We're well into January and the smoke has cleared on a staggering number of new smartphone announcements coming in 2011. We've got larger screen sizes, the first round of dual core processor smartphones and an increasing scale of flexibility specially in the Android smartphone spectrum. There are some rumoured smartphones that haven't been officially announced but whose pictures, specs and features have been leaked.
Sony Xperia Play (PlayStation Android phone) - This one is all over the Internet and brings a lot of interesting possibilities to the forefront. It is another Sony Ericsson Android smartphone, yes. But by the looks of it this is the next stage of the PlayStation Portable. Not only will it do double-duty as a communications device and a mobile gaming device, it ushers in the possibility of a PSP Android app.
This PSP app might be made to work on other Android devices which would completely enhance the gaming credibility of Android given PSP's prodigious legacy of titles and specially since games are now downloadable (a la PSP GO). More than games, Sony has a ton of video and music content it may want to distribute via Android which will compete more intensely with Apple's iTunes ecosystem.
We love our (much maligned) PSP GO and we love Android, so let's see where this marriage of convenience takes us. One concern right off the bat, battery life and storage on this device have to be superb in order for it to work. The PSP GO isn't the best device in terms of battery life (maxxing out at 5 hours) add the 3G radio and smartphone features and who knows how long the battery will last.
RIM BlackBerry Storm 3 - Maybe the third time's the charm for RIM's touch-focused smartphone. Storms one and two were highly anticipated but less than stellar devices that tried too hard with hardware and software that was not up to the task of delivering a multi-touch experience.
The leaks show a new BB Storm with a 3'7-inch screen, possibly updated OS and the ability to act as a mobile hotspot. The "leaked photo" on the left looks a bit suspicious but could very well be the Storm 3. We'll wait and see.
RIM needs a proper non QWERTY keyboard smartphone for users who are loving their BBM and mail features but who are tempted by all the large-screen Android and Windows Phone devices out there.
Sony's Booth tour at CES 2011- Future is 3D
We spent some precious show floor time with Sony Canada's Central Region Training Supervisor Karol Warminiec at CES 2011. Karol walked us through Sony's giant exhibit space where we saw some of its Smart TVs, it's high end BRAVIA line of LED LCD TVs, a slew of cameras from the Alpha and NEX line as well as some of the upcoming notebooks from the VAIO line. What caught our attention was the integration of 3D in almost every product line.
Sony's 3D camcorder with dual lenses won accolades at CES 2011
They have 3D camcorders, 3D Bloggie cameras, 3D notebooks and 3D video editing applications that enable users to create their own content viewable on the crown jewel devices, the 3D HDTVs. Sony isn't just relying on its own content in terms of movies and TV shows, it wants to push the technology out to consumers so they can create and share their own 3D experiences. It is a big gamble but if anyone can saturate the market with key products and push for standard adoption, Sony is one of the few companies who can do it.
We're ambivalent about 3D because the glasses required to view the experience are terribly cumbersome specially if you already need to wear corrective lenses. Warminiec did tour us through some of Sony's prototype glassless 3D HDTVs which did a great job of recreating the 3D experience for the naked eye, provided you stood three feet in front of the screen in a darkened room. We also got to see their $10,000 Sony VPL-VW90ES Home Theatre 3D projector which was a better experience than any of the current HDTVs.
All-in-all, Sony's collection of new consumer electronics and technology did not disappoint. We were most impressed by their digital camera lines, specifically the new Alpha DSLRs and the the NEX line of interchangeable lens large-sensor cameras as well as an as-of-yet unannounced (In Canada at least) Sony Internet Google TV which we feel is the best integration of TV and Internet we've seen so far.