Sony launches two more smartphones: Xperia T2 Ultra and E1

14 Jan 2014

Sony Xperia T2 Ultra

Only a week after revealing a new line of Z1 and Z1S smartphones at CES 2014 in Las Vegas, Sony has decided to launch a further two devices, the Xperia T2 Ultra and Xperia E1.

There has been a deluge of Sony smartphones this January as the Japanese company has launched four devices in the space of two weeks.

The Xperia T2 Ultra appears to be heavily focused on entertainment, as it incorporates a 6-inch 720p TRILUMINO HD display with technology from its Sony Bravia TV range in the form of the Mobile BRAVIA Engine 2.

With the launch of Sony’s PlayStation Now network at CES last week, the phone is expected to tap into the cloud gaming service, as it promises seamless streaming of games, videos and music through its selection of apps, which will be provided through its 4G mobile speed.

Camera-wise it will feature a 13-megapixel camera featuring a back-illuminated Exmor RS mobile image sensor.

The biggest worry for consumers is the considerably average processor and RAM for a phone that is aiming to perform multiple entertainment functions at the one time with a paltry 1.4 Ghz processor and 1GB of RAM. It compensates for this with its Battery STAMINA mode, which aims to disable any apps that might be working in the background to save on energy. It also disables Wi-Fi and mobile data when left in standby, which while definitely beneficial to the battery life, may annoy people in a time of instantaneous online access if they have to wait more than two seconds to get on.

Just as Google announced that its KitKat operating system is in the minority in terms of users, the T2 Ultra will also feature the older Jelly Bean OS.

Xperia E1

The lower-budget model of the two devices, the Xperia E1, will be a follow-up to its commercially successful E model.

The screen may be considered small at 4 inches, but not enough so you’ll be squinting to read your messages.

Experia E1

The phone’s biggest selling point will be its built-in speaker, which is promised to reach an-ear splitting 100db in volume, proving even the smallest things can pack a mighty punch. It remains to be seen, however, whether it will prove to be a competent speaker and not one that will be so tinny a dog couldn’t hear it.

Don’t expect high performance from the E1, similarly to the E, as its RAM amounts to 512MB with a 1.2Ghz processor.

Release dates and prices are still to be released but it is expected the Xperia T2 Ultra and Xperia E1 will hit the Asian and Middle East markets before they come to Europe sometime this year.

Colm Gorey was a senior journalist with Silicon Republic

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