Sony has sent out a press release announcing it has launched its Xperia NXT series in the United States. The Xperia S, P and U handsets, which have been available in Europe for several months, are now available unlocked here in the States. They are compatible AT&T HSPA+ and are rocking Android 2.3 Gingerbread, yes Android 2.3 Gingerbread. The company says that all three will be updated to Android 4.0, but I wouldn’t hold my breath for that to happen anytime soon.

The Xperia S has the best specs of the series, packing a 1.5GHz Snapdragon S3 CPU, 1GB RAM, a 720p Reality Display screen, a 12MP rear camera and 32GB storage. The Xperia P packs a qHD display, 1GHz ST-Ericsson dual-core chip, and an 8MP sensor. Finally, the Xperia U is the budget device with a WVGA display and 5MP camera.

Pricing is as follows:

• Xperia S – MSRP $559.99, unlocked, in black or white
• Xperia P – MSRP $479.99, unlocked, in silver, red or black
• Xperia U – MSRP $299.99, unlocked, in black or white

These devices offer some decent specs, though they ship with Gingerbread, which is a downfall for many. You also have to keep in mind that the Galaxy Nexus costs more than $200 less than the Galaxy Nexus, which has Jelly Bean.