The Sony Xperia S is now receiving the latest version of Android 4.1 Jelly Bean,  which brings Android 4.1.2 along with the performance improvements of Project Butter and the card based Google Now digital assistant.

The Xperia S features a 4.3 inch HD display, 32GB of internal storage, 12 megapixel camera capable of 1080p HD video capture, a secondary 1.3 megapixel camera for HD video calls and is powered by a 1.5GHz dual core processor 1GB of RAM.

The update is being rolled out in stages and users will receive a notification when it is available for their devices. Keep in mind that it may take a couple of weeks before it reaches all the handsets around the world.


source - XperiaBlog

The Sony Xperia S was originally launched with Android 2.3.5 Gingerbread on board, and was subsequently updated to Android 4.0.4 Ice Cream Sandwich. Now its getting set to take its next inevitable step to Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. However the update isn't expected to arrive on the device until April.

Meanwhile Sony is busy working on the update and some screenshots from the Android 4.1.2 test build have leaked, giving us a preview of what we can expect from the update when it finally lands.

The updated operating system will bring the build number 6.2.X.X.XX and have a new 3.4 kernel along with features which Sony introduced on its newer handsets including Power Management, Find My Xperia and Screen Mirroring. You will also get access to all the new Android 4.1 features including Google Now and the performance improvements and smoothness of Project Butter.



Do you own a Xperia S? Or have you moved on to a newer device since? What are you looking forward to most about the Android 4.1 Jelly Bean update?


source – XDA Developers | Xperia Blog

Sony has confirmed that they will be releasing the Android 4.1 Jelly Bean update for their 2012 Xperia lineup by the first half of 2013. The Sony Xperia T, Sony Xperia TX and the Sony Xperia V will reportedly receive the Jelly Bean update as early as the first quarter.

This will be followed by updates to the Sony Xperia S, Sony Xperia Acro S, Sony Xperia Ion, Sony Xperia P, Sony Xperia Go and Sony Xperia J. However Sony has still to reveal a time frame for these devices to get Android 4.1.

Unfortunately Sony is not planning on bringing Android 4.1 to their older 2011 Xperia lineup. While we do understand that supporting such a wide lineup of devices isn't practical, its disappointing that they wont benefit from the performance improvements of Jelly Bean.

Sony has been very generous with their Android updates, especially compared to their competitors. But we have to respect their decision and hope that the developer community to be quick to port Jelly Bean over to those older devices.


source – Sony

One of the best features of owning a Google Nexus device is being first in line to receive the latest version of Android. If you own a device from other manufactures you are left waiting for the manufacturer to add their own flavor to Android before releasing the update, which could take several months.

Now it looks like this may change with the Android Open Source Project (AOSP) looking to offer Nexus-like software updates to non Nexus devices and this may start with the Sony Xperia S


Since Sony has been one of the better manufacturers when it comes to submitting their device updates to AOSP, AOSP’s own Jean-Baptiste Queru suggests that Google is experimenting with offering direct AOSP experience to the Sony Xperia S.

The Xperia S selection has been cited to its powerful hardware and unlockable bootloader and the fact that it is a GSM device. Queru is currently working on building the git framework for this project by pulling together the kernel and makefiles for the Xperia S.

Does this mean that we will start seeing other manufacturers follow suite, allowing users the option to receive their updates through the AOSP instead of having to wait for the manufacturer to release their customized versions of Android? It looks very likely.

It is also important to remember that manufacturers are not happy with Microsoft’s approach of reducing their opportunity for customization. Google will have to build Android in a way that manufacturers can apply their customization as an update to an AOSP update so users can have the latest version of Android almost as soon as it is released.

This of course would rely on your device being a GSM device with an unlockable bootloader, and not for CDMA device on Sprint or Verizon.


source – Google AOSP Group

The Sony Xperia S features a 4.3 inch touch HD display, 32GB of internal storage, a 12 megapixel camera and is powered by a 1.5GHz dual core processor 1GB of RAM. While its one of the hottest handsets out there it only runs Android 2.3 Gingerbread,  which can drive away potential users looking for the latest in technology.

Today Sony announced that their flagship handset will finally get its share of Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich.

You handset will be receiving Android 4.0.4 which includes resizable widgets and an improved lock-screen. The update is 200MB in size and the update will be offered over-the-air (OTA) so make sure you are connected to a strong Wi-Fi connection and more than 50% battery life before you begin.

Sony also offers its users a chance to update the device using the Sony PC Suite for Windows or Mac.

While the update will begin today it may take several weeks to make its way across various carriers around the world. You should receive a notifications message, but in case you haven’t you can check for the update manually by heading to the Settings menu.

If you want to know what's new in Android Ice Cream Sandwich for the Sony Xperia S, check out the following video demo.

source – Sony

When it comes to photography there is no question that the Nokia 808 PureView is in a league of its own, but what happens when you compare video capturing between the top smartphones?

Check out the following video sample comparison between the Nokia N8, Sony Xperia S, Samsung Galaxy S III and the Nokia 808 PureView


The Nokia N8 features a 12 megapixel camera which is capable of capturing 720p HD video at 30fps. T

The Sony Xperia S also features a 12 megapixel camera but is capable of capturing 1080p HD at 30fps and features continuous auto-focus and video stabilization.

The Samsung Galaxy S III has an 8 megapixel camera which is capable of capturing 1080p HD at 30fps and allows simultaneous capturing of HD video and images.

The Nokia 808 PureView has a 41 megapixel camera which is capable of capturing 1080p HD at 30 fps and features lossless digital zoom courtesy of its huge image sensor.

There was no doubt that the 808 Pureview will stand out in this test with its larger image sensor, but what surprised us was while both the Xperia S and the Galaxy S III boasted 1080p video recording like the 808 Pureview, it was the N8 with its 720p video recording which takes second place in our eyes. What do you think? Let us know in the comments section below.

The Samsung Galaxy S III and the Sony Xperia S may both run Android and share similar hardware, but they are two very unique devices in their own right.

Check out the following video comparison between them and find out which one stands out.



The Galaxy S III features a 4.8 inch Super AMOLED HD display, 8 megapixel intelligent camera in the rear which is capable of 1080p HD video capture, a secondary front facing camera which is capable of 720p HD video capture, up to 64GB of internal storage which can be expanded through microSD, and is powered by a quad core processor.

The Sony Xperia S features a 4.3 inch HD touch display, 32GB of internal storage, 12 megapixel camera and is powered by a 1.5GHz dual core processor 1GB of RAM.

You can read the detailed comparison between the Galaxy S III and the Xperia S on PhoneArena.

As more and more manufacturers start revealing their plans for Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich deployment our eyes go back to Sony who have been quite open in terms of their ICS update plans. The manufacturer has been releasing alpha and beta builds of their ICS update, allowing the community to test the latest version of Android. However the question on when the Sony Xperia S is getting Android ICS has not been answered – until now.


The news came through the Sony Mobile forums where a support team member revealed that the Xperia S will be receiving its ICS update by Late May or early June. This leaves just around a month by which Xperia S users will be able to enjoy the latest version of ICS on their handsets.

Given that the Xperia S has not had the luxury of a public beta test, we hope that the folks at Sony have been working hard to ensure the ICS release wont be riddled with bugs.

If you own a Sony Xperia S please let us know what you think about Sony’s decision to release their

The HTC One X features a 4.7-inch 720p HD touch display, 8 megapixel camera with 1080p video capture and will be powered by a 1.5GHz quad-core processor with 1GB of RAM. The US variant of the HTC One X which is available through AT&T will have a dual core processor instead of the quad-core and will feature LTE connectivity.

The Sony Xperia S features a 4.3 inch HD touch display, 32GB of internal storage, 12MP camera and is powered by a 1.5GHz dual core processor 1GB of RAM.

The Sony Xperia S features a 4.3 inch HD multi touch BRAVIA display, 32GB of internal storage, 12MP camera and is powered by a 1.5GHz dual core processor 1GB of RAM. The device runs Android 2.3 Gingerbread and is in line to receive the Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich update soon. Sony offers it's users a customized Android experience which gives it a unique place among it's competitors.

Check out the following video review of the Software and User Experience on the Xperia S and share your thoughts in the comments section which follows:

The Sony Xperia S is the company's 2012 flagship handset and was unveiled at the MWC 2012. The Xperia S features a 4.3 inch 720p HD Reality display, 32GB of internal storage, 12MP EXMOR R camera and is powered by a 1.5GHz dual core processor 1GB of RAM. The device is the first dual-core smartphone from Sony.

The device will initially be released with Android Gingerbread which will be updated to Android Ice Cream Sandwich

The hardware specifications of the Xperia S look quite impressive, So lets take a closer look at the device in the following hands on video and see if it lives up to the hype.




source - AndroidCentral

Cameras on our smartphone have come a long way over the last few years and they are the ideal companion for a quick photo when you are out with your friends. But which one is the quickest?

Some of the biggest smartphones to date go head to head to try and determine which is the fastest camera phone. Check the following shoot-out to find out who wins


The competitors are the Apple iPhone 4S, Nokia Lumia 800, Samsung Galaxy S II and the Sony Xperia S.

• The iPhone 4S features an 8 megapixel camera, F/2.4 Aperture, LED flash and backside illumination technology

• The Galaxy S II features a 8 megapixel camera with F/2.6 Aperture and LED flash
• The Lumia 800 features an 8 megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss optics, F/2.2 Aperture and dual-LED flash.
• The Xperia S has the largest camera at 12 megapixels with an Exmor R sensor , F/2.4 Aperture and LED flash

The Xperia S comes out on top capturing photos as quickly as 1.8 seconds, closely followed by the Lumia 800. Having the dedicated camera key favors the two in the lead as the iPhone 4S and the Galaxy S II are left behind having taken over 5 seconds each.

Do you guys think this is a fair appraisal of the devices on trial ? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.


source - Phones4U

The Sony Xperia S  features a 4.3 inch HD display, 32GB of internal storage, 12MP camera and is powered by a 1.5GHz dual core processor 1GB of RAM.