Sony announces Android 4.4 KitKat update schedule

Big news, Sony fans! Sony has just announced the availability of the Android 4.4 KitKat update for the Xperia Z Ultra, Xperia Z1 and Xperia Z1 Compact. The new firmware rollout starts right now for all three smartphones, but the process is gradual so it might take some time before the update notification pops up on your phone.Here is the official change log:

• Google’s Android 4.4; KitKat as standard – bringing performance & UI optimisation… We’ve added our tweaked Status Bar and Quick Settings… now more intuitive and customisable (and pretty easy on the eye)… cleaned up to ensure you only get the notifications you really need
• If you’ve got a Sony PlayStation 4, you might recognize our new user interface – we’ve added the same sleek launch animation and livewallpaper across the lock and home screens
• We’re also uplifting Sony’s entire native app portfolio to the latest versions – bringing tweaked / improved / current experiences for (to name but a few): Messaging, MyXperia, Smart Connect, Small apps, TrackID, TrackID TV, Sony Select, Smart Social Camera and…
• Sony’s Media apps: WALKMAN, Album and Movies, with Sony Entertainment Network cloud service integration – a more converged and full Sony entertainment experience – Sony Entertainment Network & PlayMemories integration with a more intuitive UI, better download speeds, and more!
• Our unique custom interface experience: “Xperia Themes”, with downloadable UI packs from Sony Select – skin up to 280 assets across your Xperia smartphone with a variety of styles, and more to follow soon…

But wait, there is more good news! Android 4.4 KitKat is already in development for the Xperia Z, Xperia ZL, Xperia ZR and Xperia Tablet Z and it will become available for those devices in May or June this year.

Sony has also confirmed that the newly announced Xperia T2 Ultra, Xperia E1 and Xperia M2 will get the KitKat treatment as well, but the availability will be detailed later.

Sony Unveils The world’s slimmest and lightest waterproof tablet: Z2 Tablet!

With its VAIO PC business all but gone, Sony’s betting big on smartphones and tablets. Three post-PC products are weighing surprisingly light in its pockets at this year’s Mobile World Congress, the largest of which is the new Xperia Z2 tablet. It’s a lighter, thinner version of the year-old Xperia Tablet Z, which has been given a thorough upgrade in order to help it take on the iPad Air and Samsung larger slates.

 

Like its predecessor, the 10.1-inch tablet features the same design language as Sony’s latest flagship Z2 smartphone, complete with “OmniBalance” look, uniform thickness and straight edges. Cosmetic similarities aside, the Z2 Tablet has runs a lightly-skinned build of Android 4.4 KitKat and is powered by a 2.3GHz quad-core Snapdragon 801 with 3GB RAM to get things really moving. Is an internal overhaul enough to capture your eye? Follow us and find out.

This time last year, Sony told us that the Xperia Tablet Z was the world’s thinnest and lightest tablet. At 6.9mm, the year-old slate still comes in thinner than Apple’s newer iPad Air. That obviously wasn’t thin enough, because Sony has shaved a few extra points of a millimeter and 70 grams off the Z2 Tablet, allowing it to make the same claim again. The form factor is far from unique, but its depth and weight reductions make up for Sony’s use of enormous bezels.

That brings us onto perhaps the most important part of Sony’s tablet experience: entertainment. The company debuted a suite of TV apps and services with the Tablet Z, and for the Z2 Tablet it’s leaning on its movie studio arm to bundle six “blockbuster” movies. Further cementing its “one” approach, Sony’s including enhanced gaming controls on both the Xperia Z2 and Z2 Tablet by way of support for the DualShock 3 PlayStation controller. Lack of controller support made many of the swipe-intensive games installed on the tablet very hard to play.

Users who like their media loud will profit from Sony’s decision to act on user feedback and move the side-facing speakers (where they were easily covered by fingers) to the front. It certainly made for a far better stereo experience when we played The Amazing Spiderman 2 trailer back on the Z2 Tablet’s improved 1,920 x 1,200 pixel Triluminos display. Sony has used its BRAVIA TV technology to generate brighter and more consistent colors, by using a mix of red and green phosphor and blue LEDs.

Along with its familiar design, the Z2 Tablet comes a similar (though somewhat lesser) focus on enhanced imaging. It’s included very latest Exmor RS sensor for this slate’s 8.1-megapixel rear-facer, while the 2.2-megapixel front camera retains the same Exmor R sensor as its predecessor. Sony retains its older suite of camera apps, giving you automatic scene recognition, HDR stills and better noise reduction.

The Xperia Z2 Tablet has certainly been given a thorough tuning, but a lot of Sony’s older hardware and software features still remain. Luckily, the company isn’t waiting long to get its new slate onto shelves, as it’s looking to ship globally in March. You’ll be able to grab a black or white model, although Sony hasn’t yet told us how much they’ll cost.

Sony unveils the Xperia Z2 with 4K video capture and a richer display!

BARCELONA — Sony has unveiled the Xperia Z2, the company’s new flagship smartphone, a mere four months after introducing Xperia Z1 and one year after launching the first phone in the series, the Xperia Z.

We mention the Xperia Z2’s predecessors because all three devices share a nearly identical design: monolithic black rectangles with a silver wake up key and volume buttons on the right side. If it weren’t for the difference in size (the Z2 is a 5.2-incher while the Z and Z1 have a 5-inch screen), one could easily confuse them to be the same phone.

However, while the design remained similar to the Z1, the Z2 has been thoroughly improved on the inside. Besides being Sony’s biggest Android flagship yet (the enormous Xperia Z Ultra falls into the phablet category), the Xperia Z2 brings some crazy-powerful specifications to the table as well.

It’s powered by a 2.3GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, a 20.7-megapixel camera with a 1/2.3-inch image sensor that can take 4K videos, 3GB of RAM and a 3,200 mAh battery.

Z2’s camera has gotten several new modes, including Timeshift video, which lets you shoot in 120 frames per second and then slow certain scenes to get a slow motion effect.

Sony has also improved the device’s sound capabilities — one of Z1’s weak points — with a STM10 stereo mic that enables stereo audio recording, as well as stereo speakers and digital noise cancelling tech.

And just like all Sony’s high-end devices, the Xperia Z2 is dust-resistant and waterproof to IP55 and IP58 specifications.

In short, Sony seems to have taken the Xperia Z1 and improved it in nearly improved it in every way it could, while leaving design nearly the same. It’s definitely a sound strategy, but having a lot of devices that look very similar is a double-edged sword. We’ll be posting a detailed review of the Xperia Z2, which hits the global market March 2014, in the coming weeks.

The Best of CES 2014!

CES ain’t quite what it used to be. Pretty much all the big guys have pulled out in favor of doing their own events. The phones are OK and the 4K TVs pretty, but a dime a dozen. But there are still some hidden treasures that are amazing. Here’s all the stuff from CES that made us squeal with glee.

The Oculus Rift Crystal Cove Prototype

So the Oculus Rift is fantastic. If you’ve used it in its original incarnation, you know that it’s incredible. It’s virtual reality…

The Oculus Rift may not be ready for consumers yet, but with each beta revision it’s becoming more and more incredible. This year’s beta model—complete with positional head tracking like never before—is more mind-blowing than ever. By far the most exciting thing at CES, even without being finished.

Nikon’s xxArray Person-Scanner

Alexx Henry teamed up with Nikon to create this xxArray camera system that uses over 64 cameras to create a perfectly detailed 3D model of a person. Naturally, Nikon inserted that 3D model into a video game. And being that person/model was a dream come true.

The WWE’s New Network

Yes, the WWE is getting its own network, and yes it was one of the best things at CES. Whether you’re into wrestling or not, the WWE’s new all-you-can-stream buffet-style offering is a shot at what the future of television could and should be for every channel and interest. So shirtless men throwing each other around while wearing spandex or not, this is fantastic.

Audi Quattro Concept Car

A car with laser-cannon headlights? Sure, why not. Audi’s crazy-awesome Quattro is just a concept, and probably not destined for roads any time soon if ever, but that doesn’t mean it’s any less of a tech marvel. And while the Quattro itself pre-dates CES, we didn’t find out the true glory of those laser headlights until last week, and frankly they could make this list on their own.

FLIR Thermal Camera iPhone Case

Want Predator-vision? You got it. FLIR’s thermal camera for the iPhone is exactly that. Thermal imaging is far from new, but this implementation is cheap(ish), convenient, and super want-able. You can’t tell me that you don’t want that on your phone right now, even if you might not want to pony up the (comparatively cheap) $350 for it. If that doesn’t make a killer CES gadget I don’t know what does.

Morphie’s Storage-Supplementing Battery Pack

There’s no MicroSD expansion slot on an iPhone, and they’re harder and harder to come by on Androids too. But Morphie’s solution—a battery pack that also adds storage—is a perfect solution for digital hoarders everywhere who suddenly decided they need more storage after buying the device. It’s not the flashiest gadget ever, but it solves a persistent problem pretty elegantly. And that’s super dope in its own subtle way.

Razer’s Modular Desktop PC

People have been building their own desktop computers for ages, but Razer’s Project Christine makes takes the tried and true hobby to an awesome height of ease. Snapping in parts like Legos seems like a joy, and each module is liquid cooled by default for extra coolness. And even though this is probably vaporware—Razer is just testing the waters and looking for reactions—it’s damned cool.

Sony’s Close-Up 4K Projector

Curved or flat, flexible or not, 4K TVs are beautiful. But they’re also expensive, huge, and just TVs. High res is fun but *yawn*.Sony’s Life Space UX Ultra Short-Throw 4K Projector, on the other hand, is a more novel take on the 4K craze, and mercifully easy to move. Of course it will cost a small fortune, and who knows if it will ever really make it to market, but damned if we all don’t want one right now.

Source: Gizmodo

CES 2014: Sony announces miniature flagship Xperia Z1 Compact

Sony has just announced the Xperia Z1 Compact at CES 2014. Unlike most mini flagship variants, it features a specs sheet that doesn’t compromise, and has almost identical specs to the Xperia Z1 flagship.

A closer look at the specs sheet, and you’ll see Sony have managed to fit in the same CPU, camera, memory, and internal storage into a size that’s truly compact:

• Dimensions: 127 x 64.9 x 9.5 mm, 137g
• Display: 4.3″ Triluminous IPS display of 720p resolution, 341ppi
• Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 800; quad-core Krait 400 at 2.2GHz, Adreno 330 GPU, 2GB RAM
• OS: Android 4.3 Jelly Bean (planned upgrade to 4.4 KitKat shortly after launch)
• Camera: 20.7 MP, Carl Zeiss optics, optical image stabilization, autofocus, LED flash, 2MP front-facing
• Video camera: 1080p @ 30fps video capture with both cameras
• Storage: 16GB built-in, microSD card slot with support of up to 64GB
• Connectivity: NFC, A-GPS+GLONASS, WLAN (2.4/5Ghz) a/b/g/n/ac, microUSB 2.0 (MHL), BlueTooth 4.0 LE
• Battery: 2,300 mAh
• Misc: FM Radio, built-in accelerometer, multi-touch input, proximity sensor
• Colors: Black, White, Pink, Lime, Yellow

The only thing that didn’t make the cut is the display resolution, which has been cut down to 720p, and the battery, which has been reduced to 2300 mAh – the same as on the previous Xperia Z flagship. Luckily those seem to balance out just fine and the Xperia Z1 compact promises pretty good battery life.

The Sony Xperia Z1 Compact is expected to hit markets next month. Its pricing wasn’t specified, but Sony confirmed it will slide between the Sony Xperia Z1 flagship and its Xperia Z predecessor.

Source: GSMArena