Sony’s Core-equipped SmartBand and Lifelog app arrive in March (video)
We caught a glimpse of Sony’s Core activity sensor back at CES, and it seems the masses will be able to outfit their wrists with one this spring. At Mobile World Congress, Sony announced that the SmartBand (SWR10) that houses the Core and its accompanying Lifelog app will be available in March. If you’re in need of a refresher, the Bluetooth and NFC-compatible activity tracker is waterproof with a micro-USB port and will arrive in only in Black… initially. Color options are set to arrive after launch with a 2014 FIFA World Cup model as part of the group. The Lifelog app is the control center for the Core, collecting your daily stats, tracking sleep, logging places and storing other activity on an Android device. Similar to other activity tracking software, Lifelog allows you to set goals and monitor progress right from your mobile device. When you’re heading out of range or when you need to get out of bed, the SmartBand will alert you to keep things in check. Tweets, emails, calls and other messages will prompt the SmartBand to vibrate as well. When used alongside Sony’s Walkman app, the wearable can be used to play, pause, and skip tracks. Unfortunately, there’s no word on pricing, but we’re sure to get more info on that when the exact release date is announced.
Filed under: Wearables, Software
Source: Sony
Sony Announces the Xperia M2 Phone and SmartBand LifeLogging Wearable
Keeping things going, and a bit separate, another set of devices were also announced by Sony today. One being another phone, a more mid-ranged device and the other the SmartWare LifeLogging wearable.
Sony Xperia M2
The Sony Xperia M2 uses a Qualcomm Snapdragon quad-core 400 processor at 1.2GHz with a Adreno 305 graphics chip. It only offers 1Gb of RAM and offers 8GB internal memory with an expandable card slot for support for another 32GB. Screen size is a 4.8-inch 540 x 960 resolution. You will find a 8MP rear camera with a 4X digital zoom. The internal battery is a 2300 mAh which has suggested times of 14 hours and 14 minutes of talk time. Software wise the Xperia M2 is coming with Android 4.33 Jelly Bean. For size you are looking at 139.6 x 71.1 x 8.6 mm and it weighs in at 148 grams.
Sony SmartWear
“At CES 2014, I introduced SmartWear Experience as representing emotion as well as motion – moving, and being moved” said Kunimasa Suzuki, President and CEO, Sony Mobile Communications. “Now we can reveal exactly what this means, as we bring our first products to market this spring – SmartBand and its innovative core extend beyond fitness tracking, to add colourful, fun entertainment experiences to users’ lives. Entertainment is a part of Sony’s ethos – it’s our culture.”
The new SmartWear Experience device from Sony is a new wearable device that connects to your smartphone via Bluetooth (4.0 BLE) and NFC through a new Lifelog application. The SmartBand and accompanying app track your entire life. Hence the term “Lifelogging”. It keeps tabs on the places you have been, the music you have been listening tom the games you have played, the books you have read and more. It also knows the difference between you walking, riding a bike, swimming.or sleeping.
As you can see in the videos, if you watched them, it also alerts you to new notifications and will let you control your media. Yes, it is also waterproof. The SmartBand charges through a typical micro USB port, but Sony didn’t seem to list the battery life or size on the devices spec page.
The SmartBand will be available globally in March.
SmartBand Press Release
Sony Xperia M2 Press Release
Sony demos new SmartEyeglass concept
Fresh off the stage at MWC having shown off their range of new Xperia devices, Sony have revealed their new SmartEyeglass concept. In what only can be seen as a response to Google Glass, Sony has elaborated on their concept that was originally shown off at CES 2014.
Imagine that you walk into an airport and instantly get directions to your check-in desk, or that you get scores and names of players displayed while watching a football game in real life.
The concept works pretty similarly to Google Glass, in that notifications are sent to you right in front of your eyes. There is also, however, a wired hand-held controller that can be used to navigate the user interface and control the camera. Sony’s SmartEyeglass also features something they are calling Binocular see-through eyewear display which presents information at a distant from your eyes in normal view.
Here are the tech specs and main features of the SmartEyeglass:
- Binocular see-trough eyewear display.
- Monochrome green colour.
- Maximum display brightness: 1000cd/m2.
- Embedded camera.
- Accelerometer, gyro, compass and brightness sensors.
- Microphone.
- Bluetooth v3.0.
- WiFi – 802.11b/g/n.
- Separate controller with touchpad along with power, navigation and camera buttons.
And of course, a video of the concept in action.
[Via Sony]
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[MWC 2014] Sony Xperia Z2 Tablet; Slimmest and Lightest Waterproof Tablet
Mobile World Congress has been in full swing with the various manufacturers pumping out new device news since yesterday. Along with the announced Sony Xperia Z2, Sony has also announced the Sony Xperia Z2 tablet.
“The Xperia Z2 Tablet represents the pinnacle of tablet innovation and is a true flagship in our premium line. We have evolved our cutting-edge design to create the slimmest lightweight tablet matched with Sony’s latest technologies to deliver a unique user experience.” said Kunimasa Suzuki, President and CEO, Sony Mobile Communications. “And with our new range of dedicated accessories, you can further now enhance your tablet experience whether for work or play, at home or on the go.”
The Xperia Z2 Tablet is being boasted as the world thinnest and lightest waterproof tablet available. Coming in at 6.4mm thin and weighing only 426g for the Wi-Fi version and just 439g for the LTE/3G model.
Spec Overview:
- 10.1 – inch full HD TRILUMINOS Display (1920 x 1200)
- Qualcomm Snapdragon quad-core 801 processor at 2.3 GHz
- Adreno 330 GPU
- Qualcomm Quick Charge Tech to charge 75% quicker
- 3GB RAM
- Up TO 16GB internal storage w/ memory card slot for 64GB
- 6,000 mAh battery powers for 10 hours of multimedia playback
- 8.1 MP rear camera with 16X digital zoom
- 2.2 MP front facing camera
- Android 4.4 KitKat on Board
A pretty amazing sounding tablet if you ask me. Along with the tablet announcement they also announced a keyboard dock/cover that was designed specifically for it, the BKC50. Gives you a bit more of a notebook feel for productivity and protection. The funny thing, they didn’t make the caver and keyboard waterproof. Seems a bit silly. If you plan to do some blogging from the tub, you will probably want to stick to the virtual keyboard.
If you are itching to learn more and explore the new Xperia Z2 Tablet, then you will want to head over to SonyMobile.com. I didn’t see any pricing listed in the press release or on their pages, but it is said to be going on sale in the UK and wider in Europe in March. Don;t expect to see it under $700 USD though.
Via Press Release
This wearable Sony concept will let you document your life with photos
Back at CES, Sony unveiled a curious wearable: the Core, a miniscule activity tracker made to slot into accessories, like its SmartBand. At the time, details surrounding this waterproof sensor were scarce, but here at Mobile World Congress, we’ve gotten more insight into how the tiny tracker fits within the One Sony world. And as you can see above, Sony’s exploring ways to pair it with a camera you wear around your neck, so it’s always ready to document your day. But, first, here’s a little background on the Lifelog app that makes it tick.
The Core is effectively useless without Sony’s Lifelog, a lifestyle-tracking app for Android the company demoed onstage at its presser and is planning to release to Google Play in March. Think of Lifelog as a curated Facebook feed for your life, but without much effort on your part. It records your locations, communications, physical activity and photos taken and places them in a graphed format, in addition to coaching you with set goals.
From what little we’ve been told about the Lifelog camera concept, it seems users would be able to pair it to a smartphone and then set specific triggers for photo capture, like times of the day or activities. So say you want to record the moments of your daily jog, this concept would handle that automatically and upload the shots to your personal feed. It’s the sort of the stuff quantified selfers get all hot and bothered over — you know, those ardent lifebloggers. But just because Sony’s showing off this Lifelog camera concept, that doesn’t mean we’ll ever see it become a commercial reality. Sony may just be testing the consumer waters or simply showing off its idea of the possible road ahead.
Sony unwraps smartphones, tablet, and wearable device for MWC
Sony has just finished their slot on stage and have shown off a fair few announcements at Mobile World Congress.
Sony have taken a step into the smartwatch market with the SmartBand SWR10 and provided some further information about their SmartWear experience. This focuses on what Sony are calling Lifelogging which coupled with the Android application provides a new user experience which Sony says is built around three key pillars – “Lifelogging”, “Wearing Smart” and “Life tools”.
Sony’s innovative new Lifelog application binds the SmartWear Experience together, enabling you to discover your past, enjoy your present and helping inspire your future. Together with SmartBand, the Android app enables you to effortlessly capture life and entertainment – places visited, music listened to, games played, books read – and presents it a beautifully visual interface.
Sony also took the opportunity to reveal the next generation of Xperia devices.
First up is the Xperia Z2 which feautres a 20.7-Megapixel, which Sony are saying is the best camera in a waterproof smartphone. The device features a 5.2″ Full HD display and is powered by The latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor with 2.3 GHz quad-core Krait CPUs and 4G LTE, 3GB RAM and high capacity 3200mAh battery.
Inline with the new device, the Xperia Z2 tablet has been announced, which Sony are calling “the thinnest, lightest waterproof 10″ tablet in the world and our best tablet yet”.
Finally, Sony have announced the Xperia M2 – a 4G compatible qHD device with a 8-Megapixel camera which is the more affordable of the devices but does not compromise on speed, or at least the company claims.
Sony have shown off their next generation devices, and are claiming they are all the fastest in the world. Whilst they are certainly impressive, we are still yet to see what Samsung have to offer.
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[MWC 2014] The Sony Xperia Z2 is official, isn’t all that Sirius after All
We’ve had several leaks leading up to MWC 2014 that Sony was intending to release a slightly upgraded Xperia Z1, and as luck would have it, Sony officially announced the Sony Xperia Z2 at Barcelona today. As expected, the Z2 is more of an iteration than a whole new flagship smartphone, most likely due to the bad press that the Z1 received due to the poor viewing angles on its highly touted Triluminos display.
To make amends, Sony has upped the screen size to a 5.2-inch 1080p Triluminos display and is powered by the newly announced Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor clocked at 2.3GHz with 3GB RAM. Sony has also upped the battery size from 3,000mAh to 3,200mAh, as well as adding stereo speakers to the device and noise-cancelling abilities with used with Sony’s Noise Cancelling Headset. The Z2 will of course still be utilizing the Z1′s crown jewel, the 20.7MP rear camera that is capable of 4K video recording.
While it might look like there have only been a few improvements, the Sony Xperia Z2 looks like a much more attractive package than its predecessor, particularly if Sony has ironed out the viewing angles issues. Sony says that the Z2 will become available in March and looks to be available in the same colours as the Z1, presumably at a similar price point to the Z1 when it launched.
Who’s interested in getting the new and improved Sony Xperia Z2? Let us know what you think in the comments.
Source: Phone Arena
Garmin’s new app turns Sony’s Smartwatch 2 into a tiny sat-nav
We like the idea of hooking our watches into our phones, so when we wander around foreign lands, we don’t look like as much of a tourist. Garmin agrees, and has launched a navigation app specifically for Sony’s Xperia devices that’ll push real-time directions straight to the SmartWatch 2. Acting like a premium sat-nav, the app offers offline maps, walking directions, real-time traffic and active lane guidance. It’ll launch in March, and when you’re done with the 30-day trial, it’ll cost you $3 a month to get access to the full set of features. Oh, except for the SmartWatch spanning, which’ll set you back a further, undisclosed amount, because commerce.
Filed under: Cellphones, GPS, Wearables, Mobile, Sony
Source: Garmin
Sony claims the Xperia Z2 Tablet is the world’s thinnest and lightest waterproof slate
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’s Xperia Z2 brings a richer display and 4K video recording
Sony’s flagships have struggled to find success, but that hasn’t stopped the company from quickly iterating its smartphone line to keep up with its rivals. With the Xperia Z now over a year old and the Xperia Z1 staring its six month birthday in the face, Mobile World Congress comes at the perfect time for Sony to unveil its latest flagship: the Xperia Z2. It certainly borrows a lot from its predecessor in terms of looks and features, but the company’s breathed some extra life into the phone to set it apart from its older siblings. What’s it added, you ask? Head past the break for the lowdown.
Since we know you’re dying to find out what’s fresh, let’s dive straight into the details. The Z2 features a 5.2-inch full HD (1080p) Triluminos display encased in an one-piece aluminum housing. Look inside and you’ll find a 2.3 GHz quad-core Snapdragon 801 supported by 3GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage (with microSD support) and a 3,200mAh battery. Sony’s using the same 20.7-megapixel Exmor RS camera found in the Z1 (although there’s 4K recording support tucked away), opting for a slightly improved 2.2-megapixel shooter on the front. That’s all protected from a watery demise by IP58 waterproof certification.
The end result is a handset that has been upgraded in nearly all departments, something that Sony consistently done across its Z-series smartphones, at least in the past year. While it’s slightly taller and thinner than the Xperia Z1 you’d be hard pressed to identify it in a lineup alongside its younger sibling.
One area that Sony has improved is the display. In an effort to further optimize its screens, Sony got its TV division involved and has outfitted the Z2′s Triluminos IPS screen with BRAVIA tech. Live Color LED is a one example of that, generating brighter and more consistent color using a mix of red and green phosphor as well as blue LEDs. Our short time with the handset allowed us to see the Xperia Z2 and Z1 displays side-by-side and we noticed significant improvements across the board.
Sony’s strong optics make for impressive photos, but its desire to futureproof its handsets has led to developments in the video department too. The Z2 includes 4K video recording at 30 frames per second with SteadyShot image stabilisation. You’re not going to witness the full glory when you play a 4K video back on the Z2′s 1080p screen (Sony maybe hopes that you’ll buy one of its 4K TVs too), but you’ll still be able to zoom in and inspect the stunning detail of your recordings on the device.
If specs aren’t enough, Sony’s also developed some new custom camera apps to get even more mileage out of it: there’s Timeshift video, which’ll let you shoot and quickly edit slow motion video at 120 frames per second, new creative effects, background defocus, and augmented reality options are now available for video. Unfortunately, Sony’s limited Timeshift videos to 720p at 120 frames per second, putting a dampener on those plans to record a slo-mo of yourself on a slip-and-slide in high-definition.
A strong entertainment focus helps set Sony apart from many of its rivals, and it’s looking to push that angle a little more with the Xperia Z2. If the device ticks all of the right boxes and you find yourself heading out on launch day to grab Sony’s latest flagship, Sony willl bundle a pair of MDR NC31EM headphones in the box as a little thank you. They’ll do a pretty great job at isolating ambient noise on their own, but with a little help from the Z2′s built-in digital noise cancelling algorithms, you’ll be oblivious to most of the great outdoors.
Sony tells us that for the Xperia Z2 “the difference is in the experience,” but given the spec bumps across the board, it’s certainly trying to appeal to consumers who want industry-leading hardware and software. The phone is light but sturdy, fast and responsive, and continues to utilize all of the best features from other Z-series smartphones. There’s plenty to like about Sony’s new flagship, we just hope that stays true when it our hands on it for a full review. It’s set to launch globally from March, so we won’t have long to wait.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Sony
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