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The 2012 MWC is to commence from 27 February 2012 in Barcelona. Yes, it’s a month’s wait but then it seems like Sony Ericsson is preparing something for the exhibition. There are no real clues of what it is, but from the invitation they send to the phonearena team, it seems there are more phones in the Sony Ericsson 2012 portfolio other than the Xperia S and Xperia ion they announced yesterday. Perhaps a mid range smartphone or something like that? We’ll have to patiently wait for 27th February, at least.

The invitation to phonearena says,

“Find out what’s new and what’s next! Join us at our Press Conference at Mobile World Congress for the latest news on our Xperia smartphone portfolio and strategy.”

source: phonearena , MWC website

Sony Xperia S is the first smartphone from the new Xperia™ NXT series- the next generation smartphones from Sony.

Xperia S is an android smartphone with a 1.5 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S3 MSM8260 dual core processor, 1GB RAM, a 12MP rear camera and a 1.3MP front camera for video calling. It has a 4.3-inch 720×1280 resolution Reality Display with Mobile BRAVIA Engine and will be initially running on Android 2.3 Gingerbread. The 12MP rear camera will shoot 1080p HD videos and the front camera at 720p HD. It’s also equipped with the Sony Exmor R sensor to enhance low light snaps. Xperia S has an NFC chip and hence it can access the growing range of NFC applications and services. Also, the phone is PlayStation™ certified. Connectivity options include bluetooth, WIFI, HDMI, DLNA and Bravia Sync.

Xperia S features:

• 4.3 inch Reality Display with Mobile BRAVIA® Engine with HD resolution screen (1280 x 720), as well as front (720p) and back (1080p) cameras for HD recording.
• 1.5GHz dual-core processor for fast browsing and content download, which can be stored on the internal 32GB flash storage.
• 12MP back camera with Sony Exmor R™ for mobile along with Fastest Capture to take shots in just 1.5 seconds directly from standby mode. Front-facing camera with 1.3 MP.
• NFC (Near Field Communications) enabled to access growing range of NFC applications and services as well as Xperia SmartTags.
• With HD sharing through DLNA, HDMI and using BRAVIA Sync for controlling your Xperia S with your TV remote control when connected to the TV, Xperia™ S delivers a full HD experience on TV.
• PlayStation™ Certified, that guarantees a high quality smartphone gaming experience and access to the PlayStation® Store.

Xperia S will be available globally from the first quarter 2012 and will be available in 2 colors; black and white. Android 4.0 is promised and will reach the phones in the second quarter of the year.

From the Sony Ericsson blog post:

“Xperia™ S is the first smartphone that showcases a new design approach referred as “Iconic Identity”. You will be able to see this new design throughout the Xperia™ NXT series, and it creates a simple look that is instantly recognizable. One of the main elements of the new design is the transparent element at the base of the phone. It creates an iconic silhouette, emphasizing the display, and also provides illumination effects and integrates the antenna components.

And for the Xperia™ NXT series, the user Interface has been redesigned to match the minimalistic design of the hardware. The home screen has a new colorful flow background making full usage of HD Reality Display and dual-core processing power.”

source: sonyericssonblogs

It is confirmed that Sony Ericsson’s Ice Cream Sandwich ROM will release with the same kernel that is currently used for gingerbread. The official statement is from Sony Ericsson developer Karl-Johan Dahlström.

He justifies the decision for it’s a fact that with the same kernel as now the company can deliver the update to its users as early as possible. He made his comment in xda-developers ,

“ I have seen quite a few comments regarding the kernel version in the ICS alpha release. The reason why we are keeping the 2.6.32-kernel is that we have prioritized time to market. It is rather quick to get a new kernel up and running, but it takes a lot of testing and validation to make it stable and run with the modem, get a good battery performance etc. Quite some effort has been put in to the Sony Ericsson 2.6.32 kernel, to make it as stable and reliable as possible for the 8255 platform, and we do not feel that the user benefit of a new kernel would justify a later release date. “

For those who have no idea of what a kernal is, in simple words, it is a bridge between applications and the actual data processing done at the hardware level. A newer android kernel version means more security, memory, process and power management.

Sony Ericsson’s decision to let the current kernel version remain will not make a widespread protest from the customers because the majority of them are not aware about it. They only look to whether they get the Ice Cream Sandwich update or not, once they get it, they think they got it all. The company’s interest in giving out the updates as early as possible is appreciable but we do hope that they provide an updated kernel as well at any time later.

source: xperiablog

Yesterday, Sony Ericsson on their google+ page posted that something interesting is on the way! They scribbled,

“Something big is coming! Stay tuned for some exciting news next week“.

It’s probably the CES 2012 they are talking about which is to commence next week. They also included a picture of a phone covered with a veil; their usual procedure before announcing new products.  We may expect a couple of phones from Sony Ericsson. If you want to be the first ones to hear from them, the link to Sony Ericsson’s CES 2012 live streaming is posted below.

If you’re interested in the live streaming of Sony’s Products , it’s here

source: google+

Almost every Xperia Arc users knows what I’m talking about.
After a few weeks or at maximum 2 months the case of the Xperia Arc develops a crack above the sensor on its front.
At first it’s very small but it’ll grow.

Sony Ericsson knows about this problem and said it’s fixed with Xperia Arc S and you can get new, fixed covers that won’t crack anymore for the Xperia Arc, too when you bring it to repair.

A long time we all thought Sony Ericsson would have fixed the issue, because no Arc S owner reported a crack on his device. Some users even sold their Arc to get an Arc S without the cracking issue.
But today one user posted a pic of his white Xperia Arc S with the crack.
That means the annoying problem isn’t fixed yet and the new “fixed” cases will crack again.
I really hope they bring up an other fixed case that really fixes the issue.

Crack on my Xperia Arc:

Crack on Xperia Arc S:

If you think about sending your Xperia Arc to Sony Ericsson to get the new case SE mentioned, I’d say better don’t do it as you’ll have the same problem again and you’re without your phone for a while.