A Preview of the Sony Xperia Ion
The Xperia Ion made its official debut at CES in January, and was billed as a US exclusive. However, Sony has since confirmed that the handset will be landing on UK soil - minus its support for LTE speeds.
This is good news for those of you after a Sony-branded high-end smartphone, as despite touting a near identical design to its Xperia S sibling, the Ion touts a whopping 4.6-inch 1280 x 720 Reality Display. The top-end specs don't stop there, as you'll also find a 1.5GHz dual-core processor under the hood alongside Android 2.3 Gingerbread OS. Sony has already confirmed that the phone will be updated to the latest version of Google's software - Ice Cream Sandwich - too, which will equip the phone with Android Beam NFC and Face Unlock functionality.
On the media front, the Sony Xperia Ion sports an impressive 12 megapixel rear-facing camera, complete with autofocus, LED flash and 3D sweep panorama smarts. It's also capable of shooting 1080p HD footage at 30 frames per second, which can be shared on your HDTV using the phone's built-in DLNA smarts. Other multimedia specs include a 1.3 megapixel HD front-facing camera, access to the PlayStation Suite, Sony Music Unlimited, an included FM radio and 16GB of built-in storage (with room to expand via microSD).
Rounding off the Xperia Ion's spec sheet is; 1GB RAM, HSDPA and WiFi connectivity, GPS powered by Google Maps and a long-lasting 1900mAh battery.
The Sony Xperia Ion will be available in the UK Summer 2012.
A full review will be published here once the phone has been released.
Sony Xperia Ion News
Sony Xperia Ion: 4.6-inch Android phone confirmed for UK release
Sony has confirmed that the Xperia Ion will see a UK release this summer, in addition to its mid-range Xperia P and Xperia U handsets. The Sony Xperia Ion was announced at CES in January, but thanks to its onboard 4G connectivity, it was launched as a US-only smartphone. However, Sony has now revealed that [...]
Sony Xperia Ion Specifications
Size
133mm x 68mm x 10.8mm
Weight
144 grams
Display
Full capacitive touch screen
Type: LED-backlit LCD
Size: 4.6 inches
Resolution: 720 x 1280
Input
Keyboard: On-screen
Operating System
Android 2.3
Interface: TimeScape UI
NFC
Integrated NFC Chip
Storage
Internal: 16GB
External: microSD up to 32GB
Miscellaneous
CPU: 1.5GHz Dual core
A-GPS with maps
Internet
Data Speed
Up to 21 Mbps download speed
Up to 5.76 Mbps upload speed
Data Protocols
3G, HSDPA
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi: IEEE 802.11 b/g/n
Connectivity
Audio: 3.5mm stereo jack
Data: Standard microUSB
Quad Band
GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
Bluetooth
Bluetooth 2.1
A2DP for wireless stereo headsets
Camera
12.0 megapixel camera
Auto Focus and LED Flash
1080p Video Recording
At 30 fps
Face Detection
Front facing camera with video calling
Power
Battery Capacity: 1900 mAh
Talk Time: 600 minutes
Standby Time: 400 hours
Multimedia
Radio: FM with RDS
Audio supported formats
Playback: MP3, WAV, WMA, eAAC+
Recording: Supported
Video supported formats
Playback: MP4, H.264, H.263, WMV
Recording: Supported
Social
Social Networking Features
Twitter and Facebook Widgets
Email Access