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 Sony Ericsson left off, and to be frank, we’re a bit concerned. This pair of Android phones is well-made and we like what Sony has done to its UI atop Android 4.0, but we’re still seeing some things that concern us. Check out our hands-on photos in the gallery linked below, and then hit the break for our initial impressions of the Xperia P and Xperia U smartphones.

First and foremost, these smartphones will hit the market in a very Sony Ericsson-like fashion. They will both launch running Android 2.3 Gingerbread, and Sony has stated that the Xperia P and Xperia U will each receive an update to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich some time in the second quarter. Slow software updates have historically been a big issue for Sony Ericsson’s Android phones, so this definitely isn’t a great way to instill confidence in users who might still have a bad taste in their mouths.

The devices themselves are solid phones, however. They share a very similar design identity that includes the transparent light bar near the bottom of each handset, and they also sport Reality Displays that make use of Sony’s Bravia engine.

The larger of the two phones is the Xperia P, and it features a 4-inch display with “WhiteMagic” display technology that Sony says is ultra-bright and power efficient. After spending some time with the phone we can definitely confirm that the screen is extremely bright, and colors don’t get washed out at all as the brightness increases. The 1GHz dual-core processor doesn’t really do Android 4.0 justice on this handset, but hopefully things will be a bit smoother in the release version of the software.

The Xperia U features a significantly smaller form factor and a 3.5-inch Reality Display. It’s powered by the same dual-core processor and it it suffers from the same occasional hiccups that we saw with the Xperia P. The display isn’t quite as impressive as the panel on the Xperia P unfortunately, but beyond that the two phones are very similar.

We’re looking forward to spending some more time with these phones but in the mean time, be sure to check out our hands-on gallery above.

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 the “Xperia NXT” family, it features a clear strip near the bottom of the phone that adds a variety of unique lighting features to the device. The phone’s 3.5-inch display leaves a bit to be desired compared to market leaders like Samsung, and colors weren’t nearly as vivid as they are on phones like the Galaxy S II or Galaxy Nexus. The Xperia P will also launch with a dual-core 1GHz processor while the competition is rolling out devices with NVIDIA’s 1.5GHz quad-core chipset, and the difference is noticeable; the Xperia P isn’t laggy per se, but moving around Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich feels a bit slow compared to some other phones. We weren’t able to spend much time with the Xperia P — or any time at all with the Xperia U — but check out a few photos in the gallery below and tune in for HTC’s press conference, which is scheduled to kick off at 2:30 p.m. EST / 11:30 a.m.

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 enabled consumer electronics products, including smart phones, tablets, TVs and PCs.” Read on for Sony’s press release.

Sony Completes Full Acquisition of Sony Ericsson

Sony to Rename the Company Sony Mobile Communications and Accelerate Business Integration

February 16, 2012, Tokyo, Japan – Sony Corporation (“Sony”) today announced that the transaction to acquire Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson’s (“Ericsson”) 50% stake in Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB (“Sony Ericsson”) has been completed as of February 15, 2012 (Central European time). This marks the completion of the transaction jointly announced by Sony and Ericsson on October 27, 2011, and makes Sony Ericsson a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sony.

Sony will rename Sony Ericsson “Sony Mobile Communications”, and 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 enabled consumer electronics products, including smart phones, tablets, TVs and PCs.

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 and North America led most of the smartphone growth for Apple during the fourth quarter of 2011,” said Roberta Cozza, principal research analyst at Gartner. “In Western Europe the spike in iPhone sales in the fourth quarter saved the overall smartphone market after two consecutive quarters of slow sales.” Samsung continued its success with LG, Sony Ericsson, Motorola and Research In Motion recording disappointing results. Both ZTE and Huawei dominated the low-end to mid-range market and became — along with Apple — the fastest-growing vendors in the fourth quarter of 2011. “These vendors expanded their market reach and kept on improving the user experience of their Android devices,” said Cozza. Read on for Gartner’s press release.

Gartner Says Worldwide Smartphone Sales Soared in Fourth Quarter of 2011 With 47 Percent Growth
Apple Became Top Smartphone Vendor in Fourth Quarter of 2011 and in 2011 as a Whole

Egham, UK, February 15, 2012—

Worldwide smartphone sales to end users soared to 149 million units in the fourth quarter of 2011, a 47.3 per cent increase from the fourth quarter of 2010, according to Gartner, Inc. Total smartphone sales in 2011 reached 472 million units and accounted for 31 percent of all mobile devices sales, up 58 percent from 2010.

Smartphone volumes during the quarter rose due to record sales of Apple iPhones. As a result, Apple became the third-largest mobile phone vendor in the world, overtaking LG. Apple also became the world’s top smartphone vendor, with a market share of 23.8 percent in the fourth quarter of 2011, and the top smartphone vendor for 2011 as a whole, with a 19 percent market share. “Western Europe and North America led most of the smartphone growth for Apple during the fourth quarter of 2011,” said Roberta Cozza, principal research analyst at Gartner. “In Western Europe the spike in iPhone sales in the fourth quarter saved the overall smartphone market after two consecutive quarters of slow sales.”

The quarter saw Samsung and Apple cement their positions further at the top of the market as their brands and new products clearly stood out. LG, Sony Ericsson, Motorola and Research In Motion (RIM) again recorded disappointing results as they struggled to improve volumes and profits significantly. These vendors were also exposed to a much stronger threat from the midrange and low end of the smartphone market as ZTE and Huawei continued to gain share during the quarter.

Worldwide mobile device sales to end users totaled 476.5 million units in the fourth quarter of 2011, a 5.4 percent increase from the same period in 2010 (see Table 1). In 2011 as a whole, end users bought 1.8 billion units, an 11.1 percent increase from 2010 (see Table 2). “Expectations for 2012 are for the overall market to grow by about 7 percent, while smartphone growth is expected to slow to around 39 percent,” said Annette Zimmermann, principal research analyst at Gartner.

In the fourth quarter of 2011, Nokia’s mobile phone sales numbered 111.7 million units, an 8.7 percent decrease from last year. “Samsung closed the gap with Nokia in overall market share,” said Ms. Cozza. “Samsung profited from strong smartphone sales of 34 million units in the fourth quarter of 2011. The troubled economic environment in Europe and Nokia’s weakened brand status posed challenges that were hard to overcome in just one quarter. However, Nokia proved its ability to execute and deliver on time with its new Lumia 710 and 800 handsets. Nokia will have to continue to offer aggressive prices to encourage communications service providers (CSPs) to add its products to portfolios currently dominated by Android-based devices.”

Apple had an exceptional fourth quarter, selling 35.5 million smartphones to end users, a 121.4 percent increase year on year. Apple’s continued attention to channel management helped it take full advantage of the strong quarter to further close the gap with Samsung, which saw some inventory build up for its smartphone range. Apple’s strong performance will continue into the first quarter of 2012 as availability of the iPhone 4S widens. However, since Apple will not benefit from delayed purchases as it did in the fourth quarter of 2011, Gartner analysts expect its sales to decline quarter-on-quarter.

After Apple, ZTE and Huawei were the fastest-growing vendors in the fourth quarter of 2011. “These vendors expanded their market reach and kept on improving the user experience of their Android devices,” said Ms. Cozza.

In the fourth quarter of 2011, ZTE moved into fourth place in the global handset market. ZTE posted a strong smartphone sales increase of 71 percent sequentially. The company was able to extend its portfolio to three CSPs in its home market and benefited from consumers’ interest in low-cost smartphones. Huawei moved ahead of LG in the Android marketplace to become a top-four Android manufacturer, thanks to strong smartphone growth in the quarter. Huawei has made significant progress in moving to its own-branded devices, and it has continued to expand its portfolio into higher tiers as its tries to build more iconic products.

RIM dropped to the No. 7 spot in the fourth quarter of 2011, with a 10.7 percent decline. RIM’s delay with its BlackBerry 10 platform will further impair its ability to retain users. However, RIM’s biggest challenge is still to expand the developer base around its ecosystem and convince developers to work and innovate with BlackBerry 10.

In the smartphone OS market (see Table 3), competition between Google and Apple intensified. Android’s share declined slightly sequentially. This was due to strong iPhone sales, driven in particular by the iPhone 4S in mature markets and the weakness of key Android vendors as they struggled to create unique and differentiated devices. Samsung remained the main contributor to Android share gains in the second half of 2011. iOS’s market share grew 8 percentage points year-on-year, but Gartner analysts expect Apple’s share to drop in the next couple of quarters as the upgrade cycle to the iPhone 4S slows. Nokia’s first Windows Phone smartphones, the Lumia 710 and 800, made their debut, but, as expected, sales were not enough to prevent a fall in Microsoft’s smartphone market share.

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 easily be an early prototype since even the smartphones on display at CES featured the Sony Ericsson name. Sony recently announced it was purchasing Ericsson’s stake in the Sony Ericsson joint venture and its newest phones are now branded “Sony,” but Xperia Blog, which leaked the image, said Sony may still launch devices with Sony Ericsson branding. 

[Via Engadget]

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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 down to 9 million from 11.2 million units in the same quarter a year earlier, and revenue slid to €1.29 billion from €1.53 billion in the fourth quarter 2010. ”Our fourth quarter results reflected intense competition, unfavorable macroeconomic conditions and the effects of a natural disaster in Thailand this quarter,” Sony Ericsson CEO Bert Nordberg said. For the full year, the company reported an operating loss of €243 million on €5.21 billion in sales. Sony Ericsson’s press release follows below.

Sony Ericsson reports fourth quarter and full year results

19 January 2012

• Q4 loss reflects intense competition, price erosion and restructuring charges
• 65% year-on-year increase in Android-based XperiaTM smartphone quarterlysales
• 28 million Xperia smartphones shipped to date
  

The consolidated financial summary for Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB (Sony Ericsson) for the fourth quarter and full year ended December 31, 2011 is as follows*:

	Q4 2010	Q3 2011	Q4 2011	FY 2010	FY 2011
Number of units shipped (million) Average selling price (Euro)	11.2 136	9.5 166	9.0 143	43.1 146	34.4 152
Sales (Euro m.)	1,528	1,586	1,288	6,294	5,212
Gross margin (%)	30%	27%	24%	29%	28%
Operating income (Euro m.)	39	38	-227	159	-206
Operating margin (%)	3%	2%	-18%	3%	-4%
Restructuring charges (Euro m.)	-3	-	-93	-42	-93
Operating income excl. restructuring charges (Euro m.)	43	38	-134	202	-113
Operating margin excl. restructuring charges (%)	3%	2%	-10%	3%	-2%
Income before taxes (IBT) (Euro m.)	35	31	-247	147	-243
IBT excl. restructuring charges (Euro m.)	39	31	-154	189	-150
Net income (Euro m.)	8	0	-207	90	-247

*All amounts are according to Swedish GAAP. 

Bert Nordberg, President and CEO of Sony Ericsson commented: “Our fourth quarter results reflected intense competition, unfavorable macroeconomic conditions and the effects of a natural disaster in Thailand this quarter. We are aligning our business to drive profitability and to meet customer needs. In spite of these challenges, throughout 2011 we’ve shifted our business from feature phones to smartphones, and our Android-based smartphone sales in the quarter increased by 65% year-on-year. The Xperia portfolio, including the recently announced Xperia NXT series, will serve as a cornerstone of our smartphone lineup in 2012.”

Units shipped during the quarter were 9 million, a 20% decrease year-on-year and a 5% decrease compared to last quarter. The year-on-year and sequential declines reflect a significantly lower number of feature phones shipped, partially offset by an increase in smartphone shipments. Sony Ericsson has shipped 28 million Xperia smartphones to date.

Average selling price (ASP) for the quarter was Euro 143, up 5% year-on-year but down 14% sequentially. The year-on-year increase is due to the shift to smartphones and geographic mix. The sequential decrease in ASP is attributed to geographic and product mix, including declining prices of products launched earlier in the year, and the absence of new products introduced in the fourth quarter.

Sales for the quarter were approximately Euro 1.3 billion, down 16% year-on-year and 19% quarter over quarter. The year-on-year decline reflects the decrease of feature phone sales which was only partially offset by an increase in smartphone sales.  The sequential decline is due to geographic and product mix, resulting in lower sales of both smartphones and feature phones. Fourth quarter sales were negatively impacted by macroeconomic challenges in advanced economies contributing to weaker holiday sales, and certain component shortages from the flooding in Thailand in late October and early November 2011. Xperia smartphones accounted for approximately 80% of total sales in the fourth quarter.

The gross margin for the quarter was 24%, a decrease of 6 percentage points year-on-year and 3 percentage points from the previous quarter. The year-on-year and sequential decreases are attributed to product and geographic mix. Fourth quarter gross margin was also adversely affected by intense smartphone price competition which more than offset the benefit of royalty and other items.

Loss before taxes, excluding restructuring charges, was Euro 154 million for the quarter, compared to income of Euro 39 million for the same quarter last year and of Euro 31 million in the previous quarter.  The year-on-year and sequential declines are due to lower gross margin and increased operational expenses, including higher development and selling expenses.

In December 2011, Sony Ericsson launched a restructuring program including global workforce reductions to reduce costs and drive competitiveness. Restructuring charges for the quarter are Euro 93 million and the program is estimated to be completed by the end of 2012.

The quarter ended in a net loss of Euro 207 million, compared to a net income of Euro 8 million in the same quarter of the previous year, and essentially a break even result in the previous quarter.

Cash flow from operating activities during the quarter was negative Euro 26 million. External borrowings were Euro 19 million during the quarter. Total borrowings were Euro 742 million at the end of the quarter. Total cash balances at December 31, 2011 were Euro 442 million.

Sony Ericsson estimates that its share of the global Android-based smartphone market was 10% in volume and 7% in value during the quarter and 10% in volume and 10% in value for the full year.

Sony Ericsson estimates that the global smartphone market for the full year 2011 increased by 60% in volume to 463 million units. Sony Ericsson estimates strong growth in the smartphone market in 2012.

In October 2011 Sony Corporation (“Sony”) and Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (“Ericsson”) announced that Sony will acquire Ericsson’s stake in Sony Ericsson and that Sony Ericsson will become a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sony.  The transaction is expected to close in late January to February, subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals.

The liquid identity is a registered trademark of Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB. Xperia™ is a trademark of Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB. Sony is a registered trademark of Sony Corporation. Ericsson is a registered trademark of Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson. Any rights not expressly granted herein are reserved and subject to change without prior notice.

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 interfaces though, and the handset itself feels a bit light. The Xperia S also packs dual HD video cameras — a 12-megapixel camera on the back records 1080p HD video and the front facing camera supports 720p video chats — and the handset is PlayStation certified, giving it solid gaming capabilities without the added bulk of a dedicated controller as was the case with the Xperia Play. Pricing could make or break the Xperia S, but Sony hasn’t yet announced availability details. Check out our hands-on images of the Xperia S in the gallery below.

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 the thin form factor and faux metal accents, which give it a more premium look and feel. The device currently runs Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) but will be upgraded to Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) in the future. The Xperia ion is also PlayStation Certified, which means it can run gaming titles specifically approved by Sony that may not be available on other handsets. AT&T will offer the Xperia ion during the second quarter of this year but pricing still hasn’t been announced. We’re looking forward to seeing if Sony can get back in the U.S. smartphone game, and the Xperia ion certainly looks like it could be a good start.

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 morning. The smartphone, which is referred to as the Xperia HD, features a 1.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon MSM8660 processor and a 4.3-inch HD display with a 1280 x 720-pixel resolution. The Xperia HD will also sport 1GB of RAM, a massive 12-megapixel rear camera and will be running Android 2.3.7 with Sony’s custom user interface. Oddly enough, it does not include a microSD slot, leaving users with a mere 8GB of internal storage. Read on for an additional image of the Xperia HD and the company’s Facebook teaser photo.  

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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 new trademark for the name Xperia Ion, and rumors have suggested that the “Nozomi” smartphone may land at this year’s show as well. Whether it is an Xperia Ion, Arc HD or the Nozomi, Sony looks to be gearing up for something big at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show.

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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 as the “Xperia Ion.” The trademark was filed shortly before the holidays on December 13th for use in connection with “mobile phones.” With the Consumer Electronic Show just around the corner, we could certainly see this new Xperia device revealed at the show in just over a week.

[Via The Next Web]

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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 reportedly packs a number of impressive specs, including support for AT&T’s 4G LTE network as well as a 13-megapixel camera, a 4.55-inch Reality Display with a 1280 x 720-pixel resolution and a front-facing HD camera for video chats. The details come simply from a Bluetooth “End Product List” (EPL), which may or may not be legitimate, but we’re definitely hoping AT&T and Sony Ericsson announce something big during the Consumer Electronics Show next month.

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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 according the forum user who posted the image, though a release could still be several months away. Earlier reports suggested that the Nozomi features a 4.3-inch 720p HD display, a 1.5GHz dual-core processor and Android 2.3.5 Gingerbread.

[Via Engadget]

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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.

Sony Ericsson announced on Tuesday that its Xperia arc S and Xperia neo V are now available unlocked in the United States from Sony Store locations. The Xperia arc S runs Android 2.3.4 (Gingerbread) and is equipped with a 1.4GHz processor, an 8.1-megapixel camera, a 4.2-inch “Reality” display and support for 3D and 2D sweep panorama photography. The Xperia arc S is available in white, black, blue and silver for $529.99 without a contract. Sony Ericsson’s Xperia neo V also runs Android 2.3.4 (Gingerbread) and has a 3.7-inch display, a 5-megapixel camera and a front-facing camera for video chats. It is available in white, silver and blue for $349.99 unlocked. Both phones will be available from other retailers, such as Newegg, beginning in early December. As a side note, Sony Ericsson also recently announced that its 2011 family of Xperia-branded smartphones will all be updated to Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) at a later date, so both the Xperia arc S and Xperia neo V should receive the update at some point. Read on for the full press release from Sony Ericsson.

XPERIA™ arc S AND XPERIA™ neo V FROM SONY ERICSSON ARE NOW AVAILABLE IN THE U.S.

WHAT: The Xperia™ arc S and Xperia™ neo V from Sony Ericsson are now available for purchase in the U.S. at the Sony Store. The Xperia™ arc S and Xperia™ neo V showcase an enhanced entertainment experience with the latest Sony technology and Android™ operating system, version 2.3.4 (Gingerbread).

The Xperia™ arc S and Xperia™ neo V feature Sony’s groundbreaking 3D sweep panorama technology, which enables image capture and viewing in 3D by connecting the phone to a 3D TV using the HDMI output, so you can show off those amazing pictures from your last vacation or that video of the flash mob you saw today to your friends and family.

This version of Android™ Gingerbread includes new functionality and features that allow you to benefit from improvements to Sony Ericsson’s unique Facebook inside Xperia™. Share, see, like and comment on all your favorite stuff – from tracks on your music player to photos from your gallery and even apps and games downloaded on your phone.

Xperia™ arc S Key Features and Pricing:

·         Android™ 2.3.4 operating system

·         1.4 GHz processor

·         8.1 megapixel camera with Exmor R™ for mobile image sensor

·         4.2” Reality display with Mobile BRAVIA Engine® Engine

·         3D and 2D sweep panorama photography

·         Available in Pure White, Gloss Black, Midnight Blue, and Misty Silver

·         MSRP $549.99, unlocked

Xperia™ neo V Key Features and Pricing:

·         Android™ 2.3.4 operating system

·         3.7” capacitive, multi-touch screen

·         5 megapixel camera with 16x digital zoom

·         Front-facing camera

·         Available in Pearl White, Silver, and Blue Gradient

·         MSRP $349.99, unlocked

Android™ 2.3.4 – At a Glance*

·         Xperia™ smartphones introducing world’s first 3D sweep panorama functionality powered by Sony

·         Updated Facebook inside Xperia™ functionality for enhanced like, share and discover abilities

·         Gesture input – text input by swiping the finger from one letter to the next

·         New features including Google™ Talk with Video Chat for smartphones with front-facing cameras

Availability:

The Sony Ericsson Xperia™ arc S and Xperia™ neo V are available unlocked, at Sony Store.  Additional availability can be found at other retailers such as Newegg.com starting early December.  Check for pricing and availability.

* The Android 2.3.4 upgrade is currently rolling out for select unlocked 2011 Xperia™ smartphones as an over-the-air update or through Sony Ericsson PC Companion