Kunimasa Suzuki, President and CEO of Mobile Communications took to the stage early this morning on the first anniversary of Sony Mobile. There weren’t any great surprises today – the Xperia Z and the Xperia Z Tablet were shown off, but there was a glimpse of the new Walkman software and a strong message that 2013 looks to be a huge year for the company.
2012 was a very busy year for all of us at Sony Mobile, but 2013 will be a breakthrough year
Suzuki then introduced Kazuo Hirai, President and CEO of Sony Corporation, who positively bounded onto the stage. He detailed how streamlined, focus and responsive the company was…
We must aim to inspire with products, contents and services. The emotional response when people turn on our products. 2013 is a breakthrough year for Sony and the mobile division.
Kunimasa Suzuki then went on to talk about the brand and how the Xperia is the “perfect example of the power of Sony”. He showed off the Xperia Z and mentioned that it had sold out in one store in less than 2 hours.
The four elements – Listen, Create, Watch and Play are core parts of their vision and the Xperia Z is said to be a perfect example of this. “But, we want to go further..”, said Suzuki. He revealed the rather thin Xperia Tablet Z and TV SideView was demonstrated. This is a remote control, TV planner and is available now in Google Play. There’s also a very innovative gallery function which is incredibly fluid and includes an “Globe View” which looks a bit like Google Earth. It adds the geo-tagging information from your photos and shows where pictures were taken.
The Xperia Z Tablet will be available “Q2″, so expect this to arrive in just a few weeks. Powered by a Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ S4 Pro asynchronous quad core processor (the first tablet to use it), this is a “premium, high performance 10.1” LTE Android tablet” and, weighing in at just 495g, it’s 6.9mm thick. It’ll be available in black or white and in LTE and WiFi versions. It’s got IP55 & IP57 protection too, so accidental spills and splashes won’t hurt it :)
We had a brief look at Sony Walkman, which works with the Sony Music Unlimited service and shows how committed Sony are to pushing their media solution to customers. This year will also see the biggest ever Sony marketing campaign, and a TV ad showing the history of the Sony brand was shown to the press.
February 25th 2013 0815 GMT, LONDON – At Mobile World Congress, Sony Mobile Communications (“Sony Mobile”) today announced that Xperia Tablet Z – the slimmest* tablet available – will launch globally in Q2 calendar 2013. Additionally, Sony’s flagship smartphone, Xperia Z will be available to buy in stores from March 1st.
Since it was announced in January, the Xperia Z has won 13 awards and received the widest ranging of any Sony smartphone to date with 140 sales channels in 60 markets across the globe.
Both the Xperia Z smartphone and Xperia Tablet Z combine premium specifications with the best of Sony technology, entertainment, design and connectivity.
Premium Tablet Design
Xperia Tablet Z is the most premium, high performance 10.1” LTE Android tablet available. Built from quality materials and featuring the same stunning OmniBalance design as its smartphone sibling, Xperia Tablet Z is also incredibly slim and lightweight at 6.9mm and 495g. Available in black or white and in LTE and WiFi versions, it is the first tablet to run on Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ S4 Pro asynchronous quad core processor and has the highest levels of water resistance (IP55 & IP57) ever delivered in a tablet, making it immune to accidental spills and splashes.**
”Xperia Tablet Z sets new standards in entertainment by matching premium specifications and Sony technology with cross-device connectivity and a consistent user-experience,” said Kaz Tajima, Corporate Vice President, Head of UX Creative Design and Planning, at Sony Mobile Communications. “Xperia Tablet Z reinforces our intention to be a leading player in the premium Android device market, by building on the principles established by Xperia Z and perfectly optimising them for the tablet form factor.”
Integrated Sony Technology
Xperia Tablet Z includes the very best of Sony technology. With a 10.1” HD WUXGA Display, powered by Mobile BRAVIA Engine 2, it delivers enhanced colour reproduction for a brilliant TV-like viewing experience. It also draws upon Sony’s camera expertise with an 8MP rear camera featuring “Exmor R for mobile” as well as a 2MP HD front-facing camera for capturing the best images in any condition. Sony’s S-Force Front Surround 3D, guarantees soul-shaking audio performance alongside Sony’s Clear Audio+ mode and the innovative use of two in-built speakers with four ‘speaker halls’ on the left and right corners delivers amazing sound no matter how it is held. Xperia Tablet Z also includes Battery STAMINA mode, Sony’s unique battery management technology that can significantly improve standby time. The WiFi variant also offers up to 64GB of storage with an optional mircoSD card.Seamless One-touch Connectivity
Xperia Tablet Z includes more connectivity options than any other tablet. It also includes Sony’s One-Touch functions that let users transfer content seamlessly from HD tablet to TV, tablet to speaker or phone to tablet just by touching them together. One-touch functions are a key component of Sony’s device range this year and no other consumer electronics company is bringing as many NFC-enabled products to market. The tablet’s Universal IR Remote allows users to control the TV and other Sony devices – as well as products from other manufacturers – directly from the tablet placing the device at the heart of the home. TV SideView is a new application that gives users an entirely new way to interact with the TV.***Sony’s media applications
Sony’s signature media applications – “WALKMAN”, Movies and Album – allow users to enjoy, control and view content regardless of their device. The Sony Entertainment Network can also be accessed from these applications and includes Music Unlimited with more than 18 million songs and Facebook social integration as well as Video Unlimited with access to over 100,000 movies and TV series.****Xperia Tablet Z Accessories
Xperia Tablet Z will launch with a number of accessories including a charging cradle, an LCD Screen Protector and Leather Carrying Cover that comes in Black, White or Red. These will be available from Sony stores or registered retailers.Xperia Tablet Z will launch on Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean) and is upgradable to 4.2 after launch for the latest Android user experience.
Key features for Xperia Tablet Z10.1” HD 1920x1200p WUXGA Display with Mobile BRAVIA Engine 2
S-Force Front Surround 3D
The world’s thinnest design at 6.9 mm and lightweight at 495g for 10.1” water resistant tablet
Dust and water resistant (IP55 & IP57) with a durable glass front display
Snapdragon S4 Pro processor with 1.5GHz asynchronous quad CPUs and 2GB RAM
One-touch connectivity with Near Field Communication (NFC)
A unique OmniBalance design with subtly rounded edges and smooth reflective surfaces
8 MP rear camera featuring “Exmor R for mobile” and Superior Auto plus 2MP HD front camera
Battery STAMINA mode further improves the standby time.
About Leigh Geary
Editor / Founder of Coolsmartphone. I’m the one who films hands-on videos in the car. :) News, reviews, gossip – anything phone / tablet related – I love it.
Check out my blog on http://www.cupofcoffee.co.uk or follow me on Twitter – http://twitter.com/gears
