Sony Xperia Z1 Compact hands-on

In the announcement of the Sony Xperia Z1 Compact, the company made a rather pointed suggestion - our best doesn't have to be our biggest. Working specifications that closely match those of the Sony Xperia Z1, this miniature device works with high-end processing power and a 20+ megapixel camera. Right next to the Xperia Z1, the Xperia Z1 Compact also looks like it's working with a display that's just as brilliant - as you'll see below.

This device has impressed us in a way that's not only based in the device itself, but in the idea that it'll open up a new trend for smaller smartphones through 2014. While users have been asking for smaller devices - like the Galaxy S4 Mini and HTC One Mini - to work with top-level power for some time, Sony delivers. They deliver in a variety of colors to boot!

This machine works with the ability to pair with the Sony Smartwatch 2, it's got a matching set of peripherals if you wish, and it's made with metal and glass. While we're still not too impressed with the fingerprint-magnet this device appears as right out of the box, we still come away impressed with the overall feel of the machine.

Below you'll find a number of example shots from this smartphone's back-facing camera. While you could keep in mind that we might not be working with final software here if you want, the photos already look pretty superior here before release.

When you've got glass and metal making up the vast majority of the build of a smartphone, the smartphone feels expensive. Better than expensive, the Sony Xperia Z1 Compact feels like the company that made it took the time to perfect it, sculpting it to their own best-possible look and feel for release later this year. We'll be waiting to trade in our Z and Z1 right out the gate - not because they aren't awesome, but because this size is just about as ideal for our palm as it gets.

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Sony VAIO Windows Phone tipped for mid-2014

Sony is considering launching at least one Windows Phone handset in 2014, sources claim, as Microsoft courts potential partners to bolster support for its "third platform" OS. Sony, which has been building exclusively Android-powered smartphones for several years, is in the midst of negotiations with Microsoft about adding a second ecosystem to its range, insiders tell The Information, which could potentially launch with VAIO branding rather than the Xperia brand its existing phones carry.

That would presumably be intended to define Sony Windows Phones as an extension of the company's PC business, rather than the more consumer-centric focus Android is generally associated with. The handset could potentially launch as soon as midway through next year, assuming the deal actually goes through.

That's nowhere near certain today, however, with Microsoft and Sony still discussing things like what apps could be preloaded onto the smartphone, what licensing demands Microsoft might have, and other concerns. Microsoft is said to be potentially willing to reduce or even waive its license fees.

Sony isn't the only target for Microsoft's expansion plans. The company is supposedly also discussing partnership potential with ZTE, known for its more affordable Android devices, on a deal which could possibly see ZTE-branded low-cost Windows Phones for the US, Europe, and Chinese markets, among others.

Recent best-selling sales of the Nokia Lumia 520 and Lumia 521 might suggest that's a good strategy, too. The budget Windows Phone has comfortably outsold other handsets running the same OS, with Nokia crediting the parity of the same software experience as its more expensive handsets as a key motivator for that buying decision.

Whether that will be enough to strengthen Microsoft's position in mobile and potentially narrow the gap between Windows Phone and the two dominant OSes, Android and iOS, remains to be seen. The software company is said to be considering more unusual possibilities to tackle that, too, including dual-booting phones from Samsung and Huawei that could load into both Windows Phone and Android at the user's request.

No deal has been finalized, and neither Sony nor Microsoft will confirm that negotiations are underway.





source : slashgear

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Xbox One and PlayStation 4 availability jumps for new year

Head to your local retail outlet this week and you may see an image of their video game and entertainment section a whole lot different from what it was a few weeks ago. Both Microsoft and Sony have successfully ramped up production to keep with the times now - perhaps a moment too late - that the holiday season has arrived. Both the PlayStation 4 and the Xbox One can once again be found on store shelves - in some stores for the first time ever.

It became clear this past September that Microsoft was in full production mode with the Xbox One, bringing retail availability up to the hilt here at the end of the year. This console can now be found in both online and offline outlets throughout the United States, at least, with groups like Amazon, Best Buy, GameStop, Walmart, and the Microsoft Store bringing up availability in all realms.

Availability, in this case, is marked by the original console being readily on-sale without added components. Even at lowest stock, the Xbox One seemed to remain on sale in bundle form, carrying with it an extra controller, a few games, and online passes to boot. The prices for these bundles was, of course, sky high in appreciation of the features oboard.

We've contacted several retailers throughout our areas - North Dakota, SoCal, Arizona, and in some areas in Florida, and have found Xbox One availability to be roughly the same as the PS4. While the PlayStation 4 is not - of course - available at the Microsoft Store, each of the other major retail locations seems to have replenished stock - at least in outlying areas.

UPDATE: It would appear that the PS4 has, once again, sold out at Walmart online. Sony may indeed be struggling with keeping production up after all.

Larger cities continue to struggle to keep the consoles in stock, but calling ahead has opened up for potential users in the meantime. In the weeks leading up to the release of the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 as well as the few weeks between then and Christmas, some locations refused to answer any and all questions about the units: the Microsoft Store included.

Now you'll be able to jump in with basically any physical store location with a simple phone call and ask ahead. Chances are you'll be in luck with a basic unit. Have a peek at our full Xbox One review as well as our full PlayStation 4 review while you're at it. You'll find so much detail your eyes will bug out of your head.

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PlayStation 4 to blast Sony Music Unlimited tracks during gameplay

With the launch of the PlayStation 4, Sony’s own Music Unlimited service will be getting a rather sizable reboot. This system update will allow consoles like the PlayStation 4 to work with a new user interface that’ll be allowing gamers to get a handle on the music they’ve purchased – or plan to purchase – much quicker and easier then in past iterations. This version of Music Unlimited will also be able to be launched from the DUALSHOCK 4 controller with a press-hold of the PS button.

“Built-in” with PlayStation 4 is a good way of describing how Music Unlimited will be functioning with the console. Working with a library of over 22 million songs, it’s likely Sony will continue to roll with this service well into the future – also evidenced by the PS4 launch too, of course. There’s also a Music Unlimited entry point through PlayStation 3, PS Vita, PC, Mac, Apple devices of all kinds, and Android smart devices, too. 

Each of these systems work with a free usage model as well as a Premium annual subscription – speaking of which, Sony is also suggesting that PlayStation Plus members check their availability of a reduced-price model this season as well. This all means one thing: Music Unlimited is set to continue to be a big title for Sony for the foreseeable future.

Holding down the “PS” button on your PlayStation 4 DUALSHOCK 4 controller launches a use-anywhere user interface for Music Unlimited, while users will be able to listen to any track at the same time as they’re playing games with the PS4 from launch. Sound like a positive update to you?

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Sony Xperia i1 Honami specifications leaked in full

This week as we edge ever closer to the international tech conference known as IFA, we find devices like the Sony Xperia i1 leaking out in full – well before their official unveiling. While this device, also known as Sony Xperia “Honami”, is more than likely set to be revealed in full at an event on the 4th of September and given a full hands-on rundown by the press (including SlashGear) in Berlin not long after, today we’ve got an eye on a full specifications sheet as well as full-frame Sony-made press photos of the device, front and back.

Thanks to Daniel from the ePrice forums in China, we now know that Honami may not be the massive beast we thought it was. That entry into the Xperia universe may continue to be ruled by the Xperia Z Ultra – already out on the market today.

This i1 device is set to be a higher-powered edition of what’s presented in the Sony Xperia Z, but unlike the Sony Xperia X Ultra, Honami brings this next-level package with a 5-inch display – not all that unlike the original Z. With the Z Ultra you’re working with a massive 6.4-inch display – here with Honami (aka i1), you’ve got a 5-inch display, essentially the same as the Xperia Z.

So what’s the difference?

The Xperia Z works with a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro processor – more than enough processing power to keep you up to speed with normal everyday apps. This device is one of the nicest machines to come out of the first half of 2013, to be sure – we reviewed the T-Mobile edition and the original edition as such. But here in the Xperia i1, you get an upgrade.

With the Xperia i1, Sony employs the Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 quad-core SoC. This is the same processor going into a collection of the second half of 2013′s biggest and best smartphones – most of them appearing with displays that fall into the “phablet” category. Because Sony’s entry brings this processor with a 5-inch display (a combo only otherwise seen in the Samsung Galaxy S 4 LTE-A (LTE Advanced), a device that’ll only see limited distribution. That’s a killer combination – one that’ll likely bust up the benchmark charts, to be sure.

Otherwise you’ve got a TRILUMINOUS Display with X-Reality technology from Sony, a 20.7 megapixel ExmorRS sensor on the back of the smartphone (that’s one massive camera) – paired with Sony G-Lens technology and BIONZ for mobile. Up front is a 2 megapixel camera with Exmor R, as well.

You’ll still be working with 2GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage, though there is a microSD card slot for storage expansion – of unknown max size, at the moment. You’ll also see NFC, MHL for HDMI output through the microUSB port, IPX5/7, and Wi-fi – and Miracast with Android 4.2.2 or higher, of course.

Look like a nice enough device to upgrade to, considering you probably already purchased the Xperia Z just this past month? How about those physical connector pins ready for a specialized dock? We’ll have to see what that’s all about next month – unless another leak hits before then (quite likely).

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Hasselblad Stellar leak beefs up Sony’s RX100

This week it would appear that the team at Haselblad have been working on a custom modification of none other than the Sony RX100 according to several leaked images. This run of customizations would have a series of odd – and awesome – new grips for the machine while the outer body gains its own bit of Hasselblad-unique flare. Included in this lineup is a Padouk wood grip, carbon-fibre, Walnut, Wenge, Olive, and Mahogany.

If you planned on working with the Sony RX100 for quite a while after you’d purchased it and want to make a day of it with a custom body the likes of which you’d only be able to get at this massive price-range, Hasselblad has your back. With prices expected – no confirmed, mind you, expected – to range between $1,600 and $3,200, you’ll be getting a bit more exotic right out of the box.

According to PhotoRumors, the big H up front is set to continue to be a staple of the customized series. The series is also set to be released somewhere around the 26th of July – soon – and the major differences are quite likely to remain aesthetic – exterior on the whole.

You’ll see too that the lenses keep the same name – no ZEISS update here. Have a peek at a few photos of the Sony Cyber-shot RX100 II from our most recent hands-on (also linked above) and see how this update would make the shooter look – and possibly feel – a lot smoother. And cooler, without a doubt.

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