ericsson

While some handset makers are looking into Android 4.0 and evaluating the potential for updates, others are already making promises.

Such is the case with Sony Ericsson, which said this week that its entire 2011 product line will see Ice Cream Sandwich. Although the company hasn't outlined a specific time frame or soft expectation, it should go a long way to putting its consumer base at ease.

If the promise holds up, then Ice Cream Sandwich could arrive on smartphones like the Xperia Ray, the Xperia Play, the Xperia Play 4G, and the Xperia Arc. Updates for those … Read more

Emily is home from Chile, and is welcomed back with an Ice Cream Sandwich rumor, a couple iPad rumors, and the duck timer, which we ignore, as usual.

On last week's show, we bet that the Droid Razr would be announced today and alas, it was! The score is now 3 to 2, which means someone is going to have to do something totally embarrassing in the next couple weeks.

Also this week, we unravel some Ice Cream Sandwich details; Emily gets all riled up about Amazon buying poor Palm; we remind ourselves that Sony Ericsson isn't actually Sony; we discuss the likelihood of an iPad mini and an iPad 3 next year; and we wonder why Angry Birds-maker Rovio would want to go public. Does it have anything to do with the CEO's nickname being "Mighty Eagle"? We hope so. … Read more

Sony is nearing a deal to purchase Ericsson's 50 percent share of the Sony Ericsson joint venture, The Wall Street Journal is reporting today. The deal--which could cost more than a billion dollars--is fragile, according to the report.

Mumblings of Sony taking complete control of or abandoning the partnership has been a reoccurring rumor throughout the last several years. Sony Ericsson has struggled to remain a success in recent times, and has posted many quarters of declining sales as the company shifted product strategies. Sony Ericsson only held an 11 percent market share of Android phones last quarter, according … Read more

When we first saw the handsome Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc at CES last January, we knew it was a solid effort--slim and sleek with sharp edges, impressive camera specs, and a Reality Display worth talking about.

Nine months later, the unlocked phone we've finally got in our hands still holds our interest.… Read more

If you've got unrequited love for the Sony Ericsson Xperia Ray, NewEgg.com is doing something to ease the pain.

NewEgg will soon sell the Android 2.3.4 Gingerbread smartphone unlocked to U.S. customers for $424.99.

Announced this past June at CommunicAsia, the Xperia Ray follows up on the Xperia Arc with a thin, sleek design. The Ray's aluminum chassis measures just 9.4mm thick and contains a 3.3-inch display. Sony Ericsson's Mobile Bravia Engine renders the Ray's 854x480-pixel "Reality Display" resolution.

As with the Arc, the Ray features an … Read more

The mobile-payments joint venture between three of the national wireless carriers has gotten the support of nearly all of the major handset manufacturers in its bid to enable consumers to make purchases by waving their phones.

Isis--which is made up of AT&T, Verizon Wireless, and T-Mobile USA--said today that HTC, LG Electronics, Motorola Mobility, Research In Motion, Samsung Electronics, and Sony Ericsson will ship devices using the joint venture's technology standard for near-field communication, which enables the tap-and-go payment capability. The alliance, however, is missing a key player in Apple.

A spokesman for Isis said the venture … Read more

Back in July, AT&T revealed that, like Verizon, it, too, would offer the Sony Ericsson Xperia Play, and now, the release of the gaming smartphone is near.

The carrier announced this morning that the Xperia Play 4G would be available starting September 18 for $49.99 with a two-year contract, which is both affordable and smart, considering the smartphone's been out for a little while and doesn't quite stack up to today's higher-end devices.

Of course, its main draw is the gaming capabilities. The PlayStation-certified handset offers dedicated gaming controls and comes preloaded with seven … Read more

In addition to showing off an Android-based Walkman prototype, Sony Ericsson took the wraps off its latest Android smartphone at the IFA consumer electronics show in Berlin today.

The Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc S is a follow-up to the Xperia Arc and brings a faster 1.4GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor and more entertainment options. These include access to Sony Entertainment's Music Unlimited and Video Unlimited services, with a catalog of 10 million songs, radio channels, and the latest movies and TV shows. As for performance improvements, Sony Ericsson says the Xperia Arc S delivers 25 percent faster camera startup … Read more

Today, Sony Ericsson introduced its latest Android Walkman phone, the Sony Ericsson Live. Expected to ship in select global markets in Q4, the Android 2.3 Gingerbread device features a deep integration of music and social networks, so you can share and discover new content right from your phone.

This includes a dedicated Walkman button that takes you straight to the music player where users can access their Facebook account to share music with friends. Discovering new music is also made easy with several tools.

First, there's the Media Discovery app that offers Facebook recommendations from friends, as well … Read more