It's now official: the Sony Xperia A will be launched in Japan via carrier NTT DoCoMo. The new Android smartphone from Sony is essentially the Japanese version of the forthcoming Sony Xperia ZR, which itself will be waterproof, dustproof and 4G LTE compatible.
Although we're not yet sure exactly when the Sony Xperia ZR will be released (all signs point to a release date some time in Q2 2013), the Sony Xperia A (aka SO-04E) will be launched through NTT DoCoMo on Friday, May 17.
Engadget reported on Wednesday, May 8 that the Sony Xperia A "swung through the FCC for approval as NTT DoCoMo's SO-04E" with its 5-inch screen and removable battery. At that time, the Sony Xperia A wasn't yet official, though most of the specs/features for the device were still known and are as follows (updated):
- 1080p
- Sony OmniBalance design
- 13MP rear camera and 0.3MP front camera16GB of built-in storage
- 1,280 x 720 4.6-inch LCD
- 1.5GHz quad-core Snapdragon S4 Pro CPU
- Android 4.1
Although Engadget's report on the Sony Xperia A being officially announced does mention that both Android 4.1 and the Snapdragon S4 Pro CPU are obviously a bit outdated at this point (compared to Android 4.2.2 and Snapdragon 600), it does concede that the removable 2,300mAh battery is a novel feature for the device, as Sony's Xperia Z and Xperia Zl did not come with such a battery.
Engadget does ultimately suggest the Sony Xperia A "slots in a step below the Z and ZL," however.
Though Sony Xperia A will, again, be compatible with LTE, it will be updated in the fall to NOTTV access.
The Sony Xperia ZR, meanwhile, is said to be able to be submerged in water up to 5 feet deep for as long as 30 minutes ... and still shoot HD video (in addition to functioning otherwise). Not bad; hopefully the Sony Xperia A does the same.
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