All of Sony’s technological skill and expertise pour into each Xperia device. Bringing together their iconic brands, BRAVIA,
Cybershot, Walman and PlayStation, the Xperia range of smartphones and tablets offer a complete user experience.
Powered by Android, the Xperia range are produced to a high standard of craftsmanship and use premium materials.
Plus, because it’s Sony, Xperia devices have an entrenched ecosystem to support them.
Share and enjoy content across PlayStation 3, Sony Blu-Ray players, VAIO laptops or BRAVIA Smart TV’s.
Nokia Lumia JBL Speakers
As the name suggests, PlayStation Mobile is Sony’s mobile version of the fantastic PlayStation network. Download and purchase games from the PlayStation Store and play them on any PlayStation certified device and PS Vita. Bringing you console-quality gaming on the move, all you need is a Sony Entertainment Network account (can be the same one you use for Video & Music Unlimited).
As the name suggests, PlayStation Mobile is Sony’s mobile version of the fantastic PlayStation network. Download and purchase games from the PlayStation Store and play them on any PlayStation certified device and PS Vita. Bringing you console-quality gaming on the move, all you need is a Sony Entertainment Network account (can be the same one you use for Video & Music Unlimited).
Sony Walkman is available as an application on your Xperia smartphone or tablet. It brings together Sony signature high quality sound with innovative ways to play, discover and
recommend music.
With a rich visual interface and in depth audio settings, your music has never looked and sounded so good. Your album artwork affects the visuals of the Walkman application and the visualizer offers greater immersion.
A manual equalizer offers unparalleled sound control that enhances your experience.
You can discover and share new music with friends via Facebook. Like a song and share your recommendation with friends or find out what they are listening to.
There’s seamless connectivity with other devices too as its available on VAIO laptops. Play your music by touching your Xperia onto an NFC enabled speaker (compatible devices required) or through connected DLNA speakers.
Sony Mobile BRAVIA Engine 2
What’s Larger than the HTC One X, Samsung Galaxy S3, iPhone 5 and Nokia Lumia 920? That’s right, the Xperia Z’s 5 inch monster display. But size isn’t everything, it’s how you use it and Sony has crammed their display with 12.7cm of HD pixel-busting brilliance.
The Z sports a full HD Reality Display. Churning out high definition in its true 1920 x 1080p glory - the picture quality is on par with a full sized Sony HDTV. It has an eye watering 443 ppi (pixel density) that makes videos and zoomed in web pages look superb.
As a comparison the iPhone 5’s much lauded Retina display is 326ppi. The 5 inch display is pushed right to the edge of the bezel as well (think Motorola RAZR i), this gives an expansive area for your eyeballs to feast upon.
A brand spanking new Mobile BRAVIA Engine 2 lurks underneath. BRAVIA (an acronym for Best Resolution Audio Visual Integrated Architecture) are Sony’s in-house brand that specifically produces high definition TV’s and home cinemas. Crunching through algorithms,
their Full Digital Processor tweaks and adjusts 16 million colours for the optimum enhanced image. This second generation engine adds in four new stages to increase contrast improve detail and straighten diagonal lines.
In terms of interaction, the TFT capacitive touchscreen is ultra-responsive. It can recognise up to 10 fingers thanks to multi-touch and even works when water is on it, perfect for when you get caught outside in the rain.
For all its cutting edge technology, the Xperia Z is no delicate and fragile little flower. A durable tempered glass provides a scratch resistant layer to protect the display. Couple this with the waterproof and dustproof abilities (IP55) and that Reality display will still be looking beautiful in years to come.
With NFC on board, the Xperia Z’s display benefits from one-touch mirroring with compatible Sony televisions. This lets you see all the content from your Xperia Z on your TV, so you can share pictures with your friends or watch movies on the Sony Entertainment Network.
Sony have continued their tradition of waterproof handsets and given the Xperia Z an IP57 rating – the highest level of water and dust resistance from a premium smartphone. You can dunk the Z in a metre of water for up to 30 minutes. This solves the problem that has plagued any fragile touchscreen device – fingerprints.
You can now clean greasy marks on your 5 inch screen by giving it a quick wipe or running it under a tap. If ever you Xperia Z covered in dirt or drop it in the lavatory (100,000 mobiles are dropped in Britain every year: QI) there’s no need to panic. The screen is still responsive even if wet, which will be particularly useful whilst in the rain or for when watching a film on it in the bath.
The 3.5mm headphone jack, micro SD (up to 32GB), micro-SIM card and micro-USB slot all have covers so no water or dust can infiltrate the Xperia Z’s internals.
Covers may seem an annoying trade off but throw in the NFC capability, Qi wireless charging and fantastic range of wireless Sony headphones and you may never need to open a flap on the Z ever. The shatterproof and scratch-resistant Snapdragon glass that sandwich the device keeps water out, while the volume rocker and iconic side-mounted power button are water tight.
Sony Entertainment Network
Part of the Sony Entertainment Network, Music Unlimited and Video Unlimited is a great way of streaming music and downloading video content on the go or across your favourite devices.
Only one account is needed to access the services and you can use it across the whole range of Sony devices, including Xperia smartphones and tablets, and a host of other ways.
Thanks to Sony’s large entertainment infrastructure, Video Unlimited is well stocked of the latest Hollywood blockbusters, all-time classics and TV shows from every major studio.
Most new releases are on Video Unlimited 28 days before other video streaming services such as Netflix or LoveFilm; they can’t offer the same movies due to copyrights and licencing.
You can buy or rent movies in SD (standard definition), 1080p HD or even 3D formats. There are no late fees and no discs to wait for or post back as it is a pay-per-view streaming service.
Films can be viewed on internet enabled BRAVIA televisions and Blu-Ray Disc players as well as Sony Internet TV or Windows based PC through Media Go. Video Unlimited is web based so you watch videos on any laptop or PC with a web browser, plus its available on Android.
Music Unlimited has a catalogue of over 15 million tracks for you to stream. You can create playlists, explore internet radio channels, customise channels through Like or Dislike buttons
to your tastes and enjoy tracks in super high quality (320kbps AAC file). You can listen to music offline so you don’t need to incur large data costs. Up to 4000 tracks can be downloaded for you to listen to offline.
It’s a subscription service so there is a monthly fee but there are no adverts and you aren’t limited to a certain number of skips.
There are two types of subscription packages, Premium (£9.99/month) and Access (£4.99/month), the difference being the access. Music Unlimited is available on Android devices and as an app for iOS devices.