Sony Ericsson Xperia active Now on Pre-Order in the UK

Last month, mobile phone maker Sony Ericsson announced the release of two new handsets running under Google's Android operating system, the Xperia active and Xperia ray, and the former is now available for pre-order in the UK via various retailers in the country.

The smartphone can be seen on Play.com here, with a price tag of £229.99 attached to it, and with a possible release date set for September 9th.

Those who would like to make sure that the new device will be in their hands too when made available for purchase in September should head over to the retailer to reserve one unit in advance.

The Sony Ericsson Xperia active comes with a compact and rugged form factor, while running under Google's latest operating system flavor, Gingerbread.

The mobile phone comes with a fast 1GHz application processor inside, is waterproof, and can easily prove a great option for all those who live an active lifestyle.

“With a 3" screen and running the latest Android platform for smartphones (Gingerbread 2.3), the phone packs Reality Display with Mobile BRAVIA Engine, a 5mp camera with HD video functionality, and a powerful 1Ghz processor,” the retailer notes.

“Xperia active is dust proof and water resistant and uniquely incorporates wet finger tracking, to ensure the phone works perfectly when either the screen or a user's fingers are wet.”

It would also deliver support for a wide range of Google Mobile services, as well as for applications available for download via the Android Market.

Moreover, the mobile phone was loaded with sports apps to offer users the possibility to easily track their fitness levels.

“Users can set their ideal training route using the built-in GPS, Barometer and Compass. On-screen heart rate and pulse can be monitored in realtime (enabled by ANT+ wireless networking technology), while the iMapMyFitness app can monitor day to day performance,” the company continues.

At the same time, the new handset comes with Facebook inside Xperia, so that users can also stay connected at all times with their friends over the social networking site.

Xperia neo and Xperia pro with Skype Video Calling

Japanese-Swedish mobile phone make Sony Ericsson is among the companies that offers devices supported by the newly announced video calling feature in Skype.

Two of the company's handsets were announced as being capable to place and receive Skype video calls at the moment, namely the Xperia neo and Xperia pro, and the vendor decided to come up with a demonstration of this capability.

Only four mobile phones were included in the list of supported devices for Skype video calling at launch, though more of them will be added in the not-too-distant future.

In the video embedded at the bottom of this article, you can have a look at Sony Ericsson's devices handling video calling and, by the looks of it, doing a great job.

What the new feature is all about is clear to every one. In addition to being able to speak to a contact on Skype through the use of a mobile phone, users can also see the other person courtesy of live video streaming capabilities that Skype just integrated with their Android application.

“As you probably saw last week, Skype announced that Skype for Android now supports video calling. We have recorded a short video featuring Xperia neo and Xperia pro which are two out of only four phones supported on the initial release,” Daniel Sandblom notes on the Sony Ericsson blog.

“I have to be honest that I haven’t used Skype video calling on a smartphone before, but it was surprisingly simple to make a call and the video quality was very good as well.”

One other interesting feature that is being demonstrated in the said video is the possibility to view the caller on the big screen of a TV.

“In the video you also catch a glimpse of the use case with connecting an Xperia pro to a big screen TV,” the blog post continues.

“To manage expectations, you will not get this in HD quality even though you connect through the HDMI connector, but still, this basically turns your Xperia into a mobile video conferencing system to carry around in your pocket.”

One thing that is certain is that, although the Xperia neo and Xperia pro were launched as mid-level devices, they can still offer features that many high-end smartphones cannot at the moment.

The Xperia neo is already available in various markets around the world, but the Xperia pro has yet to make an appearance on shelves. Some of the latest rumors on this suggested that it will not be out before the fourth quarter of the year.

Video Xperia neo and Xperia pro with Skype Video Calling

Sony Ericsson Readies Android 2.3.4 for Xperia Handsets

Japanese-Swedish mobile phone maker Sony Ericsson is reportedly set to make available for download a new OS flavor for the owners of its latest Xperia devices out there, namely Android 2.3.4 Gingerbread.

Currently, the leading handset vendor is pushing out the Android 2.3.3 OS version to its devices, but it seems that the latest flavor of the OS should arrive on the market as well soon.

Nothing is officially announced on the matter for the time being, but some reports on this already suggest that the company is now in the testing phase of the new OS flavors.


The new Android 2.3.4 Gingerbread operating system iteration is being prepared as an update for the company's Xperia arc smartphone, as well as for the Xperia PLAY, Xperia neo, and Xperia pro smartphones.

While arc was unveiled to the world during the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, the other three Xperia handsets were launched during the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain.

The new software update should bring forth all the fixes and enhancements that Google included with the OS, along with a series of other improvements as well.

Sony Ericsson reportedly included the Sony audio filter technology xLOUD into the mix, as well as some other functionality that would make its Xperia users rejoice.

For the time being, no specific release date for the OS upgrade has emerged, but rumor has it that it would be deployed sometime in October.

Apparently, Sony Ericsson is also testing Android 2.3.4 Gingerbread for the older Xperia X10 smartphone, though no details on whether the software will be made available for this smartphone as well are known.

All the Xperia handsets that were launched in 2011 came with Android 2.3 Gingerbread right from the start, and it was only a matter of time before Sony Ericsson decided to deliver the new OS iteration for them. Stay tuned for more on this

Red Sony Ericsson Xperia neo Now Available at Vodafone UK

Mobile phone carrier Vodafone UK has added a new Android-based device to its offering, a handset exclusively available on its airwaves, namely the red flavor of Sony Ericsson Xperia neo.

We already knew that this mobile phone was set to land at Vodafone UK all dressed up in red, as the carrier had it on a coming-soon page, but nothing was known specifically on when it could become available for purchase.

Now, UK users interested in the exclusive red flavor of the device can head over to Vodafone's online store here to purchase it.

The mobile phone is available for free upon the signing of a contract agreement on a monthly plan that starts at £26 per month.

The mobile phone comes with Google's Android 2.3 Gingerbread operating system on board, and with a 1GHz application processor inside for increased performance levels.

The Xperia neo was packed with a 3.7-inch touchscreen display with Sony's Mobile BRAVIA Engine, so that it would offer a great viewing experience while on the go.

Moreover, the device comes with an 8.1-megapixel camera with Exmor R for mobile sensor and with HD video recording capabilities, and enables users view content on a TV at home using an HDMI connector.

“The Sony Ericsson Xperia neo gives you great photos every time thanks to its high-quality 8.1-megapixel camera. And when you want to talk face to face in a video call, there's a 2-megapixel front-facing camera,” Vodafone notes on its website.

“The main camera lets you take advantage of face recognition, so everyone in the picture is in focus. There's also Exmor R technology, which is great for photos in even the lowest light. You won't find these features on the Sony Ericsson Xperia PLAY.”

The handset also comes with social networking capabilities, offering fast access to Facebook and Twitter, as well as fast Internet browsing, and support for various applications and mobile services.

Sony Ericsson Xperia ray to Arrive in the UK in August

Japanese-Swedish mobile phone maker Sony Ericsson unveiled a few weeks ago two new handsets running under Google's Android operating system, namely the Xperia ray and Xperia active, and it seems that the former might be set to arrive on the market in the UK as soon as next month.
Some of the latest reports on this device suggest that UK retailers are expected to receive the handset in August, but a specific release date is not unveiled for the time being.

The Carphone Warehouse, one of the leading mobile phone retailers in the country, has already added the new Android device to its website.

On the said pre-launch page for the Xperia ray, the company notes that August is the month during which the new mobile phone should arrive on the market, though it also says that things might change in the end.

Those who are interested in the purchase of a Sony Ericsson Xperia ray smartphone should head over to the retailer's website to register for receiving updates on the phone's availability.

“Sony Ericsson Xperia ray is an elegant smartphone with a super-thin aluminium frame and a beautiful scratch resistant mineral glass touchscreen,” the company notes.

The mobile phone is expected to arrive on shelves as an affordable device, though it will still sport a series of features that will bring it closer to the company's high-end Xperia devices.

For example, the handset sports a 3.3-inch touchscreen display with the Mobile Bravia Engine, as well as an award-winning 8.1MP Exmor R camera on the back with HD video recording, and a front-facing camera for video calling. 

The Sony Ericsson Xperia ray runs under Google's Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) platform and sports the Facebook inside Xperia application and service for easier interaction with friends and family while on the go.

“Xperia ray is one of the slimmest, sleekest smartphones around, at only 9.4mm thin. With its brushed aluminum frame and beautiful mineral glass display, this phone is a real fashion statement,” The Carphone Warehouse notes.

First online flash mob or not, the conversation went so slack I almost forgot...

Back at the end of September I wrote about an intriguing initiative featuring digital space hoppers that turned out to be by Sony Ericsson. At that point I was rather thinking it was all quite good.  And then I heard not a squeak in a whole month.  10 points deducted for not continuing the conversation.

I'm going to keep using my dating analogy.  That's like asking someone if they'd like to go out for a drink and then not bothering to call for over a month to fix a time and a place!?  Why would you do that?  In the meantime they might start a relationship with someone else.

 However, at least they did follow up eventually with this email last week announcing the time of the first online flash mob event, 24 hours after the email was sent.

The small print in the email also told me that I'd only be able to see what my hopper was up to from the computer I created it on which was no use at all as I was in Thailand with my work laptop and I'd created it on a laptop at home in London. 

Time difference, distance and technology therefore conspired against me but you can relive the hopper invasion here.

However, we'll allow a degree of points redemption for providing downloadable games and other means of ongoing interaction with the experience / idea via the Sony Ericsson Hopper Invasion website.

Overall as end of term reports go I'll award a "C++  & could do better" for the initiative overall and "A-" for effort because at least as brand they are experimenting and learning. There's no rule book and the only way brands will learn is by trying so dive in. 

If you don't ask for that date in the first place, even if it takes a month to follow up, you won't stand a chance!

Digital Glue: It can work so well.

One of my other pet rant topics about digital marketing is against people who think digital is one of these:

I say NO to Digital silos. 

Digital should not be just another "channel" on the end of a media plan. Such thinking may have been true way back in 1999 but wake up people, it's 2009! The digital possibilities are much greater than the inclusion of some some banners driven by the buying / trading model.


Digital thinking needs to be integrated into planning right from the outset.  On the web your idea / message / product / service is available 24/7, 365 days a year.  It's there when people are actively looking for it, not just because at a given second you've interrupted them by shoving your message in front of them whilst they were probably doing something else.  So make the most of that opportunity.  Make the most of the fact that you can provide people with information  or an experience in a much more engaging / fun / meaningful way than you ever could in a 30" TV ad or a 25 x 4 print ad.

Whilst I may be passionate about things digital, I don't believe in throwing the baby out with the bathwater. (Luckily for the friends who trust me with their children from time to time!). I believe that established advertising techniques whether off or online will continue to play a role in the comms mix of the future.  Those roles might just be slightly evolved from those they've taken in the past. Change is healthy! I love seeing offline & online working well together. It's the old sum of the parts theory. Make the most of both and you'll achieve more in total than you will using either in isolation. Or ignore the online piece and find that the consumer will note your absence and talk about that anyway. You can't ignore the fact that digital interaction is part of most people's daily lives these days.

So, let's put that argument about offline and online into context:


Yesterday I was on the Tube. I saw a series of digital outdoor escalator panels with a whole series of appealing , colourful images on. Space hoppers bouncing everywhere. It caught my eye.  But I couldn't see the brand / originator. Hmm. Intriguing but slightly confusing.

On the way back up said escalator a little later, I notice the same ads, and this time caught the end frame. Again, no brand mention, but it did say " Search: Spark something".  I made a mental note to look it up later.

Above the line advertising driving me to a search engine.  [geek fact, 67% of searches online are purportedly stimulated by activity offline]

This morning I duly searched, prompting PPC (paid search) result to appear, giving me somewhere to go but not many more clues.

Still intrigued, I follow the link which takes me to the Spark Something / Hoppervision site.

Where I am presented with a video and this invitation:

Join the world's first online invasion.[...]  Be part of the world's first ever online flash mob, Start by creating your own hopper.[...] Set it free and watch the mayhem start (don't worry we'll tell you where and when). 

Still no clue as to the brand behind it... until I noticed this give away clue.... when all of a sudden the notion of bouncing hoppers made a whole lot more sense [scans brain for large advertising campaigns I've ever seen folder, sub folder, brands that like things that are colourful and bounce....]

Ah ha, for the eagle eyed, the mystery is solved: Sony Ericsson!  Yes, OK it's a bit close to the Sony Bravia Bouncing Balls ad, but hey, imitation is flattery as I remarked upon in another recent post.

Obviously I did create my own hopper (at time of writing there are 2786 of them), happily agreed to set it off on it's own adventure wherever that might be, and now knowing that it's Sony Ericsson, equally happy gave my email address to see what happens next.

Whether I'd have been intrigued enough to handover my email without knowing that, I'm not so sure.

What do I think they could have done better?

Well,  a little bit of paid for search (PPC) spend on Bing might not have gone a-miss (naturally I searched on Google and Bing, and found nothing on the latter, which is a bit rubbish given it is growing, and also this kind of quirky web mystery appeals to us geeky-types who feel bound to try new things out a lot).

Some sort of search engine optimisation (SEO) might have got their site showing up in the natural search results, potentially saving them paying for a few clicks. Instead they had nothing of relevance showing up above the fold.

Some clues on the site as to who was behind the initiative. Doesn't need to be glaring, just there somewhere, for re-assurance. Had I not noticed the clue I'd have been puzzled why I was being required to make decisions about signing up to Sony Ericsson's T&C's when I gave my email address.

Maybe I'd have made the outdoor creative I saw work a little harder by saying "search for" not just search, but also making that message appear mid-way through the creative rotations too. Quite a lot of people (including me) tend to run down escalators = less time to wait for the punchline = missed opportunity to engage.

I might also have bought the search terms "hopper ad" & ""space hopper ads" for the consumers that were sufficiently curious from seeing the ad but didn't catch the end frame.  They didn't, I checked. Instead I got this link up first to a marketing trade press article about the broader Sony Ericsson campaign. Fine for me. I'm in the industry, but would that really be what you'd want to expose the consumer to?

Points awarded for making on and offline work together in a cohesive fashion. Extra marks could have been awarded for greater attention to detail.  I was curious, I did search, find and participate, and now I've written this blog post about it = word of mouth/keyboard, even before I've found out where my Space Hopper's adventures will go next.

To be continued....