Talk about great timing. A couple of nights ago I had a very good convertweetion with some friends I obviously didn’t ask permission to be named about Sony phones. I want a backup, my Cliq is probably dead by now, and my G1 went away a long time ago.

Suffice to say, if I’m writing this, my interest was more than piqued.

We discussed the Sony Xperia, which is available online at sings places at a very reasonable $269. Well, I’m sure that price dropped because as of today the NXT line is also available unlocked and also priced very reasonably, ranging from $369 and higher. The Sony Xperia S and P are available, and the U will probably find it’s way too.

These phones make an excellent addition or can be a daily is phone. Sony’s phones continue having excellent camera quality, and the reviews so fast have been great. All that plus unlocked; win-win.

Via Xperia Blog

Sony first announced the Xperia Ion at CES, but it just went to market today. The $99 LTE device is available from AT&T, Sony, and BestBuy.

Specs of the device include:

• 4.6″ (measured diagonally) 720p HD Reality Display with Mobile BRAVIA® Engine for HD viewing
• HD imaging excellence from Sony: 12MP camera with Exmor R™ for Mobile camera sensor, 1080p HD video recording on primary camera, 720p HD front-facing chat camera
• Easy multi-screen connectivity with HDMI and DLNA
• 1.5Ghz dual core processor
• 16GB internal memory with microSD™ expansion slot supports up to 32GB
• PlayStation Certified for high quality mobile gaming

Sadly, the device ships with Android 2.3 Gingerbread not Ice Cream Sandwich. Yes, it is June 2012 and Sony has released an Android 2.3 device.

Does anyone on AT&T plan on picking this device up?

The Sony Xperia Ion was unveiled over 5 months ago at CES and we are just now seeing it go to market in the U.S. AT&T has announced the Sony Xperia Ion will be available on June 24th. It’ll cost you $99 with a two-year contract.

The Ion is packing a 4.6-inch display with Sony’s “HD Reality display” technology. It is powered by the Bravia engine with a 720×1280 resolution. The Ion also has a 12MP camera with a dedicated camera button that helps you take a shot in 1.5 seconds from stand-by mode. The device is powered by a 1.5GHz dual-core Snapdragon S3 processor with 16GB of internal storage and a microSD card slot. Sadly, it is powered by Gingerbread. Yep. In June 2012, Sony has released a device with Android 2.3 instead of 4.0.

Who plans on picking one up on the 24th?

EXPERIENCE HD ENTERTAINMENT EVERYWHERE WITH XPERIA™ ION FROM SONY, AVAILABLE EXCLUSIVELY AT AT&T JUNE 24

Sony’s First 4G LTE Smartphone Ideal for Creating and Showcasing Premium Entertainment with Video, Photo, Gaming and Music

DALLAS, June 14, 2012 – Entertainment fans longing for a better mobile HD experience will soon have an all-new 4G LTE Android smartphone to covet as the Xperia ion from Sony arrives exclusively in all AT&T* channels June 24. The new Xperia ion builds on Sony’s reputation as an innovator and leader in imaging and entertainment and costs just $99.99 with a two-year agreement.

AT&T customers have access to the nation’s largest 4G network, covering more than 260 million people. As 4G LTE expands, AT&T customers are able to enjoy a widespread, ultra-fast and consistent 4G experience on their compatible device as they move in and out of LTE areas. AT&T has two 4G networks that work together for customers, LTE and HSPA+ with enhanced backhaul. With other carriers, when you travel outside of their LTE coverage area, you’re on a much slower 3G network.

Sony’s first 4G LTE smartphone comes with a 4.6-inch HD Reality display (1280 x 720), as well as the ability to view HD content on the big screen via HDMI. The HDMI connection also opens the Xperia ion’s TV launcher, a customizable home screen carousel of application shortcuts. You can navigate the TV launcher and the rest of the Xperia ion’s menus at your convenience using your TV’s remote control.^***

Shutterbugs will love the Xperia ion’s 12-megapixel Fast Capture camera and quick launch feature to seize life’s unexpected moments. With its dedicated camera button, the Xperia ion swiftly goes from standby to first camera shot in just 1.5 seconds and then from shot-to-shot in less than a second, ensuring you don’t miss a moment. Xperia ion boasts all-around HD video recording, so whether capturing memories or video chatting, you can be sure to have high-quality video on the go using either your rear or front-facing cameras.

Xperia ion is complemented by SmartTags^****, which let you do things you normally do on your phone, but more quickly and easily, with just one tap. Using near field communication technology, SmartTags let you store device preferences for a variety of locations and situations – like opening and controlling volume on the music player if you head out for a run, turning on GPS and Bluetooth in the car or turning on your alarm and silencing your ringer at night.
Sony Entertainment on the Go

Taking your music and videos with you everywhere just got easier than ever thanks to the Sony Entertainment Network (SEN). Sony Music Unlimited puts a global catalog of more than12 million songs at your fingertips, and Sony Video Unlimited makes sure there is never a dull moment with the latest Hollywood blockbusters and TV shows from all major studios available for you to rent or buy.

For the Xperia ion, both Music Unlimited and Video Unlimited are available for download from the Google Play store. AT&T customers who buy the Xperia ion will get to try the premium service level of Music Unlimited free for thirty days. The Xperia ion is also ready for advanced gaming as it is PlayStation® Certified. The hardware is optimized to deliver an exceptional gaming experience and users will have future access to PlayStation titles as the catalog is developed. With so much entertainment to be enjoyed, the Xperia ion comes with plenty of internal memory, with the option to add up to 32GB external (microSD™) memory.

For more information, customers can visit http://www.att.com/aboutus.

Key Specs:

• 4.6″ (measured diagonally) 720p HD Reality Display with Mobile BRAVIA® Engine for unbeatable HD viewing
• HD imaging excellence from Sony: 12MP camera with Exmor R™ for Mobile camera sensor, 1080p HD video recording, 1 MP 720p HD front-facing camera
• Easy multi-screen connectivity with HDMI and DLNA®
• 1.5Ghz dual core processor
• 16GB internal memory with microSD™ expansion slot supports up to 32GB
• PlayStation Certified for high quality mobile gaming

*AT&T products and services are provided or offered by subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T brand and not by AT&T Inc.
**Data rates apply.
***Compatible with Bravia Sync enabled devices. Limited functionality supported on most HDMI enabled TV’s.
****SmartTags sold separately.

Sony is releasing two new Android smartphones soon on the Xperia line, the Xperia Go and Xperia Acro S. They will come with a “scratch resistant mineral glass display with wet finger tracking” and are also made to withstand exposure to dust and water.

These aren’t just some rugged low-end phones either. The Xperia Acro S comes with a 4.3″ 720p HD Reality Display powered by Sony’s Bravia engine. A 1.5GHz dual-core CPU sits inside, a 12MP rear camera (no word on front-facing) and is running Ice Cream Sandwich. The Xperia Go is mid-range with a 3.5″ Reality Display, 5MP camera, 1GHz dual-core CPU and will be running Gingerbread. Full specs below.

Any of our readers planning on picking one of these up? Let us know in the comments!

Xperia go

• 3.5” Reality Display powered by Mobile BRAVIA Engine gives razor sharp clarity
• 5MP fast capture camera goes from sleep to snap in just over a second
• Scratch resistant mineral glass display with wet finger tracking
• Highest level of dust and water resistance in a smartphone – IP67 Rating
• 1Ghz dual core processor gives consumers super fast performance
• Launching on Android 2.3 (Gingerbread), upgradeable to Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich)
• Available in black, white and yellow colours

Xperia acro S

• 4.3” 720p HD Reality Display powered by Mobile BRAVIA Engine gives razor sharp clarity
• 12MP fast capture camera goes from sleep to snap in just over a second with a single key press
• PlayStation™ Certified
• Full 1080p HD video recording and 720p HD front camera
• Scratch resistant mineral glass display with wet finger tracking
• IP55 and IP57 Ratings for dust and water resistance
• 1.5Ghz dual core processor gives consumers super fast performance
• Launching on Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich)
• Available in black, white and pink colours

Source: Sony Press Release

Sony had said that most of their 2011 device lineup would be getting Ice Cream Sandwich, and they are keeping that promise. The Xperia Arc and Neo are getting ICS, and most likely the last phones from Sony to receive it. This comes after Sony confirmed the Xperia Play would not receive Android 4.0.

The update gets your phone to Android 4.0.4 with the UI improvements seen in the other updates. The Xperia Arc S, Xperia Neo V, Xperia Ray are all getting updated from Android 4.0.3 to 4.0.4. These will bring bug fixes.

The update will not be available Over-The-Air so you will have to use Sony’s companion app to get it. Sadly though the Sony Xperia Play will not be getting the ICS update from Sony themselves for unknown reasons. Hopefully custom ROMs will take care of that. Any of our readers have one of the named devices being updated? Have the Play? How do you feel about Sony’s decision on that? Let us know in the comments.

It does bring users the ability to use right trigger button to take a picture while running the camera app.

• Verizon Wireless Video on Demand now comes preloaded.
• Improved user experience and new delivery method of preloaded games.
• When connected via Bluetooth®, the Music Player now supports Fast Forward and Rewind.
• VZ Navigator® has been updated with the latest 3D map improvements.
• Upgraded to Gingerbread 2.3.4 operating system.
• A long-press of the power button will successfully capture a screen shot.
• Charging issues forcing device to remain in landscape mode have been resolved.
• Recommended contacts now populate correctly when using the dialpad.
• Right trigger successfully captures a picture.
• Record video in 720p with continuous auto-focus.
• Device is now enabled with the Wireless Emergency Alerting System.
• Mobile Hotspot ID broadcast can be turned off to increase security.

While the Beta is almost fully functional, there are a few gaps in the software, such as the lack of Google applications. With a Beta being released, it is only a matter of time before Sony sends out the full upgrade to Android’s latest version.