The Sony Xperia S has already launched in the UK and is the first handset from Sony since their split from Ericsson. The Xperia S is the first of the Xperia NXT handsets. The Xperia P and Xperia U will also make their debut this month into the UK mobile market.

The Xperia P and Xperia U are slated for a May 28th release according to online UK retailer Clove. The retailer has both handsets available to pre-order with the Xperia P priced at £330 and the Xperia U listed for £204, both handsets coming sim unlocked.

The budget Xperia U features a 3.5 inch display, 1GHz processor, 512MB of RAM and a 5 megapixel camera with 720p video recording capabilities as well as being able to take 3D images. The Xperia P on the other hand features a 4 inch display, 8 megapixel camera, 1GHz dual core processor and 16GB of internal memory. Sony have also included NFC technology in the Xperia P which is present on the Xperia S.

Both the Xperia P and Xperia U will ship with Android 2.3 out of the box but, an update to Android 4.0 aka Ice Cream Sandwich is planned within the coming months.

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Sony have offered their customers an update on the Android 4.0 update rollout progress for their Xperia handset, through the official Sony mobile blog.

There is no specific timescale mentioned however, the Ice Cram Sandwich (ICS) update is filtering through the Nordic areas for those with an Xperia handset from the 2011 onwards range and Sony indicate that they are working with carriers to get the update rolled out to other regions across the globe as soon as possible basically.

“You can see the released software kits* (customized specific to your operator and handset) on our support community – please continue to check in if your kit is not yet listed, as it will be updated when new kits become available.

In order to upgrade your 2011 Xperia smartphone you will need to connect to a PC or Mac – please visit http://www.sonymobile.com/update and follow the instructions.”

No definitive news on when to expect ICS on our Xperias but, at least Sony aren’t just leaving us to ‘wait and see’ which is positive at least.

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With the release of the Xperia S and the upcoming release of the Xperia P and Xperia U handsets, we know that the news that Sony have a filed a Trademark for the term ‘Xperia Duo’ doesn’t indicate that Sony intend to use the Duo branding for their first ever dual core handset release.

The filing, made on March 28th with the United States Patent and Trademark Office does seem to indicate however that Sony may intend extending their Xperia range even further in the future and will start the speculation machine running whilst we wonder what to expect from Sony and their impressive Xperia handsets in the coming months.

Rumour had it back in July 2011 that Sony Ericsson intended to release a handset called the Xperia Duo and that the handset would be their first dual core processor phone. Obviously, that rumour was incorrect and that particular Xperia Duo didn’t materialize and if it does appear in the future, it’s title as the first dual core handset from Sony just won’t work for them now.

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Sony’s first Xperia handset since the split from Sony Ericsson has now been released in Canada. The Sony Xperia S is available at Sony stores but, there is only a “limited supply” so you’ll need to be quick as according to a sales rep, a lot of people have pre-ordered the first dual core Xperia phone.

The Xperia S is available sim free for $499.99 CA, or you can pick the phone up with a three year contract from Rogers taking the price down to $99.99 for the handset.

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Sony’s flagship Xperia handset, the Xperia S is due to go on sale in Australia within the coming days. Vodafone Australia are slated to begin selling the Sony Xperia S from April 11th. Retailer Crazy Johns also has April 11th as the release date for the handset and they will be selling both the black and white model.

Other retailers such as JB Hi-Fi, Dick Smith Electronics, Telechoice and Harvey Norman, along with Sony Centres. The handset will be available for $579 through Sony Centres and $599 through Harvey Norman. Dick Smith Electronics appears to be the cheapest option though, with a retail price of $555 and a release date of April 18th. Network operator Optus will also be releasing the Sony Xperia S.

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Sony Mobile India have confirmed that the company’s flagship 2012 Xperia model will soon be launching in India. The handset is due to go on sale April 10th, which is just two days away. For those who get their order in quickly, you should receive a free accessory pack which is a limited early bird offer. The accessory pack includes two Sony NFC SmartTags, HDMI cable, car charger and a leather case which are worth 4000 Rupees, approx $78. Pricing information for the Xperia S is currently unknown.

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Sony will be holding a “Night of Imagination” launch event in London to welcome the Xperia NXT phone series, which includes the Xperia S, Xperia P and Xperia U. These are the first Sony only phones since the split from Ericsson.

There will be an exclusive set from English singer-songwriter Labrinth. The event is to take place Wednesday 4 April at One Mayfair, North Audley Street, London, W1K 6ZA from 6:30pm.

Sony have released a developer’s ROM for the Sony Ericsson Xperia Play which brings the handset up to Android 4.0, aka Ice Cream Sandwich. The update is due shortly for the 2011 Xperia range for all but, if you have an Xperia Play and can’t wait to get Ice Cream Sandwich goodness and are afraid of the risks of updating to the developer’s ROM, read on.

The official word from Sony on the ROM is that you should be “an advanced developer with extensive knowledge in how to install, and switch between different ROMs” as installing the ROM does require you to unlock the bootloader on the phone to install the ROM. To unlock the bootloader you will require an unlocked Xperia Play and it must be running Xperia software 4.0.2.A.0.42.

As well as the risks of installing the firmware, it is noted that there are some downsides to installing the update, which include Gmail, Google Maps and Wi-fi not working correctly. One of Ice Cream Sandwich’s key, if not gimmicky features is also missing, Face Unlock. If that doesn’t phase you though, head on over to the Sony Developer Blog for the ROM and instructions on how to install ICS.

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Sony have released a beta version of Ice Cream Sandwich for select Xperia models from 2011. The select phones are the Xperia Arc S, Xperia Neo V and Xperia Ray. Unfortunately the original Xperia Arc and Xperia Neo are excluded as Sony note that they have different partition layouts to the newer models.

The update does not include Google Mobile Services, such as Google Maps and Gmail, nor does it include working Wifi or Bluetooth. Face Unlock is also not included in this update but, these features will be available in the final version of Ice Cream Sandwich. This version is available for developers and Sony advise that you should be an advanced developer, with knowledge on how to install and switch between ROMs.

If you’re willing to try the update you must have an unlocked bootloader and be running 4.0.2.A.0.42. Sony also advise that this may void the warranty of your phone.

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We saw that a few weeks back, Sony filed for the trademark “Xperia Sola” within the US, as well as Europe. At the time there were several rumors surrounding the handset, most focusing on solar technology. Sony have now officially announced the Xperia Sola though and we can confirm that the Xperia Sola does feature new technology from Sony but, not in the form of solar charging or similar.

The Xperia Sola is in fact the MT27i aka Xperia Pepper which we’ve previously seen which was rumoured to have a 3.7″ display. We can confirm that the Sony Xperia Sola does feature a 3.7 inch reality display. The screen also allows “floating touch” navigation. Floating touch is the new technology that Sony have introduced in their latest Xperia handset. With floating touch, your finger can float above the screen and the phone will recognise it and navigate through your phone using only this. It does however appear that to select applications or a link etc you do need to physically touch the screen.

Other specifications of the Sony Xperia Sola include, 1GHz dual core processor, NFC with Xperia SmartTags in the box, xLOUD and 3D surround sound Sony Music Unlimited and Video pre-installed. The Xperia Sola will be available in white, black and red.