Sony Ericsson is certainly busy right now. After launching two new devices just a couple of weeks ago, it has just added another three. The Xperia ray comes with a stylish aluminium frame, the Xperia active offers dust and water resistance, while the txt comes with a full QWERTY keyboard.
The company has also launched two new accessories as part of its ‘Smart Extras’ range, including a new docking station and headphones.
Sony Ericsson Xperia ray
The Xperia ray is another high-end smartphone, constructed from a stylish aluminium frame, in four different colours (black, gold, white and pink). Like the Xperia arc and the Xperia neo, the Xperia ray has an 8.1-megapixel Exmor R camera sensor (with HD recording), as well as a 3.3-inch Mobile BRAVIA Engine display.
Displaying 480×854 pixels, the ray will offer an extremely high-definition look and feel compared to its larger screened partners.
Sony Ericsson Xperia active
Clearly going after the very successful and highly-rated Motorola DEFY, Sony Ericsson is releasing the Xperia active, a dust-proof and water-resistant (capable of being kept up to 1 metre under water for up to 30 minutes) Android smartphone of its own.
The scratch-resistant screen also detects wet fingers, allowing use even in heavy rain (something that will catch DEFY users out, from our own experience), while the phone also gets neat extras like a barometer and support for ANT+ accessories, making it possible to hook up sensors to display your heart rate and pulse.
The active has a 3-inch, 320×480 pixel, display with Mobile BRAVIA Engine and a 5-megapixel camera with HD recording (but not an Exmor R sensor). The phone also has a loop for the easy attachment of a wrist strap or lanyard.
Both the Xperia ray and Xperia active are powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon single-core processor running at 1GHz, and will come with Android 2.3 and Facebook inside Xperia. Both models will be available in Q3.
Sony Ericsson txt
The last new Sony Ericsson (for this week) is the Sony Ericsson txt, which offers a BlackBerry-like messaging experience. It’s also the only phone here not to be running on Android, and will therefore be a more affordable offering.
Consequently, the specifications are more basic here too. The phone only gets a 3.2-megapixel camera and QVGA-resolution (240×320 pixel) non-touchscreen display. However, it does include Wi-Fi to enable cheap/free Internet access and a dedicated SMS shortcut key to speed up texting.
The txt will be available in Q3 in a choice of four colours; white, black, pink and blue.
Handset comparisons at-a-glance
| Xperia ray | Xperia active | txt | |
| Size / weight | 111x53x9.4mm / 100g | 92x55x16.5mm / 111g | 106x60x14.5mm / 95g |
| Operating System | Android 2.3 | Android 2.3 | Sony Ericsson OS |
| Processor | 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon (single-core) | 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon (single-core) | Not stated |
| Screen | 3.3-inch, 480×854 pixels with Mobile BRAVIA Engine | 3-inch, 320×480 pixels with Mobile BRAVIA Engine | 2.6-inch, 320×240 pixels |
| Camera | 8.1-megapixel AF Exmor R sensor + HD | 5-megapixel AF with HD | 3.2-megapixel |
| Battery | 1,500mAh: Up to 7hrs talktime, 440hrs standby | 1,200mAh: Up to 5hrs 31mins talktime, 335hrs standby | 1,000mAh: Up to 3hrs 12mins talktime, 416hrs standby |
| Frequency | Dual-Band 3G, Quad-Band 2G | Dual-Band 3G, Quad-Band 2G | Quad-Band 2G only |
| Other | Aluminium casing, Facebook inside Xperia | Facebook inside Xperia, Barometer, ANT+ compatibility, belt/strap hook and arm case | Full QWERTY keyboard and dedicated SMS hotkey |
Smart Extras
The two new accessories, following the LiveView accessory released in 2010 include the LiveDock docking station and LiveSound headphones.
The LiveDock allows you to connect your Xperia smartphone to the dock and launch a specific application automatically. Multiple docks can be used, with different apps launched on each.
The LifeSound headphones, with a tangle-free cord design, has a LiveKey that can launch any chosen app with a simple press. You can also set the key to perform other tasks, such as reading out your heart rate or distance covered – all while keeping the phone tucked away in a pocket. The headphones also use a new generation of speaker drivers for increased quality in a small physical size.
More info on Smart Extras (Sony Ericsson video)
httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EdTmoypoHZE
