Sony unveils LTE smartphones Xperia GX & Xperia SX running on Android ICS

Sony Mobile Communications has announced two new Xperia smartphones – Xperia GX and Xperia SX – both running on the Android operating system. These will be available in Japan in the coming months but no India launch date has been announced yet. The devices are the first Sony-branded LTE mobile phones launched in Japan and will ensure download speed of up to 75mbps. Let's take a look at the devices.

Xperia GX

This one has a 4.6 inch capacitive touchscreen Reality Display (720x1280 pixel resolution), powered by the Mobile BRAVIA Engine, and runs on Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) OS (right out of the box). It is powered by a 1.5 GHz dual-core processor (no Quad-core here) and has 1 GB of RAM. The internal memory of the device is 16 GB.

The phone has a mammoth 13MP rear camera with Sony Exmor R for mobile that can also record full high definition (HD) videos (1080p) at 30 frames per second. And the rear camera is also capable of taking 3D panoramic still images. Sony has also provided a 1.3MP front-facing camera for video-calling.

On the connectivity front, the device has Bluetooth4.0, Wi-Fi, 3G and 4G (depending on the region). It also comes with a micro USB port and a micro HDMI port. It has a 1700 mAh battery, weighs 127 gram and the dimensions measure 131mm x 69mm x 10.5mm. The device features a matte texture, slim-line body and will be available in white and black colours.

Xperia SX

This handset has a 3.7 inch capacitive touchscreen Reality Display (540x960 pixel resolution) with Mobile BRAVIA Engine and it also runs on Android ICS OS. Xperia SX is powered by a 1.5 GHz dual-core processor (again, no Quad-core) and has 1 GB of RAM, but the internal memory of the device has been brought down to half (8 GB), compared to its big brother Xperia GX.

The rear camera is also a toned down version of GX, with only 8MP (GX has a 13MP camera). But it also comes with Sony Exmor R for mobile, can record full HD videos (1080p) at 30 fps and is capable of taking 3D panoramic still images. A 1.3MP front-facing camera is also there for video-calling.

On the connectivity front, it has Bluetooth4.0, Wi-Fi, 3G and 4G (depending on the region), and also comes with a micro USB port and a micro HDMI port. It weighs 95 gram (a sleek one, if you like) and the dimensions are 115mm x 54mm x 9.4mm. In fact, the company is claiming that it is the lightest LTE smartphone in the world. The device will be available in white and black colours.

Sony has also introduced three New Media applications in the device. Here, you will find the Walkman app that integrates high quality audio technologies, such as clear stereo, clear bass, VPT surround sound, manual equaliser and xLOUD, with new ways to play, discover and recommend music; the Album app that allows the user to sort and browse high quality photos and videos, and also provides instant viewing, commenting and photo-sharing on Facebook and other such sites; and finally, there is the Movies app that allows playback and movie-viewing in high quality audio and video, along with database search to discover more info about the movies.

The prices of the smartphones are not available yet but when (and if) the devices are launched in India; they might be competing with the new range of HTC One series of smartphones.