Sony Xperia P

Sony Xperia P will be retailing for SGD$688 in silver and black.

• 4″ Reality Display powered by Mobile BRAVIA Engine
• WhiteMagic display technology for an ultra-bright and power efficient viewing experience
• 1 GHz dual-core processor for super fast performance with 16GB flash storage
• 8MP camera with unique fast capture, HD recording and Sony technology to capture 2D and 3D panoramic images
• Easy HDMI and DLNA connectivity to share content on any screen
• Crisp and loud listening with xLoud, Clear Bass and 3D surround sound audio technology
• NFC (Near Field Communications) enabled to access a growing range of NFC applications and services as well as Xperia SmartTags
• Available in a choice of silver and black, all with an aluminium unibody
• Comes with embedded battery, fast charger, USB cable, standard headset, 2 units Xperia SmartTags and HDMI cable

Sony Xperia U

Sony Xperia U will be retailing for SGD$488 in black and white.

• 3.5″ Reality Display powered by Mobile BRAVIA Engine
• 1 GHz dual-core processor for super fast performance
• 5MP camera with unique fast capture, HD recording and Sony technology to capture 2D and 3D panoramic images
• Crisp and loud listening with xLoud and 3D surround sound audio technology
• Available in a choice of white or black, with additional yellow and white exchangeable caps respectively in the box
• Comes with handset, standard battery, standard charger, USB cable, screen protector and SmartHeadset

Sony Xperia sola

Sony Xperia sola will be retailing for SGD$588 in black and white.

• NFC enabled and Xperia SmartTags in the box to enable quick app loading and easy content sharing
• Floating touch navigation for an easy web browsing experience
• 3.7″ Reality Display with Mobile BRAVIA Engine gives razor sharp clarity
• Powered by a 1GHz Dual Core Processor for super fast browsing
• xLOUD and 3D surround sound audio technology for crisp and loud listening
• Available in a choice of white or black
• Comes with embedded battery, standard charger, USB Cable, standard headset and 4 units of Xperia SmartTags

All prices started are without contract and includes 7% GST.

For a music player, the Sony Walkman Z1050 packed some solid specifications:

• Nvidia Tegra 2 1GHz (Dual Core)
• 512MB RAM
• 4.3″, TFT color display with white LED-backlight, WQVGA(800 x 480 Pixels)
• Built-in FM Tuner
• 16GB Storage Capacity
• Bluetooth 2.1+EDR, WiFi IEEE 802.11b/g/n
• GPS/Accelerometer/Magnetometer
• HDMI Micro/3.5mm Audio Jack/Proprietary Connector (WM-Port)
• Android Version 2.3 (Gingerbread) Operating System
• Dimensions (W x H x D): 70.9 x 134.4 x 11.1 (mm)
• Weight: 156g
• Battery Life (Music): 20 Hours
• Battery Life (Video): 5 Hours

It can be considered an Android Phone without the phone and camera functionality. Yeap, you read it right, there is no camera in the Sony Walkman Z1050 which is perfect for National Service (NS) people as well as military related organisations.

Despite it comes with Android 2.3 (Gingerbread), it will be upgradable to Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) later this year.

The main selling point of the Sony Walkman Z1050 is of course the audio quality. First up is the new S-Master MX digital amplifier which is a unique technology by Sony that reduces noise levels and distortion to enhance your music. There are another 3 audio technologies (Clear Bass, Clear Stereo and Digital Sound Enchantment Engine (DSEE)) that improves the audio quality. With the Sony Walkman Z1050, you also get a pair of EX headphones (Engadget’s comment mentioned it might be the EX300).

The xLOUD speaker system within the device produces pretty clear and loud sound when playing audio files, but when it comes to video, the audio from the video playback was very soft.

The Sony Walkman Z1050 supports Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA), you can simply stream your music, videos and photos to any DLNA-compatible TVs, PCs or home audio system.

There are 2 downsides of the Sony Walkman Z1050. The first is the price, it will be retailing for SGD$429 which is incredibly steep. Apple iPod Touch (32GB) (current generation) is only retailing for SGD$428.

I seriously have no idea how Sony is going to market this. The only selling point to justify the steep price is the sound quality. I am not an audiophile person, but my fellow tech bloggers told me that the audio quality is pretty good, definitely better than Apple iPod Touch.

The second downside is the use of proprietary connector for syncing and charging? Seriously? The proprietary port is also known as the Walkman Port (WM-Port). It is a USB 2.0 compliant 22-pin connector which is used for syncing and charging the device. The package does include a USB to WM-Port cable (duh), but I just don’t understand why can’t they use Micro USB.

Sony Walkman Z1050

Sony Walkman Z1050 – Micro HDMI, Dedicated Music Button, Volume Buttons

Sony Walkman Z1050 – 3.5mm Audio Jack, Proprietary Connector (WM-Port)

Sony Walkman Z1050 – xLOUD

Sony Walkman Z1050 – Cover Art

Sony Walkman Z1050 – Visualizer

Sony Walkman Z1050 – Equalizer

Specifications

• 7.0″ WVGA Clear Photo LCD (800 x 480) (16:10)
• 2GB Internal Memory Stores Up to 4,000 Pictures
• Full HD Video and Music Playback
• Compatible with SD & Memory Stick (SD) memory cards
• Auto-Orientation Sensor
• Dimensions (W x H x D): 191 x 132.4 x 97.4mm
• Weight: 370g

Setting up the Sony S-Frame DPF-HD700 is pretty straight forward. I just copied the photos to my SD card and place it inside the DPF-HD700 and I imported the photos to the internal 2GB memory so as not to waste 1 SD card on it.

You can also transfer the photos via USB or Mini USB as the DPF-HD700 supports them. When you plugged it to a Windows machine, it will be shown as a removal drive and you can transfer your photos and videos to it like a normal USB flash drive.

I placed the photo frame near my bed side (duh!) and it is pretty far away from my computer and hence having to remove the AC adapter whenever I want to transfer photos to the DPF-HD700 from my computer is cumbersome.

Hence my only complain is that the DPF-HD700 has to be plugged into an AC outlet in order for file transfer to take place. I wish it will make use of the USB power to at least allow file transfer.

For some reasons, it can’t be detected as a removal drive on my MacBook Air when I first tried it, I think I will try again tonight and update this blog post of the result.

Sony S-Frame DPF-HD700 – Box Front

Sony S-Frame DPF-HD700 – Box Opened

Sony S-Frame DPF-HD700 – Box Contents

Sony S-Frame DPF-HD700 – Landscape

Sony S-Frame DPF-HD700 – Portrait

Sony S-Frame DPF-HD700 – Landscape Photo (The Fat Me)

Sony CP-ELS Poster

It has a battery capacity of 2,000 mAh and only weights 87g. According to my brother, it can charge Blackberry 9900 (not many portable battery chargers can do that).

There are 2 USB ports, one on each end of the Sony CP-ELS. On one end is the Micro USB Port which it used to charge itself and on the other end is the normal-sizezd USB Port which is used per normal to charge mobile devices.

Box Front

Box Back

Sony CP-ELS (White)

Sony CP-ELS (Black)

Micro USB Port For Charging Itself

Normal USB Port For Charging Mobile Devices

Sony CP-ELS Charging Itself

Sony CP-ELS Leaflet – Front

Sony CP-ELS Leaflet – Back

Charge Capacity
The Sony CP-ELS USB Portable Power Supply is enough to give these devices at least 1 complete charge:

• Apple iPhone 4 (1,420mAh)
• Apple iPhone 4S (1,432mAh)
• Samsung Galaxy S II (1,650mAh)
• Galaxy Nexus (1,750mAh)
• Nokia Lumia 710 (1,300mAh)
• Nokia Lumia 800/Nokia N9 (1,450mAh)
• Sony Xperia S (1,750mAh)
• Sony Xperia P (1,305mAh)
• Blackberry 9900 (1,600mAh)

If you are using the bigger Galaxy Note (2,500mAh), it will only charge till about 80% full.

Technically you can use it to charge bigger gadgets like tablets (Apple iPads and Samsung Galaxy Tabs) but since the max output is only 1A, charging those devices might take slighly longer than usual.

Specifications

• Dimension (WxHxD mm): 28 x 125 x 26.5
• Weight: 87g
• No. of USB output ports: 1
• Output Source: USB 5V 1.0A
• USB Authentication: No
• Batteries Capacity: Li-ion 2000 mAh
• Charging Source: USB
• Charging Time: Approx. 6 hours
• Cycle Time: 500
• Output Time (5V/1.0A constant) (Varies depending on each application): 60 min

Giveaway
Thanks to Sony, I will be giving out a pair (1x white and 1x black Sony CP-ELS USB Portable Power Supply) worth SGD$59.80 (2x $29.90) to 3 lucky winners.

To particiate, all you have to do is the following:

• Follow @gamerz
  
• Tweet about the moment you wish that you have #InstantPower with you.
• Ensure that your tweet contains #InstantPower (giveaway hashtag) and http://lc.sg/1io (link to this blog post).
• Be as creative and original as possible as entries will be judged based on these 2 criteria.

Example (true story, it happened to me):

Phone left 6%, was outside, needed to do iBanking. While waiting for OTP SMS, it went into standby mode! #InstantPower http://lc.sg/1io

Fine Print

• This Giveaway is open to all readers of lesterchan.net who are based in Singapore.
• Li Xiang and I will be the judges for this contest, entries will be judged based on creativity and originality.
• Winners will be announced by 23rd March 2012 and contacted via Twitter.
• Sony will be sending the prizes to the winner directly.
• Details of winners such as name and winning tweet will be posted on lesterchan.net.
• My decision on all matters related to this giveaway is final and no correspondence will be entertained.
• I reserves the right to amend these terms and conditions at anytime without prior notice.
• This giveaway ends on 11:59pm (23:59), Sunday, 18th March 2012 (GMT+8 Singapore Time).

Sony Tablet S

Prices

• 16GB – WiFi Only – SGD$618
• 32GB – WiFi Only – SGD$748
• 16GB – 3G & WiFi – SGD$798

Technical Specifications For Sony Tablet S (3G/16GB)

• Operating System: Android 3.2
• Processor: NVIDIA Tegra 2 mobile processor with Dual Core ARM Cortex-A9 CPU 1 GHz
• Display: 9.4″ wide (WXGA: 1280 x 800) TFT Colour LCD
• Memory: 1 GB
• Storage: 16 GB
• USB port: Hi-Speed USB (USB 2.0) Micro-AB connector (host/client support) x 1
• Headphone Jack: Stereo, mini jack x 1 (works as a monaural microphone jack)
• Wireless LAN Specification: IEEE 802.11b/g/n
• Wireless LAN Data Rate: Maximum transmission speed: 72 Mbps, Maximum receipt speed: 72 Mbps
• Technology: UMTS/HSPA/HSPA+(850, 900, 1900, 2100MHz), GPRS/EGPRS(850, 900, 1800, 1900MHz), StandaloneGPS/AssistedGPS
• Bluetooth Technology: Bluetooth standard Ver. 2.1 + EDR
• Supported Profile: A2DP, AVRCP, HSP, HID, SPP, OPP
• Sensor: Accelerometer (3-axis accelerometer), Gyro, Digital Compass, Ambient Light Sensor
• IR Remote control function: Yes (Supports various devices (pre-loaded remote control code) and learning function)
• Memory Card Slot: SD memory card x 1 (Supports SD, SDHC)
• Speaker: Built-in stereo speakers
• Microphone: Built-in monaural microphone
• Front Camera: web camera (Resolution: 640 x 480, Effective Pixels: 0.3 Mega pixels)
• Rear Camera: HD camera powered by “Exmor for mobile” (Resolution: 2592 x 1944, Effective Pixels: 5 Mega pixels)
• Supplied Accessories: AC adapter (SGPAC10V1), Power Cord, Strap
• Battery: Built-in rechargeable battery pack
• Browsing web with Wi-Fi, watching video, listening to music: Up to 8.0 hours (Standard usage)
• Standby: 400 hours
• Playing music: 31.0 hours
• Playing video: 6.0 hours
• Browsing web with Wi-Fi: 6.2 hours
• Browsing web with 3G: 4.5 hours
• Battery Charging Time: 5.0 hours
• Dimensions (W x H x D): 241.2 x 10.1 – 20.6 x 174.3 mm
• Weight: 625g

Official Microsite: Sony Tablet S
Official Product Site: Sony Tablet S

Sony Xperia S

The specs for Sony Xperia S is pretty impressive (1.5GHz Dual-Core + 1GB RAM) and it does supports NFC as well. The only complain I have is it should be launching with Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) instead of Android 2.3 (Gingerbread). It will be available in 2 colors, black or white.

The Sony Xperia S will be available in Q1 2012 and the update to Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) will only be available in Q2 2012 and the RRP wil be available at a later date.

Technical Specifications

• Screen: 4.3 inch Reality Display with Mobile BRAVIA Engine
• Resolution: HD resolution screen (1280 x 720)
• OS: Android 2.3 (Gingerbread)
• Processor: 1.5GHz dual-core processor
• RAM: 1 GB
• Storage: 32GB flash storage
• Memory card slot: 32 GB eMMC
• Front Facing Camera: Front (720p)
• Back Camera: Sony’s Exmor R for mobile CMOS sensor (12.1 MP) With 1080p HD recording
• Connectivity:
• Size: 128.0 × 64.0 × 10.6 mm
• Weight: 144g

Official Site: Sony Xperia S
Press Release: First smartphone from the new Xperia NXT series – next generation smartphones from Sony

If you need a cheaper alternative to a iPhone dock with alarm clock functionality, I would totally recommend the Sony ICF-DS15iP. The Sony ICF-DS15iP is going to retail for SGD$179 and will be available from 30th September 2011 onwards at all Sony Authorized Retailers.

I got the older variant which is the Sony ICF-C1iPMK2 which I got 2 years ago and I am still using it as my iPhone charging station as well as the alarm clock which wakes me up at 7am every weekday.

The Sony ICF-DS15iP is the successor to the ICF-DS11iP which is the successor to the ICF-C1iPMK2.

Press Release

Sony Electronics Asia Pacific launches its latest clock radio with a docking station for iPod/iPhone – the ICF-DS15iP. Aesthetically designed with a sleek finish, the new clock radio dock is not only smaller in size but also provides more sound options with its Mega Bass and Mega Xpand Sound system and larger volume output.

Additionally, users are now able to control the music from anywhere in the room using the supplied remote control, giving them the freedom to change the music or turn off an alarm without having to be in close proximity to the clock radio.

Sydney Lee, Assistant General Manager, Personal Audio Category, Sony Electronics Asia Pacific, said, “The new ICF-DS15iP not only provides music lovers with a powerful, rich audio experience while using their iPod/iPhone, but also the convenience of having an ‘all-in-one’ clock radio that complements any home with its stylish design and finish.”

The new ICF-DS15iP is available in both black and silver and will be available in Asia Pacific from October 2011 onwards.

Sony ICF-DS15iP (Silver)

Sony ICF-DS15iP (Black)

Sony Asia: Sony ICF-DS15iP

Was invited to a Sony Ericsson’s Backstage blogger session, it is my first time attending a Sony Ericsson event! We are introduce to the company (Sony) tag line which is “make.believe”. The “dot” in the “make.believe” is important because it separates “make believe” from “make” and “believe”.

After the introduction we are introduce to 5 phones. Xperia X10, Xperia X10 Mini, Xperia X10 Mini Pro, Vivaz and Vivaz Pro. The Xperia X10 family is running on Android 2.1 while the Vivaz family is running on Symbian OS S60 v5.

They put in quite a lot of effort in skinning both the Android and Symbian OS to give it it’s own identity and to represent Sony Ericsson. There are quite a number of custom application running on the Android like the Timescape which gives you all the information regarding a particular contact like his tweets, messages, call log, etc. Mediascape on the other hand is used to manage all media related files on the phone.

Xperia X10

X10 Presentation

My favorite phone of the 5! It is already out in the market. Featuring a 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor with 1GB in-built storage and 384MB of RAM. Featuring a 4″ screen and 8MP camera with LED flash!

Official Page: Xperia X10

Xperia X10 Mini
Xperia 10 Mini is a much smaller version of the Xperia 10 and I am very surprised by the size. It is just the size of my palm! Probably the smallest phone in the market when it is launched weighing only just 88g!

Xperia X10 Mini is about 1/2 the size of the X10 with a 2.55″ screen packed with a Qualcomm 600MHz processor, 128MB of memory, 5MP camera with LED flash.

The complain I have for the X10 Mini/Mini Pro is that the screen doesn’t look sharp despite having a 16.7 million color screen and it doesn’t support multi-touch because it is meant to be operated using one hand.

Xperia X10 Mini will be launching in June 2010.

Official Site: Xperia X10 Mini

Xperia X10 Mini Pro

X10 Mini Pro

Xperia X10 Mini Pro is the Xperia X10 Mini with a QWERTY keyboard and because of the keyboard, it is slightly thicker and heavier (88g vs 120g). Besides that everything in terms of hardware is the same.

Xperia X10 Mini Pro will be launching in July 2010.

Official Site: Xperia X10 Mini Pro

Vivaz
Vivaz is already out in the market, Vivaz is being marketed as a phone that is capable of recording HD video (720p). Featuring a 3.2″ screen powered by PowerVR SGX graphics (720 MHz) with 75mb of memory and a 8MP camera with LED flash.

Official Site: Vivaz

Vivaz Pro
Vivaz Pro is essentially a Vivaz with a QWERTY keyboard, of course similar to the X10 Mini with the X10 Mini Pro. The Vivaz Pro weights 117g while the Vivaz weights 97g.

Vivaz Pro will be launching in June 2010.

Official Site: Vivaz Pro

Here is a snippet of the post:

We approached one of the staff, nearer to us, and ask him to take the product down for us. He is wearing an orange color t-shirt which is significantly different from the rest of the staff there (they wore black) and he do not bear a name tag but just the word “Promoter” so we assumed he might be a part time staff working on the weekends.

Judging from his reply stated on top, he is not very sure of the product himself either. To make matter worst, he has problem communicating with us. He seems to have problem understanding our English and his replies in English to us are often very short.

Check out Lester & Li Xiang: Sound service for the full glory details!

It fits my iPhone 3GS well. You do not need a iPhone 3G Universal Dock Adapter because there is a support at the back which you can adjust so that your iPhone 3GS can lie on it comfortably.

Sound quality was not bad but it is lacking in the bass department. FM radio reception was pretty good despite it being placed a distance from my closed windows. Love the remote as I can use it to control from my computer desk where I usually sit.

There is a backup battery (included) at the bottom of the device just in case your power went down. This will ensure that the alarm and clock will carry on functioning.

The only complain I have is that it can’t turn off the display lighting. There are 3 levels of brightness for the display. Despite after setting it to be the lowest, it is still bright when the room is dark.

Box – Front View

Box – Back View

Box – Right View

Box – Left View

Box – Top View

Box Contents

Front View

Top View

Back View

Remote Control

Alarm Controls

Snooze and Preset Radio Stations Controls

Radio And iPod Controls

iPod And iPhone Dock

iPhone 3GS Docked In

On My Bed Side Table

Sony VAIO W (VPCW115XG) – Lid Close

Sony VAIO W (VPCW115XG) – Lid Open

The Sony VAIO W VPCW115XG comes in 3 colors, pink, brown and white. Its recommended retail price is SGD$899.00.

Technical Specifications

• Processor: Intel Atom Processor N280 (1.66 GHz)
• Operating System: Genuine Windows XP Home Edition 32-bit (English Version) with Service Pack 3
• Main Memory: 1 GB DDR2 SDRAM (Only 1 SO-DIMM slot)
• Hard Disk Drive: 160 GB　(Serial ATA, 5400 rpm)
• Graphics Accelerator: Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950
• Display: 10.1″ widscreen (WXGA: 1366 x 768) TFT colour display
• Interfaces: 2x USB High Speed USB 2.0, 1x 10Base-T/100Base-TX (Network RJ-45 Connector), 1x Analogue RGB mini D-sub 15 pin (Display Output Connector), 1x Headphone Stereo mini jack, 1x Microphone Stereo
• Memory Card Slot Memory Stick Duo (Memory Stick PRO compatible, MagicGate compatible) and SD Memory Card (SDHC compatible, MMC compatible)
• Wireless Connection: Integrated Wireless LAN IEEE 802.11b/g/Draft n
• Bluetooth: Bluetooth standard Ver. 2.1+EDR
• Camera: 0.3 MP (640 x 480)
• Battery Life: 2.5 hours with the bundled VGP-BPS18 Lithium-ion battery
• Dimensions (W x H x D): 267.8 x 27.5-32.4 x 179.6 mm
• Weight: 1.19 kg (including the supplied battery)

Contents

Default Package

The package comes with an AC Adaptor (VGP-AC19V39) and Lithium-ion battery (VGP-BPS18) (3-Cell).

Battery Compartment

Ports

Power Port, VGA Port, Microphone Jack, Headphone Jack

2x USB2.0 Ports, LAN Port, Notebook Lock

Wireless Switch, Memory Stick Port, SD Card Port

Battery Indicator, Hard Drive Activity Indicator, On/Off Switch

Screen
The 10.1″ widescreen with native resolution of 1366 x 768 is amazing! The display is sharp and crystal clear! The best I have seen so far for a netbook! I can’t post any pictures because it will not justify the screen. You have to see it yourself at any Sony shops.

Keyboard

Sony VAIO W (VPCW115XG)

The VPCW115X features a chiclet keyboard similar to the MacBook Pro/Air which makes typing on a small computer easier as it reduces typo errors due to the increased in space between the letters.

Trackpad

Sony VAIO W (VPCW115XG)

The trackpad area is pretty large and moving your fingers across it is smooth. The left and right buttons below the trackpad are easy to press as well. I said easy because the buttons on my Asus 1000HE are very stiff and hence difficult to press. The num lock, caps lock and scroll lock indicators are just above the trackpad.

Summary
Pros:

• 10.1″ Widescreen with resolution of 1366 x 768 (16:9 ratio)
• Nice aesthetic looks and does not attract fingerprints
• It’s a Sony

Cons:

• Poor battery life
• Low resolution camera
• Only 2x USB Ports

In terms of the looks department, I would say none of the netbooks can beat this Sony VAIO W. It just looks sleek! If only Sony has the option of including a 6-cell battery instead of the 3-cell one, this would be the perfect netbook for me!

PS: I am asking Sony whether they will be selling the 6-cell battery. I will update this post when I get the information.

Sony ICF-C1IPMK2

Official Page: Sony Singapore: ICF-C1IPMK2
Review: iLounge: Sony ICF-C1iPMK2 Speaker Dock / Clock Radio for iPod + iPhone

Sony ICF-CL75iP
The recently announced Sony’s ICF-CL75iP made me think twice about getting the ICF-C1IPMK2 as the ICF-CL75iP has much better features and it is only USD$50 more expensive!

Sony ICF-CL75iP

Alarm clocks, digital photo frames, and iPod/iPhone docks are usually bland and simple. Only very recently have we seen style truly grace these products. However, when one of my contacts forwarded me information about the upcoming ICF-CL75iP, I couldn’t believe what I was looking at. This is probably the greatest looking fusion of all of the aforementioned devices that I’ve ever seen. This is the most advanced Dream Machine ever produced by Sony to date – it has a crisp 7 inch color WVGA (800 x 480) LCD, 1GB of built-in storage, and a retractable iPod/iPhone dock. What’s truly outstanding is that the photos on the screen can either be pulled from your iPod/iPhone, or loaded onto the unit via USB. You can also store and play music (mp3, WMA), and movies (MP4, Motion JPEG and AVI) on the device. And in true Billy Mays fashion, wait, there’s more – a FM/AM radio (with 39 total presets), and the option to either wake up via radio, iPod/iPhone, nature sounds (Sea Waves, Birds, Rain, Brook, Under the Sea), or through a 10 second voice recording.

It is retailing for USD$150 = SGD$216.

But for ICF-C1IPMK2, it is retailing for USD$99 (SGD$142) in the US, but in Singapore, it is retailing for SGD$179. So it is about SGD$30 for tax (I am assuming) so I think we can see the ICF-CL75iP retailing at SGD$249 and above.

Source: Sony’s Upcoming ICF-CL75iP Is An Alarm Clock, Digital Frame, And Dock For Your iPod/iPhone