Tag Archives: smartphones

Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 finally gets release date and priced

August 11, 2010News, TechnologyAT&T, cell phones, price, release date, release date & price, SE, smartphones, Sony Ericsson, Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10Scott Meisner

Now THIS has been a long time coming. Sony Ericsson is finally releasing its first Android-powered smartphone on August 15 for $149 (with a new two-year contract) on AT&T. The Xperia X10 first made waves last summer when a breif video preview leaked onto the ‘Net. Codenamed “Rachel” the SE customized user interface evolved over the months to eventually become a skin for Android 1.6. That’s right, the X10 runs a very old version of the Android OS (version 2.2 is just starting to trickle onto handsets today). As disappointing as that sounds, it looks like the highly customized UI overlay might hide the cobwebs and make for an inviting experience. SE offically revaled the X10 back in November, but I’ll refresh your memory with a quick listing of specs. The X10 packs a 4-inch touch screen, 1GHz Snapdragon processor, 8.1 megapixel camera with LED flash (plus smile detection, face recognition, and autofocus), built-in GPS, and 8GB of on-board memory and 2GB memory card (expandable up to 32GB). The cornerstone(s) of the refined UI skin are SE’s “signature applications” Mediascape and Timescape:

*Mediascape on the Xperia X10 gathers music, photos, videos and content from your phone’s memory card and online, letting you browse, search, listen and share your media from one unified view. For example, view photos taken on the device as well as your Facebook and Picasa web albums. Or, when listening to a favorite song on your phone, press Sony Ericsson’s infinite button to access related content about the artist pulled from the phone’s memory as well as albums, songs and video content from YouTube and search results from Google.

*Timescape is a unique communication application that automatically organizes social interactions in chronological order, leaving users free to concentrate on keeping in touch on-the-go. From Facebook and Twitter updates to photos, emails and text messages, a scrolling menu offers easy viewing and organization of all communications. Additionally, tap the Timescape infinite button to bring up and view all communications from a single person in a single place.

Like I said, the X10 will be available August 15 in AT&T stores for $149.99. But if you choose to pick one up at a local Sony Style store you’ll receive an instant $20 rebate. Look after the break for the official PR and a brief video tour conducted by a Sony rep from this past year’s CES.

[Via Engadget] Continue reading Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 finally gets release date and priced →

Android continues to grow, takes top spot away from RIM in US smartphone market

August 5, 2010News, TechnologyAndroid, Android OS, Apple, BlackBerry OS, carriers, cell phones, Google, iOS 4, market share, NDP, NDP Group, RIM, Ross Rubin, smartphone market, smartphonesScott Meisner

According to The NPD Group, a market research company, Google’s Android smartphone OS has climbed to the #1 spot for most purchased smartphone OS in the U.S. In doing so it pushes past RIM’s Blackberry OS and Apple’s iOS 4. Here’s the official standings for Q2 2010: #1- Android (33%), #2- RIM (28 %), #3- iOS4 (23%). RIM dropped 9 points since the previous quarter and has not been positioned in second place since 2007. And if you’re wondering, Android gained 5 points and Apple picked up a single point over the course of the quarter. The top 5 best-selling Android devices in the second quarter of year are Motorola Droid, HTC Droid Incredible, HTC EVO 4G, HTC Hero, and HTC Droid Eris. Ross Rubin, executive director of industry analysis for NPD, says that though the recently announced Blackberry 6 will “offer features that have been popular in recently launched Android handsets,” the first crop of supported devices, namely the Blackberry Torch on AT&T, “lacks the large screen allure that has characterized the best selling Android devices at its price point.” In other words, he is blaming Android’s wild successs on the myriad of Motorola and HTC handsets that feature large screens (ie. Droid & EVO 4G). And if RIM doesn’t start to change their ways with new innovations (Blackberry 6 fails to impress at first glance), it might be a while until they reclaim their old title as the most selling OS in the hotly competitive smartphone market. And how ’bout dem U.S. carriers? #1- Verizon Wireless (33%), #2- AT&T (25%), Sprint (12%), T-Mobile (11%). Full PR is after the break.

[Via Engadget] Continue reading Android continues to grow, takes top spot away from RIM in US smartphone market →

NASDAQ and CEA introduce a Smartphone Index

April 16, 2010News, Technologybusiness, CEA, cell phones, Consumer Electronics Association, index, NASDAQ, smartphones, stock marketScott Meisner

This is an awesome sliver of news coming from the business world. NASDAQ and the Consumer Electronics Association have teamed up to announce NASDAQ OMX CEA Smartphone Index. The new index is comprised of 84 companies “that are primarily involved in the building, design and distribution of handsets, hardware, software, and mobile networks associated with the development, sale and usage of smartphones.” The smartphone industry has certainly become an important and impactful industry as of late; receiving its own index in the stock market further cements its significance thus far in the world of technology. Some of the companies in the index include Apple, Google, and Research in Motion (RIM). It was given a starting value of 250.00 on April 12; today it currently sits at 257.14.

[Via MarketWatch; Engadget]