Event Coverage

MWC 2011 - Sony Ericsson is Ready to Play

By Seow Tein Hee - 14 Feb 2011

Introducing the Sony Ericsson Xperia Neo and Pro

Introducing the Sony Ericsson Xperia Neo and Pro

While the attention might be solely on the Xperia Play and its gaming ecosystem, there were two other members of the Xperia family that made an appearance at the press conference. One of which is the Sony Ericsson Xperia Neo, which was leaked and given its due preview. From what we can discern through its specifications, the Xperia Neo bears much similarity to the earlier announced Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc, including the Reality Display with Mobile Bravia Engine, though slightly shrunken down to a 3.7-inch real estate size. The Xperia Neo is powered by a new Qualcomm Snapdragon MSM8255 processor, which will do nicely to match the latest Google Android 2.3 OS within.

The Xperia Neo's more modest 3.7-inch display is a better fit for those who value compactness over features.

Ironically, it's profile is much thicker than the Xperia Arc, which has a larger screen size and thinner side profile.

While the earlier Xperia Play is focused upon gaming entertainment, multimedia is the key highlight for the Neo. With HDMI output to display images in vivid clarity with its 8.1-megapixel ExmorR sensor, it makes sense for the Neo to be the successor to the Sony Ericsson Vivaz, which was in need of a change of fresh air from its Symbian roots.

The Xperia Neo is slated for an end Q1 2011 release.

Sony Ericsson Xperia Neo

Key highlights of the Sony Ericsson Xperia Neo

  • Google Android 2.3
  • Qualcomm Snapdragon MSM8255 1GHz processor
  • Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n with DLNA
  • 3.7-inch Sony Mobile Bravia Engine display / 480 x 854 pixels
  • 8.1-megapixel camera / ExmorR / Autofocus / dual LED flash
  • HDMI-out
  • 126g
  • 116 x 57 x 13mm
     
  • Availability: End Q1 2011

The final Xperia member to appear would be the Sony Ericsson Xperia Pro. By now, some of you might have guessed its key feature from the "pro" term - a slide-out, physical QWERTY keyboard. As a nod to its business functionality, the Xperia Pro will be pre-loaded with Office Suite Pro for document editing. And even though it is running Google Android 2.3, it takes a cue from the tablet-optimized Android 3.0 with its split-screen email interface. This feature lets you preview emails on the right, while the left screen lists your inbox to select any other mails to preview. As a follow-up, once you slide the display to reveal the keyboard, the Pro will present your next action to be taken - reply, reply all or forward the said email that you selected earlier on.

With the display slid out, it could hinder your access to the Xperia Pro's HDMI port as seen here.

Early impressions of the keyboard on the Xperia Pro borders on slightly below average. We did fumble a bit with the keys, which contributed to our low typing accuracy and speeds.

The Sony Ericsson Xperia Pro will have a slightly later release date, targeted at an end Q2 2011 launch.

Sony Ericsson Xperia Pro

Key highlights of the Sony Ericsson Xperia Pro

  • Google Android 2.3
  • Qualcomm Snapdragon MSM8255 1GHz processor
  • Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n with DLNA
  • 3.7-inch Sony Mobile Bravia Engine display / 480 x 854 pixels
  • 8.1-megapixel camera / ExmorR / Autofocus / dual LED flash
  • Slide-out QWERTY keyboard with Type & Send
  • HDMI-out
  • 140g
  • 120 x 57 x 13.5mm
     
  • Availability: End Q2 2011

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