Six Xperia Android smartphones unveiled in Southeast Asia

Takeaway: Sony Mobile is demonstrating a big commitment to Android in Southeast Asia with its six new Xperia smartphones.

Sony Mobile Communications showcased its range of Xperia smartphones in Southeast Asia at an event in late June 2012. The new smartphones in the company’s Xperia lineup (which already includes Xperia P, Xperia U, and Xperia sola smartphones) are Xperia ion, Xperia go, Xperia acro S, Xperia neo L, Xperia miro, and Xperia tipo (Figure A), all of which run on Android 4.0.

Figure A

From left to right: Xperia ion, Xperia go, Xperia acro S, Xperia neo L, Xperia miro, Xperia tipo. (Photo: Paul Mah)

The impressive-looking phones are all positioned at slightly different niches. Based on information from Sony, here are brief highlights about each device’s capabilities.

Xperia ion

The flagship Xperia ion smartphone offers a large 4.6-inch HD resolution screen (1280×720) with rear (1080p) and front (720p) camera for HD recording. It is powered by a 1.5GHz dual core processor and a 12MP rear camera.

Xperia go

The Xperia go comes with a 3.5-inch display and a 5MP fast capture camera. This phone has an IP67 rating, which is the highest level of dust and water resistance found in a smartphone to date. It has a scratch-resistant mineral glass display with wet finger tracking; you can see photos of the Xperia go’s water resistance tested in Figure B and Figure C. The phone will be available in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore in Q3 2012.

Figure B

The Xperia go held under the water of a miniature fountain. (Photo: Paul Mah)

Figure C

The Xperia go (Photo: Paul Mah)

Xperia acro S

The Xperia acro S has a 4.3-inch HD display and a 12MP camera. Armed with IP55 and IP57 ratings for dust and water resistance, it is also PlayStation certified. It will be available in Singapore and Indonesia in Q3 2012.

Xperia neo L

The Xperia neo L comes with a 4-inch display and is powered by a 1GHz processor with Adreno 205 graphics processor. Running on Android 4.0, it incorporates a front-facing camera for video chat via Skype and a 5MP back camera with the ability to do 720p HD video capture. The Xperia neo L is currently available at telecommunications provider SingTel, Sony stores, Sony centers, and Xperia concept stores for a recommended retail price of SG$388 (~US$307). The device’s colors are black and white.

Xperia miro

The Xperia miro has a 3.5-inch display and is marketed as deeply integrated with Facebook. Illuminations that can be customized to various colors can be configured to alert users to incoming messages and social updates. The Xperia miro will be available in Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore in Q3 2012.

Xperia tipo

The Xperia tipo is billed as simple, easy to use, and well suited for users purchasing their first smartphone. Fronted by a 3.2-inch scratch-resistant mineral glass display, it has a built-in application for monitoring data usage. Sony says the tipo will also be available in a dual SIM model, though that will only be available in Singapore and Malaysia. The Xperia tipo will be available in Q3 2012.