32:00 +0000

A video sample from Kurara has been leaked and put up on youtube, sporting a 720p resolution.

The video shows that it currently records video with a video bitrate of about 2,100 Kbps (variable) and 108 Kbps audio in stereo channels. It records 24 frames per second.

Via: se-blog.com

Sony Ericsson Xperia X2 launched

noreply@blogger.com (Karun) — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 06:13:00 +0000

Yesterday, Sony Ericsson launched the Xperia X2, its second smartphone based on Windows Mobile.

Boasting Windows Mobile 6.5 and relying heavily on the X Panels UI , a 3.2-inch WVGA display, full QWERTY keyboard, 8.1-megapixel camera with autofocus and photo flash, stereo speakers, Wi-Fi with DLNA, A-GPS, TV-out, Bluetooth and a microSD slot (supports up to 16GB cards), the X2 sure seems to be a winner.

The Sony Ericsson XPERIA X2 is one impressive device full of industry leading features - it's the first Windows Mobile smartphone with an 8 megapixel camera and WVGA video recording and it's actually the first ever full QWERTY phone to have that sort of imaging prowess as well.
The Sony Ericsson XPERIA X2 is surely one of the most rumored and eagerly awaited devices. It packs top notch functionality with a special incline towards imaging and video recording. That and the larger display and DivX/XviD video support are probably the biggest improvements over the previous XPERIA X1.

Xperia Pureness Hands-On

noreply@blogger.com (Karun) — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 06:02:00 +0000

The folks at Engadget got a chance to play around with the Xperia Pureness..yeah, the one with the somewhat gimmicky transparent screen. Transparent you say? Yup, you heard right!

Anyway, here's what they had to say:

The capabilities of the phone should come as no surprise to anyone who's used a Sony Ericsson Java-happy dumbphone in the past, and the handset also has that wild variety of face buttons that are typical on a SE handset. Up top, with the d-pad flush on the face, things start to get crowded, but overall the phone is pretty usable tactile-wise. The meaty numeric pad should be a boon to a T9 afficianado, and we even managed to play a game of Pacman on the handset. Overall the materials used are nice and XPERIA-ey, but the most overt luxury item here is the block of glass that serves as the screen.

Sony Ericsson to close Chennai unit

noreply@blogger.com (Karun) — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 06:51:00 +0000

I had recently posted that Sony Ericsson plans to close some locations and lay off 2,000 individuals. The latest news is that Sony Ericsson has announced it would close down the research and development (R&D) facility in Chennai (India), the global hub for development work on entry level phones since 2007.

The company said the closure was part of its business transformation programme aimed at consolidation and that it was making organizational changes to reduce costs and increase efficiencies. "The principal aim of the company is to return to profitability as soon as possible," it said in a press release. The company will terminate about 2,000 jobs by mid-2010, including around 60 people in Chennai.

"The Chennai R&D centre had engineers working on the development of entry level phones for Sony Ericsson. The centre had less than 60 people working there," Aldo Liguori, corporate vice-president and head of global communications & public relations, Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications, told TOI.

Sony Ericsson has R&D centres in Japan, Sweden, Netherlands, the US, the UK and China.

When asked if there was a possibility of accommodating these 60 employees elsewhere, Liguori said, "We do not have that detail at this moment. This decision has been part of the initial meetings. But the total plan across the centres around the world is that about 2,000 people will be terminated. Already, about 400 employees were terminated across various locations starting October," he said.

Via: Times of India

Sony Ericsson Kurara runs on a Cortex A8 Processor

noreply@blogger.com (Karun) — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 05:09:00 +0000

Eldar Murtazin, the man behind Mobile Review, has posted another pic of the upcoming Kurara, as well as confirmed previously known specs ie...Kurara indeed runs on an ARM Cortex A8 processor clocking 600 MHz with PowerVR SGX graphics. According to him, Sony Ericsson has fine tuned things and the Symbian S60 interface is said to 'fly'. he also added that the 720p video recording is pretty impressive. As reported earlier,the device is slated to roll out mid February 2010 with a price tag of $670 – $750. Eldar promises to post a more detailed impression and imagery soon. Things are going to hot up so continue watching this space!

Via: Eldar's Blog & Engadget

Xperia X10 to set you back by $879?

noreply@blogger.com (Karun) — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 04:59:00 +0000

Sony Ericsson hopes that its upcoming Xperia X10, its flagship device for 2010,based on Google's Android operating system, will help the company return to profit after several loss-making quarters.

The new high-end smartphone, which will cost around 6,000 Swedish kronor ($879) in stores, will be available in the first quarter 2010 in a number of markets, press spokesman Gustaf Brusewitz told Dow Jones Newswires.

No Windows Mobile 6.5 update for the X1

noreply@blogger.com (Karun) — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 04:46:00 +0000

Users of the Sony Ericsson Xperia X1 who have been wondering if their smartphone will be upgraded to Windows Mobile (WM) 6.5 can finally stop obsessing over it. Putting the matter to rest, a Sony Ericsson spokesperson confirmed that there will not be an official update.

Some of you may be rightfully upset by this, as the Sony Ericsson Xperia X1 has been one of the more expensive handsets of recent times, and while ROM’s are available on XDA-Developers they are not blessed with official updated drivers, meaning they would have issues not present in an official release.

Via: CraveAsia