Sony Ericsson unveiled four new smartphones at the CES in Las Vegas. These include the Xperia ion, its first LTE phone which will launch exclusively with AT&T in the US in Q2. The Xperia S will be the first device in the new Xperia NXT series, available around the world from Q1. The latter will mark the introduction of the Sony brand name for smartphones and feature Sony HD video technology and content services. The Xperia S features Android 2.3 (upgraded to 4.0 in Q2), a 4.3-inch screen with 1280x700 resolution, 12 megapixel camera, 1.5GHz processor, 32GB storage, HDMI, NFC, DLNA and Bravia Sync to control a Sony TV with the handset. The phone also comes with a new user interface and 'iconic' design, with a transparent element at the base of the phone to emphasize the display and provide illumination effects. The Xperia ion will run the same specifications, with a slightly larger screen at 4.6 inches and 16GB storage.
The company also introduced the Xperia acro HD, the follow-up to the Xperia acro with popular Japan-specific features including infrared port data exchange, mobile wallet and mobile TV, and the Xperia NX,a variant of the Xperia S for the Japanese market. Both will launch in Japan in the spring. New accessories on display at the show include Xperia Smart Tags. These small NFC-enabled tokens allow the user to launch pre-configured and personalised settings on the phone by swiping a NFC Android smartphone against them. The Smart Wireless Headset pro is a Bluetooth stereo headset that also works as a standalone MP3 player and radio when detached from the phone, and the SmartWatch is a micro display for Android to wirelessly access calls, messages and applications. SmartDock for the Xperia ion is an HDMI dock that connects the phone to a USB keyboard, mouse and big screen TV.
