Looks like two new Xperia smartphones are headed out of Sony Ericsson labs and into the wild, with an expectation to launch in the third quarter. We still don’t know much about the handsets, called the Xperia Ray and the Xperia Active, although we can confirm that both will be powered by Google’s Android OS. From the ads, we’re thinking that the Ray will run Android 2.3 Gingerbread, but it’s hard to tell which version of the OS got slapped on to the Active.
The Xperia Ray is just 9.4mm thick, with a bronzy back panel. We know from the video that the Ray will come with Sony’s Bravia Engine technology, which is meant to enhance the resolution of the screen. The ad also indicated that the Ray will shoot HD video from its unspecified rear-camera, and we can also see a little front-facing shooter there, as well. Just like the Xperia Play, SE’s Ray smartphone will also get Facebook Inside Xperia. This lets users tap into the social network from all the most-used apps on the phone, such as the camera app, the media player, and the address book.
Unfortunately we know even less about the Xperia Active. It will also run Android, although which version is hard to say from that ad. However, it’s very clear that the Active will be a rugged handset. As you can see from the video, it comes with a little loop for a key chain or attachable wrist strap, and has a much thicker build than the Ray. We can see a rear-camera on the back, although again, we don’t have specifics on the shooter. It comes in four different color schemes: white with grey, black with white, white with red, and black with red. With curved, and what looks like rubberized edges, the Active is meant to stand up to tougher elements, and is supposed to be water resistant. Sweaty-palmed phone lovers, enjoy!
Obviously this is about as incomplete as a specs rundown can get, but this is just the very beginning for both phones. According to SE’s chief marketing officer Steve Walker, the Ray and the Active should launch at a lower price point than the Xperia Play, which is currently priced at $200 with a new two-year contract from Verizon. If neither of these suit your tastes, SE has plans to release a lower-end messaging-centric smartphone later on that is aimed towards teenagers.
[via Huffington Post]