For those who were wondering if Sony will stop making Xperia devices, here’s another proof that the Japanese company has no such plans. After launching the Sony Xperia Z1 Compact and Xperia Z1s Android smartphones at the 2014 Consumer Electronics Show, Sony has just unveiled a massive phablet Xperia T2 Ultra and the Xperia E1 smartphone; with a focus on what Sony knows best to do – entertainment.
Both these Sony devices run Google’s Android 4.3 Jelly Bean and not the latest KitKat. Also, both devices have been released as single SIM and dual-SIM models. The dual-SIM versions are probably targeted for emerging markets; but at the moment we don’t know their pricing and availability. You will also get 50GB of free Box storage with any of these two devices. Director of Xperia Marketing at Sony Mobile Communications, Calum MacDougall said:
Xperia T2 Ultra will lead the category through its combination of advanced display and camera technologies, it will bring large-screen entertainment in an amazingly portable form factor and it will do it all whilst providing incredible value for money. Xperia E1 combines the best of Sony’s audio technologies with a premium design and great hardware to create a smartphone for people who want to express themselves out loud. It’s a new, music focused player in our Xperia line-up that is underpinned by the best of Sony’s design, display and content offers
Tech specs for the Sony Xperia T2 Ultra
- 1.4 GHz Qualcomm Quad Core processor
- 6-inch 720p IPS display
- 13 MP with HD video recording at 1080p back camera; front-facing camera has a 1.1MP sensor
- 1GB RAM and 8GB internal storage, expandable with the microSD up to 32 GB
- 3000mAh battery for 14 hours of GSM talk time
Despite its large screen, the Sony Xperia T2 Ultra phablet has been designed for emerging markets like China, Middle East, Africa and the Asia Pacific, so it’s expected to get released with not such a high price. It will come in three colors – black, white and purple and is is set to launch during Q1 2014 in most global markets which includes the UK and Europe.
Tech specs for the Sony Xperia E1
- 1.2 GHz Qualcomm dual-core processor
- 4.4-inch display
- 512MB of RAM
- 3 MP with HD video recording at 720 p camera
- 1,700 mAh battery for talk time up to 9 hours
The Xperia E1 is a mid-tier device but Sony decided to focus on audio for it in order to make it an appealing proposition for consumers. It comes with a 100Db speaker that makes a louder and cleaner sound. It is available in the same black, white and purple colors as the Sony Xperia T2 Ultra, but we don’t know yet when it is going to launch, nor its pricing.