Sony has given the Movie Creator application a big update moving it from build number 2.3.A.0.3 to version 2.4.A.0.4. Interestingly, Sony has now published the Movie Creator app on the Google Play Store, so we’ll probably see no more updates through the “Update Centre” app.
Changes include a completely different and more colourful icon, additional Sony-designed video filters as well as the ability to change these filters. Sony has also added portrait video support, which is useful if you have lots of portrait photos or videos (hopefully no one takes portrait videos!) Other changes include the ability to select the export video size (Full HD/HD/SD). The update should be live in the Google Play Store right now. [read more…]
Sony Mobile has released the ‘Material Design’ update for its final media app – the Album application. The much awaited update moves the build number from 6.6.A.0.6 to 7.0.A.0.24. The new update includes a lighter design with the header screens swathed in a mustard orange colour.
The other major update, apart from design, is the ability to manage and move your photos into folders as previously detailed here. Also the icons on the folder show where these photos are stored (SD card or internal memory), although this feature was introduced in the last update. [read more…]
Germany retailer Amazon.de is one of the first to open pre-orders for the Sony Xperia M4 Aqua. It has both the black and white variants on pre-order (no Coral option) for €279. Sony’s recommended price for the handset was around €299. No date is given on the listing, but expect it to land next month. [read more…]
Pre-orders for Sony’s new Xperia Z4 Tablet have now commenced, well at least if you live in Europe. The Sony Mobile Store has placed the tablet on pre-order revealing pricing across a number of markets. In the UK, the Wi-Fi version will cost £499 rising to £579 for the LTE model. Whilst the pricing may seem steep, Sony is including the Bluetooth Keyboard BKB50 within this price too. We have no idea if this is a limited time promotion or whether this is how Sony plans to sell the tablet in the UK. [read more…]
Sony Mobile has just confirmed on its social channels that they are finalising testing on Android Lollipop and that they are still planning to release it “soon”. In a follow-up tweet, Sony confirmed that releasing a stable update is its main priority. No further detail was given on ETA. [read more…]
Today Sony unveiled two of its newest devices – the Xperia M4 Aqua and Xperia Z4 Tablet – both which are running Android Lollipop. If you head over to YouTube you will find numerous videos of how Lollipop runs on Sony’s latest hardware.
However, we know what you really want to see is Lollipop on current handsets. Well, a video (in Italian) from MWC has emerged showing Android Lollipop running on the Xperia Z3. [read more…]
It looks like Sony Mobile is set to lose the WALKMAN branding on its music application in the latest Android 5.0 Lollipop firmware. All of Sony’s press materials today for the Xperia M4 Aqua and Xperia Z4 tablet show a generic “Music” application in place of where we would see the WALKMAN app.
We’re not sure why Sony would ditch the branded app – could it be to simplify what the app does to new users? Could it be to tie into the rebranding to “PlayStation Music”, which will replace Music Unlimited at the end of this month? Could it be to disassociate some of Sony’s assets in a looming break-up of the Sony Mobile business? There’s plenty of theories, but not firm answer. We will certainly miss it. [read more…]
Sony Mobile has launched a beta version of the “Theme Creator”, which allows developers to design their own Xperia Theme for Sony devices. The Theme Creator allows users to customise over 300 graphical assets like icons, buttons and home screen wallpaper.
Once you’re happy with your design, one click is all that is needed to create the APK file to install onto your Sony Xperia device. If you think your theme is a work of art, you can contact Sony who may promote it to all Sony Xperia devices through the default theme picker. [read more…]
Sony has announced the Bluetooth Keyboard BKB50 for the Xperia Z4 Tablet. The keyboard has a special hinge that allows the tablet to easily dock with the tablet. The docking station allows the tablet to be ‘closed’ shut just like a real laptop. It also has a 0-130 degree tilt to find that comfortable viewing angle.
When it is docked, Sony has introduced a special quick application launcher on the tablet (similar to the Windows Start menu) so that you can check your recent apps. The keyboard has an integrated touchpad, NFC for pairing and switches for the power button and Bluetooth. [read more…]
Sony Mobile has announced the Xperia Z4 Tablet (SGP771) that features a 10.1-inch (2560 x 1600 pixel) IPS display and is the company’s lightest (389g) and slimmest (6.1mm) 10-inch tablet yet. The tablet features a 6000mAh battery that Sony says is good for an astonishing 17 hours of video playback. It will launch globally from June 2015 in black and white colours.
Sony says that the display is the world’s brightest (it was compared against the Amazon Kindle Fire HDX, Apple iPad Air 2, Microsoft Surface Pro 3, Samsung Galaxy Tab S and Samsung Galaxy Tab S). The Xperia Z4 Tablet is 40% brighter than the Xperia Z2 Tablet. [read more…]
Sony has formally unveiled the Xperia M4 Aqua (E2303, E2306, E2353) and Xperia M4 Dual (E2312, E2333, E2363) at MWC this morning. The 4G LTE phone is the same that has been leaked in recent days arriving with a 5-inch (720 x 1280) IPS display (PPI of 294 and screen-to-phone ratio of 65.24%), a 64-bit Snapdragon 615 chipset with Octa core processor (1.5 GHz quad-core Cortex-A53 and 1.0 GHz quad-core Cortex-A53) and Adreno 405 graphics.
As the ‘Aqua’ tag suggests, the phone has IP65 and IP68 (Ingress Protection) certification , giving it the highest protection against dust and water that is possible in a smartphone. It is great therefore to see that the Xperia M4 Aqua is the first Sony water resistant smartphone to feature an exposed micro USB port (cap-less microUSB charging). No more fiddling around with (and worrying breaking) USB port flaps. [read more…]
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