Xperia () is the brand name of
smartphone
A smartphone is a portable computer device that combines mobile telephone and computing functions into one unit. They are distinguished from feature phones by their stronger hardware capabilities and extensive mobile operating systems, whic ...
s and
tablets from
Sony
, commonly stylized as SONY, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. As a major technology company, it operates as one of the world's largest manufacturers of consumer and professional ...
. The name Xperia is derived from the word "experience", and was first used in the
Xperia X1 tagline of "I Xperia the best".
Sony Mobile
Sony Mobile Communications Inc. ( ja, ソニーモバイルコミュニケーションズ株式会社) was a multinational telecommunications company founded on October 1, 2001, as a joint venture between Sony Group Corporation and Ericsson. ...
was previously known globally as Sony Ericsson before being rebranded in 2012 as a result of the mobile phone manufacturer being taken over and solely owned by Sony.
History
The Xperia X1 was the first phone to be released in the Xperia range. Released in 2008, it featured a high resolution display (~311 ppi pixel density) and it was intended to fill the widening gap of smartphones as other competitors were producing high-end smartphone devices such as
HTC
HTC Corporation ( zh, t=宏達國際電子股份有限公司, s=宏达国际电子股份有限公司, p=Hóngdá Guójì Diànzǐ Gǔfèn Yǒuxiàn Gōngsī, first=t) or High Tech Computer Corporation, (literally ''Hongda International Electron ...
and
Apple
An apple is an edible fruit produced by an apple tree (''Malus domestica''). Apple fruit tree, trees are agriculture, cultivated worldwide and are the most widely grown species in the genus ''Malus''. The tree originated in Central Asia, wh ...
.
The X2 was released in the following year, which included an 8.1 MP camera and included Wifi and GPS. By this time there was a clear shift towards the smartphone end of the spectrum. An exception was the
Xperia Pureness, a translucent phone without camera that was sold by selected retailers in selected cities.
[Sony Ericsson XPERIA X12 Completely Detailed By Mobile Review](_blank)
. Sony Insider (30 November 2010). Retrieved 18 October 2011. The Xperia X5 Pureness is based on Sony Ericsson's proprietary operating system (OSE).
The X10 was released at the start of 2010. It was the first in the Xperia line to feature the
Android operating system, where previous models ran on the
Windows Mobile
Windows Mobile is a discontinued family of mobile operating systems developed by Microsoft for smartphones and personal digital assistants.
Its origin dated back to Windows CE in 1996, though Windows Mobile itself first appeared in 2000 as Pock ...
OS. The phone was praised on its design, but its downfall was its use of
Android 1.6 at a time when competitors were on 2.1. There was a great delay in the update of the firmware, due to the heavily skinned OS, as well as Timescape and Mediascape which needed to be reprogrammed every time an update was made. The phone also lacked pinch to zoom, but this was added later as well as HD video recording.
The
X10 Mini
The Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 Mini—also known as the E10i (international) or E10a (Americas)—is a smartphone by Sony Ericsson in the Xperia series. It is the second Sony Ericsson smartphone to run the Android operating system, and also one ...
and the
X10 Mini Pro
The Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 Mini—also known as the E10i (international) or E10a (Americas)—is a smartphone by Sony Ericsson in the Xperia series. It is the second Sony Ericsson smartphone to run the Android operating system, and also one ...
were, as the names suggest, smaller versions of the X10. These were received relatively well and proved to be very popular, as there were no other smartphones on the market at that time which were as small as the two.
The Z series smartphones continued the Xperia legacy with an omni-balance design and water resistance. On several Sony Xperia smartphones such as the
Xperia Z
The Sony Xperia Z was announced by Sony at CES 2013 and was released on 9 February 2013 in Japan and 1 March 2013 in Singapore and the UK. The Xperia Z was initially shipped with the Android 4.1.2 (Jelly Bean) operating system. The smartphone h ...
, the
charging port Charging may refer to:
* Charging (ice hockey), when a player takes more than three steps before checking an opposing player
* Battery charger, a device used to put energy into a rechargeable battery
* Charging station, a device used for recharging ...
is located at the top of the left edge, rather than popularly at the bottom center.
The Xperia Z is the earliest known device to feature
high dynamic range
High dynamic range (HDR) is a dynamic range higher than usual, synonyms are wide dynamic range, extended dynamic range, expanded dynamic range.
The term is often used in discussing the dynamic range of various signals such as images, videos, au ...
filming, and does it at 1080p. Its image sensor is an
Exmor
Exmor is the name of a technology Sony implemented on some of their CMOS image sensors. It performs on-chip analog/digital signal conversion and two-step noise reduction in parallel on each column of the CMOS sensor.
Exmor RS is the world's ...
IMX135.
After the
Sony Xperia Z
The Sony Xperia Z was announced by Sony at CES 2013 and was released on 9 February 2013 in Japan and 1 March 2013 in Singapore and the UK. The Xperia Z was initially shipped with the Android 4.1.2 (Jelly Bean) operating system. The smartphone h ...
(early 2013), the
Z1 (late 2013) was released with increased processing performance and a physical shutter button, as well as
augmented reality
Augmented reality (AR) is an interactive experience that combines the real world and computer-generated content. The content can span multiple sensory modalities, including visual, auditory, haptic, somatosensory and olfactory. AR can be de ...
camera effects such as a walking dinosaur.
In early 2014, the
Sony Xperia Z2 was introduced with
2160p video recording,
1080p
1080p (1920×1080 progressively displayed pixels; also known as Full HD or FHD, and BT.709) is a set of HDTV high-definition video modes characterized by 1,920 pixels displayed across the screen horizontally and 1,080 pixels down the screen vert ...
at 60 frames per second, and
720p
720p (1280×720 px; also called HD ready, standard HD or just HD) is a progressive HDTV signal format with 720 horizontal lines/1280 columns and an aspect ratio (AR) of 16:9, normally known as widescreen HDTV (1.78:1). All major HDTV broadcast ...
at 120fps for
slow motion
Slow motion (commonly abbreviated as slo-mo or slow-mo) is an effect in film-making whereby time appears to be slowed down. It was invented by the Austrian priest August Musger in the early 20th century. This can be accomplished through the use ...
, as well as precluded
screencasting functionality.
In 2016, Sony introduced the new Xperia X series to replace the Z series and in 2018, Sony introduced the
Sony Xperia XZ2
The Sony Xperia XZ2 is an Android (operating system), Android-based smartphone unveiled, manufactured, released and marketed by Sony Mobile Communications, Sony. Part of the Xperia X series, the device was announced to the public along with the S ...
along with the
Sony Xperia XZ2 Compact at Mobile World Congress 2018 featuring Sony's brand new "Ambient Flow" smartphone design while the premium smartphone, the
Sony Xperia XZ2 Premium
The Sony Xperia XZ2 Premium is an Android smartphone manufactured and marketed by Sony. Part of the Xperia X series, the device was announced to the public on April 16, 2018 featuring a 4K HDR display and a MotionEye™ Dual Camera.
Hardware Des ...
featuring a
4K HDR Display and a 19
MP + 12
MP MotionEye Dual camera built for 'extreme' low-light shooting was announced two months later.
Sony has been criticized for the heavily inconsistent naming of their Xperia devices.
Sony Ericsson
Smartphones (Windows Mobile)
Smartphones (Android)
Feature phones
Sony
Smartphones
Tablets
Projector
See also
*
Sony Xperia Z series
Sony Xperia Z series is a line of flagship Android (operating system), Android smartphones and tablet computer, tablets in the Sony Xperia series manufactured by Sony Mobile.
On February 25, 2016, Sony discontinued the Xperia Z series in favor o ...
References
External links
Sony Mobile.com– Sony Mobile official website
Developer WorldXperia Care – Global support*
{{Android tablets
Products introduced in 2008
Smartphones
Xperia
Xperia () is the brand name of smartphones and tablets from Sony. The name Xperia is derived from the word "experience", and was first used in the Xperia X1 tagline of "I Xperia the best".
Sony Mobile was previously known globally as Sony Er ...
Xperia
Xperia () is the brand name of smartphones and tablets from Sony. The name Xperia is derived from the word "experience", and was first used in the Xperia X1 tagline of "I Xperia the best".
Sony Mobile was previously known globally as Sony Er ...