Samsung Galaxy S III, Sony Xperia Ion gain ability to learn by touching

There's a form of extra-sensory perception called psychometry, whose practitioners claim to learn things about objects by touching them. Smartphones set to be released this month by Samsung and Sony will have some of that ability: they'll learn things when you touch them to pre-programmed "tags."

For example, you can program a tag with your phone number, and stick it on your business card. When someone taps the phone to the card, the phone would call you. Or you can put a tag on your night stand. Place the phone there, and it goes into "alarm clock" mode, holding your calls until the morning.

Samsung Electronics Co. announced this week that it will be selling these tags in the form of stickers it calls "TecTiles" - $15 for 5 of them. They'll work with its new flagship Samsung Galaxy S III smartphone, set to launch in a few weeks, and several others already in the market, including the HTC EVO 4G LTE sold by Sprint Nextel.

Sony Corp.'s Xperia Ion, to be released June 24, will come with the ability to read different coin-like plastic tags that read "Home," ''Office" and so forth. The tags cost $20 for four, and the phone can be programmed to react differently to each tag. The "Car" tag can launch a navigation application, for instance. Tapping "Home" can send a text message to the rest of the family that you're home, and set the ringer volume to maximum.

Samsung Galaxy S III, See More Photos

The big push behind the technology, which is known as Near-Field Communications, comes from companies that see the phone as the wallet of the future. When touched to payment terminals, NFC-equipped phones can act as credit or debit cards.

But turning phones into credit cards is a tall order. Mobile payments already work with a few phones, but broad adoption is being held up while cellphone companies, banks, payment processors and retailers work out who pays for what and who benefits.

This ability to sense things close by is made possible by a new type of communications hardware in phones, complementing long-range cellular radios, medium-range Wi-Fi and short-range Bluetooth.

The latest version of Google Inc.'s Android software, known as Ice Cream Sandwich, comes with the ability to use NFC to communicate from phone to phone. When the backs are tapped together, the owners can trade information like contacts.

Samsung takes this one step further with the Galaxy S III. Tap two phones together, and they set up a connection via Wi-Fi. That means the owners can walk away from each other, and as long as they're in the same room or so, they can transfer photos and even hefty video files between their phones.

There are issues to work out. The Samsung tags can be read by most Android phones that have NFC capability, but not the Sony phone. Samsung and HTC phones won't recognize the Sony tags.

Apple Inc., whose iPhones are trendsetters in many ways, hasn't built NFC into them - yet. Its patent filings hint at an interest in NFC, but they've given no clue when the technology might show up in iPhones.

Nick Holland, an analyst with Yankee Group, believes NFC will shine first in non-payment applications, because they're easier to sort out, and the technology has many uses. There have been NFC trials in Sweden, using phones as hotel room keys, he points out. Another compelling use case would be Wi-Fi hotspots. A cafe that wants to limit access to the local hotspot might let patrons tap their phones against a tag instead of having them laboriously enter a password.

"There's been an over-focus on the wallets," Holland said. "It's a technology that's not designed purely for payments."

For advertisers, NFC tags could replace the so-called "QR" codes - two-dimensional bar codes that need to be photographed with specially downloaded software to be deciphered, so they can send a consumer to the advertiser's website or earn them a coupon for a discount. QR codes work at a distance, unlike NFC tags, but have significant drawbacks.

"Someone described them as 'digital vomit' recently. You can't make them look pretty," Holland said.

Each NFC tag includes a tiny chip, which explains the relatively high prices Samsung and Sony are charging. Those prices will come down, Holland said, as adoption rises. QR codes, of course, have the advantage of being very cheap, since they can be created on a simple printer.

The big makers of NFC chips are NXP Semiconductors N.V., a Dutch company, and Inside Secure, a French one. But competition is looming, Holland said, from bigger chip companies like Broadcom Corp. and Texas Instruments Inc.

"Basically, anyone who's making chips is looking at NFC as a new area they could move into," Holland said.

Via: CBS News

Sony Xperia Ion On AT&T Price For $99 Available Late June

On June 24, AT&T is set to begin selling the Sony Xperia Ion smartphone on its 4G LTE network. The Sony Xperia Ion is an AT&T exclusive, and will sell with a two-year contract for $99.99. The handset runs Android 2.3 Gingerbread, and has a 12.1 megapixel camera, among other features.

Sony showed the Xperia Ion at CES in January, but only just announced an availability date, and that AT&T would be the carrier for the handset. Android runs on the phone’s 1.5 GHz Qualcomm Dual Core Snapdragon S3 processor. The Xperia Ion snaps photos with a 12.1 megapixel camera with a 16x digital zoom lens and LED flash. The camera is able to capture Full HD video, with some built-in extras from Sony’s camera line.

The phone weighs in at 5.1 ounces. The handset measures 5.2 by 2.7 by 0.4 inches, with a 4.55-inch HD Reality display with touchscreen capabilities. The TFT screen is made from a scratch-resistant glass that displays up to 16 million colors with 1280 x 720 pixels. Sony’s consumer electronics pedigree shows in the phone’s connectivity options. The phone includes HDMI, USB, NFC, WiFi and Bluetooth to hook up, sync up and stay connected. The HDMI connection makes Xperia Ion’s TV launcher available, which is a customizable home screen carousel of application shortcuts that lets users navigate the TV launcher, among other features.

For battery life, Sony boasts up to 10 hours of talk time; 400 hours standby time, and 12 hours listening time.

Sony Xperia Ion AT&T

Xperia Ion joins the ranks of AT&T’s 4G LTE phones on June 24. Those include the HTC Vivid, Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket, LG Nitro HD, HTC One X and Samsung Galaxy S III. AT&T is still building it’s 4G LTE network, with the highest concentrations of the high-speed network’s coverage on the coasts, though it seems to be spreading West as AT&T continues to expand its technology.

At E3, the video game trade show in Los Angeles earlier this month, Sony talked about extending its PlayStation platform from the console and its handheld PlayStation Portable to mobile phones with its PlayStation Certification program. The program certifies that certain mobile handsets are capable of PlayStation-quality gameplay, which means PlayStation games as well as mobile games will have the same quality players expect on PlayStation devices. It’s likely that the Xperia Ion will have the PlayStation certification to say it can play high-quality games. The improved gameplay quality also means improved graphics and video on the handset.

The phone is on the radar of the wireless and consumer electronics industries. The new handset is a big play for Sony, which bought Ericsson out of its Sony Ericsson joint venture last year.

The Xperia Ion comes in a long line of Xperia phones from Sony, though some were previously part of the Sony Ericsson line-up. It follows several Xperia phones on the Android system such as Xperia Pro, Xperia Neo V, Xperia Active, Xperia arc S, Xperia ray and Xperia mini. Some of the handsets contained special features such as HD video and video chat while others focused on speed and rugged durability.

Source: redOrbit (http://s.tt/1ezVo)

Red Sony Xperia Ion caught at Sony’s website

Well what do you know – aside from the black and white model, Sony will also sell the Xperia Ion in red. As far as I’ve understood, this particular device has nothing to do with the (PRODUCT)RED initiative that (as you may know) is established to help eliminate AIDS in Africa.

We like the new paint job though at the moment, we’ve no idea when the red Xperia Ion will be released. Chances are this fella’ is heading to Europe (rather than the U.S.) since it’s an HSPA-based device (and not LTE). Then again, things could change pretty quickly if users start demanding such a product — in that sense, sending an email to AT&T could help.

In any case, we like when handset makers offer their popular products in multiple colors. Now if Sony could also find space for a quad-core processor under the Ion’s hood that would be even better. The Ion does look awesome, though I’m not sure it can compete with the Samsung Galaxy S III and HTC One X. We’ll see

Sony Xperia Ion LT28i officially announced in Taiwan

It was a long time Sony Experia Ion has unveiled by Sony Mobile, but not yet officially announcement When Xperia Ion will be relesed to the market. The latest news, Sony has officially introduced its Xperia Ion smartphone in Taiwan, where it should become available in the near future, for an unknown price.

As we told you earlier this week, the Xperia Ion for Taiwan has the model number LT28i, unlike AT&T’s version (LT28at). It doesn’t have LTE connectivity, but the rest of its features are unchanged from the North American edition, including: a 4.6 inch Reality Display with 1280 x 720 pixels, Wi-Fi, DLNA, 12MP rear camera with 1080p video recording, 1.3MP front-facing camera, 1.5GHz dual-core Snapdragon processor, 1GB of RAM, and 16GB of built-in memory. The Ion runs Android 2.3 Gingerbread, with an update to Android 4.0 ICS being planned for later this year.

For the moment, we don’t know if the Xperia Ion will be introduced in other markets. But we’ll let you know as soon as we find more details on this.

Is it Xperia Ion? Sony Ericsson Say : Something Big Is Coming Next Week

We have been reporting about the possible Sony Ericsson smartphone launches at Consumer Electronics Show and now company has started teasing the same. SE today posted on its official Google Plus page – “Something big is coming! Stay tuned for some exciting news next week.”

So, what is this ‘something big that is coming at CES,’ probably Xperia arc HD or Xperia Ion, two of the leaked smartphones that are expected to be officially announced at CES. According to leaks and rumors till now, Xperia Ion aka LT28at features a 4.55 inch HD display, 13MP rear camera, front camera with 720p recording, and LTE connectivity. On the other hand Xperia arc HD aka LT26i Nozomi will feature 1.5GHz dual-core processor, 12MP camera, 4.3-inch HD display (720 x 1280 pixels), 1GB of RAM, 32GB of ROM, and 1750mAh battery.

Just a few more days of wait, Sony Ericsson has a press conference scheduled on January 10 and we expect these devices to be launched the same day.

Image Credit : SE Fans Page Facebook

Update: Sony Ericsson has posted a similar message on its Facebook Page and it has a photograph of group of friends (photo above) and one of them is holding an unreleased smartphone. Any guesses guys?

Source : Android OS In

Sony Ericsson trademark filing reveals Xperia Ion name

In the coming year, Sony Ericsson plans to have more of an Android presence in the United States. Earlier rumors suggested that Sony is planning a high-end smartphone that will land on AT&T, code-named “LT28at.” Additionally, another high-end device code-named “Nozomi” is currently being tested by carriers in Hong Kong and could possibly make its way stateside. According to a recently filed trademark with the U.S. 

Patent and Trademark Office, Sony is looking to market a new device as the “Xperia Ion.” The trademark was filed shortly before the holidays on December 13th for use in connection with “mobile phones.” With the Consumer Electronic Show just around the corner, we could certainly see this new Xperia device revealed at the show in just over a week.

Via : BGR Com

Will the Xperia Ion be the next Sony Ericsson flagship device?

Sony Ericsson has been a regular in the headlines in the last couple of days when it was reported that the manufacturer is getting ready to launch a new flagship device in the form of the LT28at. In addition to that, there have been leaks as well about the Sony Ericsson Nozomi, a handset that could very well be running for the flagship title as well.

Sad to say, we are currently lacking with details about the two handsets. In addition to that, it hasn’t been ascertained yet if the LT28at and the Nozomi are one and the same and not two distinct smartphones. What we can be certain of though is that there is a possibility that Sony Ericsson will release a device that will have the name “Xperia Ion”.

This development came up when the company reserved the Xperia Ion name via the USPTO and filed for a trademark with serial number 85493863 for the said model name. due to this, there is a fair chance that the handset that Sony Ericsson will be unveiling at CES 2012 could very well have this name for that matter.

If it turns out to be the Nozomi that gets the Xperia Ion branding, here are the details of its specs sheet to give you an idea of what the handset brings to the table.

The Nozomi will come with a circuitry based on the SnapDragon platform and this handset is expected to pack a QualComm Snapdrago chipset with an SoC architecture. This type of chipset will give the Nozomi a dual-core 1.5GHz Scorpion processor in addition to a dedicated Adreno 220 graphics processing unit.

The Nozomi is also expected to pack a full gigabyte of RAM and would be available in either 16GB or 32GB version when it comes to its storage capacity. It is also expected to show up with a massive 4.3-inch TFT capacitive touchscreen display with a 1280 x 720 resolution and pixel density of 342 ppi. The display of the Nozomi is said to made of scratch-resistant glass while the shooters of the handset will be a rear-facing 12MP shooter and a front-facing video call camera. The rear unit of the Nozomi is said to be capable of capturing 1080p clips at 30fps.

When talking about the LT28at on the other hand, this device is said to be headed AT&T’s way once it becomes officially announced. Not much is known about the handset at this point but certain leaks point to the device as having a dual-core processor running at 1.5GHz. it also comes with a bigger 4.55-inch Reality Display with a resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels.

In addition to that, the LT28at is also expected to come with LTE support in addition to the whopping 13-megapixel shooter that graces its back panel. The front shooter of the LT28at on the other hand is rumored to be capable of capturing 720p clips. All in all, Sony Ericsson is said to be breaking into the superphone category with the LT28at.

Whichever way the Xperia Ion name gets used, we are pretty sure that Sony Ericsson has got some rather exciting smartphones up its sleeve just waiting to be released. With that in mind, we just can’t wait for the company to make the announcements.

Source : Techno Bloom

What Is The Sony Ericsson Xperia Ion?

Will Sony (once dropping the Ericsson bit becomes final) be adding a model to its Xperia line of Androids called the Sony Ericsson Xperia Ion? That's the latest theory going around, thanks to the discovery of the product name in a trademark filing with the USPTO. Just what might this hardware end up being?

What is Sony Ericsson Xperia Ion ?

For the moment, at least until we learn something else that helps to narrow-down the field any, the Xperia Ion is a potential name for any of the Sony Androids we've learned of being in development. We recently saw some pictures snapped by the thirteen-megapixel LT28at (Sony Ericsson Xperia Ion), and its Bluetooth SIG paperwork claimed the phone would see a release in North America, presumably continuing the Xperia name. While nothing specifically ties it to the Ion, it's as good a possibility as any.

There's also the possibility that the Sony Ericsson Xperia Ion will be a new name for some hardware we've already heard identified, like the Nozomi. This seems like a less likely possibility than something like the LT28at (Sony Ericsson Xperia Ion) taking the name, but it's still one to consider.

Sony Ericsson Reserves Ion Trademark for Nozomi Phone?

Android-maker Sony Ericsson has filed for the XPERIA Ion trademark for what is speculated to be a variant of the company’s codenamed Nozomi smartphone, which boasts high-end specs. The LT28at model is believed to be a variant of the rumored Nozomi phone with a 4.55-inch display with a 1280 X 720-pixel 720p HD resolution screen.

The trademark was originally filed on December 13, and it’s unclear what name the phone may be released under. Previous speculations had it that the Nozomi phone would be branded as an XPERIA Arc HD handset.

The device may be introduced by the handset maker as early as CES this year, or a year after the XPERIA Arc was introduced at CES 2011.

In addition to the high resolution screen, the LT28at is believed to have a 13-megapixel camera, giving it the most megapixel of any phone released so far in the U.S. The previous title went to Nokia with its large 12-megapixel camera sensor and Carl Zeiss optics on the Nokia N8, which also had a Xenon flash.

The LT28at is rumored to also support 4G LTE alongside HSPA+ on AT&T’s carrier network.

Source : http://www.tabletmac.net

Sony Ericsson smartphone may be named Xperia Ion according to trademark

The Sony Ericsson LT28at, that is described as an Xperia “super phone”, may have a name according to a recent trademark filing with the United States Patent and Trademark Office. On December 13, Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB filed a trademark for “Xperia Ion”. 

The goods and services covered under the application (Serial Number: 85493863) include nothing more than mobile phones, similar to its trademark filings for the Xperia Play and Xperia Arc.

Earlier this month a number of sites reported that Sony will likely unveil its new Xperia smartphones at CES 2012.  CES 2012 is taking place in Las Vegas, from January 10-13, 2012.  The Xperia Arc, one of the newest models in the Xperia line, was revealed at CES 2011.

Discussion: The Next Web, Xperia Blog, Mobile Syrup and AndroidOS.in

(Image of Xperia Arc via Sony Ericsson)

Source : http://fusible.com