Sony's Tablet S to Get Ice Cream Sandwich

If you bought Sony's Tablet S when it was released, or you happened to get one for Christmas, you can count yourself lucky because it has just been confirmed that the tablet PC from Sony will be getting the old Ice Cream Sandwich treatment. The only thing is that nobody really has any idea when you may get it though, not even Sony.

A Sony representative posted on the company forums last week confirming that Android 4.0, otherwise known as Ice Cream Sandwich, will be available for the Sony Tablet S. In addition to that, the rep stated that the timing of the update, as well as other details, will be "announced in due course".

The Tablet S is already pre-loaded with Android 3.0 (Honeycomb) and hit the tablet market back in September. The 9.4" device is a little more expensive than most tablets, costing $499 for only a 16GB version and $599 for the 32GB. In addition to that it is WiFi only, at least in the United States, which means your smartphone better have WiFi hotspot if you want to use this thing literally wherever you go.

The good news is that the Tablet S does come with a lot of features designed to expand the use of the tablet, including PlayStation certification for mobile gaming, DLNA video and music streaming and an integrated universal remote control, just to name a few. Aside from the Tablet S, Sony is also poised to release the Tablet P, an Android-based clamshell device complete with a hinged pair of 5.5" screens, much like the Nintendo DS. Sony announced this device back in April but has yet to show it off in physical form.

A software development kit was released for the Tablet P in the middle of December in hopes of drawing in potential developers. Aside from that, however, the company has been pretty tight-lipped on the whole thing. The forthcoming Ice Cream Sandwich update for the Tablet S, however, follows recent news that a bunch of Sony Ericsson's Experia smartphones will also receive the Android 4.0 update beginning in late March. Whether that time frame is anywhere near that of the Tablet S remains to be seen.

Source: CNET - Ice Cream Sandwich update to flavor Sony S Tablet

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Possible PlayStation Phone from Sony?

Sony has had announcement after announcement recently. About a month ago, Sony released their PlayStation Move motion controller system, and just a few days ago they announced the price drop of their PSP go mobile gaming device. Now reports are leaking that a new version of the PlayStation Portable is on its way in the form of a smartphone.

Engadget reported that the Sony PlayStation smartphone is already in the prototype stage. Underneath the phone’s glossy exterior, there are a variety of different features. The phone is reported to have a 1-GHz Qualcomm MSM8655 CPU, 512MB of RAM, 1GB of ROM, and run the Android 3.0 (Gingerbread) OS. From the pictures that Engadget posted, the phone from PlayStation will have a sliding design very much like the design of the PSP go. It will include a multitouch trackpad instead of the analog disc found on the PSP. It is said that the PlayStation Phone won’t use Memory Sticks like other PSP models. Engadget says that it will instead support a microSD card. The prototype picture shows the phone with a Sony Ericsson logo, but as of right now, the phone does not show any PlayStation branding.

Right now, Sony will not confirm any details or really even the existence of the Sony PlayStation Phone. Last month Shaun Himmerick, the executive producer at Netherrealm Studios and the developer of Mortal Kombat, described a new device that he referred to as the “PSP2.” Himmerick said that Netherrealm Studios currently had a “PSP2” in their hands. He said that it “looks like it's a pretty powerful machine.” Just like Sony has not confirmed the existence of the PlayStation Phone, they also have not confirmed anything about the PSP2.

When Peter Dille, the senior vice president of marketing at Sony Computer Entertainment of America, was questioned about the PlayStation Phone he of course would neither confirm or deny anything about the existence of the device. He did in fact say though that Sony’s portable game system was definitely due for a change sometime soon. He said that the lack of cellular data connection could quite possibly be holding back Sony and their portable gaming system.

“The PSP is a Wi-Fi device,” said Dille. “People are used to having always-connected devices.” Sony’s devices are designed to last. Their home game consoles have a lifespan of about 10 years, says Dille, and the PlayStation 3 should last at least that long. The issue is that after six years, the PSP just might not hit the 10 year mark. “The portable market moves so fast,” said Dille. The PSP is now being put up against hand-held game systems that allow users to call, text, and access thousands of games and apps.

The PlayStation Phone definitely sounds fascinating. Unfortunately, until Sony makes some kind of statement, all of this information about the device is speculation. It is encouraging though to see pictures and hear specific details about the possible device from Sony because it makes it that much more plausible that the PlayStation Phone could be a reality. I guess for now we’ll just have to keep our eyes and ears open for more information about this possible exciting new development from Sony.

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Sony Ericsson Xperia Pureness: Worth the $1,000 Price Tag?

Ok so what type of features would warrant you to drop $1,000 on a cell phone? Well if you purchased the Sony Ericsson Xperia Pureness then you must be all about being able to make a call, and basically just that. The Pureness doesn't have the hottest new gizmos and features that you would expect a new age phone to have like a camera, high resolution display, or even a premium feel and no 3G either. The UI on the Pureness is probably the simplest incarnation possible of Sony Ericsson's platform. The phone does have an FM radio though with attached headset and a basic music player and browser.

Right about now you may be wondering what, if anything, does the Pureness have that is cool or interesting? How about a transparent liquid crystal LCD screen? That's right, the Pureness is the world's first mobile phone to feature a screen like this. Sony's goal behind this phone is to strip it of all "unnecessary functions" and takes it back to the essential needs of talk, text and time. Oh, the phone also comes with 24 hour concierge service. Apparently the service will provide its members support for any and all lifestyle requests in cities all across the globe. Sony Ericsson also boasts that their service is the first truly localized global concierge service in the world.

"We are very proud to be launching such a beautifully designed phone with premium retail partners Sony VIP Shopping Service and Saks Fifth Avenue and we're looking forward to delivering many more exciting new phone concepts from our Xperia brand." according to head of PR for Sony Ericsson North America Stacy Doster. President of Saks Direct Denise Incandela goes on to say "We love to offer our customers beautiful, high-quality products and Sony Ericsson's Xperia Pureness phone embodies the sophisticated type of technology our fashion customer appreciates. We're excited to be the exclusive retailer launching the phone in the US." Aha! So the truth is out, this is a fancy rich person's phone!

Whether or not this is a "rich person's phone" or not is neither here nor there. If you have around $1,000 to drop on a cell phone and you actually prefer a more simplistic design then the Xperia Pureness is definitely the phone for you. I just don't see it being one of 2010's hot sellers. You can buy the Pureness now from Saks.com or the Sony VIP Shopping Service.

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