Sony Ericsson Xperia Play and Xperia Arc rolling out soon...

Sony Ericsson kept their promise and quickly released the first software update for their Xperia PLAY and Arc smartphone flagships. Right now only a few markets are able to experience the goodies of the Facebook-centered update, but more should follow soon.

Sony Ericsson didn’t specify when each of the markets will be getting the chance to experience 2.3.3 Gingerbread, but mentioned that unbranded Arcs and PLAYs around the globe will be in the first lines.
This update will bring the tighter Facebook integration introduced with the latest Xperia mini and Xperia mini pro handsets and will fix some security issues that Sony Ericsson identified.
And here are the areas that will get some improvement:

Battery performance
General software stability
Wi-Fi stability
HD Video recording performance (Xperia Arc only)
Touch responsiveness

The update will be available over-the-air, but if you prefer you will also be able to get it through your PC.

Samsung Galaxy S 2 official live demo + hands on video !!

The upcoming Samsung Galaxy S II is featured again in another video. Especially for those who can’t wait, Samsung has released an official hands-on video which goes through the details of the device which includes TouchWiz, Web Browser and an improved email client. This gives us a closer look at the device unlike its previous commercial videos.
The 12 minute video shows almost everything that the phone has to offer including how widgets, home screens and apps are being managed. What we liked particular is the email client which looks like a tablet interface when used in landscape mode. As teased earlier, they also demo the gyroscope assisted navigation/zoom feature.
A new feature worth highlighting is its Kies Air, where you can manage your phone’s media files from your computer via wireless connection. Basically the Galaxy S II turns into a media web server which you can directly view and manage your content through its web interface on your computer’s browser. Overall, the Galaxy S II brings a host of new features and improvement over its predecessor the Galaxy S in both hardware and software aspects. HTC has joined the dual-core Android arena with its HTC Sensation. It would be interesting to see how both will compare in terms of usability and most importantly pricing.
Now when is the Samsung Galaxy S II launching in Malaysia? We can’t wait.
[ SOURCE ]

Sony Ericsson WT18i, a Walkman with android....

It looks like the Sony Ericsson Walkman line of phones is coming back to life. A new popped up out shortly after the official announcement of Sony Ericsson W8. This time, it is labeled (at least for the time being) WT18i.

Much like the W8, the specs of the device suggest that it will be a youth-oriented, budget priced handset. The processor of the device is Marvell PXA 920, clocked at 806 MHz and the HVGA screen measures 3.2". The device will have 150MB of internal memory and a microSD card slot (up to 32GB cards will be supported.

A 3 MP camera with 480p video recording will have to do for the user's photography needs, while the front-facing camera enables video-calls. This functionality will come in a compact package weighing only 110 grams.

Interestingly enough, the OS is listed as "OMS 2.5", which should be based on Android 2.2 Froyo. The OS of choice and the TD-SCDMA network support show that this particular version is China bound, but a worldwide version might appear too.

There is no info on a release date or pricing yet. The homescreen on the phone in the picture shows 09-24-2011, which might be a hint by the company. We will surely let you know as soon as we find out.

Source

HTC Desire Z available for Gingerbread upgrade by the end of June

At last, it's confirmed - the HTC Desire Z is going to receive some Gingerbread love, too. The premium Android slider with QWERTY keyboard was released in late 2010, but HTC show they haven't forgotten about it almost half year down the road.

The news for the update came from HTC itself, as an employee from the customer support staff posted on a company's support page:

...we optimise the experience for each handset, for example, HTC Desire HD and Desire Z have different screen sizes. Gingerbread for Desire Z is coming before the end of June...

I hope you Desire Z owners can hold it until HTC releases the official update. Although, I reckon the majority of you already have Gingerbread on your devices one way or another.

Source

REVIEW of Samsung Galaxy Gio S5660: Average Gio

Introduction

It’s devices like the Samsung Galaxy Gio that helped Android gain so much ground in so little time. They are a better bargain than the uber-smartphone and find their way into people’s pockets a lot easier. With that goal in mind, the Galaxy Gio must be an all-round pleaser of a phone.

Samsung Galaxy Gio S5660

They may soon be running out of names for the Galaxy lot. But it will be when number plates start to fall short that they’ll know they’re in trouble. Back to the point though. Boy number S5660 is called Gio. He’s a teenager – mischievous and fun, too young for a suit and tie.

It’s a decent offer for the midrange: with a good enough version of Android (2.2.1 Froyo), good enough screen, a powerful 800MHz processor and a great connectivity set, ranging from 3G to GPS. There’s little to complain about, save for the imaging skills perhaps.

Here’s the rest of what the Galaxy Gio has to offer.

Key features

Quad-band GSM and dual-band 3G support
7.2 Mbps HSDPA support
3.2" 16M-color TFT capacitive touchscreen of HVGA (320 x 480 pixels) resolution, multi-touch
800MHz ARM 11 processor, Adreno 200 GPU, Qualcomm MSM7227 chipset; 278MB of RAM available to the user
Android 2.2.1 (Froyo) with TouchWiz 3.0 UI
Wi-Fi 802.11 b, g, n with Mobile Hotspot functionality
GPS with A-GPS connectivity; Digital compass
3.2 MP autofocus camera with geo-tagging and face-detection
QVGA@15fps video
microUSB port (charging) and stereo Bluetooth v2.1
microSD slot (up to 32GB, 2GB in box)
Standard 3.5 mm audio jack
Accelerometer and proximity sensor
DNSe sound enhancement
Stereo FM radio with RDS
Document viewer
Smart dialing
Swype text input
Samsung Apps brings a few nice apps for free

Main disadvantages

A familiar phone gets faster, thanks to Verizon's LTE network

It isn't very often that a smartphone has the the staying power to remain a best-seller for an entire year, and it's even more rare to see that smartphone still have a major buzz factor when it hits another carrier some 12 months after it was initially announced. That phone, of course, is the HTC EVO 4G on Sprint. And it's been revamped and revitalized as the HTC ThunderBolt -- the first 4G LTE smartphone on Verizon.

Let's just get this out of the way -- yes, the ThunderBolt is nearly a dead ringer for the Sprint EVO 4G, another HTC device. And that's a good thing. The EVO 4G was the first Wimax device, and the first Android smartphone with a 4.3-inch touchscreen, and we'd still have little problem recommending it to someone today. So it was of little surprise that the ThunderBolt caused such a commotion leading up to its announcement at CES in January 2011, and that frustration over the nearly three months it took until release crescendoed to a level never before seen.

But, indeed, the ThunderBolt ushers in a new era -- the LTE era -- and that means a whole new experience. So join us after the break as we break down the ThunderBolt and its place atop of the smartphone mountain.

ThunderBolt Specs | ThunderBolt Forums | ThunderBolt Accessories

Our initial hands-on

Youtube link for mobile viewing

The hardware

Sony Ericson Xperia Acro revealed ! it's an ultimate phone....

Apparently Cinco de Mayo isn't just a day for celebration and drinking, phone manufacturers like to join in on the fun, too. Sony Ericsson announced a new addition to its Xperia line of phones, the Xperia Acro, the Japanese cousin to the SE Xperia Arc.

In a press release, Sony Ericsson told us its new phone would have Android 2.3 on board, huzzah! It's always a good sign to see manufacturers preloading Gingerbread on their new phones. It'll handle the processing with the help of a 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon CPU and Adreno 205 GPU. The camera will snap photos at 8.1MP and record video at 720p. With the included Exmor R for mobile technology, low light stills and videos will turn out surprisingly well, often negating the use for the camera flash. SE brags the Acro has "best-in-class imaging and display technology features," something we can certainly attest to given the excellence of the Xperia Arc's camera. This allows it to take full advantage of the mobile TV functionality it's capable of. All this goodness will be displayed on a 4.2-inch extra-wide screen powered by the Reality Display with Mobile Bravia Engine. You'll be able to pick up an Acro this summer in black or white.

We have SE's full press release after the break.

Source: Sony Ericsson

Sony Ericsson unveils Xperia acro - the ultimate smartphone for users in Japan

05 May 2011
Combines best-in-class imaging and display technology with features familiar to users in Japan, such as an infrared port for data exchange, mobile wallet, and mobile TV functionality.

Latest Sony Ericsson XPERIA phones will be Facebook phones

05 May, 2011 | Comments (20) | Post your comment

Tags: Sony Ericsson, Android, Touch UI

Sony Ericsson just announced they plan to bump up the Facebook integration on their XPERIA phones to a whole new level. Beyond the obvious single sign-on and contacts and calendar sync, Facebook will now show its face at numerous places throughout the Xperia user interface.

Some of the new features are

Sony Ericsson Xperia Mini and Xperia Mini Pro revealed

Powerful but compact Android duo

Xperia Mini (pictured) and Mini Pro announced

Sony Ericsson has announced the arrival of two new smartphones which should satiate the budget crowd – the Xperia Mini and Xperia Mini Pro.

Both smartphones seemingly have Facebook engrained into their UI, with the phones offering "intuitive, faster and easier sharing, liking and commenting" and the "instant ability to share the songs you 'like' with friends".

Both the Xperia Mini and Xperia Mini Pro come brandishing Android Gingerbread 2.3, with the Xperia Mini having the boast of being the "world's smallest Android smartphone with HD video recording".

The Xperia Mini and Xperia Mini Pro have three-inch capacitive touchscreens (the Mini Pro also has a Reality Display), are powered by a 1GHz Snapdragon processor and have the Sony Mobile Bravia Engine inside.

When it comes to looks, the Mini Pro is the most striking due to its sliding QWERTY keyboard (a throwback from the X10 Mini Pro).

Google Earth launched for Android Honeycomb

3D mapping service arrives on Android 3.0 tablets

Google Earth gives Honeycomb another top-line experience

Google has added another weapon to the Android 3.0 armory, by announcing that mapping service Google Earth is coming to Honeycomb tablets.

The new iteration of the app, which allows users to cruise around 197 million square miles of the planet, has been reworked for tablets like the Motorola Xoom.

The new update adds support for "fully textured 3D buildings" according to the announcement on the Google Mobile Blog.

Users can also "fly to their location" while adding easier access to search, Google Places and the Wikipedia entry for the location.

IMAX-like

Google says the new tablet-optimised version makes use of the larger screen by utilising content pop-ups without masking the view of your location.

"Moving from a mobile phone to a tablet was like going from a regular movie theatre to IMAX. We took advantage of the larger screen size, including features like content pop-ups appearing within Earth view, so you can see more information without switching back and forth between pages," said a post on the Google Blog.

With developers not exactly flooding the Android Market with top-of-the-range Honeycomb apps, it appears its going to be left up to Google again to do most of the heavy lifting. This looks like another big hitter from its mobile studio

HTC Desire HD and Incredible S available for Android 2.3 updates !!

HTC Desire HD and Incredible S Android 2.3 updates roll out

The HTC boys getting an Android 2.3 update

HTC has begun the process of bestowing the latest version of Android on its more recent phones, starting with the HTC Desire HD 2.3 update.

The HTC Incredible S is also getting its own version of Gingerbread (boosting the handset to Android 2.3.3) via an over the air update, according to the HTC update site.

The new-and-improved software will add a smattering of improved functionality to the handsets, including improved copy and paste and (hopefully) a much improved battery life, especially in the case of the Desire HD.

Odd kid

The Incredible S has seemed like the odd one out at the HTC shindig for a while, as the only phone from 2011 not launching with Android 2.3, rather going for the more market-ready Froyo.

However, before you pull out the party poppers (and don't do that anyway, you weirdo) this will probably only be for unbranded and unlocked phones, as the networks will still need to do final checks to make sure the software works with your shiny phone.

We've had a nose around the networks to see if they can give us any time frame for the Android 2.3 update for the Desire HD and Incredible S, and we'll get back to you as soon as we know more.

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