The Android smartphone environment in the U.S. has been dominated by companies such as Samsung, HTC, and Motorola, with manufacturers such as Huawei, ZTE, LG, and Sony attempting to make in-roads into an already saturated market. These companies have planned for this entry with some truly amazing devices, but unfortunately Sony has fallen somewhat short in this regard. Do they get points for effort?
And a valiant effort it is, with the Sony Xperia P, Xperia S, and the mid-range Xperia Sola now available for sale in the USA. The good news – the devices are available unlocked and not requiring any form of a long-term contractual commitment. The bad news – with no subsidized pricing available because of the lack of the aforementioned contract requirement, you’ll need to shell out a lot of money to get your hands on one of these devices.
The Xperia P is available from the Sony Store for $479.99, a price that gets you a device sporting a 1 GHz dual-core processor and a 4-inch TFT display with a 960 x 540 resolution. Available in three color options including red, black, and silver, NewEgg has the device listed at a cheaper $388.99. The slightly bigger and faster Xperia S, with its 1.5 GHz dual-core processor and 4.3-inch TFT 1280 x 720 display will set you back an even steeper $469.99, from the same retailer. If the other end of the price spectrum is where your interest lies, the Xperia Sola is the choice for you. The device, featuring a 3.70-inch display with an 854 x 480 resolution and a 1GHz ARM Cortex-A9 processor, can be yours for “only” $299.99.
The real kicker – all devices ship with Android 2.3 on-board! Although an Android 4.0 update has been promised, with Jelly Bean already announced, even the eventual ICS rollout will be too late.
I’ll be honest, I can’t think of a reason why I might want to buy any of these devices at those rates. But if you do, and plan to pick up any of the Xperia models above, let us know in the comments section below.
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