14 DAY TRIAL // Sony unveiled its first Xperia NXT series devices earlier this year and already made it available on the market in most regions.
Announced a bit later than Xperia S, P and U, Sony Xperia sola is about to make its debut in various countries. We already reported that the smartphone is up for pre-order in the UK and Australia.
Although most authorized resellers claim the Xperia sola is expected to hit shelves in mid-May, the phone’s availability is likely to depend on location.
The good news is that Android enthusiasts living in India will be able to purchase the Sony Xperia sola from May 18. At least two leading retailers are now offering the handset for pre-order for as low as Rs 20,000 (370 USD or 285 EUR) outright.
The Xperia sola is a mid-range Android phone, which comes with a unique Floating touch technology that allows users to control some of the phone’s features without having to touch the display.
Even though the handset is powered by Android 2.3 Gingerbread operating system, the Xperia has been confirmed for an Ice Cream Sandwich update in Q2 2012.
Hardware-wise, Sony Xperia sola is not among the most powerful devices on the market, but it won’t let down either.
The phone is equipped with a dual-core NovaThor U8500 processor clocked at 1 GHz and packs 512MB of RAM, 8GB of internal memory (5GB user available), as well as microSD card slot for memory expansion (up to 32GB).
There’s also a 5-megapixel rear photo snapper that features autofocus, LED flash and HD (720p) video recording. In the connectivity front, the Xperia sola offers users a slew of options, including NFC capability, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, DLNA and HSDPA.
Sony Xperia sola drains energy from a 1320 mAh Li-Ion battery, which is rated by the manufacturer for up to 470 hours of standby time or up to 6 hours of talk time (5 hours in 3G mode).