Sony Xperia S Price Philippines Php 27,990, Live Demo, Complete Specifications, Initial Impressions!

Great news for all Pinoy Sony fans who've been eagerly waiting for the company's 2012 flagship Android smartphone to land on our shores!

Last week, Sony Mobile Corporation officially launched Sony Xperia S in the Philippines via an exclusive event held in the Special Exhibition Hall of The Mind Museum in Taguig City.

As a flagship release, Sony Xperia S comes with the best technical specifications that Sony could have given a handset this year (or at least, the first half of it). Some of the highlights include a 1.5 GHz Dual Core processor, which runs the Android 2.3 Gingerbread OS (with planned Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich upgrade), 1GB of RAM for seamless multitasking, 4.3-inch 720 x 1280 pixels resolution LED-backlit LCD display, a remarkable 12 MegaPixel camera featuring Exmor R sensor technology, and a Full HD 1080p video recorder.

I was in China for a vacation tour with my mom during the phone's official launch. Good thing my younger brother, Val Marvin of BallersPinas, agreed to grace the event on my behalf. Here are some photos of Sony Xperia S that he took for all TP Friends to enjoy;

Oh, and he also scored this exclusive live demo video of the handset for us. Isn't that nice?



Here are some of his first impressions of the handset:

1. Having played with my Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc - the flagship release of the company (prior to the Sony buy-back) last year, Val told me that Sony Xperia S flaunts a major redesign that couldn't be more different from its predecessor. While lacking metallic accents, Sony Xperia S nonetheless has a totally solid and durable feel in the hand; Thanks to its polycarbonate unibody case. He's also happy that Sony decided to keep the hardware camera button on the side (something that Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc also has), which has always been rare in Android phones - even on flagship releases.

2. TimeScape UI, which is Sony's official skin for the Android OS, is one of the coolest things about the handset. The latest version of TimeScape - with all those widgets, including the scrollable one for the gallery - is downright gorgeous. The overall experience is made even better by the phone's top-notch touchscreen, which is very responsive and not overly sensitive.

3. As expected, the true highlight of Sony Xperia S is its 12 MegaPixel autofocus camera featuring Sony's Exmor R backlit sensor. According to Val, from the moment you launch the camera app, you'll immediately notice the sensor doing its work; Images appear a lot brighter, details look crisp and colors pop-out more.

Alright, that's it for now. I'm personally looking forward to receiving a unit from Sony Mobile soon so I can give my full review of the handset. Off hand, its dual core processor and current Gingerbread OS aside, I think Sony Xperia S with its excellent multimedia features and stunning UI is a strong release, worthy of checking out.

Sony Xperia S, which has an official suggested retail price of Php 27,990, is now available in the Philippines via all authorized Sony Mobile retailers across the archipelago.

TechPinas Smartphone Technical Specs Table (TSTST)
Name	Sony Xperia S
Type	Slate Form Factor (Full Touchscreen)
Price Category	High-End (Flagship Release)
Dimensions	128 x 64 x 10.6 mm
Weight	144 grams
Available Colors	Silver, Black
Operating System	Android 2.3 Gingerbread, will be upgradeable to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich eventually
Display	4.3 inches (~342 ppi pixel density), 720 x 1280 pixels, LED-backlit LCD, capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors
Processor	Dual-core 1.5 GHz Adreno 220 GPU Qualcomm MSM8260 Snapdragon chipset
RAM	1 GB
Camera	12 MegaPixels, 4000x3000 pixels, autofocus, LED flash, Secondary Camera: 1.3 MegaPixels
Video Capture	Back camera: 1080p@30fps, continuous autofocus, video light, video stabilizer, Front Camera: 720p@30fps
Audio and Video Playback	MP4/H.263/H.264/WMV player, MP3/eAAC+/WMA/WAV player
Ports	HDMI, microUSB 2.0, 3.5 mm audio jack
Connectivity	Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA, Wi-Fi hotspot, Bluetooth v2.1 with A2DP, 3G HSDPA, 14.4 Mbps; HSUPA, 5.8 Mbps, NFC
Network	2G Network GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900, 3G Network HSDPA 900 / 2100 - LT26i HSDPA 850 / 1900 / 2100 - LT26a
Memory	16 or 32 GB fixed
Sensors	Accelerometer, Digital Compass, Proximity, Gyroscope
Battery	1750 mAh
Uptime	Standby of up to 400 hours, Talk time of up to 8 hours 30 minutes
Value-Added Features	Sony Mobile BRAVIA Engine, Timescape UI, SNS Integration, Google Services Suite, Exmor R Backlit Sensor
Announcement	Global: January 2012
Availability	Q2 2012 in the Philippines
Price	Official SRP in the Philippines: Php 27,990