Sony rolls out update to Xperia T and TX for Miracast mirroring, extra-long standby

Sony Xperia T review

Sony Xperia T and TX owners won't have to wait until the eventual Jelly Bean update to eke some new life out of their software. From this week onwards, the Bond-blessed Android phone is getting an update that adds screen mirroring through Miracast; provided the stars align and you've got a compatible TV, the high-end Xperia gets that much larger a canvas. Upgrading also introduces an extended standby mode that temporarily shuts off data, a movie app with a small video player and a photo album that makes use of Sony's full image processing engine. We're further reminded as to how much sweeter that HD Voice calling on the T (but not TX) should sound. As much as we'd prefer a full-fledged OS update, it's a welcome dose of relevancy for a smartphone that has had fierce competition almost from the start.

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Sony rolls out update to Xperia T and TX for Miracast mirroring, extra-long standby originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 07 Nov 2012 10:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony to start Xperia upgrades to Jelly Bean by mid-Q1, rules out all 2011 phones

Sony Xperia T review close-up

We've got mixed news for those who were wondering just where Sony's Jelly Bean updates were headed. The good? Sony has narrowed down its upgrade schedule for the Xperia T, Xperia TX and Xperia V to the middle of 2013's first quarter, or roughly February. Just about every other reasonably capable 2012 model is also getting an upgrade once Sony has narrowed down the timetable, ranging from the Xperia S through to the Xperia ion and Xperia go. Brace yourself for the dark side of the news, however: not a single 2011 Xperia phone will make the Jelly Bean leap, no matter how quick or recent it might be. The company was "not able to guarantee" the experience the devices would have with the newer OS, we're told. While we know that some older phones would have been borderline at best, that cutoff won't be pleasant for anyone whose Xperia Arc S is already out of the Android upgrade loop after less than a year.

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Sony to start Xperia upgrades to Jelly Bean by mid-Q1, rules out all 2011 phones originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 19 Oct 2012 09:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony to start Xperia upgrades to Jelly Bean by mid-Q1, rules out all 2011 phones

Sony Xperia T review close-up

We've got mixed news for those who were wondering just where Sony's Jelly Bean updates were headed. The good? Sony has narrowed down its upgrade schedule for the Xperia T, Xperia TX and Xperia V to the middle of 2013's first quarter, or roughly February. Just about every other reasonably capable 2012 model is also getting an upgrade once Sony has narrowed down the timetable, ranging from the Xperia S through to the Xperia ion and Xperia go. Brace yourself for the dark side of the news, however: not a single 2011 Xperia phone will make the Jelly Bean leap, no matter how quick or recent it might be. The company was "not able to guarantee" the experience the devices would have with the newer OS, we're told. While we know that some older phones would have been borderline at best, that cutoff won't be pleasant for anyone whose Xperia Arc S is already out of the Android upgrade loop after less than a year.

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Sony to start Xperia upgrades to Jelly Bean by mid-Q1, rules out all 2011 phones originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 19 Oct 2012 09:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bring the noise! Sony confirms HD Voice support for Xperia T

DNP Sony confirms HD Voice support for the Xperia T

In the fast moving world of smartphones, giant HD displays just aren't enough anymore. The new hot commodity in the land of mobile is "HD Voice." Sure, the technology isn't exactly brand new, but using it over post-3G high speed networks is. The selling point here is high quality noise cancellation, which allows a phone's user to be heard clearly in the noisiest of environments. The latest device to hop on the bandwagon is Sony's Xperia T. When describing this feature, the herculean consumer electronics maker got downright emotional saying, "you feel closer to the person you are talking to." While we're not too sure about that, HD Voice did impress during our ears-on session. The major caveat here is that this feature requires that both parties have HD Voice capable handsets. So, until this concept becomes more mainstream, Xperia T owners' phone calls are likely to be close, but no cigar.

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Bring the noise! Sony confirms HD Voice support for Xperia T originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 18 Oct 2012 22:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony Xperia TL joins AT&T’s 4G LTE lineup as official James Bond phone

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Strange, but true: it seems James Bond is an Android man and the Xperia TL, his phone of choice. Well, at least that's the marketing tie-in made possible by Sony's corporate synergy. Regardless, the company's latest smartphone flagship has found a new stateside home on AT&T's 4G LTE network. The 4.6-inch device, unveiled at IFA 2012, reps a 720p HD Reality display powered by Mobile BRAVIA Engine, 13-megapixel rear module capable of "sleep to snap" fast capture and runs a skinned build of Ice Cream Sandwich atop a dual-core 1.5GHz S4 CPU. It also comes loaded up with three of the Japanese outfit's media apps -- Walkman, Movies and Album -- a bevy of exclusive content (e.g. ringtones, wallpaper, etc.) from the next Bond film, Skyfall, and packs one SmartTag in the box for use with the handset's NFC chip. There's no official word on when this black beauty's set to hit retail shelves -- or pricing, for that matter. But if the imminent arrival of its galactic stablemates is any indication, expect to see it in "the coming weeks." Official PR after the break.

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Sony Xperia TL joins AT&T's 4G LTE lineup as official James Bond phone originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 01 Oct 2012 09:35:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony Xperia T review: a new 4.6-inch smartphone flagship that isn’t quite new enough

Sony Xperia T review The new smartphone flagship that isn't quite new enough

Sony's Xperia T goes by a few names. Depending on which country you're in, you might pick it up as the Xperia GX, or possibly even the TX. The final review sample that's been passed our desk, however, is the Xperia T, the European HSPA version, headed to O2's UK stores in the coming weeks, at which point it will be free on £36 per-month contracts and likely replace the Xperia S as Sony's Android flagship. In comparison to Sony's Spring smartphone, there's a similar 720p display, now stretched out to 4.6 inches, a different 13-megapixel camera, a new 1.5GHz Snapdragon S4 processor and Android ICS -- with the promise of Jelly Bean soon after it hits store. The Xperia T also revives a familiar hardware curve and has picked up onscreen Android buttons on its design journey. Design twists and promises of the latest OS aside, has Sony finally built a top-tier phone capable of going toe-to-toe with the smartphone heavyweights? Have a look after the break.

Continue reading Sony Xperia T review: a new 4.6-inch smartphone flagship that isn't quite new enough

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Sony Xperia T review: a new 4.6-inch smartphone flagship that isn't quite new enough originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 21 Sep 2012 09:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony Xperia T for AT&T achieves FCC victory

Sony Xperia T for AT&T achieves FCC victory

We witnessed the Sony Xperia T make its way through the FCC approval process a few days ago, but there was still something drastically missing: compatibility with AT&T LTE. But as some images published by UK retailer Phones4U attested to, we figured it was only a matter of time. Now that time has come, as the FCC pushed through the Xperia Mint Amy LT30at (the global Xperia T is the Mint Rita LT30p, if you're keeping track) today. Not only does the Amy sport the requisite AT&T-friendly bands (4 and 17, with support for bands 2 and 5 as well), some of the docs specifically call this device out as the AT&T version. We've always admired Sony's bluntness around FCC docs when other manufacturers attempt to hide as much information as possible. To do some digging of your own, have a look-see at the source link.

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Sony Xperia T for AT&T achieves FCC victory originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 19 Sep 2012 13:12:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mobile Miscellany: week of August 27th, 2012

Mobile Miscellany week of August 27th, 2012

Not all mobile news is destined for the front page, but if you're like us and really want to know what's going on, then you've come to the right place. This past week, MetroPCS welcomed the Coolpad Quattro 4G into its stable and we also caught wind of a redesigned Huawei Mercury for Cricket. These stories and more await after the break. So buy the ticket and take the ride as we explore the "best of the rest" for this week of August 27th, 2012.

Continue reading Mobile Miscellany: week of August 27th, 2012

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Mobile Miscellany: week of August 27th, 2012 originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 01 Sep 2012 21:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Early benchmark scores are in for the Sony Xperia T, TX and V

We've already benchmarked the Galaxy Note II and the ZTE Grand X IN at IFA, and as the week wraps up we're circling back to test the mettle of other handsets announced here in Berlin. We ran mobile benchmarks on Sony's new flagship Xperia T, the Xperia TX (the US version of the T) and the LTE-enabled Xperia V. All three devices pack dual-core Snapdragon S4 Krait processors clocked at 1.5GHz, and they're currently running Ice Cream Sandwich -- though a Jelly Bean update is reportedly on the way. Meet us past the break for a first look at how these smartphones stack up.

Continue reading Early benchmark scores are in for the Sony Xperia T, TX and V

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Early benchmark scores are in for the Sony Xperia T, TX and V originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 01 Sep 2012 08:18:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony Xperia TX hands-on (video)

Sony Xperia TX handson

Sony just wrapped its IFA 2012 press conference, but not before ushering in three new members to its Xperia mobile line. The breadwinner of the pack, the Xperia TX, is the company's new smartphone flagship, outfitted with a 4.6-inch 720p HD display powered by Mobile Bravia Engine, 13-megapixel rear camera capable of sleep-to-snap fast capture and NFC functionality. We got a chance to handle the very vibrant metallic pink version of the device, so follow on after the break for our first impressions.

Continue reading Sony Xperia TX hands-on (video)

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Sony Xperia TX hands-on (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Aug 2012 11:48:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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