By Sony has surprised us with a quick announcement that the Sony Xperia Advance is now available in the United States. You’ll have to grab this thing in unlocked form from Newegg, and it’ll cost you just $250 to walk away with it without being attached to any annoying two-year contracts.
The 3.5 inch form factor of the device makes it look smallish up against today’s behemoths, but we imagine there’s still a market for this size out there somewhere.
It sports a WVGA resolution, a 1GHz dual-core Cortex-A9 processor that comes with a Mali-400 GPU, 512MB of RAM, a 5 megapixel camera, 8GB of internal storage (but only 4GB are open to users) and more. The device is also built to be dust proof and water resistant, but as we always say it’s best to just avoid situations where your smartphone might be vulnerable wherever possible.
This is not meant to be a stud of a device, obviously, but for $250 anyone looking for a decent off-contract option to introduce themselves into the world of smartphones shouldn’t leave the checkout screen disappointed. This will work with all GSM carriers, but you’ll be limited to 2G on T-Mobile.
You will get 3G with AT&T, but it doesn’t look like HSPA+ is an option. The shortcomings in the radio department might be a little off-putting, but if your reason for buying this is strictly based on your budget then we’re sure you’ll find a way to cope with that. You can get started over at Newegg.com, and be sure to read on for full press details.
Sony Mobile Communications Brings Its Water-Resistant Android Smartphone, Xperia™ advance, to the U.S.
o The highest level of dust and water resistance available on any Android smartphone*
o Stylish, sleek and durable smartphone made to withstand whatever life throws at it without compromising on design or functionality
o Reality Display for razor sharp clarity and fast capture camera to go from sleep to snap in just over a second
What: Sony Mobile Communications brings the Xperia advance to US consumerslooking for a full-featured Android smartphone and beautiful design with extra durability and water resistance. Xperia advance has a scratch-resistant display with wet finger tracking to offer functionality and protection against dust and water immersion.
As Sony’s most durable, water-resistant smartphone, the Xperia advance is built to handle life’s unexpected moments. It has a scratch-resistant mineral glass display and meets the IP67 ratings for protection against dust and water immersion** in depths between zero to 39 inches for up to 30 minutes. Xperia advance is a fit for Xperia fans who don’t want to worry about protecting their phones when caught in the rain.
With Xperia advance, consumers can watch the latest movies and TV shows in razor sharp quality and with fast performance.
This powerful device conceals its rugged nature in a slim and attractive design, and, at only .4 inches thick at its thinnest point, users can enjoy its lightweight feel and easily carry it in a pocket or bag among keys, change and other items with reduced susceptibility to marks or scratches. The Xperia advance’s sleek and stylish design means durable and water-resistant smartphones no longer have to look bulky and rugged.
Xperia advance features easy connectivity through DLNA® technology to share and enjoy content on a TV. It also comes preloaded with Music Unlimited and Video Unlimited from Sony Entertainment Network***, giving access to millions of songs, Hollywood blockbusters, and TV series.
*Based on smartphones available in the US as of October 29, 2012.
** An IP (Ingress Protection) rating of 67 means the device is dust tight and is protected against the effects of immersion in water in depths between 0 to 39 inches for up to 30 minutes. Despite your device’s resistance qualities, you should avoid exposing it to environments with excessive dust or moisture. Damage to your device, (even if through ordinary use) can limit or lessen resistance to dust or moisture. You should not submerge the mobile phone in water. The water resistance of the micro USB port and the headset connector is not guaranteed in all environment or conditions. All compatible accessories including batteries, chargers, hands-free devices, micro USB cables, microSD™ cards, and so on are not dust and water resistant on their own. Warranty does not cover damage or defects caused by abuse or improper use of your device.
***For Sony Unlimited services, a subscription is required and additional requirements, terms, and conditions, may apply. All apps require compatible wireless service connection and usage rates apply.
Pricing & availability:
The Xperia advance is available now at Newegg and other online retailers. For additional availability and pricing, please check with each retailer.
- · MSRP $299.99 (unlocked), in tactile black, pure white, or warm yellow
Network compatibility:
Xperia advance is compatible with the network bands below.
- · UMTS HSPA 850, 1900, 2100
- · GSM GPRS/EDGE 850, 900, 1800, 1900
Product Resources:
- · Xperia advance product page & demo video
Specs:
Xperia™advance specifications Size: 4.3 x 2.3 x .4 inWeight: 3.92 ouncesScreen: 3.5” (diagonally)Reality Display with Mobile BRAVIA Engine®, 480 x 320 pixels, scratch-resistant mineral glass, wet-finger trackingCamera: 5MP camera, 16x digital zoom, LED Flash and autofocus, 720p HD video recording Phone Memory: Up to 512 MB RAM, up to 8 GB internal memory (up to 4 GB user accessible memory)
Operating System: Android™ 2.3, upgradeable to Android™ 4.0
Processor: 1GHz Dual Core
Connectivity: 3.5 mm audio jack, aGPS, Bluetooth™, DLNA® Certified, Wi-Fi®, USB Host
Legal:
Features and applications described require a compatible Android phone and may require additional, compatible applications and services. Additional requirements, terms, conditions, and fees may apply.
“Sony” and “XPERIA” are registered trademark or trademarks of Sony Corporation and its subsidiaries. “XPERIA”® is a registered trademark of Sony Mobile Communications AB. All other trademarks or registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
Sony should leave both the smartphone and the tablet market alone and just go back to making TVs. Sony seems to be about as innovative as Apple is at the moment, I think its time for an overhaul.
Have you seen recently any other cellphone maker releasing certified water proof and rugged phoned 9 mm thin for 250 dollars?
Check this out: Xperia GO advance outdoor challenge:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3v5lN4U0bM
Good idea, bad execution. For$100 more you can get a Nexus4 which is a much better option.
$50 more and you can get a far superior phone in the Nexus 4 with the same 8gb storage option.
I love Sony, but Ive no idea wtf is goin on in thier heads continuously releasing the these kinds of devices. They could easily be towards the top of the Android foodchain, but its like they go out of their way to stay irrelevant.
Upradeable to Android 4.0? Why do they keep making Android 2.3 devices? Were on Android 4.2 for f**ks sake.
To be fair, not every company has coffers the size of Google’s. Google is taking an extremely huge loss on these in order to get them into more hands. This is a fair and reasonable price for a device of this stature.
I highly doubt they are taking a loss. Theyre just not making a 1-200%+ profit on the device like all other unlocked, unsubsidized phones.
The N4 and the Xiaomi Mi2 show that a device doesnt need to carry a $600+ price tag to have high end specs and make a profit. The profit just wont be 100%+
But does the Nexus 4 have IP67 enviromental protection? This is obviously meant as a niche device.
@Quenton no it isn’t
ignore. wrong spot XD