Sony is pushing out the November 2020 Android security patch for its flagship Xperia 1 II (Mark 2). The new update arrives with build number 58.0.A.3.224 in the form of a 108.6MB OTA update. As usual, frustratingly there is no changelog so we cannot say definitively if there are other changes. If you’ve updated please let know your impressions below.
In addition, last year’s budget Xperia L3 has also received a firmware update in the form of build number 54.0.A.6.61. This updates the security patches to 5 October 2020 (from 5 July). [read more…]
If you were to ask Sony Xperia fans to pick one iconic colour that has adorned their smartphone stable over the last decade, there is a good chance that Purple would be high up on that list. We’ve not seen the colour used in more recent Xperia phones, but the good news is that it will make a return in its latest Xperia 5 II. The bad news is that the Purple Xperia 5 II is exclusive to NTT docomo in Japan.
Overall, the Xperia 5 II (Mark 2) is available in four colours (Black/Blue/Grey/Pink), although not all colours are available in every region. For example, you won’t find a Pink Xperia 5 II in Europe, it’s mainly present in Asia. We’d love the Purple Xperia 5 II to hit more regions, although the chances look slim. If that changes we’ll keep you posted. [read more…]
Sony has released firmware updates for a few of its 2020 smartphones. The recently released Xperia 5 II has been updated to build number 58.0.A.22.21, which adds October 2020 Android security patches. In addition, its budget Xperia L4 has seen an update to 57.0.A.2.258, which also adds October 2020 patches.
Sony’s 2020 mid-range Xperia 10 II has seen a firmware update that moves the build number to 59.0.A.8.45, adding the November 2020 Android security patches. Sony does not include a changelog unfortunately, so there’s little firm way of knowing if there have been other small bug fixes or improvements. If you’ve updated to these new builds, do let us know your impressions in the comments below. [read more…]
Back in the early days of Sony Ericsson’s Android adventure, it decided to launch its new smartphones under the ‘Xperia’ brand. The Xperia brand was the umbrella that was used for all of its smartphones, regardless of shape/size and form factor. The models that came with the keyboard carried the ‘Pro’ moniker, but they all sat under Xperia.
However, judging by this latest leak from XDA, it appears that Sony was definitely exploring releasing a more business-oriented Android smartphone under its VAIO brand (which has since been sold). The VAIO brand was synonymous with very thin and light laptops with the highest levels of craftsmanship. There was often questions around whether Sony would use the brand for smartphones, but that never saw the light of day. [read more…]
by XB on 28th October 2020
in News
Sony has released its fiscal second quarter results for FY2020, which includes the performance for the three months ending 30 September 2020. Sony shipped 600,000 smartphones during this quarter, and the good news is that this is the same number of phones shipped at this point last year. Whilst in the context of other manufacturers this might be faint praise, it’s great to see Sony stem the declines we’ve seen quarter after quarter for the last three years at least.
The Xperia 1 II and Xperia 10 II smartphones were released at the start of this quarter, so the launches would have helped the mobile business to avoid a further shrinking. Sony has not given any forecasts of what it expects to achieve for the full year, but at the current run rate, it is due to ship around 3 million units, which is in line with last year. [read more…]
Sony has released new firmware for a number of devices which adds the October 2020 Android security patches. The 2020 handsets that have been updated include the Xperia 1 II through build number 58.0.A.3.194 and the Xperia 10 II with build number 59.0.A.8.33. There does not appear to be any other big changes to these handsets, outside of the update in security patch.
2019 devices including the Xperia 1 and Xperia 5 have also seen the same security October 2020 patch through build number 55.1.A.9.127. Lastly, we have also seen an update for the Xperia XZ3 which has seen September 2020 security patches through build number 52.1.A.3.92. [read more…]
The Sony Xperia 5 II has only just started hitting customers hands, and the smartphone has already been disassembled. The video below shows the handset being torn down step-by-step, and makes you appreciate the clean engineering design that goes into its manufacture, particularly given the slim and relatively compact design.
It shows the graphite film that covers the battery and cameras to help transfer heat and keep the components cool. Sony also uses thermal pads throughout the frame and copper tape for the same purpose. The Xperia 5 II only uses liberal amounts of adhesive compared to other smartphones, so it should be a relatively easy phone to fix if problems are encountered. Check out the video below. [read more…]
Sony is set to launch a new colour option for the Xperia 1 II (Mark 2) called ‘Mirror Lake Green’ next week in Taiwan. The handset will also get a RAM boost as well, moving from 8GB to 12GB. Other specs remain the same including 256GB of UFS storage. There’s no details on pricing, but all is expected to be unveiled on 20 October 2020.
It is unclear whether this option will make an appearance outside of Taiwan. The news follows a similar 12GB RAM variant of the Xperia 1 II that will launch in Japan at the end of October 2020. This particular model also came in a new colour (Frosted Black), versus the more glossy black found in the standard Xperia 1 II model globally. [read more…]
The Xperia 5 II has now started to ship in some regions, with some lucky customers already receiving units. Browsing through the r/SonyXperia subreddit highlights a variety of owners who have received their Xperia 5 II over the last few days (see some links below).
A number of retailers still have the handset on pre-order, but in Europe we’ve noticed various listings change from ‘pre-order’ to ‘in stock’. Checking Sony’s official European eStore shows the handset in stock, along with other retailers such as Carphone Warehouse in the UK. Amazon UK
still lists the handset for pre-order with a release date of Saturday 17 October. [read more…]
The Sony Xperia 5 II is expected to release in the next few weeks, and the first unboxing has arrived. Sony’s official European YouTube channel has a quick unboxing video, and we’ve also included some pics courtesy of Marco Kao. Sony is using the same packaging that it has done over the last few years, so no surprises there.
There’s not too much in the box, just the 18W power delivery charger (UCH32), USB Type-C charging cable (USB24) and MH750 earphones. The Xperia 5 II is expected to be released in mid-October in Asia and Europe, and early December in the United States. [read more…]
Sony is rolling out a new firmware update for the Xperia 1 II flagship with build number 58.0.A.3.170. This moves the Android security patches from August 2020 to September 2020 – given that we’re now in October, this September patch has arrived a bit later than expected.
It doesn’t look like there are any other changes – Sony doesn’t include a changelog so it’s never easy to get a proper idea of changes. If you’ve updated and noticed any differences, please let us know in the comments below. [read more…]
still lists the handset for pre-order with a release date of Saturday 17 October.