Hopefully we’ll hear something official from Sony or AT&T regarding the release date of the Xperia Ion which will be the first Sony LTE phone in the US – when it is released any way. Other handsets announced for AT&T after the Ion, have already been released so hopefully we won’t have to wait much longer.

An advertisement on ‘Google Ads’ which shows up when users search for a term on the Google search system enlightens us to the fact that the Xperia ion, with it’s 12.1 megapixel camera and 4G LTE support is “coming exclusively to AT&T in June”. First we’ve heard and perhaps, not the way the news was meant to be announced. Neither Sony or AT&T have stated when/if the ion is on the way so we will have to wait and see if either official source announce the news themselves soon.

via

Sony have said that the Xperia Ion will be available globally from the summer so hopefully we should see it released before September. Just to recap, the Xperia Ion features a 4.6″ display making it the biggest of the Xperias, however it still outputs the same resolution as the 4.3″ Xperia S. The Ion also features a 12 megapixel camera, 1.5GHz dual core processor and LTE. Whether the Ion will have 4G technology or equivalent outside of the US is yet to be revealed.

Sony and AT&T announced the Sony Xperia Ion at CES last month with a release date of Spring 2012. The phone is supposed to be an AT&T exclusive but, third party retailers have the handset available for pre-order in the US off contract and more importantly, unlocked. Negri Electronics has the price down as $569.50 for an unlocked Sony Xperia ION while Celhut has the phone listed at $444.99 off contract.

At the moment, neither of the retailers have a release date much like Mobile Fun in the UK but, there is a small chance that they may release the phone before AT&T. However as it is supposed to be an AT&T phone, only networks which support 2100/1900/850 frequency will be able to use 3G, meaning T-Mobile users will only be able to get 2G out of the phone.

via

Sony have promised something big for CES and for the most part, many have assumed that this would be the Sony Ericsson Xperia Nozomi, with a HD screen and 13 megapixel camera. However information for a 4.55 inch display Xperia have been uncovered. Only a few specifications are known at the moment and we have no photos of the actual handset, known as the LT28at or Aoba.

What we can tell you however is, that it comes with a 4.55″ Reality display and a 1280×720 resolution, a 13 megapixel camera with LED flash and the front camera will be capable of 720p video. The handset will also come a 1.5GHz dual processor and will be LTE enabled in the US market, most likely for AT&T.

Sony Ericsson’s Xperia Play has been in the US for a little while now, first launching on Verizon back in May. The gaming handset will be available from AT&T from September 18th. The Xperia Play will make use of AT&T’s 4G capability and those who were patient and waited for AT&T will have some nifty little benefits. Not only will the Play see the inclusion of 4G but, AT&T will have the Xperia Play in an exclusive “Stealth Blue” which hasn’t been spotted any where else. You will also get the Sony Ericsson Multimedia Dock DK300 with AT&T’s Xperia Play.

The pre-installed games on AT&T’s Xperia Play is slightly different to what Verizon customers have. The “PlayStation Phone” will have Dungeon Defenders: Second Wave, Star Battalion, The Sims 3, Asphalt 6 Adrenaline, Madden NFL 11, Tower Bloxx: My City and Crash Bandicoot preinstalled.

AT&T are also offering the Xperia Play for considerably less than Verizon. You will be able to pick the handset up for $49.99 with a two year contract.

AT&T Press release

xperia™ play 4g keeps favorite video games at your fingertips beginning sept. 18

First PlayStation®-certified smartphone from AT&T available for $49.99 in AT&T stores and att.com

Key Facts

· The Xperia™ PLAY 4G, combining a PlayStation®-certified gaming device with the capabilities and portability of an Android smartphone, arrives in AT&T* stores, and online on September 18 for $49.99 with a two-year agreement.

· The Xperia PLAY 4G has dedicated gaming controls built into the phone through a slide out controller including directional keypad, dual analog touch joystick, two shoulder buttons and the four iconic PlayStation symbol keys: circle, X, square and triangle.

· Running the Android 2.3.3 (Gingerbread) platform, the first PlayStation-certified smartphone in the world features a brilliant 4″ 480 x 854 screen and stereo speakers.

AT&T Exclusives

Only AT&T customers can choose the 4G-capable Xperia PLAY, offered in an exclusive “stealth blue” color. The smartphone package is complete with bonus accessories including the Sony Ericsson Multimedia Dock DK300 and MC100 music cable. In addition to providing a convenient charging station, the DK300 converts the Xperia PLAY’s screen to a large clock display, and the music cable lets you connect to external speakers.** The DK300 and music cable come in the Xperia PLAY box, only from AT&T.

In addition, the device is pre-loaded with seven games, some of which are exclusive, at no additional cost including:

· Dungeon Defenders™ Second Wave by Trendy Entertainment
· Asphalt™ 6 Adrenaline by Gameloft
· Star Battalion by Gameloft
· Madden NFL™ 11 by Electronic Arts
· The Sims™ 3 by Electronic Arts
· Tower Bloxx™: My City by Digital Chocolate
· Crash Bandicoot® by SCEA/Naughty Dog/Universal

AT&T customers will have access to more than 150 Xperia PLAY optimized games including Minecraft™ Pocket Edition, Battlefield: Bad Company™ 2 and Dead Space™ 2 for download and purchase through the “Get Games” recommender screen, easily accessible when you slide open the Xperia PLAY’s game controller.

Handheld Gaming and Smartphones Converge

The Xperia PLAY 4G offers a gamer’s wonderland by providing the on-the-go capabilities of an Android smartphone with the immersive entertainment appeal of a portable gaming device.

* Snapdragon chipset including a 1GHz CPU and Adreno 205 graphics processor (GPU)
* Runs on the Android 2.3.3 (Gingerbread) platform
* Sight and sound: 4″ 480 x 854 screen, up to 60 frames per second graphics, stereo speakers
* Dual camera: 5MP rear and VGA forward-facing, with video recording and chat capabilities over Wi-Fi
* Hundreds of Xperia PLAY optimized games through Android Market or directly from the publishers
* Pre-loaded with seven Xperia PLAY optimized games from publishers such as Gameloft and EA.

Along with the great gaming and Android capabilities, the Xperia PLAY 4G from AT&T includes Facebook Inside Xperia, a suite of Facebook functions integrated into various applications, such as friends’ birthdays in the phonebook, a “like” button in the music player, photo tags in the media gallery, and YouTube video recommendations from friends.

Pricing and Availability

The Xperia PLAY 4G arrives in AT&T stores and online on Sept. 18 and will be available for $49.99 after a two-year contract with minimum data plan.

Quotes

“Gamers and smartphone fans alike will delight in the Xperia PLAY 4G’s instant access to gaming and entertainment,” said Jeff Bradley, senior vice president, Devices, AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets. “We’re excited to offer a device that allows consumers to have fun while still staying on top of everything in their life.”

“Our fans on AT&T have been asking for Xperia PLAY and now we’re giving them everything they need in a smartphone with what they really want – an immersive gaming experience on AT&T’s 4G Network,” said Peter Farmer, Head of Marketing for North America, Sony Ericsson. “In addition to a constantly growing list of games exclusive to and optimized for Xperia PLAY, we know AT&T customers are really going to enjoy the uniquely Sony Ericsson social experience, including Timescape and Facebook Inside.”

As of yet, a carrier is yet to pick up the Arc, so there are no monthly deals, or subsidized handset pricing, just the flat out $600. Hopefully a network carrier will pick the handset up soon, making owning the Xperia Arc, an affordable option.

via

We previously heard by way of a tipster, that AT&T were to discontinue the Xperia X10, presumably to make way for the Xperia Arc and Xperia Play. At the time however, this wasn’t confirmed but, none the less, left many Xperia X10 owners with AT&T, worried that their handset would not receive the Android 2.1 update which was first released back at the end of October. This has now been further called in to question, as AT&T are no longer selling the Xperia X10. Well not brand new models any way.

The AT&T site shows that only refurbished Xperia X10 models are available, meaning that it seems AT&T are pulling the plug on Sony Ericsson’s first Android powered handset. This also means that the network carrier may not approve or release any further updates provided by Sony Ericsson for the Xperia X10, including the already released Android 2.1 update, not to mention the dual touch update. A petition has been started urging AT&T to honor their upgrade promises with regards to the Android 2.1 upgrade on the X10.

via

While AT&T may have had the Xperia X10 and many assumed AT&T will also get the exlusive rights on the Xperia Play, it seems that the gaming handset will be making it’s way to Verizon and only Verizon. A Wirefly comparison suggests that upon the launch of the Xperia Play, the only network the handset will be available on will be Verizon. The comparison also highlights the arrival of the iPhone 4 on the Verizon network but, also lists the iPhone on AT&T, which isn’t the case for the Sony Ericsson Xperia Play.

While the Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc and Xperia Arc have only just been announced, it seems AT&T are giving the X10 it’s marching orders already. Apparently, AT&T have provided an “end of life” date for the Xperia X10, Sony Ericsson’s first Android handset.

According to a tipster at AndroidCentral, AT&T have given the X10 an eol date of March 6th. Could they be making way for the Xperia Arc or Play in place of the X10? Either way, one thing this will leave many wondering is, whether AT&T will actually release the 2.1 update for the X10, or any future updates released for the Xperia X10.