Recent mobile phone news has been buzzing about the Sony Xperia S, which is expected sometime during Q1 of 2012.
The Xperia S and its sister mobile, the Xperia ion, are the first two smartphones which bear the Sony name alone, minus the Ericsson. It is a powerful unit, featuring a dual-core 1.5 GHz processor, 1 GB RAM, and 32 GB of built-in flash memory.
The unit is 120 mm x 64 mm x 10.6 mm. It weighs 144 grams. The front of the handset features a generous 4.3 inch screen with 720 x 1280 pixel resolution and 720p high definition video playback. On the back of the phone, there is a 12 megapixel camera capable of full 1080 high definition video recording. Video calling is supported by a 1.3 megapixel front-facing camera.
Sony-specific enhanced features include an Exmor R enhance image sensor, graphics supported by Bravia, xLoud and TrackID for music, and PlayStation certification for gaming. In addition to Sony’s extras, the Xperia S includes an HDMI port, FM radio and NFC capability as well as all the standard features expected from a smartphone – Wi-Fi, GPS, Bluetooth, and, of course, 3.5G.
The battery is a 1750 mAh built-in cell, quoted as providing up to 8.5 hours of talk time (on 3G) and up to 17 days on standby.
Aesthetically, the Sony Xperia S is visually reminiscent of Sony products (versus Sony Ericsson products), with a small transparent line element providing a bit of relief from the ‘slab’ styling. Overall, it is an impressive handset and marks a good start for Sony in 2012.
At the time of this writing, pricing information is not available, although this is certainly to be counted among higher-end phones. It is expected to be available in black, with the white version exclusive to specific retailers.
