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Sony's Xperia lineup has earned its fair share of Android fans, thanks to their relationship with Alpha cameras and, just as importantly, the brand's indifference in following market trends. They're also, of course, extremely expensive smartphones, whether you're shopping the midrange 5-series or jumping headfirst into the 1-series. If rumors are to be believed, though, the next Xperia 1 model might lose one of its most unique assets, perhaps in an effort to bring down the price.
Sony Xperia 5 V vs. Google Pixel 7: Hardware or software?
Sony's Xperia 5 V packs the right hardware, but how does it stack up against the juggernaut that is the Google Pixel 7?
With the announcement of Sony’s Xperia 5 V, you’re probably wondering when you can get your hands on one of Sony's latest phones - and whether the new Xperia 5 V will stack up well against stiff competition from the likes of Google and Samsung.
Sony has launched far fewer phones than other mainstream brands like Samsung and Xiaomi, but its products often contend for a spot on our list of the best Android smartphones. After toying with slight variations in the Xperia lineup, Sony has fixated on a particular design language and specifications template, and leaks suggest the upcoming Xperia 1 V refuses to deviate. We now have a launch date for the phone, which should clear the air further.
Our first look at the Xperia 1 V only highlights Sony's unwillingness to evolve
Renders once again show Sony sticking with the same old design
The recipe for making one of the best Android smartphones feels almost set in stone, and after so many years of seeing companies experiment with materials, and balancing price-to-performance ratios, by now we pretty much know what to expect. Sometimes that leads to manufacturers suffering from a bit of lock-in, where they resist big changes to their designs — just look at the new Samsung Galaxy S23 phones. Sony has definitely been part of this trend in recent years, and now the latest discovery suggests 2023 will be no different.
Sony's got a new snap-on cooler for your Xperia 1 IV to turn it into a gaming beast
It may not look cool, but it’s supposed to keep your phone cool
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Earlier this month, Sony teased a new device launch targeting gamers and streamers, and we were hyped to see the company's PlayStation 5 expertise trickle into a flashy, performance-oriented smartphone that could be heralded as the spiritual successor of the decade-old Xperia Play. Sony dashed our hopes for a new smartphone today and instead launched a device we had seen in teasers before — a cooling accessory for its Xperia 1 IV smartphone optimized for converting the unassuming smartphone into a gaming and streaming hub.
Sony teases a long-overdue return to Xperia gaming phones
Two powerhouse smartphone launches in the span of a month?
Just last week, Sony made waves at IFA 2022 with the Xperia 5 IV — one of the few phones at the event that really caught our attention. While we already have our concerns about how less-than-competitive pricing could deter buyers from picking up that model, Sony may be considering an even more premium (and more expensive) tier for its next Xperia. It's been years since we've seen a proper gaming phone from Sony, but it sounds like a new one could be right around the corner, according to a new Twitter teaser.
Sony Xperia Pro-I review: Paying the price
You get a lot of smartphone for $1800, but deserve even more
Today's smartphone market is nothing short of brutal. Over the past few years we've seen once-major players like HTC and LG shift focus to other products, and brands like Nokia have been bought and sold so many times that they're basically empty husks at this point, shadows of their former selves. Those players that remain are fighting over the few niches where there's still room to grow, and now more and more OEMs are pushing far past what we would previously consider a reasonable market ceiling. Samsung may be looking to woo shoppers with deep pockets by promising an innovative foldable experience, but for Sony this super-premium space is all about photography. Is it even possible to make a smartphone camera so good that it's worth the Sony Xperia Pro-I's $1800 sticker price? For as much as I really like this phone, I'm still not convinced.
Sony joins literally everyone else with its own October Xperia phone event
Who said Techtober would be boring?
Techtober 2021 initially felt like it would be a little bit more boring than previous years. With Apple announcing its new iPhones in September, and rumors of the launch of the Galaxy S21 FE looking blurry, it seemed at first like the Pixel 6 was going to stand alone as the only big smartphone launch happening in October — on the 19th to be exact. But then Apple announced an event for the 18th, followed by Samsung for the 20th. Now we've got Sony joining the party, teasing an October event of its own.
Sony's smartphones have historically not been popular, but that hasn't stopped the company from... not really changing anything. The company's main flagship phone for 2021 is due for release soon, and now we have our first good look at it, thanks to a series of leaked renders.
Sony's latest smartphone strategy: Charge $2,500 and call it a 'camera accessory'
The Xperia Pro is super expensive and super niche
Sony has long made interesting smartphone design decisions — tending to prioritize features that, while earning the company a small but fervent following, have failed to make much headway in the market at large. With the new Xperia Pro, it's leaning hard into that approach: the phone is an unabashedly niche $2,500 accessory for professional photographers and videographers, and you can buy one today.
Sony Xperia 5 II owners are getting a major update with Android 11
The latest version of Android is beginning to show up now in select regions
Sony's latest compact flagship may not be a phone we'd recommend to most people, but current owners of the Xperia 5 II are already in for a major upgrade. Last year, the company shared its estimated Android 11 update timeline and now Sony is rolling out Google's newest OS to the Xperia 5 II right on schedule.
Sony shares timeline for bringing Android 11 to its latest Xperia phones
The rollout will start next month
When Android 11 was officially released back in August, it brought a lot of neat new features to phones. But as usual, the update hasn't rolled out to many existing handsets yet due to how different OEMs handle the upgrade process. Now Sony fans have something to look forward to, as the company has announced when a few Xperia devices will begin to see Android 11's goodies headed their way.
Sony shines the spotlight on the Xperia 5 II's video-capturing capabilities in this short film
These are probably some of the prettiest three minutes you'll ever spend watching YouTube
Android phones have never really been known for exceptional camera quality when it comes to taking videos, but Sony is setting out to change that. The company's newest phone, the Xperia 5 II, starts shipping next month, and it purports to offer the world’s first 4K HDR 120fps slow-motion movie recording from a smartphone. Now Sony has partnered with a former Ubisoft director to release a short film shot entirely on the Xperia 5 II — and wouldn't you know it, it looks pretty darn good.
Sony officially introduced the compact 6.1-inch Xperia 5 at IFA in September last year, so it's no surprise that the first leaks of a possible successor or sister model start showing up now. CAD renders of some Xperia 5 Plus have been published on Slashleaks. The device looks almost identical to its smaller sibling but comes with a bigger screen and a headphone jack.
Sony promised to update quite a few of its Xperia devices to Android 10 "early 2020 onwards," and as it turns out, the company is staying true to its word. The Xperia XZ3, XZ2, XZ2 Premium, and XZ2 Compact are currently receiving the latest Android version.
Sony recently published a timeline detailing when we could expect Android 10 on its phones. While many older devices are only supposed to get the update "early 2020 onwards," the company was more specific with the Xperia 1 and 5, which should get the new software this month. And true to its promise, Sony has just started rolling out the latest version of Android to the two devices.
Sony's Xperia XA2 family of devices got its first taste of Android 9 Pie in February, but it didn't go as planned. The update bricked some units. The phones would reboot to a screen showing black and white lines, becoming inoperable. The rollout was quickly halted. Sony has evidently worked out the kinks, though, as Pie is once again landing on XA2 phones.
If you're in the market for an affordable phone that's guaranteed to get some sweet Android 9 Pie action, have we got a pair of deals for you. Both the Sony Xperia XA2 and Xperia XA2 Ultra are on sale at B&H, and both are scheduled to get an update to the newest version of Android this spring.
Late autumn is always a good time for bargains, especially if you're looking for a smartphone on the cheap. And while it's hardly a top performer, at a sale price of just $168.29 on Amazon, Sony's Xperia L2 certainly fits the budget bill.The L2 sports eight- and 13-megapixel cameras on its front and back sides, respectively, as well as 32 gigs of internal storage, expandable via MicroSD cards of up to 256 gigabytes. It's pleasingly compact, too, with a 5.5-inch screen. It's got a low-rent MediaTek chipset, though, as well as an outdated Android build — 7.1 Nougat. It also won't work on CDMA networks like Verizon and Sprint. Still, if you need something in a pinch, you could certainly do worse (provided it's compatible with your carrier).
Sony Xperia XZ3 is an incremental improvement over the XZ2, shipping in September with Android 9 Pie
Like clockwork, Sony introduces a new flagship twice a year. No sooner is one phone announced than we start hearing rumors of its successor, and the cycle never ends. At its IFA conference today, Sony introduced the XZ3 and, just like expected, it looks quite similar to the XZ2 series.