Maybe we’ll see that Xperia Pepper, maybe the Xperia Sola, or maybe a handset that we haven’t heard about until now. We can’t know for sure. In any case, we’ll be at MWC to let you know what’s new in Sony’s Android portfolio.

As you may already know, Sony has already announced two new smartphones this year – the Sony Xperia S and the Sony Xperia Ion, both unveiled at CES 2012 in early January, and both running Android Gingerbread (upgradeable to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich).

Via Phandroid

• SE plans to bring Android Ice Cream Sandwich to its 2011 Xperia lineup
• Sony Ericsson’s 2011 Xperia line will get Android Ice Cream Sandwich
• Confirmed: Android Ice Cream Sandwich coming to Sony Ericsson’s Xperia 2011 lineup
• Sony Xperia S (Nozomi), Xperia Acro HD and Xperia NX officially announced (video)
• Sony Xperia S (Nozomi) official details leak ahead of imminent announcement

The new handset, called Xperia Active Billabong Edition, comes with an exclusive back cover, Billabong screensavers and videos, and a Billabong LIVE app.

Just like the regular Xperia Active, the Billabong Edition is dustproof and water resistant. It features a 3 inch HVGA display, Wi-Fi, HSDPA, GPS, barometer, compass, flashlight, 1GHz single core processor, 512MB of RAM, 1GB of internal memory, and a 5MP rear camera with 720p video recording. The smartphone runs Android 2.3 Gingerbread, but an update to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich should arrive in March or April.

“The partnership is an expansion of our long term relationship with Sony and an extention of an Asia Pacific alliance developed with Sony Ericsson in 2011. Our customers are very tech savvy and their top interests include music, photography, social media and, of course, action sports. Each of these interests can be captured or experienced through the Xperia active and we are working on some exciting apps and accessories that should add to the user’s experience. The first to benefit will be the athletes at our major international events who will be testing the Xperia active device in conditions as diverse as the snowfields in Austria, surfing the big waves of Tahiti and even skateboarding in Singapore”, declared Scott Wallace, Billabong’s International VP of Strategic Partnerships & New Media.

Sony didn’t say how much the Xperia Active Billabong Edition costs, but it did mention that the smartphone is now available in select markets (probably Australia and New Zealand).

Via Press release

• Sony Ericsson Xperia Active launched in the US for $340 (unlocked)
• Sony Ericsson MT11i is yet another upcoming Android smartphone
• UK: Sony Ericsson Xperia Active now delayed until September 30
• Sony Ericsson Xperia Active pre-orders start in the UK for £229.99, shipping on September 9
• Sony Ericsson Xperia X2 confirmed by Skyhook CEO?

Sony has reportedly confirmed to Cool Smartphone that the handset would be launched in March and not earlier. Play.com is now saying the same thing, hoping to have the handset in stock starting March 6. Bear in mind that this is not a delay, since Sony never committed to a specific launch date for the Xperia S.

Announced as “the first Sony smartphone”, the Xperia S features Android 2.3 Gingerbread (upgradeable to Android ICS in the second quarter of the year), a 4.3 inch display with 1280 x 720 pixels, access to PlayStation Store, HSPA, Wi-Fi, DLNA, GPS, NFC, anti-stain coating, 12MP rear camera with 1080p video recording, 1.3MP front-facing camera, HDMI port, 1.5GHz Qualcomm MSM8260 Snapdragon dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM, and 32GB of storage space.

• Sony Xperia S (Nozomi), Xperia Acro HD and Xperia NX officially announced (video)
• Sony Xperia S priced in the UK (£467.99 SIM-free), should be out in early March
• Sony Ericsson Xperia Play gets a price drop in the UK: £418
• Sony Ericsson Xperia Play to be released in the UK on March 31
• Sony Xperia S (Nozomi) official details leak ahead of imminent announcement

At the moment, Play lets you pre-order the Xperia S for £449.99 (about €535 or $708).

The Sony Xperia S will be launched with Android 2.3 Gingerbread, but an update to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich is scheduled to arrive at some point. The handset features a 4.3 inch display with 1280 x 720 pixels, anti-stain coating, 1.5GHz dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM, 32GB of internal memory, 1.3MP front-facing camera, and a fast 12MP camera on the back.

Via SoMobile

• Sony Xperia S features anti-stain shell, fast charging battery
• Sony Xperia S to arrive in the UK only in March
• Sony Xperia S could be launched in the UK this month
• Sony Xperia S coming to Orange UK, Vodafone has no plans to offer it
• Sony Xperia S priced in the UK (£467.99 SIM-free), should be out in early March

What you may not know about the new handset (because it wasn’t included in the press release announcing it) is that it features an anti-stain shell – this was unveiled last week by SE on Facebook.

Swiss website PocketPC.ch quotes Sony Ericsson’s Product Manager for Germany, Austria, Switzerland and the Netherlands, confirming the anti-stain shell (it’s a nano-coating actually). Another thing that’s been reportedly confirmed is the fact that the new Xperia features a fast charging mode – apparently, battery charging times can be reduced to half.

The Sony Xperia S will be launched with Android 2.3 Gingerbread (upgradeable to Android 4.0 ICS), a 4.3 inch HD display, 1.5GHz dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM, 12MP rear camera with Sony Exmor mobile sensor, 1.3MP front-facing camera, and 32GB of internal memory.

Via Xperia Blog

• UK: Sony Xperia S won’t be launched this month after all
• Sony Xperia S to arrive in the UK only in March
• Sony Xperia S coming to Orange UK, Vodafone has no plans to offer it
• Sony Ericsson Xperia X2 vs. Xperia X1 in live pictures
• Sony Ericsson Xperia Neo to be released by Telstra in Australia

Both the Tablet S and the Tablet P will be updated to the latest version of Google’s mobile operating system (which is hardly a surprise, of course). As for the time frame, the update will come sometime during this spring, right about the time that Sony’s Xperia lineup will also get its taste of Ice Cream Sandwich.

Apparently ICS is already being tested on the tablets, and the update will bring with it “some really cool unique bits” on top of Android 4.0 – whatever those turn out to be.

More details (such as actual dates or at least a projected month for release) aren’t available at this time, but rest assured that we’ll let you know the instant we find out more.

Via The Verge

• Acer Iconia Tab A500 Android 3.1 update has started rolling out
• Archos 101 G9 and 80 G9 tablets will be updated to Android 4.0 in the first week of February
• Huawei MediaPad gets new colors and Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich in Q1
• The first Sony Android tablet (S1 or S2) will be available in Europe before the end of September
• Acer’s Iconia tablets to receive Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich in January

If you’re impatient and don’t mind buying unlocked phones, you can now pre-order an Xperia Ion in the US. Online retailer Negri Electronics has put the handset up for pre-order, and the price is $569.50. Unfortunately no shipping date is attached yet, so you’re pretty much left guessing when the superphone will arrive in your possession.

And there’s one very important caveat here. Because of its 3G/4G HSPA bands, this unlocked Ion will work on both AT&T and T-Mobile in the States, but you’ll only get 3G and 4G (both HSPA+ and LTE) connectivity on AT&T. If you use it on T-Mobile, you’re stuck on EDGE. You’ll also get high speed HSPA+ access in most of the world, if that makes you feel any better.

So why would you buy this unlocked only to use it on AT&T, when soon you’ll be able to get it subsidized from the carrier itself? We don’t know. But perhaps you do.

Via Android Central

• AT&T-compatible Nokia Lumia 800 now available in the US unlocked for $789.99
• Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc S can now be ordered in the US for $499.99 unlocked
• Sony Ericsson Xperia Neo V now available in the US unlocked for $349.99, Xperia Arc S in stock too
• Sony Ericsson Xperia Ray now available unlocked in the US for $379.99
• Unlocked white Samsung Galaxy Nexus now available for $659.50

The results are far from being great. The company posted a €207 million loss for Q4 2011, and a €247 loss for full year 2011.

9 million SE handsets have been sold in Q4, and a total of 34.4 million units were shipped throughout the year.

“Our fourth quarter results reflected intense competition, unfavorable macroeconomic conditions and the effects of a natural disaster in Thailand this quarter,” declared Bert Nordberg, President and CEO of Sony Ericsson.

Sony Ericsson also said it sold 28 million Xperia Android smartpohnes to date. Since the number of Xperias shipped was 22 million in Q3, this means a total of 6 million units have been sold in Q4 2011.

Via Press release

• Sony Ericsson announces Q4 results, reports almost €1 billion loss for 2009
• Sony Ericsson reports €73 million loss for 2008, re-confirms its Android handset
• Sony Ericsson’s Q3 2009 results show “positive trend”
• Sony Ericsson happy with Xperia X10 and Vivaz sales, posts small profit for Q2 2010
• Sony Ericsson posts Q3 2010 results, still dreams of becoming the largest Android vendor

Priced at 14,549 INR (about $288), the SE Live with Walkman comes with a 3.2 inch HVGA scratch-resistant display, 3G, Wi-Fi, GPS, dedicated Walkman button, Sony xLOUD technology, 5MP rear camera with 720p video recording, VGA front-facing camera, and a 1GHz single-core processor.

Indian customers should be able to find the new handset in either black, or white. Retailers Flipkart and Let’s Buy have them both.

The Sony Ericsson Live with Walkman is currently running Android 2.3 Gingerbread, but an update to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich is bound to be released later this year.

Via AndroidOS.in

• Android 4.0 updates for Sony Ericsson Xperia phones to start in March or April
• LG Optimus Sol E730 with Ultra AMOLED screen and Android Gingerbread launched in India
• Sony Ericsson W8 Walkman Android smartphone now available in India for Rs. 10,950
• Sony Ericsson Mix Walkman launched by Vodafone UK
• Walkman branded Sony Ericsson Live headed to Three UK

We’ve previously heard that the handset would be launched there in March. However, now retailer Play says the new Xperia is “due for release on 30 January 2012.”

Play is taking pre-orders as of now, asking £449.99 (about $693) for the device. It remains to be seen if the retailer will indeed ship the Xperia S before the end of January.

Phones4U, Clove, Expansys, The Carphone Warehouse, O2, Orange, T-Mobile and Three will also sell the Sony Xperia S in the UK.

The Xperia S features Android Gingerbread (an update to Android 4.0 ICS is scheduled for later this year), a 4.3 inch HD (1280 x 720) Reality Display, NFC, 1.5GHz dual-core processor, 12MP camera with Sony Exmor R mobile sensor and fast capturing time (only 1.5 seconds from stand-by), and 1080p video recording.

Via The Inquirer, SoMobile

• UK: Sony Xperia S won’t be launched this month after all
• Sony Xperia S priced in the UK (£467.99 SIM-free), should be out in early March
• Sony Xperia S coming to Orange UK, Vodafone has no plans to offer it
• #MWC11: Sony Ericsson Xperia Neo hands-on video
• Sony Xperia S to arrive in the UK only in March

Clove says the first stock is due to arrive in the second week of March. The British retailer lets you pre-order the Xperia S SIM-free, asking £467.99 (about $719 or €560) for it.

Expansys is also taking pre-orders for the new Android smartphone (saying it will be released on March 6), but it doesn’t provide a price yet.

The Sony Xperia S will come with Android Gingerbread on board (upgradeable to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich), a 4.3 inch HD (1280 x 720) Reality Display, HSPA, Wi-Fi, GPS, 12MP rear camera with 1080p video recording, 1.3MP front-facing camera, 1GB of RAM, 1.5GHz dual-core processor, and 32GB of internal memory.

• Motorola Razr to be launched by Fido in Canada
• Sony Xperia S coming to Orange UK, Vodafone has no plans to offer it
• LG Prada 3.0 to be out in the UK in February
• Sony Xperia S to arrive in the UK only in March
• UK: Sony Xperia S won’t be launched this month after all

Unfortunately, Orange didn’t say when exactly its Xperia S would be available – it will probably happen in the next few months anyway.

Alongside AT&T’s Xperia Ion, the Xperia S is the first smartphone to come under the Sony brand (following the company’s acquisition of Ericsson’s share in the Sony Ericsson joint venture). The new handset runs Android Gingerbread (upgradeable to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich in Q2) and features a 4.3 inch Reality Display with 1280 x 720 pixels, 1.5GHz dual-core processor, 12MP rear camera with fast capturing time and 1080p video recording, 1.3MP front-facing camera, 1GB of RAM, and 32GB of internal memory.

Unlike Orange, O2 and Three, Vodafone UK reportedly stated that it “has no plans” to offer the Sony Xperia S.

• Sony Xperia S could be launched in the UK this month
• Sony Xperia S priced in the UK (£467.99 SIM-free), should be out in early March
• Samsung Wave 578 with Quick Tap and SE Xperia Ray coming to Orange UK
• #MWC11: Sony Ericsson Xperia Neo hands-on video
• Sony Xperia S (Nozomi), Xperia Acro HD and Xperia NX officially announced (video)

Well, so far two operators and one well-known thrid-party retailer have announced that they’ll be readying Xperia S supplies for eager customers: O2, Three, and Phones 4U. What’s more, the latter will be the exclusive seller of the white version of the smartphone in the UK.

O2 took to Google+ to announce that the Xperia S is going to be in its stores later this year. Oh, and also to point out that the phone is “rather nice”. We rather agree.

Next up, Three decided that a mere mention on a social network wasn’t enough, so it went ahead and published a full press release on the matter. What’s it say? That the Xperia S is coming soon to its phone roster.

Phones 4U is even more proud, as it gets to claim exclusivity on the white Xperia S. And it’s the only outlet that’s given us any kind of indication on the release time frame. That will happen in March, at least for the white unit. Phones 4U will also sell the black Xperia S.

Unfortunately, none of the aforementioned companies said anything about pricing, so we’re left guessing at this point. But rest assured that we will bring you the information once it becomes available.

Via Android Central

• White Nokia Lumia 800 to be launched in the UK on March 6
• White HTC Droid Incredible 2 will be a Best Buy exclusive, priced at $149.99
• Sony Ericsson Xperia Pro may start shipping in late September in the UK
• Sony Ericsson Xperia Ray will be available at Three UK in September
• Sony Ericsson Xperia Neo V now available in the US unlocked for $349.99, Xperia Arc S in stock too

Although the Xperia Ion was the first to be officially presented to the world, it’s the Xperia S that’s touted as “the first Sony smartphone” – as you may already know, Sony bought Ericsson’s share in the Sony Ericsson joint venture, and from now on we’ll only see Sony smartphones (no more Ericsson).

The Xperia S measures 128 x 64 x 10.6mm, and will be launched with Android 2.3 Gingerbread this quarter, in black and white, for a price that hasn’t been unveiled. It will be updated to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich in the second quarter of the year.

The new Sony handset features a 4.3 inch HD (1280 x 720) display with Mobile Bravia Engine, 1.5GHz dual-core processor, HSPA, Wi-Fi, DLNA, GPS, access to Sony’s Music Unlimited, Video Unlimited and PlayStation Store, HDMI, 1GB of RAM, 32GB of internal memory, 1.3MP front-facing camera, and a 12MP rear camera with Sony Exmor R sensor, fast capturing time (it “takes pictures in just 1.5 seconds from standby”), and 1080p video recording.

Below you have two promo videos showing off the Xperia S:

Sony (Ericsson) has also announced two Xperias that won’t see a global release: the Xperia Acro HD – “the follow-up to Xperia Acro with popular Japan-specific features including infrared port data exchange, mobile wallet and mobile TV”, and the Xperia NX – a “variant of Xperia S for the Japanese market”.

Via Press release and Press release

• Sony Ericsson Xperia Acro leaks on its way to Japan
• #MWC10: Sony Ericsson Vivaz Pro, Xperia X10 Mini and X10 Mini Pro (video)
• Rogers exclusively announces the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10
• Sony Ericsson Xperia Acro won’t have Xenon flash, it’s an Arc with NFC, mobile TV, and an IR sensor
• AT&T launches 12mpx Sony Xperia ion LTE camera flagship. Marks the end of Sony Ericsson

Anyway, the Sony Xperia S may get unveiled officially before CES closes its doors (which haven’t even opened yet), since all the details about it have leaked today. Here are some official photos:

The Sony Xperia S will have a dual-core 1.5 GHz processor, a 12 MP camera with 1080p HD video recording, a 1.3 MP front-facing camera with 720p HD video support, a 4.3-inch 1280×720 touchscreen, HDMI, NFC, 32 GB of built-in storage, a 1,750 mAh battery, plus all the usual bells and whistles such as Wi-Fi, HSPA, Bluetooth, and so on. It runs Android 2.3 Gingerbread. It will be updated to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich in the second quarter of this year, so before the end of June.

The Xperia S is PlayStation Certified and will launch in the first quarter (before the end of March) in black and silver (as seen above).

The Xperia S may be Sony’s Android-powered flagship for international markets, as the Xperia Ion looks like an AT&T exclusive for now. Anyway, it should be announced soon, so stay tuned.

Via SEMC Blog and Xperia Blog

• Sony Xperia S (Nozomi), Xperia Acro HD and Xperia NX officially announced (video)
• New Sony Ericsson Nozomi (Xperia Arc HD) live images leaked alongside more detailed specs
• Sony Ericsson Xperia Neo V available in the UK
• Sony Ericsson Nozomi official render leaked, dual-core processor all but confirmed
• Sony Ericsson’s 2011 Xperia line will get Android Ice Cream Sandwich

We knew that it was coming this year. But since the deal for Sony to acquire the Ericsson’s stake in their joint venture has not closed yet, we kinda expected for Sony Ericsson to live at least few more months. Apparently that won’t happen.

Today AT&T announced the new Sony Ericsson made LTE handset in its portfolio – Xperia ion. And the Ericsson name is already gone from all the promo materials. It’s all Sony now, with a small disclaimer that the ‘use of “Sony” brand is subject to regulatory approval’. I guess that by the time Sony Xperia ion ships in a month or three, Sony expects the deal to be approved and closed.

Sony Xperia ion itself looks pretty good and comes with:

• 4.6 inch HD resolution (1280 x 720) display
• 1.5 GHz dual core Qualcomm Snapdragon S3 MSM8260 CPU
• Adreno™ 220 GPU, OpenGL
• 16GB of internal flash storage.
• 12 MP rear camera with Sony Exmor R™ for mobile with fast/capture to go from standby to first shot in 1.5 seconds and 1080p recording
• front camera with 720p recording
• NFC
• GPS and Glonass support
• HD sharing through DLNA, HDMI and BRAVIA
• PlayStation™ Certified and access to entertainment services from Sony Entertainment Network, like Music Unlimited and Video Unlimited.

Knowing Sony Ericsson’s former experience with Cybershot photo flagships, Xperia ion camera quality should be among the best , if not THE best among Android smartphones. But we’ll have to wait for some reviews to be sure about that.

The bad news is that Sony Experia ion will not have Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich at launch. You will have to do with 2.3 Gingerbread version of the OS for a few months, until the upgrade arrives.

• #MWC11: Sony Ericsson Xperia Neo hands-on video
• Sony Xperia S (Nozomi), Xperia Acro HD and Xperia NX officially announced (video)
• Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc pre-orders have started in India, availability expected in April
• Sony Ericsson Xperia Play launching in India in late April?
• Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc now available in the US unlocked, direct from Sony

The 3G Tablet S has 16GB of internal memory (there’s no 32GB version – not for now at least), and costs £449 (about €522 or $700).

If that’s too much for you, the Tablet S 16GB Wi-Fi is only £349, while the Tablet S 32GB Wi-Fi is £429. You can find all three tablets here at Sony UK.

Running Android Honeycomb, the Sony Tablet S features a dual-core Nvidia Tegra 2 processor, 1GB of RAM, 9.4 inch display with 1280 x 800 pixels, 5MP rear camera, and VGA front-facing camera.

Via RegHardware

• Sony Tablet S will be launched in Canada this month
• Acer Iconia Tab 100 launched in Canada
• Sony offers free Bravia TVs to early Tablet S adopters (in the UK)
• Toshiba AT300 Android Honeycomb tablet launching in June (in Japan)
• Packard Bell Liberty Android Honeycomb tablet launched in the UK

From the announcement on, Sony didn’t let on any details as to how exactly this move will impact the phone maker. Until today.

Speaking to The Times of India, a ‘senior executive’ at Sony said that the Ericsson brand will be dropped from mobile phone products before mid-2012. As a lot of you were clearly expecting, Sony will once again sell Sony phones.

Which brings us to the company’s focus – smartphones. As it has uttered countless times even while still being called Sony Ericsson, the mobile phone maker looks to become a ‘complete smartphone company’, not selling featurephones anymore. That change, to a smartphone-only player, will also happen in 2012.

Marketing and investment budgets for Sony’s new mobile division will go up in the near future, and the company’s target is to become the number one Android phone maker. At some point.

• Sony Ericsson Xperia X1′s successor to be made by Mobinnova, not HTC
• New Sony Ericsson Mix Walkman and Sony Ericsson txt pro announced
• Sony Ericsson promises no more software / hardware glitches in future handsets
• A PSP phone “could happen”, says Sony Ericsson’s president
• Android 2.0 on Sony Ericsson’s first Android smartphone?

So if you’re in the UK and would like a tablet that comes with two 5.5-inch 1024×480 touchscreens, you can head over to Dixons right now and order a Tablet P for yourself. The price you’ll have to pay is £499.99.

Aside from those two touchscreens, the Tablet P also comes with a 1 GHz dual-core Nvidia Tegra 2 processor, 1 GB of RAM, a 5 MP rear camera, a VGA front-facing camera, microSD card support, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi. It’s 13 mm thick and weighs 372 grams.

The obvious question here is whether this tablet’s unique form factor is worth the very steep price. The answer’s up to you and your particular tastes, we’d just like to point out that it’s £100 more than the cheapest iPad 2.

• Sony’s S2 to launch as the Tablet P next month, specs leaked
• New 7 inch Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 with Andorid 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich announced
• 7-inch Acer Iconia Tab A100 will cost $479 in Australia
• Acer Iconia Tab A200 officially announced, will get Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich in 2012
• Toshiba AT200 (Excite) will cost $579 in Australia, should be launched next month

The Sony Tablet S1 costs 29,990 INR (about $590), and can be bought via Sony India (only the 16GB Wi-Fi version is available for now).

The Samsung Galaxy Tab 730 can be bought both at Letsbuy (for 32,445 INR – about $640), or in Mahesh Telecom stores (for 31,990 INR).

The Galaxy Tab 730 comes to India not long after the Galaxy Tab 750 (aka Tab 10.1), which was released there at the beginning of September.

Via Fone Arena

• Sony Tablet S to hit the US on September 16
• Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc S launched in India. Samsung Galaxy Note to be released there tomorrow
• France: Samsung Galaxy S to get Froyo in September
• 3G Sony Tablet S launched in the UK
• LG Optimus Hub launched in India

Specs wise, the Xperia Arc HD is rumored to feature a  4.3-inch HD touchscreen with 1280 x 720p resolution thanks to Sony’s Bravia Engine. This device will also likely feature a 1.5 GHz dual-core processor and possibly Android Ice Cream Sandwhich, although it is unlikely depending on what time it is released. The coolest feature of the Arc HD is the ability to record 1080p HD videos and take a full HD photo at the same time while recording by tapping the screen.

It’s very logical for Sony Ericsson to jump onto the HD bandwagon and get an HD phone out on the market with competitors such as the HTC Rezound and Galaxy Nexus. We will keep you updated on the status of the Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc HD.

GSMArena

• Xperia Play gets HD video recording in Android 2.3.4 update
• Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc now available in the US unlocked, direct from Sony
• Sony Xperia S (Nozomi), Xperia Acro HD and Xperia NX officially announced (video)
• Sony Ericsson Xperia Ray, Xperia Active and TXT announced (video)
• #MWC11: Sony Ericsson Xperia Neo hands-on video

The deal will obviously not affect the SE brand, so we’ll continue to see Sony Ericsson smartphones being launched. The transaction is expected to close in January 2012, and will allow Sony to quickly “integrate smartphones into its broad array of network-connected consumer electronics devices – including tablets, televisions and personal computers – for the benefit of consumers and the growth of its business.”

It will also enable Ericsson – which gets €1.05 billion in cash from Sony – to focus “on the global wireless market as a whole.” In the long run, the transaction will probably have positive effects on both companies.

Sony Ericsson currently employs more than 7000 people. It’s headquartered in London, and there’s no reason for that to change after Sony’s takeover.

At the moment, more than 80% of Sony Ericsson’s products are Android smartphones. The company has recently announced that it would only produce smartphones starting next year, and I’m sure Sony will keep this promise.

Via Press release

• Sony wants to buy Ericsson’s stake in Sony Ericsson
• Sony Ericsson announces Q4 results, reports almost €1 billion loss for 2009
• Sony Ericsson wants to be world’s No.1 Android vendor
• Sony Ericsson to become Sony in mid-2012, focus on Android smartphones
• Sony Ericsson Xperia X8 will get Android 2.1 this year

For those of you who don’t know anything about anything, Sony Ericsson wasn’t owned by Sony, and Sony didn’t buy Ericsson. The company that makes phones was created in 2001 as a 50-50 joint venture between Sony and Ericsson, and it’s been so ever since.

As mentioned already, back in March of last year we first heard that this may happen. Apparently Sony wants more control over the mobile activities, now that it’s (presumably) understood that the future is mobile. One move that may have anticipated the change was Sony launching Android-powered tablets under its own brand recently, not using Sony Ericsson’s.

Talks for the sale between Ericsson and Sony are ongoing and can break apart at any time. A deal is estimated to come in at 1-1.25 billion euros, which translates into $1.3-1.7 billion.

Will this move (if it happens) be enough to guarantee Sony’s success in the mobile space? Obviously not. Anything can happen, and Sony Ericsson hasn’t been doing all that well in recent years. Although over the past few months they have started to put out some interesting things, like their Facebook inside Xperia software or the increased support for independent Android developers and modders. Whether or not any of that will change with Sony at the helm remains to be seen. We’ll keep you posted.

Via WSJ

• Sony to buy Ericsson’s share in Sony Ericsson?
• Sony Ericsson to become Sony in mid-2012, focus on Android smartphones
• Sony officially buys Ericsson’s share in SE for €1 billion
• AT&T launches 12mpx Sony Xperia ion LTE camera flagship. Marks the end of Sony Ericsson
• Sony CEO considering dumping Ericsson for sucking so much at mobile phone business lately

Which it now has. The Sony Tablet S can be pre-ordered in Australia, direct from Sony’s online store. The price being asked is $579 for the 16 GB version, and $689 if you’d like 32 GB of built-in storage. The pre-ordered units will be shipped starting on October 21. Pre-orders will be taken until October 19. And if you do pre-order, you’ll receive a free tablet cradle, and shipping will be free.

If you’re interested, head over to Sony’s Australian online store and get your Tablet S.

The Tablet S is a PlayStation Certified device, and it runs Android 3.2 Honeycomb. It has a dual-core 1 GHz Nvidia Tegra 2 processor, a 9.4-inch 1280×800 touchscreen, 1 GB of RAM, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, GPS, IR remote function, SD memory card, a 5 MP rear camera and a VGA front-facing camera.

Via Ausdroid

• Sony Android Honeycomb tablet coming to the US this summer?
• Sony’s Tablet P brings its two screens to the UK, yours for £499.99
• Sony Tablet S will be launched in Canada this month
• Sony S2 Android tablet passes the FCC
• Wi-Fi-only Motorola Xoom comes with free Bluetooth keyboard in the US until June 14

A similar offer will be available in Birmingham (at the Black Store, which opens at 9 AM) – however, only the first 10 Tablet S buyers will get a free Bravia TV there.

The 32-inch Bravia TV is worth £400 – as much as a 16GB Wi-Fi-only Tablet S.

Running Android Honeycomb, the Sony Tablet S features a 9.4 inch multi-touch display with 1280 x 800 pixels, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, DLNA, dual-core Nvidia Tegra 2 processor, 1GB of RAM, 5MP rear camera with 720p video recording (@30fps), and a VGA front-facing camera.

September 16 is also the date when the Tablet S will be released by Sony in the US. Unfortunately for customers Stateside, Sony didn’t announce any sweet offerings like the one in the UK there.

Via Sony (Facebook) here and here

• 3G Sony Tablet S launched in the UK
• Sony Tablet S will be launched in Canada this month
• Sony Ericsson Xperia Ray coming to O2 UK in September
• Sony Tablet S to hit the US on September 16
• AT&T announces the Sony S2 Android tablet with 4G

Interested customers can order both the 16GB and the 32GB versions of the new Honeycomb device. The Tablet S 16GB costs $499.99, while the Tablet S 32GB costs $599.99. Go here to order any of the two.

September 16 is also the day when the Sony Tablet S should become available in the UK. The tablet will be released in Canada this month as well.

As for the dual-screen Sony Tablet P, this appears at Sony Store, but there’s no word on when it will be out, and neither for what price.

• Sony’s S1 Android tablet available for pre-order in the UK starting September 1?
• Sony offers free Bravia TVs to early Tablet S adopters (in the UK)
• Sony Tablet S will be launched in Canada this month
• Sony Tablet S pre-orders start in Australia for $579, shipping on October 21
• Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 launched in the UK, coming soon to Canada (with LTE)

While its size, with a 9.4” touchscreen, comes pretty close to both 8.9” and 10.1” Android Honeycomb tablets, its design really stands out from the crowd. The asymmetric wrap-around chasis sits very well in hand, and in the looks department – we haven’t seen any other Honeycomb tablet to even come close.

Another interesting Sony Tablet S gimmick, is a universal remote control app. This tablet is equipped with infrared port, and the app lets to pair it with any TV, DVD player or any other electronic device that is controlled with infrared remote.

While for now Sony Tablet S has all the ailments of Android Honeycomb 3.2 OS, in the long run this shouldn’t matter much. It will  be upgraded to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich few months after the the next generation Google OS release, and most of the new system teething problems should be solved then.

So if you are holding out for a good tablet and do not want to join the Apple crowd, Sony Tablet S looks like a darn good gadget to have.

Here’s a hands-on video of Sony Tablet S:

• Asus Transformer Prime may be delayed until December, could launch with Android Ice Cream Sandwich
• Android Jelly Bean to come after Ice Cream Sandwich?
• Ice Cream Sandwich will almost certainly be the next version of Android
• Sony S1 Android tablet will be called Tablet S when it lands in early September
• Motorola Android Ice Cream Sandwich tablet with 2048 x 1536 screen coming this year?

Dixons has claimed it has an exclusive two-week pre-order window (whatever that means) for Sony’s tablet in the UK, and the retailer has therefore (obviously) started taking pre-orders for the device. There are three versions offered at the moment.

The cheapest is a 16 GB Wi-Fi-only option, which can be had for £399.99. And then there are two hardware variants both going for £499.99. One of them comes with 32 GB of storage and Wi-Fi-only connectivity, while the other one has 16 GB of built-in storage space and 3G capabilities.

The 16 GB Wi-Fi Tablet S will be released on September 16, and the 32 GB Wi-Fi model on September 23, so one week later. There’s no firm release date yet for the 3G Tablet S, unfortunately, but we’ll keep you posted.

So if you want to pre-order either of these tablets, head on over to Dixons now.

Via Eurodroid

• Asus Eee Pad Slider finally available in the UK for £429.99
• Sony’s Tablet P brings its two screens to the UK, yours for £499.99
• Sony Tablet S pre-orders start in Australia for $579, shipping on October 21
• Acer Iconia Tab A500 with Android Honeycomb now available in the UK from £449.99
• Sony’s S1 Android tablet available for pre-order in the UK starting September 1?

Sony has officially confirmed this, saying that the new tablet will cost $499 (16GB version), or $599 (32GB) – the prices are similar to the ones for the US market.

Running Android Honeycomb, the Sony Tablet S has a unique asymmetric design, and features: a 9.4 inch display with 1280 x 800 pixels, Wi-Fi, GPS, Sony Entertainment Network Services, PlayStation games, Reader Store, 5MP rear camera, VGA front-facing camera, 1GB of RAM, dual-core Nvidia Tegra 2 processor, and MicroSD card support.

Until it actually hits the shelves, you can check out the Tablet S here at Sony Canada’s official website. Sony didn’t say if it also plans to launch its other Android tablet (the Tablet P) in Canada.

Via Press release

• 3G Sony Tablet S launched in the UK
• Sony offers free Bravia TVs to early Tablet S adopters (in the UK)
• Sony Tablet S pre-orders start in Australia for $579, shipping on October 21
• Motorola Xoom Wi-Fi now available at Telus in Canada
• Sony’s Tablet P brings its two screens to the UK, yours for £499.99

The Tablet S (the one that features a 9.4 inch display) should be launched in the US in September for $499.99 (the 16GB version), or $599.99 (the 32GB version). The device will also hit Europe the same month starting at €479.

The Tablet P (the one with two 5.5 inch screens) will arrive in Europe sometime in November for €599.

AT&T has previously announced that i would carry the Sony Tablet P in the US, but we don’t know how much it’s going to ask for it on contract (hopefully, less than for HTC’s new Jetstream).

Via This is my next, EuroDroid

• HTC’s Jetstream tablet brings Android Honeycomb and LTE to AT&T
• Sony’s S1 Android tablet available for pre-order in the UK starting September 1?
• Sony Tablet S will be launched in Canada this month
• AT&T announces the Sony S2 Android tablet with 4G
• Samsung Galaxy Tab official video demo now available. 10 inch Galaxy Tab may come in early 2011

As we told you a few days ago, what we’ve known so far as the Sony S1 will be released as the Sony Tablet S. And now we’ve received word that the Sony S2 will be sold under the name Sony Tablet P. Makes sense, right?

But wait, there’s more. Here’s the most complete specsheet for the Tablet P (seen in the picture above on the right) yet. It will have an Nvidia Tegra 2 dual-core 1 GHz processor, two 5.5-inch touchscreens, 512 MB of RAM, 4 GB of internal storage space, microSD card support (with a 2 GB card included), and a 0.3 MP front-facing camera. It will weigh 370 grams and ship with 4G or Wi-Fi connectivity.

The Tablet S, on the other hand, while sharing the same processor and camera, will be heavier at 600 grams, and will come with 1 GB of RAM and either 16 GB or 32 GB of internal storage space.

Unfortunately, exact details about pricing or a release date are still unknowns, but we expect to hear more very soon.

Via Engadget

• Sony’s Tablet P brings its two screens to the UK, yours for £499.99
• Toshiba Thrive now available at Newegg, $429.99 for the 8 GB model, $479.99 for 16 GB
• Sony Tablet S will be launched in Canada this month
• Acer Iconia Tab A501 with 3G now available in the UK for £534
• Acer launches 16 GB Iconia Tab A500 in the UK for £349.99

That’s not all. It turns out that it won’t be sold as the Sony S1, but will be called Sony Tablet S for some reason. The Tablet S will ship running Android 3.1 Honeycomb, and will probably get updated to Android Ice Cream Sandwich once it comes out. The tablet will have a 9.4-inch touchscreen with the rather unusual (for the Android world, at least) resolution of 1280×768. It’s also got two cameras, one 5 MP rear unit and another 3 MP cam for video conferencing up front.

The Sony Tablet S will come with a built-in IR blaster which will allow you to control many, if not all of the devices in your home that have an IR sensor. Thanks to DLNA, it will also be able to ‘throw’ media at other compatible hardware, and there will be some PlayStation-certified gaming as well. Alongside games, Sony will preinstall its very own movie, music, and book services.

The Sony Tablet S may cost $599, although that’s not an officially confirmed price, as Sony has stayed mum on the issue so far. Anyway, with the launch just weeks away, we’re bound to find out pretty soon.

• Sony Working on S1, a 9.4-inch Android Tablet with Honeycomb?
• Sony announces PlayStation Suite for Android and PSP2 NGP with 3G radio
• Sony PlayStation app for Android, iPhone launching soon
• Sony Tablet S will be launched in Canada this month
• Sony Ericsson Aino and Yari announced – new multimedia phones

According to Tabletslaunch, Sony India plans to offer the S1 and S2 for about 29,000 INR ($640) each. Both devices will come with Android Honeycomb, a custom Sony UI, dual-core processors, and lots of other nice features.

The two tablets are already featured on Sony India’s official website, where some arguably awesome video promos have been uploaded.

India aside, the Sony S1 (pictured above) may become available for pre-order in the UK starting September 1, while the S2 should be released by AT&T in the US sometime soon – possibly also next month.

Via AndroidOS.in

• Sony Ericsson Xperia Mini and Mini Pro to arrive in India this week
• Sony’s S1 Android tablet available for pre-order in the UK starting September 1?
• HTC Rhyme to become available in India soon
• Android-based Dell Venue launching in India next month?
• LG Optimus Me P350 launched in India

The S1 spots a 9.4″ IPS LCD display with the TruBlack and BRAVIA technologies. Its battery life compares to that of Apple’s iPad 2. The S1 comes in four variants: a 16GB Wi-Fi only, a 16GB Wi-Fi+3G, a 32GB Wi-Fi only, and a 32GB Wi-Fi+3G.

The S2 spots a dual-screen as mentioned above. The S2 only comes in a 16GB Wi-Fi+3G version and a 32GB Wi-Fi+3G version.

The tablets are expected to launch early September. The S2 will launch exclusively on AT&T with 4G HSPA+ speeds. Unfortunately, we don’t have any info on pricing yet, but if Sony is smart they will make the tablet the same price or less than that of the iPad 2. We will keep you updated on the status of the S1 and S2 tablets.

CNET

• The first Sony Android tablet (S1 or S2) will be available in Europe before the end of September
• Sony’s S1 Android tablet available for pre-order in the UK starting September 1?
• Sony’s Tablet S now up for pre-order in the UK, priced from £399.99
• Sony Tablet S to hit the US on September 16
• White HTC EVO 3D available exclusively at RadioShack starting September 9th

Sony first moved their Music Unlimited service to mobile back on April 14 of this year when they released the PSP version of their software. In a surprise move, they released an version of their software for Android devices two months later, and added a match service for users to sync their home libraries with their Qriocity library. Sony is known for Windows dependency and high quality hardware, but how will this app stack up?

Mobile Platforms

PSP, Android

Library Size

Music Unlimited boasts 7 million tracks, streamed at a shockingly low 48kbps. Sony has added a match service, in which songs on users’ computers can be matched to their Qriocity library, but the application is Windows-only. The catalog is limited, with the holes in some artists’ discographies ranging from embarrassing (yes on Dr. Dre’s “2001,” but no on “The Chronic”) to cluttered. Some of the omissions are extremely odd, as indie rock band The National has releases from several labels on Music Unlimited, including 2005′s “Alligator” (Beggars Banquet). Yet their 2007 release, “Boxer” (also on Beggars) is missing. Prolific reggae star Dennis Brown has more compilations on Music Unlimited than his actual albums, and there’s no way to separate the two.

The Shuffle Test

Ed.- we took 10 songs shuffled from our iTunes library and checked how many each service had.

7/10 – Roxy Music – 2HB (Y), Big Star – Life Is White (Y), Sufjan Stevens – Jacksonville (N), The National – Slow Show (N), Daft Punk – Da Funk (Y), Rolling Stones – Gimme Shelter (Y), Big Punisher – Dream Shatterer (Y), John Legend – It Don’t Have to Change (Y), Desaparecidos – The Happiest Place on Earth (N), The Notorious B.I.G. – Ready to Die (Y)

Software (Stability)

The PSP version of the Music Unlimited app was extremely slow. We understand the hardware is old (it turned 6 this past March), so it’s possible Sony chose to develop the hardware for the Xperia Play, leaving the PSP choking on the bits. Even setting up the PSP to work with our Qriocity account became a long and arduous process. The app required us to plug the device into a Windows PC (good thing we had an old one of those lying around) via USB in order to “activate” the account. For customers who only use Macs, their experience stops here. The Android app was a little faster on a beefy HTC device (which didn’t require a tether to a PC to activate), but it still sputtered on occasion.

On any platform, the Music Unlimited app is bogged down with a slow boot process. The PSP’s seems unnecessarily overwhelmed with high-resolution rain graphics and introductory music, but even on our beefy HTC Thunderbolt it took nearly 20 seconds to load on a 4G connection. Wi-Fi is faster, but the PSP lags regardless (it is Wi-Fi only). The Android app is more visually streamlined, with less 3D motion graphics and a cleaner, two page interface. Because of the old hardware, it’s the version that should have been released on the PSP.

Software (User Interface)

The “Now Playing” screen acts as the control deck for any music player, and Sony’s is pretty decent. The Android app cleverly hides scrub & loop controls as well as track information; it can be brought up and dismissed by tapping the album art. You can’t delete music from your library while using the mobile app, but as there are no limits to your library size, it’s mostly an organizational oversight.

The search function does a good job of organizing results; first by artist then album. But when you select an album, it immediately starts playing–an annoying quirk for those who like to browse before they change what they’re currently playing. When adding songs to your library, you’re prompted to add either the song or the entire album. But there is no indication of whether the album is explicit or if it is edited. This can be problematic for those with kids (or who abhor edited music).

While navigating the search results on the Android device, it doesn’t remember your position when moving between menu levels (no such problem on the PSP). Curiously, some artists come up in search results (with the requisite album art), but have no songs available in the catalog. We’re not sure who Sony is saving those tracks for, but it certainly wasn’t us. Search also has some limitations grouping artists’ releases, and aliases can cause problems. Hip-hop impresario Sean Combs, for example, has no albums listed under Puff Daddy (but a bunch of singles), two more tracks as P. Diddy and finally multiple album releases as “Diddy.” His track with The Notorious B.I.G., “Victory” is nowhere to be found. Seminal New York MC Nas is listed as both NAS (2 releases) and Nas (29 releases). Either app would have been well served by better grouping of artist search results

Playback

The wait time for an initial track to load could be as long as 15 seconds while on a 4G connection (we’d expect even longer with 3G). On a strong Wi-Fi connection, expect much shorter wait times (4-5 seconds). Once connected, the stream was pretty reliable, and we liked how the scrub bar showed us the buffer progress (Android app only). Alas, it only caches one song ahead of the one you’re playing; skip forward too many tracks and you’ll be stuck waiting for the buffer to load.

Recommendations (Finding New Music)

Sony’s “SensMe” playlists are front and center on both apps. With names like “Energetic,” “Emotional” and even “Morning,” they’re intended to induce or align with moods. The “Now Playing” background color and design change to match the channel. We found it to be mostly uninspired (apparently “Free Bird” covers are “Extreme”).

On the Android app, an “X” reminiscent of a shuffle-icon shows album covers for related music; three separate cover flows showed the currently playing artist’s discography, other music by that artist and “More Like This.” The feature had potential, but fell short in execution; while playing Wiz Khalifa’s “Rooftops (ft. Curren$y),” the first two offerings were Mos Def and his group Black Star. Excellent suggestions, for sure, but ones that didn’t have much in common with Wiz.

Offline Playback

None.

Price

Basic $3.99, Premium $9.99 (create & edit playlists, access to premium channels)

The Verdict

Sony gets close to creating something useful, but fails miserably in a few key spots. First, they added a matching service, something only Rdio can currently claim (at least until iTunes Match debuts). But the lack of offline playback is disconcerting, as it’s something every other service has by now. The playback bitrate of 48kbps is also atrocious, and is most noticeable when plugging the PSP into external speakers. The SensMe playlists were a joke and an absolute waste of time. But in the most important category, library size, it seems to hold its own. It scored well on our shuffle test, and 7 million tracks is about middle of the road for this market.

But ultimately, the experience is lacking. The user interface on the PSP is all style and no substance, and while the Android app is more streamlined, they both lack a fun or easy way to discover new music. If SensMe is Sony’s answer to Pandora, Last.fm or iTunes Genius, then they should go back to the drawing board.

If you’ve got a PSP, this could be a cool app, except for the fact that you’ll need a Wi-Fi connection to use it. Those with Android devices have way too many other options to consider shelling out money to Sony for this service.

Link: Music Unlimited

For more on our mobile cloud music feature, and to read reviews of the other services, click here.

• Sony brings Music Unlimited to Android
• Hackers crack Nokia “Comes With Music” DRM
• Amazon announces availability of over 6 million DRM-free songs for Android-powered T-Mobile G1
• Unwired View’s Mobile Cloud Music Showdown – Locker Services, 4th Place: Best Buy Music Cloud
• Vodafone Music 24/7 service Launched

Unlike Sony’s S1 tablet, which has a 9.4 inch display (and should be available for pre-order in the UK starting September), the S2 has two 5.5 inch screens, each with a 1024 x 480 pixel resolution. It also features a dual-core processor, Wi-Fi, and 4G connectivity – which doesn’t mean it’s an LTE device, but an HSPA+ one.

According to AT&T, the S2 will run Android 3.0 Honeycomb.

“With its unprecedented, completely portable form factor, the Sony Tablet S2 offers tablet enthusiasts a convenient and unique entertainment experience. Users will be treated to exceptional graphics and the touch-screen capabilities will enable a fast and efficient website experience,” declared David Haight, vice president of business development, AT&T emerging devices.

AT&T didn’t say how much the Sony S2 would cost, and neither when exactly it’s going to be available. It did mention that it’ll offer monthly data plans for the tablet. The S2 will be AT&T’s second 4G tablet, after the webOS-based HP TouchPad.

Via Press release

• AT&T announces Acer Iconia Tab A501 with 4G and Android 3.0 Honeycomb
• Sony Tablet S will be launched in Canada this month
• Opera intros Opera Mini 5 beta for Android
• Sony offers free Bravia TVs to early Tablet S adopters (in the UK)
• Sony Android Honeycomb tablet coming to the US this summer?

The phone will run on Android 2.3(Gingerbread), and will be AT&T’s second Gingerbread phone behind the HTC Status. The device will run on AT&T’s 4G HSPA+ network with speeds up to 21 MBps. AT&T will be getting its own special “Stealth Blue” version of the Play along with the stock black version. If you are unfamiliar with the Xperia Play, it spots a 1GHz Qualcomm MSM8255 Snapdragon chip, a 4-inch display, and a 5 megapixel camera.

This Xperia Play is the same as Verizon’s with the exception of a different color and different network speeds. AT&T has yet to release any info on pricing or availability, but we will keep you updated on the status of the Xperia Play.

Engadget

• Sony Ericsson Xperia Play on sale for $99.99 at Verizon
• #MWC11: Sony Ericsson Xperia Neo hands-on video
• AT&T Samsung Focus S hits FCC
• Sony Ericsson Xperia Play goes 4G on AT&T, available for $50 starting September 18
• Samsung Galaxy S II LTE now available on NTT DoCoMO in Japan

This is my next has reportedly seen some documents which indicate that the Sony S1 (the 10-inch tablet, not the 5.5 inch dual-screen one) will be available for pre-order in the UK starting September 1. This is in line with what we’ve previously heard, namely that Sony is planning to launch its first Android tablet before the end of September in Europe.

The S1 should run Android Honeycomb with some custom Sony UI on top of it. At the moment, there is no word on the tablet’s price, but considering its unique design and its presumably high-end features, a hefty price shouldn’t surprise anyone.

Both the Sony S1 and S2 have been approved by the FCC last month, so we should expect them to be released in North America, too, at some point.

• Sony Tablet S to hit the US on September 16
• Sony Tablet S will be launched in Canada this month
• The first Sony Android tablet (S1 or S2) will be available in Europe before the end of September
• Alcatel OneTouch T60 Android tablet unveiled by the FCC
• Sony’s Tablet P brings its two screens to the UK, yours for £499.99

Clearly, that unnamed tablet will be either Sony’s S1 or S2. Both of these devices were pre-announced (Sony didn’t give any actual specs save for the screen sizes) in April with a projected release time frame of “this fall” – so that fits. Since then, we’ve seen both the S1 and the S2 pass through the FCC, but that’s about the extent of info we have had on them so far.

What remains to be seen is which tablet Sony chooses to launch first. Will it be the S1 with its curved back design? Or the S2 with its dual-touchscreens? Maybe Sony will launch both tablets at the same time, or very close to each other. The truth is we just don’t know at this point. What we do know however is that, at some point in September, if you’re in Europe, you may just be able to buy a nice Sony Android tablet. In the UK, it will be at first sold by Sony directly, as well as department store John Lewis and a third still-unconfirmed retailer. After the famed ‘holiday season’ passes, the tablet will become available elsewhere too.

Let’s hope Sony will decide to tell us more about its tablets before September.

• Sony’s S1 Android tablet available for pre-order in the UK starting September 1?
• New info about Sony S1 and Sony S2 revealed
• Sony’s Tablet P brings its two screens to the UK, yours for £499.99
• Sony’s S1 and S2 tablets ariving in India next month?
• Sony Tablet S will be launched in Canada this month

Compatible with all Android devices running version 2.1 or later, the subscription-based app provides access to more than 7 million songs on Sony’s Qriocity network from all four of the major US labels.

Qriocity—launched in April of 2010—was introduced with the idea of utilizing the tens of millions of users on the Playstation Network, offering them a portal to stream music, games and videos.

Music Unlimited, the music arm of the service, was launched overseas in late 2010 and came to the US earlier this year. Since its inception, it has only been available on PCs and Sony devices (Playstation 3, TVs, etc).

The move to Android opens up the fastest growing smartphone market to Sony, and marks a major departure from their history of Sony-only past offerings.

The basic tier ($3.99/month) of the Music Unlimited service offers a Pandora-like Internet radio, with access to all 7 million songs through a series of curated music channels. Users can fast-forward and rate songs without having to view ads. Music Unlimited even offers a scan-and-match service similar to the one iTunes Match will offer upon its eventual release, though it does not include the option to upload tracks missing from the Qriocity library. In typical Sony fashion, it is also only compatible with Windows PCs.

The premium tier ($9.99/mo) includes everything in the basic tier plus on-demand playback those 7 million tracks. With the introduction of the Android app, all those tracks can now be played on smartphones with 3G or Wi-Fi connections.

Omnifone’s music streaming technology and Gracenote’s music ID database power the backend of Music Unlimited, which is now available in the U.S., France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Spain, the U.K., Australia and New Zealand.

It will be interesting to see how popular the service will be with Android users. Music streaming veterans Rhapsody have apps on BlackBerry, iOS and Android devices, yet still struggles to reach ubiquity. And with reports that Apple, the most successful of the digital music retailers, doesn’t make much profit from its store, it begs the question: can Music Unlimited turn a profit for Sony?

• Sony Ericsson PlayNow Arena officially launched
• Hackers crack Nokia “Comes With Music” DRM
• Nokia launches DRM-free Comes with Music service in China
• RIM gives BlackBerry Messenger Music soft launch in closed beta
• Nokia launches Ovi Music Unlimited (ex CWM) in India

All three suspects are Spanish males in their early 30s, and were released without bail pending formal charges. In addition to the Sony attacks, they stand accused of attacking Spanish banks, an Italian energy company and various government Web sites throughout the world.

The Spanish investigation was started last October after an attack on the Spanish Ministry of Culture’s Web site, allegedly in protest of legislation that increased penalties for illegal downloads.

The Playstation Network breach and its disclosure to the public have been quite embarrassing for Sony. However, estimates of overall costs of the breach—$173M—seem paltry in relation to Sony’s annual revenues. Police said the Anonymous members made use of the computer program LOIC to crash Web sites with DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) attacks, but did not claim to know how the Playstation Network was breached.

Photo: outfitnm.com

• Sony PlayStation app for Android, iPhone launching soon
• Sony (not Sony Ericsson) launching a PSP phone this year to rival Apple?
• Sony PSP phone is coming, won’t have anything to do with Sony Ericsson
• MOSH joins Nokia Media Network
• Huge AT&T security breach exposes iPad owners’ emails

Just like the S2, the Sony S1 that got the Federal Commission’s approval has 850 / 1900 MHz 3G connectivity. And you know what that means: it can – theoretically – be launched by AT&T (or by Canadian carriers).

Sure enough, we’re still waiting for official details from Sony regarding carrier availability, so don’t get your hopes up just yet if you want to see the two tablets on AT&T.

The Sony S1 has a single 9.1 inch touchscreen display (unlike the S2, which has two 5.5 inch ones) and features Wi-Fi, and access to the PlayStation Network. Sony said both tablets are running Android Honeycomb, but they may get Android Ice Cream Sandwich before launch.

Via FCC, Engadget, Dave Zatz

• Sony S2 Android tablet passes the FCC
• Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich for Archos 80 G9 and 101 G9 coming next year
• Sony S1 Android tablet will be called Tablet S when it lands in early September
• Dell Aero (Mini 3) to be AT&T’s second Android phone
• Huawei Honor hits the FCC with AT&T 3G bands

Now the S2 has appeared at the FCC, which approved it to work on the AT&T-friendly 850 / 1900 MHz bands. That doesn’t necessarily mean AT&T will launch the tablet, but it may very well do it.

Apart from 3G connectivity, the S2 has two 5.5 inch touchscreen displays with 1024 x 480 pixels, Wi-Fi, access to PlayStation games, and a dual-core Nvidia Tegra 2 processor.

Just like the S1, the Sony S2 was announced as running Android Honeycomb. However, it will likely / hopefully be upgraded to Android Ice Cream Sandwich before launch. More info should be unveiled soon.

Via Wireless Goodness

• Sony Tablet S will be launched in Canada this month
• Sony Android Honeycomb tablet coming to the US this summer?
• 3G Sony Tablet S launched in the UK
• Sony’s S1 Android tablet hits the FCC, too
• Sony PlayStation app for Android, iPhone launching soon

I’m talking about the new “Sony Tablet(s)” codenamed S1 and S2 that Japanese company unveiled today. Or should I say “previewed today”, since besides some cool Photoshop renderings and display size, Sony decided to keep most of the other details to themselves. Raising a ton of interesting questions about the whole thing.

Let’s start with what we know.

We always knew that Sony can do great design and the new S1 and S2 tablets are no exception. They both look unusual, but very good, and will get you noticed anywhere.

The display size for S1 is 9.4”:

S2 comes with dual 5.5” displays. Giving you 10.1” of screen real estate in a more portable folding form factor:

Sony says that both tablets will run on Android 3.0 Honeycomb, will have Wi-Fi and WAN (3G/4G) modems available, will support DLNA and act as a remote controls for other Sony A/V equipment. Where available, they will also run Sony cloud entertainment “Qriocity” service, and support the Playstation Network too. Here’s a promo video for new tablets:

That’s about all Sony decided to tell us about the new tablets. Which leaves us with more questions the we got answers today. Here are some of them:

#1.  Why the heck did Sony even bother to announce these things today? The new tablets won’t be available until this fall. Which means we are probably at least 6 months away from launch. And the only thing you have to show us are some Photoshop renderings and some pretty vague specs.  I know in gaming console biz things move slowly, and it’s business as usual to pre-announce new devices  6-12 months in advance. But in a fast paced tablet/smartphone/next gen mobile computing field? I’m not sure it’s such a good idea.

#2.And why Sony is making tablets in the first place? Aren’t smartphone makers supposed to be better equipped to do tablets? Why aren’t S1 and S2 done by Sony Ericsson? Especially when last January SE was strongly hinting that some very unique tablets are on the way. Did you take that Sony Ericsson project away from them? If yes, why? Is there something we should know about the Sony Ericsson future prospects? If, not and SE is also working on some sort of a tablet, will they compete with Sony?

#3 Are you serious about this Android 3.0 Honeycomb stuff, you say the new Sony Tablets will be running in fall 2011? The same old buggy Android 3.0 from early 2011, when Google starts shipping the next iteration Android 3.x this fall? Wasn’t Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 update debacle enough of a lesson last year?

Oh well, I guess we’ll have to wait until this fall and see what happens.

Stay tuned

• Sony Tablet S doubles as a universal remote control. Hands-on video
• HTC Obsession / Diamond3 photos show up, might be fake though
• Acer Iconia Smart (phone) may get Honeycomb. Iconia Tab A100 and A500 tablet hands on preview #MWC11
• 3G Sony Tablet S launched in the UK
• Android 3.0 Honeycomb Previewed on Mysterious Motorola Tablet

Reportedly, the tablet has been confirmed by Sony’s CEO Howard Stringer who, according to Bloomberg, told Nikkei that the device would be released before the summer’s end.

It looks like Sony chose the US to as the first market where the Honeycomb tablet will be released. Most likely, there will be at least one carrier to offer the tablet (maybe Verizon, since it’s also launching the SE Xperia Play).

Sony’s CEO didn’t unveil other details, but the upcoming tablet is expected to feature a 9.4 inch display with 1280 x 800 pixels, Nvidia Tegra 2 dual-core processor, two cameras, PlayStation games, and a unique wrap design. We’re now waiting for some photos of the device to show up.

• Sony Tablet S will be launched in Canada this month
• 3G Sony Tablet S launched in the UK
• Sony offers free Bravia TVs to early Tablet S adopters (in the UK)
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We’ve previously said that the new Android smartphone would be available to British customers starting March 28.

However, that’s not exactly accurate.

Sony Ericsson’s marketing director for UK and Ireland told MVC that the Xperia Play would be released in the last day of the month, on March 31, coming with six PlayStation games pre-installed. The handset will be available in the UK via pretty much all mobile carriers and retailers. It could be even sold through alternative channels, like games stores – although that’s not yet confirmed.

The Xperia Play is the world’s first PlayStation certified phone. It runs Android 2.3 Gingerbread and features a 4 inch FWVGA display, 1GHz Processor, 5MP camera, and, of course, a sliding gamepad. Unlocked, it could cost up to £500.

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• Sony Ericsson Xperia Play gets a price drop in the UK: £418
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I’ve just been at SE’s MWC 2011 press conference where the Xperia Play was presented alongside other two new Android 2.3 Gingerbread handsets: the Xperia Pro and Xperia Neo (we’ll talk about them a bit later).

The only thing that surprised me regarding the Xperia Play – given the fact that we already knew a lot about it – was the way Rikko Sakaguchi, Chief Creation Officer of Sony Ericsson, presented it, namely as the “best smartphone ever.” Yes, the handset may combine communication and entertainment in a perfect way (although many will disagree), but the thing is that there is no “best smartphone.” And there will never be one – because it should be a device which answers the needs of any random smartphone user. And that’s just not possible.

Anyway, back to the Xperia Play. One of its biggest selling points is, of course, its sliding (and very PSP-like) gamepad, and the fact that it provides access to PlayStation games – which will be available for download via Android Market (a few titles will come preloaded on the phone).

I’ve played a bit with the Xperia Play, and I must say it’s a quite nice piece of hardware – the touchscreen (4 inch, FWVGA) is very responsive, the sliding mechanism works smooth, and the gamepad won’t disappoint anyone. The gamepad does make the phone thick (16mm), and also a bit heavy (175 grams). However, the handset feels good in hand anyway, so that’s not such a big deal. Unless, of course, for some reason you really need your smartphone to be thin and lightweight.

Games do look great on the Xperia Play, thanks to the Adreno GPU graphics processor that can provide 60fps play-back 3D gaming.

Check out the smartphone in the hands-on video below, and in more photos just after it:

There will be an optional dock for the Xperia Play that lets you use it as a clock (and not only):

The Sony Ericsson Xperia Play will be available starting next month (March). One of the first countries to get the new smartphone is the US, where Verizon Wireless is getting ready to release it. SE didn’t announce how much the Xperia Play would cost, but I’m pretty sure Verizon will offer it for about $200 on contract.

• Sony Ericsson Xperia Play gets a price drop in the UK: £418
• Sony Ericsson Xperia PlayStation phone previewed in China
• Sony Ericsson Xperia Play coming to Verizon soon?
• Sony Ericsson Xperia Play to be released in the UK on March 31
• Sony Ericsson Xperia Play launch date announced by Verizon: May 26

Sony Ericsson’s Facebook page presents the Xperia Play as being PlayStation certified – so, yes, we could say this is the PSP phone that many have been waiting for.

Just like the Xperia Arc (unveiled at CES 2011 last month), the Xperia Play will come with Android 2.3 Gingerbread. I assume Sony Ericsson wants to sell it in all major markets around the world (the US included) – if that’s the case, and if the price won’t bee too high, the company may really have a winner here.

Alongside the Xperia Play, Sony Ericsson will probably also announce the Xperia Neo at MWC – but the latter handset will likely generate less interest than the PSP phone. We’ll bring more official details directly from MWC on February 13.

• Sony Ericsson Xperia Play headed to Rogers in Canada?
• Sony Ericsson Xperia Neo previewed in the UK
• Sony Ericsson Xperia Neo to join the Xperia Arc and Xperia Play this year
• Sony Ericsson Xperia Play can be pre-ordered in India
• Confirmed: Android Ice Cream Sandwich coming to Sony Ericsson’s Xperia 2011 lineup

The PlayStation Suite will, at first, be an emulator for PSOne games. But it will also come with a development kit, and a store, so conceivably game developers can develop games specifically for the PS Suite and sell them through the integrated store. The PlayStation Suite will not be limited to the upcoming Xperia Play, nor to Sony Ericsson Android devices. Any manufacturer can theoretically have it on their devices, if they adhere to Sony’s strict hardware and software requirements. One of those is that the device must be running at least Android 2.3 Gingerbread. As of now, only one phone, the Google Nexus S, does. So this will not show up in a phone near you in the next few days, or even weeks. It remains to be seen how many other phone manufacturers will want to have anything to do with this.

Also interesting is that there won’t be a set hardware requirement for joystick/joypad and the famous PlayStation keys – if the hardware won’t be there, they’ll be rendered in software.

Sony has also unveiled its plans concerning the next-gen PSP, codenamed the NGP. This will be available towards the end of the year, and, interestingly, will have 3G connectivity on board. It’s unclear at this point if that will be usable for voice calls, or only for data.

Other than that, the NGP will be compatible with both PlayStation Suite games, and with legacy titles for the original PSP.

Hardware-wise, the new PSP will feature a quad-core ARM Cortex-A9 processor, a dedicated GPU, a 5-inch, 960×544 OLED capacitive multitouch screen, a multi touch pad at the back, both a front and a rear camera, stereo speakers, built-in microphone, three-axis gyroscope, three-axis accelerometer, three-axis electronic compass, GPS, Wi-Fi n and Bluetooth 2.1. There will of course be plenty of gaming buttons here: a PS button, a power button, directional buttons, action buttons (the PlayStation keys), shoulder buttons (right/left), right stick, left stick, a start button and a select button, as well as volume buttons.

The NGP will have a new game medium, a small flash memory-based card.

Don’t get too excited yet, since you’ll have to wait until “this holiday season” to get your hands on one.

Via Sony here and here

Image via Engadget

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The PlayStation App will allow users to check out their PlayStation Network trophies, stay up to date with their friends’ games, find the latest games (for PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3 or PSP), and share news and links via email, Facebook and Twitter.

For the beginning, the application will be available in the UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, and The Netherlands. Sony didn’t say when exactly the app would be launched, but it should happen in the next few months.

The PlayStation App version 1.0 will be free, requiring at least iOS 4.0 or Android 1.6. Future versions “will support most SCEE countries and languages.”

Via PlayStation Blog

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