Android 4.4 KitKat rolling out to Canadian Sony Xperia Z/ZL today

While the Xperia Z and ZL aren't exactly "spring chickens" of the smartphone world, that doesn't mean they should get the same upgrade treatment as other former flagships. With it's 5-inch 1080p display, Snapdragon 600 processor and 2GB of RAM, there is no reason for the either the Z or ZL to be left out of the upgrade to Android 4.4 KitKat and Sony has rectified that situation by finally pushing out an update to the latest version of Android.

If you're an Xperia Z or ZL user on Bell, Rogers, MTS, Mobilicity, Videotron and WIND you should be getting the update starting today. Use the PC companion app to get your update.

Sony Xperia Z2 Tablet to arrive in Canada in May

We had no doubts that the Z2 Tablet was headed to Canadian soil, but as far as when the tablet would be available was a totally different question. Today we have an answer as Sony has made is known through the Sony Canada website that the Xperia Z2 Tablet will be made available to Canadians in May. Pre-orders are now available.

Specs include a 10.1 inch Full HD 1920x1200 Display, 2.3GHz Quad Core Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor, Adreno 330 GPU and 3GB of RAM.

Sony Xperia Z2 to be a Bell exclusive in Canada

We had little doubt that the Sony's latest flagship, the Xperia Z2, was headed to Canadian soil but the silence from Sony about the availability in the following weeks after the announcement was a bit surprising. We figure that we now know why, the Xperia Z2 will be a Bell exclusive in Canada. While its direct predecessor the Z1 was available from the Rogers, Bell and TELUS, the Z2 will instead follow in the footsteps of the Xperia Z to be a Bell exclusive.

This will no doubt be disappointing to some looking to get a Z2 on other carriers on contract. Thankfully Sony has confirmed that it will make the Z2 available unlocked to Canadians through Sony Stores. As mentioned at MWC the Xperia Z2 sports a 5.2 inch Full HD 1080p Display, 2.3GHz Quad Core Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 process (first in a smartphone), Adreno 330 GPU, 3GB of RAM, 3200mAh battery, 20.7MP camera with 4K capabilities.

Sony Xperia T and SP now getting Android 4.3 Jelly Bean

While the "Bond" phone's title as Sony's Xperia flagship was shortlived, it still is a very capable phone with its Snapdraon S4 Processor and 720p display. Today it's being brought up to speed with an update to Android 4.3 Jelly Bean, and while this isn't Android 4.4 It certainly is welcome to see.

With no word on an upgrade to 4.4, we are a bit worries that the Xperia T falls to the wayside in terms of upgrades especially since there has now been 3 sets of new flagships that have followed suit in the Xperia Z/ZL, Xperia Z1 and Xperia Z2. Couple this with other Snapdragon S4's falling out of favor, we can't help the creeping doubt.

The similarly specced Xperia SP is also getting the same 4.3 Jelly bean update. Chances of a 4.4 update on it look even slimmer given that it wasn't a flagship device.

That being said, if you're an Xperia T or SP owner on Bell, Rogers, Wind, MTS, Eastlink or Mobilicity and have been eagerly awaiting the update you can grab it now on the Sony PC Companion application or Mac Bridge Application.

[MWC 2014] Sony unveils the Xperia Z2, Xperia Z2 Tablet and Xperia M2

Mobile World Congress is happening as we speak in Barcelona and Sony has wasted no time in making a huge splash by unveiling the Xperia Z2, Xperia Z2 Tablet and Xperia M2. The Xperia Z2 is as expected the successor to the Xperia Z1. It falls right in the wheelhouse of the leaks we've been seeing in the past few months. The Xperia Z2 Tablet like the Z2 is the successor to the Xperia Z Tablet. Finally the Xperia M2 is the successor to the Xperia M.

The Xperia Z2, on paper, is a modest bump up in specs to the well received Z1 with a 5.2 inch Full HD 1080p Display, 2.3GHz Quad Core Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 process (first in a smartphone), Adreno 330 GPU, 3GB of RAM, 3200mAh battery, 20.7MP camera with 4K capabilities.

The Xperia Z2 Tablet is a much more significant bump in specs as the Z Tablet was sporting the similar specs to the Z rather than the Z1. With a 10.1 inch Full HD 1920x1200 Display, 2.3GHz Quad Core Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 process (first in a tablet), Adreno 330 GPU and 3GB of RAM.

Finally the Xperia M2 is much more subdued with its 4.8-inch 540 x 960 (qHD) display, 1.2GHz Snapdragon 400 processor, 8MP camera and 2300mAh battery.

Global availability is set for March for the Z2 and April for the M2 but no word on official Canadian availability, carriers or pricing, but we would be awfully surprised not to see all three devices hit the Canadian market in some way. In the mean time check out the official press releases, videos and press images after the break.

Sony Xperia Z1 successor in clearest pics and screenshots yet

While the Z1 is only a few months old and the Z has JUST reached a year old, Sony looks like its on to the next flagship as leaked shots of an Xperia Handset codenamed "Sirius" have been posted by Xperia Blog. The Z1 successor looks like it will be sporting a 5.2-inch 1080p display, run Android 4.4 KitKat, have a similar 20.7MP camera as the Z1 but with 4K recording 16GB base storage with microSD expandability and 3GB of RAM.

A plethora of screenshots were also released from both Xperia Blog and XDA that reveal features of the upcoming flagship. If rumors are correct, we won't have to wait much longer to see this beast of a phone as it is slated for an announcement at MWC. Check out the pics after the break for more info.

[CES 2014] Sony announces the Xperia Z1 Compact

With the increased interest in more compact smartphone, OEMs have thrown in their attempt at "miniaturizing" their flagship smartphones. HTC did it with their One mini, Samsung did it with the Galaxy S4 Mini and to be quite frank while the attempts are valiant there are obvious corners being cut on both devices leading to unwanted compromises.

Sony looks to buck the trend of compromises by litteraly taking the flagship Xperia Z1 and repackaging it in the Z1 Compact. With a 4.3-inch 720p display and smaller 2300mAh battery but virtually the exact same internal specifications and water/dustproofing as the flagship Z1, the Z1 Compact looks like an absolute beast on paper.

We are pleased to see Sony move to an IPS display as Sony's phones have historically been criticized for less than stellar displays in their flagship devices and the Z1 Compact looks like it bucks the trend.

While there is no word on Canadian availability, we hope that the Z1 Compact makes it to Canada to go head to head with the HTC One mini as well as the Samsung Galaxy S4 mini.

Sony Xperia Z Tablet receiving update to Android 4.3 Jelly Bean

Last week we posted that the 2013 line of Xperia Devices including the Xperia Z Tablet was gettign a global rollout of Android 4.3 Jelly Bean. It looks like the Xperia Z Tablet is getting that rollout as we speak via the Sony PC Companion application.

The update includes all the goodies that are backed into Android 4.3 as well as a new home launcher (similar to the Xperia Z1), the Sony Smart Social camera, ‘Xperia Theme’ support, the ability to launch multiple Small Apps, Restricted Profiles for multi-users and a new version of battery STAMINA mode.

For Xperia Z Tablet owners, plug in the tablet to your PC and check for the update via the companion app.

Sony Xperia Z1 and Z Ultra getting international Android 4.3 Jelly Bean rollout

Looks like Sony is keeping up with its competitors as it has started rolling out Android 4.3 Jelly Bean to its flagship Xperia Z1 and phablet Z Ultra. According to Xperia Blog the update brings improvements to Messaging, MyXperia, Smart Connect, Small apps, Track ID and Sony Select as well as the underlying improvements from Android 4.3.

It looks like the update is rolling out via Sony's PC Companion app, and unfortunately "timing & availability may vary by market & carrier" which means a timeline for a Canadian rollout is unknown at this point. We do hope that the update is approved quickly by carriers and is hopefully pushed out via OTA update.

Google Play Editions of the Sony Xperia Z Ultra and LG G Pad 8.3 as well as white Nexus 7 (2013) annouced

Yesterday was a surprising day for fans of Stock Android as Google has unveiled a trio of new devices available on the Google Play Store. The Sony Xperia Z Ultra and LG G Pad 8.3 Google Play Edition join the Samsung Galaxy S4 and HTC One Google Play Edition and the Nexus 7 (2013) gets a makeover in white.

Unfortunately these new devices are only available to US customers. This isn't surprising when it comes to Google Play Edition devices as the S4 and One GPe were never made available to Canadians, but to see the white Nexus 7 (2013) be unavailable to us is quite disappointing.

Nevertheless it is good to see more devices get the GPe treatment. Hopefully they make their way to Canadian in an official manner in the future.

Sony's Android 4.3 Jelly Bean and Android 4.4 KitKat upgrade plans announced

Sony is following suite from other OEMs by announcing their intentions for upgrades to current devices. According to Sony's official blog, they will be rolling out Android 4.3 to the  Xperia T, Xperia TX, Xperia V, Xperia Z, Xperia ZL, Xperia ZR, Xperia Tablet Z, Xperia SP, Xperia Z Ultra and Xperia Z1 from next month.

While for in terms of an Android 4.4 upgrade, Sony confirms that the Xperia Z, Xperia ZL, Xperia Tablet Z, Xperia Z Ultra and Xperia Z1 will be the first "raft" of Xperia products to get an upgrade to KitKat.

It's nice to see a commitment to updates, hopefully they happen quickly.

Sony Xperia M now available from Virgin

Sony has released a midrange phones to Virgin, the Xperia M. The Xperia M is targeted for the the more budget conscious consumer as it isn't to most specced out device on the market, nor is it running the latest version of Android but it will be made available to users for $0 on contract at Virgin.

Specs include a Dual-Core 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Plus with Adreno 305, 4-inch FWVGA 480x854 TFT Display, 1GB of RAM, 4GB of internal Storage (expandable by up to 32GB via microSD card), 5MP Camera, NFC, LTE, 1750 mAh battery and Android 4.1 Jelly Bean.

T-Mobile version of Sony Xperia Z1 leaks, possible Wind / Mobilicity / Videotron version?

The renown leaker @evleaks has struck again, this time its leaks of an Xperia Z1 but for T-Mobile USA. This means that there is a chance that the Sony flagship might make its way to the carriers WIND, Mobilicity and/or Videotron.

While this hasn't occurred everytime, like the Xperia Z being on T-Mobile but never being available to any other carriers in Canada other than Bell, this does give a glimmer of hope to see the Sony flagship gain more potential customers.

The Xperia Z1 has a 5-inch 1080p Full HD Triluminos display, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 Processor clocked at 2.2GHz, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of storage expandable via microSD, a huge 3000mAh battery, IP55 and IP58 water and dust resistance, and a 20.7 Megapixel f/2.0 1/2.3" Exmor R Camera.

Sony Xperia ZL getting Android 4.2.2 update on Wind and Videotron and Xperia Z from Bell going straight to Android 4.3

Sony's 2013 flagships have been relatively well treated by Sony which bodes well for Xperia fans that purchased the Z/ZL. For the ZL owners on WIND and Videotron, great news as Sony Mobile Canada has confirmed via Twitter that the WIND and Videotron Xperia ZL has started receiving its over-the-air update to Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean. While this isn't the latest version it's a significant improvement over 4.1.

Sony also took the time on Twitter about the status update of the Xperia Z on Bell. It's already known that the Xperia Z international version has already been upgraded to 4.2.2 but acocrding to Sony Mobile Canada the Bell version is going straight to 4.3 great news not only for Xperia Z owners in Canada but around the world.

Sony Xperia Z1 and Z Ultra to be available from Bell on October 15th

According to information obtained by MobileSyrup, Bell will be launching the well anticipated Sony Xperia Z1 and Sony Xperia Z Ultra on October 15th with the Z1 being available on the 3 major national Canadian Carriers Bell, Rogers and TELUS while the Xperia Z Ultra will be a Bell exclusive.

The Xperia Z1 is the more conventional smartphone of the two with a 5-inch 1080p Full HD Triluminos display, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 Processor clocked at 2.2GHz, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of storage expandable via microSD, a huge 3000mAh battery, IP55 and IP58 water and dust resistance, and a 20.7 Megapixel f/2.0 1/2.3" Exmor R Camera.

The Xperia Z Ultra on the other hand will be Sony's attack on the phablet market dominated by Samsung's Galaxy Note series. It has a 1080p 6.4” Full HD TRILUMINOS Display, a blazing 2.2GHz Quad-Core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800, 4G LTE capabilities, 3000mAh battery, 8MP Camrea and Stylus input.

Sony Xperia Z Ultra to launch on Bell in October

We already knew that the Xperia Z Ultra was headed to Canada this October, but we didn't know to which carriers. One of the first carrier to step up is Bell as they have setup an "Updates and Availability" page for
people interested in both the Xperia Z1 as well as the Xperia Z Ultra.

Specs for the behemoth "phablet" include: a 1080p 6.4” Full HD TRILUMINOS Display, a blazing 2.2GHz Quad-Core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800, 4G LTE capabilities, 3000mAh battery, 8MP camera and Stylus input.

We'll try to get our hands on a review unit as soon as possible for a full Android Bugle review.

Sony Xperia Z1 to launch on Rogers, Bell and TELUS in mid-October

Sony Canada has just annouced via CNW that their new flagship the Xperia Z1 will be made availble on Canada's "Big Three" carriers. This places the Xperia Z1 to go head to head with the cream of the crop of smartphones like the Samsung Galaxy S4, HTC One, LG G2, Motorola Moto X, and Samsung Galaxy Note 3.

We aren't surprised to see the Xperia Z1 hit Rogers and Bell given that they both carried the Xperia ZL and Bell just released the Xperia Z but we are surprised to the Z1 hit TELUS as they aren't a traditional partner with Sony. This is probably part of Sony's plan for more widespread market availability to battle other OEM's flagships.

Here are a refresher of the specs of the Xperia Z1: a 5-inch 1080p Full HD Triluminos display, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 Processor clocked at 2.2GHz, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of storage expandable via microSD, a huge 3000mAh battery, IP55 and IP58 water and dust resistance, and of course the aforementioned 20.7 Megapixel f/2.0 1/2.3" Exmor R Camera.

Check out the full press release after the break.

Shots of a smaller Z1 surface, perhaps a Z1 Mini in the works

While Sony's Xperia Z1 will undoubtedly be their flagship device for the foreseeable future this isn't stoping Sony from branching out into different form factors to try to appeal to different demographics. The rise of jumbo sized phones like the HTC One, Galaxy S 4, Xperia Z1 and LG G2 as well as the phablets like the rumored HTC One Max, Galaxy Note and Mega as well as Sony's own Xperia Z Ultra has left some people wanting smaller handsets.

Samsung's Galaxy S4 Mini is poised to hit Canada in the near future but aside form that choices for premium devices are very slim. The HTC One Mini was passed on by Canadian carrier so perhaps there is an opportunity for "mini" Z1 to fill in that gap. According to leaks from the well connect Xperia Blog, the Z1 Mini will sport identical specs to the Z1 except for a 4.3-inch 720p display and a smaller 8GB of internal storage. This means it should be packing a Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 Processor clocked at 2.2GHz, 2GB of RAM and of course the crazy 20.7 Megapixel f/2.0 1/2.3" Exmor R Camera.

We'll just have to wait and see if this device is in fact packed to the gills with hardware and if it even makes it to Canadian shores.

Sony Xperia Z Ultra headed to Canada in October

Great news for those who think phablets aren't big enough (just kidding we love you guys)! In all seriousness, Canadians have been quite responsive to the advent of these mega sized phone and Sony is going to try to take advantage of this trend as the have officially announced via their official Twitter account that the Xperia Z Ultra - a 6.4-inch Full HD equipped smartphone.

We'll try to get our hands on a review unit as soon as possible, so keep it locked on Android Bugle for more information.

Sony unveils the new flagship smartphone Xperia Z1, QX100 and QX10 external lenses and new Smartwatch 2

Right off the heels of our Xperia Z review, it looks like Sony is going to be putting out a new Xperia flagship that is heavily inspired from the Xperia Z and fixes some of the gripes we had with the handset as well as the great features we loves like the water resistance.

The Sony Xperia Z1 is packed to the gills with the latest specs including; a 5-inch 1080p Full HD Triluminos display, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 Processor clocked at 2.2GHz, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of storage expandable via microSD, a huge 3000mAh battery, and of course the aforementioned 20.7 Megapixel f/2.0 1/2.3" Exmor R Camera.

We expect this flagship to hit at least Rogers and Bell, as successors to the Xperia Z and Xperia ZL and probably others like WIND, Mobilicity and Videotron.

Also announced was a pair of what Sony is dubbing "smartphone optimized smart lenses" that are lens attachments to your Android or iOS smartphone and takes High end point and shoot quality photos with the aid of your smartphone as a viewfinder.

The QX10 is more of the low end lens which will retail for $250 in Sony Canada stores, while the QX100 is something like the well received RX100 high end point and shoot and thus carries a heftier $550. 

Lastly Sony also unveiled their second generation "SmartWatch 2". The watch functions as a second display to compliment your smartphone and syncs via one touch NFC and comes with a variety of straps that also vary in color.No word on Canadian availability but we expect it to hit Sony Canada store shelves at some point.