We were only able to spend a few minutes with Sony’s new Xperia P smartphone as we rushed from Sony’s press conference to HTC’s press conference on Sunday, and we didn’t get any time at all with the Xperia U. Thanks to a slightly lighter event scheduled on Monday, we were able to make it over to Sony’s booth and spend some quality time with its new smartphones. These are the first smartphones that will be launched by the new Sony Mobile Communications unit that picks up where Son...

We’re here in sunny Barcelona, Spain on day 0 of the annual Mobile World Congress trade show — yes, several companies couldn’t even wait for day 1 to hold their press conferences — and Sony’s media event has just wrapped up. In case you missed it, Sony unveiled two devices at this year’s show, one of which was the sleek new Xperia P smartphone that will launch in the second quarter. The handset’s design is reminiscent of earlier Xperia handsets, but like the other members of ...

Sony on Thursday announced the transaction to acquire Ericsson’s 50% stake in Sony Ericsson has been completed. Sony and Ericsson announced the deal last October, which was worth €1.05 billion in cash and made Sony Ericsson a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sony. The company will be renamed to Sony Mobile Communications and will “further integrate the mobile phone business as a vital element of its electronics business, with the aim of accelerating convergence between Sony’s lineup of network enabl...

Global smartphone sales increased 47.3% to 149 million units in the fourth quarter of 2011, according to market research firm Gartner. Total smartphone sales for the full year increased 58% to 472 million units and accounted for 31% of all mobile devices sold. The record sales were led by Apple’s iPhone, which sold 37 million units and helped the company capture a 23.8% market share in the fourth quarter. Apple was also the top smartphone vendor in 2011, with a 19% market share. “Western Europe an...

Next month we’re sure to hear about the latest smartphones from several of the world’s largest phone makers during Mobile World Congress, however that hasn’t stopped a number of leaks from occurring ahead of the show. The latest is a possible image of what is presumed to be Sony’s upcoming ST25i “Kumquat” Android smartphone. Specs are still slim at this point and we’re a bit suspicious since it still features the “Sony Ericsson” branding, but this could ea...

Sony Ericsson on Wednesday posted a €247 million loss, blaming “intense competition, price erosion and restructuring charges” for its poor results. While the Swedish joint venture did continue to make headway in the smartphone market, noting a 67% increase in Android-based Xperia smartphone sales compared to the fourth quarter in 2012, the average selling price of its phones dipped 14% sequentially and operating margin plummeted to -10% excluding restructuring fees. Mobile phone shipments were ...

Sony came to this year’s Consumer Electronics Show with a pair of new Xperia smartphones and while they definitely look and feel like older devices in the company’s Xperia lineup in terms of design identity, they were much smoother than older Xperia models. The dual-core 1.5GHz processor in the Xperia S clearly plays a big role in speeding up Sony’s UI, and the 4.3-inch 720p Reality Display produces deep blacks and vivid colors. The UI itself is still one of our least favorite Android interf...

During the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas on Tuesday we swung by Sony’s booth to get an up-close look at the Sony Xperia ion, an Android smartphone soon headed to AT&T. The Xperia ion is the first 4G LTE device from Sony and it’s equipped with a 1.5GHz dual-core processor, a 4.6-inch reality display with a 720p HD resolution and Sony’s Bravia Engine, a 12-megapixel camera capable of recording 1080p HD video, a 720p front-facing camera for video chat and an HDMI-out port. We love ...

It looks like Sony Ericsson’s secret has finally been revealed in the form of “Nozomi.” The company has been teasing the previously mysterious and unannounced device for the past week on Facebook. The vendor’s German Facebook page recently revealed another teaser image, clearly showing a sleek and slim RAZR-style smartphone. The Nozomi is set to debut at next week’s Consumer Electronics Show, but ITProPortal published an extensive walk-through with the device early Friday morn...

Sony Ericsson has taken to the company’s Facebook page to tease a “big announcement” coming at next week’s Consumer Electronics Show. Keen-eyed readers suggest that the teaser images, pictured above, could depict the sequel to the Xperia Arc, though nothing has been confirmed. Over the past few weeks we have seen various Sony leaks suggesting that the company will soon announce a mega-phone set to launch on AT&T, code-named the LT28at. Sony Ericsson also recently registered a ...

In the coming year, Sony Ericsson plans to have more of an Android presence in the United States. Earlier rumors suggested that Sony is planning a high-end smartphone that will land on AT&T, code-named “LT28at.” Additionally, another high-end device code-named “Nozomi” is currently being tested by carriers in Hong Kong and could possibly make its way stateside. According to a recently filed trademark with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, Sony is looking to market a new device...

Sony Ericsson doesn’t have much of a presence in the United States smartphone market right now. Sure, it released the Xperia PLAY for Verizon Wireless and AT&T earlier this year, but it didn’t make much of a splash. Sony Ericsson’s U.S. position could change soon, though, if it decides to pump out a bunch of high-end smartphones. The latest rumor suggests that the company could release a phone with the model number “LT28at” that will land on AT&T later this year. It repo...

An image of an unannounced Android smartphone from Sony Ericsson code-named “Nozomi” has been published on a Chinese forum along with limited preliminary details. The smartphone reportedly features a 720p HD display and a dual-core processor, but additional specs remain a mystery. From the image, it looks like the phone features a display sized above 4 inches, and we can also see a unique lighting feature near the bottom of the device. The Nozomi is currently being tested by a carrier in Hong Kong...

We recently sat down with Sony Ericsson President of North America Paul Hamnett to discuss the company’s future as a wholly-owned division of Sony Corporation, its upcoming smartphones and strategy pertaining to the U.S. market, Sony Electronics’ “four screen” opportunity, and much more. Check out the full video interview after the break. (more…)