Android 5.0.2 Lollipop rollout begins for Sony Xperia Z3 and Xperia Z3 Compact

Sony has announced that they have officially started rolling out the Android 5.0 Lollipop upgrade for Xperia Z3 and Xperia Z3 Compact smartphones. Users in the Nordic and Baltic regions are getting the firmware build number 23.1.A.0.690 and Kernel version of version Android 5.0.2 Lollipop. 3.4.0. The other markets will also gradually get these upgrades.

Samsung, LG and HTC have already updated their premium smartphones with the Android 5.0 Lollipop but Sony seemed to lag behind. However, Sony has now joined the bandwagon with the Android 5.0.2 Lollipop upgrade to its high-end devices, Xperia Z3 and Xperia Z3 Compact.

The upgrade includes the following new features:

* Fresh and streamlined user interface which is based on Google’s material design, but Sony has retained its     “minimalistic approach to interface and application design”.

* New notifications and lock screen with customizable settings so that you get only the information that you need.

* Multi-user profiles and guest mode that allow family members and friends to use your phone. You can also create dual environments if you want, for example for work and play.

* The Android Xperia smartphone can also be used for work as it is waterproof and has a long battery life.

* Better storage control with the option to easily move apps from internal memory to SD card.

Check out the images below:

          

           

           

           

Android 5.0.2 Lollipop rollout begins for Sony Xperia Z3 and Xperia Z3 Compact

Unlocking Sony Xperia Z3 and Z3 Compact bootloader adversely affects camera performance

Unlocking the bootloader of your Android smartphone has many advantages such as rooting and installing custom ROM, although it does void your phone’s warranty. Sometimes there may be problems in functionality too as users of the Sony’s new Xperia Z3 Compact found out. Those who unlocked the bootloader of the Xperia Z3 Compact found to their surprise that the performance of its camera in low light deteriorated.

Sony has now officially acknowledged this problem saying that it can affect its high-end smartphones running recent software versions, including the Xperia Z3. The reason for this is the DRM that protects certain advanced camera algorithms of Sony’s devices running the latest software. Unlocking the bootloader causes the device to lose some DRM security keys which affects the performance of the camera during low-light photography. Such photos may be poorly balanced and have more noise.

In its official unlock bootloader site, Sony warns, “Certain pre-loaded content on your device may also be inaccessible due to the removal of DRM security keys. For high-end devices running recent software versions, for instance Xperia Z3, the removal of DRM security keys may affect advanced camera functionality.”

“For example, noise reduction algorithms might be removed, and performance when taking photos in low-light conditions might be affected. The secure user data partition may also become inaccessible, and you will not be able to get any more official software upgrades if you unlock the boot loader.”

Since camera is a major USP of the Xperia Z3 and Xperia Z3 Compact phones, it is better to think twice before unlocking the bootloader.

Via

Unlocking Sony Xperia Z3 and Z3 Compact bootloader adversely affects camera performance

Sony to hold its “Demand Great” media event in US on October 9

Soon after launching its Xperia Z3 and Xperia Z3 Compact phones in India, Sony is now holding a media event on October 9 in New York City, US. The invite has been sent to select media members and has the words “DEMAND GREAT” written on it in bold. However Sony has not declared what it plans to announce at the event.

Sony had unveiled its new flagship Xperia Z3 along with Xperia Z3 Compact and Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact at the IFA 2014 in Berlin. Since then, the company has been promoting these devices on Twitter with hashtag #DemandGreat. It is therefore a possibility that the Japanese tech giant will be announcing one or more members of its new Sony Xperia Z3 family in the US.

T-Mobile of the US has already confirmed that it will be carrying Sony’s new Xperia Z3 flagship smartphone. Sonymobile’s official US website lists the Xperia Z3 as “coming Soon”, the Xperia Z3 Compact as “New” and the Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact as also “coming soon”. Customers can pre-register for all the three devices on the Sonymobile’s website.

Sony’s October 9 “Demand Great” event will be held between 1.30 – 3.00 PM eastern time. We will have to wait and see what Sony announces then. It is interesting to note that HTC is holding its press event just a day before, i.e. on October 8 to unveil its new Action Camera in New York City itself.

Source: SlashGear

Sony to hold its “Demand Great” media event in US on October 9

Sony discloses additional features of the Xperia Z3 Series

Sony had unveiled its Xperia Z3 series devices namely the Xperia Z3, the Xperia Z3 Compact and the Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact at the recently concluded IFA 2014. Sony says that it had not revealed “everything” about the devices during the launch and is now sharing their additional features with us in an article published in its blog.

The title of the article says “3+3+3 things you didn’t know the Xperia Z3 Series could do…” and tells us about 9 features of the Xperia Z3 devices that most of us might not be aware of.

1. 
   NFC for Contactless Payments: Sony has the NFC technology in its smartphones since 2012 right from Xperia S onward for making payment “with a simple touch”. Sony proudly says “We were NFC before it was cool” (probably as a taunt to Apple).


2. 
   Select the Sony headphone you are using in the Xperia Z3 device to optimize the sound quality: To choose the Sony headphone that you are using, click the Settings > Sound > Audio Settings > Headphones and get the “best possible quality” of sound.


3. 
   Pause while recording a video: The Xperia Z3 Series devices have a new pause button that enables you to pause the recording when you want to and then un-pause when you want to record the next clip. All the clips will be recorded back-to-back in the same file. You won’t have to hit stop and record every time and end up getting several clips of one event.


4. 
   Record your on-screen activity: In the Xperia Z3 Series, there is a feature that allows you to record your on-screen activity. Long-press the power button and select “Record Sreen”. Your handset will begin to record what you do on your screen.


5. 
   Personalized settings for quick access: You can drag and drop the settings you want into the tray at the bottom and then long-press each one to load it into the settings app. This will make the settings easy and quicker to use.


6. 
   Ultra Stamina Mode available: We know that Sony’s STAMINA mode makes the battery last longer by turning off some of the functions during standby. The Xperia X3 has an “Ultra STAMINA Mode” which gives even more usage although limiting several phone functions and allowing only the basic ones. According to Sony, the Xperia Z3 lasts for over a week in the Ultra STAMINA Mode on a full charge.


7. 
   Smart screen rotation: This feature automatically detects how the device is being held and rotates the screen accordingly. This prevents unwanted screen rotations for example when one is using the phone while lying on a sofa or bed.


8. 
   Use of gestures: Wake up the phone with double tap. To silence the ring of an incoming call, turnover your Xperia Z3 or Z3 Compact phone face down or take it to your ear to answer the call. The screen stays lit when you are holding it in your hand due to the smart backlight control so that when you are reading something or looking at a photo on the screen, it will stay lit. But when you keep down the phone, the display will turn off according to your sleep setting.


9. 
   Unlock with Sony Smartwear or Sony Bluetooth accessory: You can set up your Sony Smartwear such as SmartWatch, SmartBand, or Bluetooth accessories and headphones to unlock the Xperia Z3 Series devices. Click the Settings > Security > Screen lock > Bluetooth unlock , then select the device and click ‘continue and press the power key. The device will be unlocked when the accessory is close by.

Take a look at the promo video below:

Sony discloses additional features of the Xperia Z3 Series

A chance to win Sony Xperia Z3 Series and SmartBand Talk from Sony

Sony is offering a chance win the entire Sony Xperia Z3 Series with a SmartBand thrown in. The company has announced this contest on its Facebook page and one lucky winner is going to win everything – the newly introduced Xperia Z3, the Xperia Z3 Compact and the Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact as well as Sony’s new wearable, the SmartBand Talk.

Entering in the contest is easy and won’t take much of your time. If you want to enter this contest, just go to Sony’s Facebook  page or its Google+ page. You will find the phrase “Enter here to win” and a clickable link. Just click the link and you will be taken to a page having a promo video about new Sony devices unveiled this week at the IFA 2014 in Berlin.

Answer the two questions below the video pertaining to it and follow other instructions. The competition is open globally up to 11 September, except for a few countries including Puerto Rico, Turkey and Quebec. If you are wondering whether the contest is available at your location, just open the Facebook contest page. If you can access it, you can take part.

Winning all the three devices from the Xperia Z3 Series plus the SmartBand Talk would be like winning a big lottery. Wonder who will be the lucky one? Have you entered the contest?

A chance to win Sony Xperia Z3 Series and SmartBand Talk from Sony

Sony sends out press invitations for the IFA 2014 that hint at new smartphone, lens camera and 4K TV

Sony is sending out invitations for a press conference it is holding just before the IFA 2014 in Berlin. The event is scheduled for Wednesday 3rd September, at 16.15 at Messe Berlin. Well, the invitation has found its way on the net. It contains photos about what Sony is going to showcase at the IFA such as a smartphone, a camera and a TV.

There is a side view of a smartphone which might be the eagerly awaited Xperia Z3. Sony might unveil the Xperia Z3 Compact also at the event as both the smartphones are rumored to be available in the stores in September. The Camera would be having the new plug-in lens in Sony’s QX series. There is also the image of a TV or monitor.

The Japanese company is coming out with its new curved TV with 4K resolution, which it is expected to unveil at the IFA. Sony had launched the 65-inch LCD TV last year but it has a resolution of only 1080p.

It’s less than a month left for the IFA and the excitement is building!

Sony sends out press invitations for the IFA 2014 that hint at new smartphone, lens camera and 4K TV

A bunch of alleged Sony Xperia Z3 photos leaked again!

Romors and leaks about Sony Xperia Z3 keep surfacing time and again. With the IFA 2014 approaching, their frequency has increased. This time more photos alleged to be those of Xperia Z3 have leaked showing its front and back panels, its sides and the flaps covering various slots and ports as well as its rear camera.

It is interesting to note that some of these pics have already been leaked but were said to be those of the Xperia Z3 Compact. However, there were doubts even then as they were different from the earlier leaked photos of the Xperia Z3 Compact. So it is more probable that the new leaked photos are really those of Sony’s upcoming flagship Xperia Z3. Only time will tell.

Anyways, let’s have a look at Sony Xperia Z3’s latest leaked pics:

 

The Xperia Z3 looks similar to the Xperia Z2 in outward appearance. A flap covers the USB port and another flap covers the microSD card slot and the SIM card slot. There are Pogo pins for charging. The pics show stereo speakers at the front and a camera at the back. The camera has a G Lens and an LED flash. There is a label showing XX.X MP, so the camera might be 20.7 MP which the leaked Xperia Z3 specs also say. This is only a partial photo of the device so the position of the power button cannot be seen. Also, no dimensions are mentioned so the screen size cannot be ascertained.

Sony has organized a press event on 3rd September regarding IFA 2014 to be held in Berlin and the company will most likely unveil its next flagship smartphone the Xperia Z3 at the time. The suspense will be out then and all the speculations will be put to rest.

A bunch of alleged Sony Xperia Z3 photos leaked again!

Sony Xperia Z3 About screen leak reveals Snapdragon 801 processor and more

Just a few days back we saw the ‘About Phone’ screen shot supposedly belonging to the Sony Xperia Z3 Compact. Now a similar ‘About Phone’ screen image alleged to be that of Sony’s upcoming and eagerly awaited flagship smartphone the Xperia Z3, has appeared on the net.

The ‘About’ screen image purportedly to be that of the Sony Xperia Z3 has been posted by Xperiablog. The image is that of model no. D6653. Readers may recall that this D6653 model no. has been certified by TÜV Rheinland for Sony last month and was speculated to belong to next Sony flagship Xperia Z3.

The screen image shows the processor to be Qualcomm MSM8974PRO-AC Snapdragon 801 which might be a little disappointing to Sony fans as most are expecting the Japanese giant to use Snapdragon 805 in its next Xperia device. The upcoming handset will run Android 4.4.4 Kitkat version.

The smartphone has baseband version beginning with 8974-…. Kernel version starting with 3.4.0-perf-…  and Build number starting with 23.1….. The source says that the resolution of the screenshot is 1080p which means that the Xperia Z3 will have the full HD display and not the Quad HD one as expected. So the only interesting change in the upcoming Xperia Z3 seems to be its 7mm slim body.

That’s about all the info available this time round. Information/speculations/leaks about the upcoming Xperia Z3 keep trickling in now and then, building up the excitement. We’ll probably find out what the real Xperia Z3 is going to be like during the IFA 2014 to be held in September, when the handset is expected to be launched.

Sony Xperia Z3 About screen leak reveals Snapdragon 801 processor and more

Sony Xperia Z3 Compact D580x specifications leaked, has Snapdragon 801 and Android 4.4.2

Early in the week we saw the leaked images of Sony’s Xperia Z3 and Xperia Z3 Compact. The images gave a sneak peak of the front panels of the handsets but nothing much else. A black model of Sony Xperia Z3 Compact was lying alongside the white model of Xperia Z3. Now another leak has surfaced regarding Sony Xperia Z3 Compact. This leak is from a reputed XDA developer DooMLoRD who is a reliable source of Xperia leaks.

DooMLoRD has posted a tweet on Twitter on July 2 giving out some specs of the Sony Xperia Z3 Compact. The device Z3 mini/compact reportedly sports a 4.5-inch screen, a Qualcomm MSM8974PRO-AC quad-core 2.5 GHz Snapdragon 801 processor with Adreno 330 GPU, 2GB of RAM, a 20.7 MP rear camera and a 2.1 MP front-facing camera. However, no word about the screen resolution, battery size etc.

Check out the DooMLord tweet:

The Xperia Z3 Compact handset is said to bear the model D580x and runs Android 4.4.2 version with build no. starting with 23.0….. as can be seen in the following ‘About Phone’ screen shot posted by DooMLord.

Since Sony is in the habit of launching a new flagship phone every half-year, Sony Xperia Z3 and XperiaZ3 Compact are expected to launch around August/September this year, probably in the IFA 2014 to be held Berlin, Germany. And as we said earlier, these leaks and rumors will continue to appear till the actual unveiling of these devices. So stay tuned with us for any further developments.

Sony Xperia Z3 Compact D580x specifications leaked, has Snapdragon 801 and Android 4.4.2

Alleged images of Sony Xperia Z3 and Xperia Z3 Compact leaked

Leaked images of Sony Xperia Z3 and Xperia Z3 Compact have surfaced online. They first appeared on the Chinese website Digi-wo which is a reliable leaker of Sony smartphones. These seem to be the photos of the front panels of the Xperia Z3 and Xperia Z3 Compact.

We have seen that Sony is in the habit of introducing one flagship smartphone from the Xperia family every half year. It introduced its Xperia Z in the first half of 2013 (January), the Xperia Z1 in the second half of 2013 (September) and finally the Xperia Z2 in the first half of 2014 (February). Now everyone is waiting for Sony to announce its next Xperia flagship at the IFA in September this year or somewhere around that time.

The above image allegedly shows the photo of a white Sony Xperia Z3 and lying alongside it is the black Xperia Z3 Compact. The frames seem to be made of metal and have thinner side bezels giving them a sleeker appearance. However, the top and bottom portions are broader. Nothing much else is known about the appearance of both the phones.

As for specs, the Xperia Z3 is rumored to have a 1080p resolution touch screen, a Snapdragon 805 processor, 3 GB RAM and a 20.7 MP camera. However, another rumor suggests that Sony will go with the existing Snapdragon 801 this time.

Anyways, the Sony Xperia Z3 will be the successor to the Xperia Z2 and Xperia Z3 Compact will be the successor to Xperia Z1 Compact. And if Sony is really planning to unveil both at the IFA in Berlin, the event is just a couple of months away. Till then, the rumors and leaks will continue to appear building up the excitement up to the time of their actual release.

So folks stay with us, we’ll continue to update you regarding any new developments.

Alleged images of Sony Xperia Z3 and Xperia Z3 Compact leaked

Sony’s three new smartphones codenamed Leo, Aries and Pegasus leaked

Looks like Japanese mobile maker Sony is working on new smartphones and is getting ready to unveil three new models in the Xperia series soon. Code names of these three new smartphones have surfaced on a couple of Chinese social websites Weibo and Digi-Wo.

It’s been a while since Sony’s flagship Xperia Z2 was introduced and Sony seems to be developing three new smartphones for release in the second half of 2014. Rumor has it that the code names of these three upcoming devices are based on names of constellations. They are: Leo, Aries and Pegasus. There is no other information available but Leo is allegedly going to be the Xperia Z3, while Aries will be the Xperia Z3 Compact. It is not known which model Pegasus is going to be but it may possibly be some variant of Xperia Z3.

Since Xperia Z3 is supposed to be launching in September this year at the IFA 2014 in Berlin, Germany, it can be assumed that the other two variants will also be released around that time. Sony had launched its Xperia Z1 there last year. It is expected that Sony will use Qualcomm Snapdragon 305 processor in the new models as many companies are adopting it now.

The source websites of the leak have a good track record for leaks pertaining to Sony so we can assume that this information from them may be quite accurate. However, there is no official word from Sony about the three new smartphones Leo, Aries and Pegasus. Hopefully, more news will be out soon since IFA is just 2 months away. We will of course relay any new information we come across about them. So stay tuned for more.

Sony’s three new smartphones codenamed Leo, Aries and Pegasus leaked