It looks like Sony Ericsson has announced yet another Xperia branded handset. The latest is the Xperia Neo V and it arrives as an Android smartphone. In fact, it will arrive as an Android 2.3.4 Gingerbread running smartphone. Furthermore, Sony Ericsson also offered up some details in terms of which existing Xperia devices will get the 2.3.4 update and when it can be expected to arrive.
But first, lets begin things with the new handset — the Xperia Neo V. At this time Sony Ericsson has yet to announce anything solid in terms of a price. And in terms of a release date, that is still set for the general sounding “will be available globally in select markets from Q4 2011.” In other words, we can expect to learn more as we get closer to the release.
Moving onto the specs for the Xperia Neo V and we find a smartphone with a 3.7 inch (480 x 854) capacitive touchscreen scratch-resistant display, Reality Display with Mobile Bravia Engine, a 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon MSM8255 processor, 320MB internal storage, microSD card slot, aGPS, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, 3.5mm headphone jack, DNLA, HDMI, 1500 mAh battery and a 5 megapixel camera with 16x digital zoom, auto-focus, LED flash and 720p HD video recording. In addition, the Xperia Neo V will ship with a 2GB microSD card and come available in three colors to include white, silver and blue.
Shifting from the new handset to the current lineup of Xperia devices and the potential for an upgrade to Android 2.3.4. According to Sony Ericsson, “all the 2011 Xperia smartphones” will get Gingerbread. As to when, the update will begin rolling out on a global basis sometime in October. Xperia users will receive an update notification and then be able todownload the update over-the-air using a 3G or Wi-Fi connection. In addition, there will also be the option to update using the PC companion software. And lastly, in terms of what Xperia users can expect with Gingerbread, here are the main features;
- Google Talk with Video Chat for smartphones with front-facing cameras
- Updated Facebook inside Xperia functionality for enhanced like, share and discover abilities. We have talked about Facebook inside Xperia on previous posts.
- Xperia smartphones introducing world’s first 3D sweep panorama functionality powered by Sony.
- The software upgrade will enable consumers to turn their Xperia smartphone into a mini-mobile PC by connecting USB peripherals (mouse, keyboard or game controller) to Sony Ericsson LiveDock multimedia station. Connect the smartphone to a TV via HDMI to get a big screen experience.
- Swipe text input – text input by swiping the finger from one letter to the next
- Screen capture – allows the user to share a screen grab from anywhere in the phone
