-
-
Recent Reviews
Home » Posts tagged 'Sony Xperia S'
Sony Xperia S ICS update to roll out much later
Posted:
May 24, 2012
By: soyacincau
No comments
Sony Xperia S users that have been waiting for Android 4.0 ICS update might just need to wait a little longer.
There Sony Mobile support forum guys had gotten a little mix up with their models and the Xperia S is only getting the OS upgrade in later part of Q2 which is somewhere end June/early July. Earlier they have mistakenly announced that the roll out is coming out in the next couple of weeks around end May/early June window. Apparently this wasn’t a delay as the roll out schedule has always been end Q2 2012.
However, here’s probably a good reason to wait out a little longer. It is said that the Xperia NX which is an equivalent to the Xperia S will be getting the very latest Android 4.0.4 of Ice Cream Sandwich. This would probably iron out more bugs and has better power management. If people are made to wait, hopefully it is really worth the wait.
NFC Comparison: Android 2.3 Gingerbread vs Android Beam on Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich
Posted:
May 20, 2012
By: ccsoya
4 comments
NFC in smartphones is a very promising and exciting technology. Yet it’s unfortunate that the feature is not gaining a lot of traction here in Malaysia. In any case, more and more devices release this year will come equipped with NFC and like it or not, operators will have to pay attention and start offering compelling service propositions for consumers who are obviously ready and eager to adopt the technology.
While we wait for that faithful day when we can start using our NFC-equipped smartphones as cinema tickets or Touch n’ Go cards, here’s a comparison video we made comparing the rather rudimentary implementation of NFC on Android 2.3 Gingerbread with the more integrated approach in Ice Cream Sandwich through Android Beam.
What are your thoughts on NFC? We think local operators, banks and payment services are taking way too long to take advantage of this massive potential.
DiGi offer extra rebates for Smart Plan device bundle
Posted:
May 16, 2012
By: soyacincau
5 comments
DiGi is throwing additional savings in the form of monthly rebates for those that purchase a new device with 24 months contract of DG Smart Plan 68 or Smart Plan 88.
The first promotion offers 1 year rebate of RM15/month if you sign up for a Samsung Galaxy Note, Galaxy S II and Galaxy Tab 7.7 on contract. This gives additional savings of RM180 on top of the RM5/month rebate if you opt for auto billing. This offer only available at both DiGi centres and their online store. The promotion is only valid from now until 30th June.
The next offer is 1 year rebate of RM10/month which gives a savings of RM120. This covers a wider selection of devices below:
- iPhone 4S
- HTC One X
- HTC One V
- HTC Sensation XL
- Sony Xperia S
- Samsung Galaxy Nexus
- Samsung Galaxy W
- Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus
- BlackBerry Torch 9810
- BlackBerry Bold 9900
- BlackBerry Curve 9360
- Nokia Lumia 800
The offer is available thru DiGi Online Store and is valid until 31st of May.
For more information, head over to DiGi’s Smart Plan promo.
Sony Xperia S to get ICS update by next month
Posted:
May 12, 2012
By: soyacincau
1 comment
Sony Xperia S users that have been longing for Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich may not need wait much longer. According to Sony Mobile, they are sticking to their late May/early June timeline to rollout ICS update to Xperia S users. This came as a forum member speculated that Sony would probably delay such roll out as late as July.
Currently Sony has already upgraded a number of 2011 Xperia handsets including the Xperia arc S, Xperia ray and Xperia neo V to the latest version. The remaining models including the original Xperia arc & Xperia play is expected to receive them in the next few months as well.
So far Sony has proven itself to be proactive in rolling out Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich update, which is a major improvement since their early Xperia X10 days. The rest of its 2012 Xperias such as the Xperia P, Xperia U and Xperia sola are expected to be upgraded soon.
By the numbers: Flagship smart phones compared
Posted:
May 6, 2012
By: soyacincau
12 comments
Click to enlarge
UPDATE: Added BlackBerry Bold 9900 into the comparison.
In our previous Samsung Galaxy S III spec comparison, we compared it with its direct rival the HTC One X and its former Galaxy predecessors. Now we are comparing it with the rest of the notable flagship models including the Sony Xperia S, Huawei Ascend D Quad, iPhone 4S and the Nokia Lumia 900.
With the Xperia S in the picture, Sony is in the lead for having the highest pixel density for squeezing 1280×720 pixels display into a compact 4.3″ screen. In terms of camera, it is the highest among the lot at 12MP. However it is one of the thicker and heavier models of the lot. In our review, the Xperia S performs admirably well despite being a dual-core processor and we appreciate the polished interface it has to offer.
Huawei too is going quad core with its Ascend D Quad which is expected to be released in mid 2012. It uses its in-house K3V2 processor which is clocked either at 1.2GHz or 1.5GHz. It is one of the smaller quad-core phones with a 4.5″ screen that has better pixel density at 326ppi. For those that feel 4.7″ or 4.8″ is too big in the hands might find the Ascend D Quad as a more comfortable choice.
In terms of cloud storage, it is worth pointing out that both Apple & Microsoft are bundling their own storage in the form of iCloud and SkyDrive. Overall, looking at all flagship devices launched this year, all of them are on the Micro-SIM bandwagon. So for those who are still using a standard SIM format, you are likely to convert/cut your SIMs if you’re getting a new high end phone soon.
Sony Xperia S gets disassembled
Posted:
May 1, 2012
By: soyacincau
1 comment
Ever wondered how the Sony Xperia S is being put together? A Chinese site, XDA.CN had posted a step by step disassembly guide of the Xperia S from start to finish.
The tear down looks easy with a couple of screws that’s colour coded. The inner back cover houses the NFC module that’s connected by a ribbon cable. The battery inside looks like a standard Sony Ericsson which is reported to be easily replaced.
Head after the break for some photos and disassembly video.
Sony SmartWatch now available through Groupon
Posted:
April 16, 2012
By: soyacincau
6 comments
The Sony SmartWatch is now available in Malaysia through an exclusive deal on Groupon. Priced at RM399, there’s no discount and if we are to believe the description, this is the only way to buy it right now.
The SmartWatch acts as a secondary screen for your Android smart phone where you can check who’s calling, text messages, social updates and even control your music. Not only does it support the latest Xperia S, it also supports previous Xperias including Xperia X10, X10 Mini and X8.
According to the full specs, it is also somewhat compatible with non-Sony Android phones such as HTC Desire S, HTC Wildfire, Motorola Defy, Samsung Galaxy S II and Motorola RAZR.
The SmartWatch comes with a black colour watchband and each order comes with a Sony T-Shirt. If you’re interested, head over to Groupon.
Check out the promo video of the Sony SmartWatch after the break.
Sony Xperia S Review
Posted:
April 10, 2012
By: soyacincau
23 comments
In the past 2 years, the Android smart phone players are getting obsessed with having the biggest screen, the most core processor and the thinnest dimensions. We are seeing more brands jumping onto the dual-core bandwagon with screens being upsized beyond the standard 4.3”, which was considered huge back then.
Sony which is formerly known as Sony Ericsson in particular hasn’t been keeping up with such trend with the former flagship the Xperia arc S running on a single core 1.4 Ghz processor and still having a moderate sized 4.2” display. Despite that, there’s still one thing that stands out from Sony, and it is the design of their phones.
Early this year, Sony has revealed its new Sony Xperia NXT series of handsets with the Xperia S. It was also the first Android smart phone under the new Sony Mobile branding, after Sony has acquired full ownership over Sony Ericsson. It is interesting to note that Sony retains its familiar “s & e” slimeball logo with the new brand.
After our early preview in Shanghai, we had the privilege of using the Sony Xperia S for a long term review. Read on to discover our findings.
UNCONFIRMED: Samsung upcoming i9300 to boast highest pixel density
Posted:
April 6, 2012
By: soyacincau
9 comments
While the Samsung Galaxy S III rumours going at full speed, a new Samsung smart phone with the model i9300 has been surfacing a lot recently.
The new device comes with a 4.0″ HD AMOLED display with a resolution of 1280×720. At 4″, this makes it the highest pixel density at 367ppi. As comparison, the slightly larger Xperia S screen has a pixel density of 342ppi while the iPhone 4S at 326ppi.
It is powered by a dual-core Samsung Exynos 1.4GHz processor with Mali-400MP GPU, 1GB of RAM and runs the latest Android 4.0.3 Ice Cream Sandwich OS. Specs wise it looks like a smaller Galaxy Note and it is likely to be a mid-tier model. Over at the front, there’s no capacitive buttons like the Galaxy Nexus as it uses on-screen buttons of Ice Cream Sandwich. Overall, the design looks uninspiring among the crop of latest Android models launched recently.
2 months ago, Samsung has revealed its mid-tier Samsung Galaxy S Advance but so far it has yet to make an appearance in Malaysia. While having faster spec’ed smart phones at medium range prices are a good thing, everybody is eager to see what Samsung would introduce with on its S III.
Sony Mobile offers to rectify Xperia S yellow tint issue
Posted:
April 3, 2012
By: soyacincau
132 comments
Some Sony Xperia S users have reported a defect where there’s a noticeable discolouration or yellow tint appearing at the bottom of the screen. There’s a support thread on Sony’s official site on the issue and finally Sony has come out with an official response as below:
Sony Mobile Communications has identified that the display on a limited number of Xperia S smartphones may show a slight yellow tint if exposed to temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius. This is limited to a small number of units and the cause of this has been corrected. Any consumer observing this slight yellow tint on the display of their Xperia S is welcome to contact their local customer service centre and Sony Mobile Communications will resolve this at no cost to the consumer.
Anyone having similar issue here in Malaysia? Sony claims that this affects a small group of users and it happens if the Xperia S is subjected to high temperatures above 40 degrees. Good to know that Sony acknowledges such problem and are willing to provide a solution.