It appears as though Sony also has some goodies for us at this year's MWC and it's in the form of three smartphones, the Xperia S, P and U, in descending order of market affordability and, goodies these devices certainly are, they look fantastically stunning.
Taking a moment to briefly discuss a new Sony technology that has found its way into the top two models of the line-up, 'WhiteMagic', is what Sony is titling its new display panel, which, much like LG's new OLED televisions, utilises a fourth 'white' sub-pixel, to boost brightness whilst maintaining image quality. From a mobile standpoint, the application of a white sub-pixel will see these new smartphones achieve excellent outdoor viewing through an ultra-bright display but also excellent power-saving when indoors as the brightness can be turned down in a power-efficient manner.
We're still awaiting complete specifications but this is what we have for you right now:
Sony Xperia S
| CPU | 1.5GHz Dual-Core Qualcomm (MSM8260 Snapdragon - speculative) |
| GPU | Adreno 220 (speculative) |
| RAM | 1GB |
| Internal Storage | 1 to 1.5GB + 32GB eMMC |
| Camera | 12.1MP f/2.4 auto-focus with flash + 1.3MP front-facing |
| Connectivity | BT 3.0 + HS, WiFi b/g/n, NFC, MicroUSB, MicroHDMI, DNLA, 3.5mm Ear Jack |
| Display | 4.3 inch 1,280 x 720 WhiteMagic TFT |
| Dimensions | 128 x 64 x 10.6mm, 144g |
| Battery | Unknown, up to 8.5 hours talk time, 420 hours standby and 25 hours music |
Sony Xperia P
| CPU | 1GHz Dual-Core U8500 |
| GPU | ARM Mali-400MP1 |
| RAM | 1GB |
| Internal Storage | 16GB |
| Camera | 8MP auto-focus with flash + VGA front-facing |
| Connectivity | BT 3.0 + HS, WiFi b/g/n, NFC, MicroUSB, MicroHDMI, DNLA, 3.5mm Ear Jack |
| Display | 4.0 inch 960 x 540 WhiteMagic TFT |
| Dimensions | 122 x 59.5 x 10.5mm, 120g |
| Battery |
Unknown, up to 6 hours talk time, 475 hours standby and 80 hours music |
Sony Xperia U
| CPU | 1GHz Dual-Core Qualcomm |
| Camera | 5MP auto-focus with flash + VGA front-facing |
| Display | 3.5 inch 854 x 480 TFT |
| Dimensions | 112 x 54 x 12mm, 110g |
| Battery | Unknown, up to 6.5 hours talk time, 472 hours standby and 45 hours music |
Equipped with a 1.5GHz dual-core Qualcomm, presumably MSM8260, processor and a gigantic 12.1 megapixel camera, the Sony Xperia S certainly means business and as such has received Sony's 'Playstation Certified' branding. Both the S and the P feature Sony xLOUD technology for sound reproduction and as has become a notable trend at MWC 2012, NFC. We don't yet have all the details on the Xperia U and so it may very well sport features we've yet to list; what is unique about this device is that it features an interchangeable bottom cover, allowing for individualised colours, likewise, the Xperia P features a very attractive, full aluminium unibody enclosure.
At launch these devices will be running Android 2.3 though are scheduled to be updated to 4.0 in the second quarter of this year, which also indicates a fairly imminent release window for the new Xperia series, with Sony stating that it intends to launch its largest ad-campaign in years to promote its new smartphones.
