Sony is expanding is Xperia smartphone range with three new models, including one that features a new NFC (near field communication) system. The company also plans to extend the brand name to its tablet computers, it said Wednesday at the IFA trade show in Berlin.
“Sony is an extraordinary company going through difficult times and that forces us to make difficult decisions,” Kaz Hirai, CEO of Sony, said during a news conference. “I am determined to do that with a laser-like focus.”
The products announced at IFA would help the revitalization of Sony in every market worldwide, Hirai said.
The Xperia T smartphone is Sony’s new global flagship handset. It has the NFC system that will allow consumers to touch the phone to new NFC-equipped speakers and headphones so that music jumps from playing on the phone to the speakers or headphones, Sony said.
The Xperia T has a 4.6-inch display and 13-megapixel camera. It will be promoted through a tie in with the upcoming James Bond movie, which is being made by Sony Pictures.
Also introduced was the Xperia V, which features “the best water resistance among mobile phones,” and the Xperia J, which has a distinctive angular case.
The first tablet to carry the Xperia brand name will be the Xperia Tablet S. The tablet, called “the next phase of tablet evolution” by Hirai, is thinner and lighter than previous models and has a splash-proof case.
Martyn Williams covers mobile telecoms, Silicon Valley and general technology breaking news for The IDG News Service. Follow Martyn on Twitter at @martyn_williams. Martyn’s e-mail address is martyn_williams@idg.com