xperia z - Android Police - Android News, Apps, Games, Phones, Tablets

May

Sony Xperia Z Is All But Confirmed For T-Mobile, Thanks To FCC Filing - User Manual Included As Well

Posted by Jeremiah Rice in News, Sony, T-Mobile, Xperia Z

Does the HTC One leave you cold, T-Mobile customer? Tired of all the plastic on Galaxies big and small? Then look at this filing in the Federal Communication Commission's ever-expanding database of certified wireless devices. It's the Xperia Z, Sony's current flagship model, with wireless bands for T-Mobile's standard HSPA+ network and its shiny new LTE spectrum as well. That makes the stylish smartphone as close to a done deal as we're likely to get until T-Mobile starts its press campaign.

Still not convinced? An FCC filing doesn't mean a device will actually appear on American shores, but that's usually only true for international models (sometimes erroneously referred to as having "AT&T bands").

Apr

Sony Releases Pure AOSP For The Xperia Z To Its GitHub, Encourages Developers To Hack Away

Posted by Cameron Summerson in Development, News, Xperia Z

Back in August of '12, Sony teamed up with Google to make the Xperia S an officially supported AOSP device. The project initially got off to a decent start, but after an issue with some proprietary software binaries that couldn't be released by either Sony or Google, the project was canned on the official side and moved to Sony's GitHub, where it can still be found today.

Now, the company is doing something similar with the Xperia Z, minus Google's interaction from the get-go. It has released full AOSP for the Z to its GitHub, along with most of the proprietary binaries needed to get things going.

Apr

[Update: More Devices] CyanogenMod 10.1 Nightlies Go Live For The Sony Xperia Z and Xperia V

Posted by Cody Toombs in News, Xperia V, Xperia Z

It seems that the CyanogenMod team is on a roll with Sony devices. Just yesterday the first nightly turned up for the Xperia ZL, and today the Xperia Z and Xperia V are joining the ranks. We know the two phones can survive water and boiling soup, but thanks to CyanogenMod, they will now survive the test of time with the latest versions of Android.

Definition: A "nightly" is a bleeding edge release that is built on a daily basis, usually at night after a full day's worth of new code has been committed.

It could oftentimes be unstable and not properly tested, lacking any changelogs, but eventually evolving into alphas, betas, release candidates, and finally stable releases.

Apr

[Update: Winners!] International Giveaway: Win A Sony Xperia Z Or Samsung Galaxy Note II From Android Police And Bitdefender

Posted by Cameron Summerson in Contests / Giveaways, Galaxy Note II, Xperia Z

Last Updated: April 28th, 2013

When it comes to keeping your data safe, you can never be too careful. And while there are a slew of various anti-virus apps available for Android, there are few that provide the type of protection that can be obtained from Bitdefender.

Enter the team's newest app: Bitdefender Antivirus Free. This app offers all the goodness of Bitdefender's antivirus protection – minus some of the advanced features of the company's Mobile Security suite – at absolutely no cost. This is a fantastic solution for anyone looking to get some of the best anti-virus protection available for Android without having to spend a penny.

Mar

BBC News App Updated To Work On 1080p Devices, Adds Widgets And A Bit More Holo

Posted by Eric Ravenscraft in Applications, News

The BBC News reader on Android got an update today that should please the pixel poppers among the audience. The app has been optimized to take advantage of Super Mega Ultra dense displays like on the Xperia Z and Droid DNA (to say nothing of the upcoming HTC One and Galaxy S 4). A pile of bugs have been squashed in the new update as well.

Here's the full change log:

What's in this version:

This is a major update of our app, with improved performance and image quality.
The app is now optimised across different screen sizes and we've also fixed a number of bugs.

Mar

Some Sony Xperia Z Handsets Dying Randomly, Sony Says Fix Is Incoming

Posted by Ryan Whitwam in News, Sony, Xperia Z

There isn't a phone on the planet that doesn't have at least a few bugs upon its release, but one such bug being reported by some Xperia Z owners is a doozie. The story goes that users are happily using their shiny new phone when it dies and refuses to wake up. Sony has finally chimed in online, saying the issue has been identified and a bug fix will roll out as part of the next software update.

Some folks say a hard restart fixes the issue, having resurrected their handsets multiple times. Other phones seem to be completely inoperable after just a single occurrence.

Mar

The Sony Xperia Z Can Survive Being Boiled Alive In A Pot Of Soup (But You Probably Shouldn't Drop A Hammer On It)

Posted by Eric Ravenscraft in News, Xperia Z

6 cups chicken broth
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 large onion, diced
1 large carrot, diced
1 large celery stalk
1 cup penne noodles
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 Sony Xperia Z

Heat chicken broth in a large pot over medium-high heat. Check your Xperia Z for any new emails. In a separate pan, heat olive oil, add diced onions, cook about 4 minutes. Pull up your favorite music video on the Xperia Z. Add onions, oregano, basil to broth. Chop celery and carrots. Accidentally cut your finger. Look up first-aid for deep cut on Xperia Z.

Feb

Sony Publishes Kernel Source Code For The Xperia Z Well Before Worldwide Launch

Posted by David Ruddock in Development, News, Xperia Z

Sony has published the kernel source code for the upcoming Xperia Z, its new flagship Android handset. The Z was unveiled at CES, and may be the first truly serious smartphone effort from a juggernaut of a company that has generally struggled to gain traction against the likes of Samsung and Apple.

Sony has generally had the best track record of any OEM in terms of releasing source code and related developer tools for its phones, earning it significant adoration in the developer community.

You can get the source files here.

Sony Mobile via XDA

Feb

sony-xperia-z-up-for-pre-order-on-three-uk-from-34-a-month-on-contract-available-on-february-28t

[Deal Alert] Pre-Order The Sony Xperia Z, Get A Free Pair Of MDR-1R Headphones Worth £299 (UK Only)

Posted by Jeremiah Rice in Deals, News, Sony, Xperia Z

United Kingdom readers, never say we didn't do anything for you. If you've been patiently waiting for Sony's new flagship phone, you can pick up some pretty sweet studio-quality headphones at the same time. If you pre-order the Xperia Z through one of Sony's partners, you can pick up a pair of Sony MDR-1R headphones for free, gratis, and nothing.

You don't even have to buy it outright - O2 and Three UK are both offering subsidized versions which qualify for the free headphones. If you'd rather go for an unlocked model, both Carphone Warehouse and Phones4u are participating in the pre-order.

Feb

Sony Xperia Z Up For Pre-Order On Three UK From £34 A Month On Contract, Available On February 28th

Posted by John Thompson in News, Three UK, Xperia Z

Sony's waterproof and dustproof flagship smartphone, the Xperia Z, is available to pre-order in the UK today from Three, although you'll have to wait until it's released on February 28th to get your hands on it yourself.

We first saw the 5-inch, 1080p phone last month at CES, and found ourselves impressed by its minimalist, elegant design. Water resistance comes at a price though, so you can expect to pay at least £34 a month if you want to take the phone home on a contract.

Three is offering two tariffs for the Xperia Z with unlimited data: the £34 Ultimate Internet 500 plan, which gives you 500 minutes and 5000 texts, and the £36 One Plan, which gives you 2000 minutes and the same amount of texts.