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Xperia U unveiled – dual core and highly customisable

We’re excited to debut the Xperia™ U as another addition to the Xperia NXT series of Sony smartphones. Xperia U™ uses the new ST-Ericsson U8500 platform, which gives you a 1GHz dual core processor with SMP (Symmetric Multi-Processing) technology. This new smartphone is also customisable, thanks to interchangeable bottom caps to match your personal preference or mood. And its transparent element design changes colours to match the colours of the display. The Xperia™ U delivers a 3.5” Reality Display powered by the Mobile BRAVIA Engine, 5 MP camera with fast capture an d HD recording, xLoud™ and 3D surround Sony audio technology, and a lot more to love. Get the full story after the jump.

Xperia™ U is part of Sony’s Xperia NXT series of next generation smartphones. Xperia™ U introduces the ST-Ericsson dual core processor featuring NovaThor™ U8500. This smartphone platform combines a 1GHz dual-core SMP (Symmetric Multi-Processing) processor and a high-end 3D graphics accelerator to enables a full web-browsing experience for Xperia NXT smartphones. For more information about the U8500 platform, check out ST-Ericsson’s NovaThor U8500 product page. Xperia™ P will be launched on Android™ 2.3 (Gingerbread) platform and will be upgraded to Android™ 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) during the second quarter of 2012.

Xperia™ front side back

Xperia™ U, front, side and back view.

Unique features – ambient illumination, changeability defined by you

Xperia™ U’s uniqueness is style defined by you, starting with ambient illumination of the transparent element design that changes the colour of the phone. Through an intelligent illumination scheme, the colour changes with the colours of the UI theme, the album art of the song playing, and the selected photo in the gallery. Xperia™ U is further customisable with exchangeable caps and covers included in the box.

Xperia™ U range of colours

Xperia™ U’s range of colours.

Compact, yet powerful entertainment

Xperia™ U provides vivid viewing on a 3.5” mineral glass and scratch-resistant, LCD display, and is powered by the Mobile BRAVIA engine for colour management, noise reduction, sharpness filtering, and contrast management for close to real image reproduction. You’ll get great sound with xLOUD™ to enhance loudness and maximise sound without breaking. Xperia™ users can also take advantage of the Sony Entertainment network to access all types of premium content. With these services available in a growing number of markets and across a wide range of Sony devices, including PlayStation®, VAIO and Sony Tablet™, the entertainment experience is accessible anytime and anywhere. 

Availability and colours

Xperia™ U will be available in select markets in the spring of 2012. The available colours are black and white.

More information

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  1. By L. A. Araujo

    #1

    Is there a way to update Xperia U to Ice Cream 4.0 whitout giving problems or issues?? Because I want to buy one this week, but I’m seeing lot of people disappointed, so I have no money to waste.

    Any replay please email me: astraea_laat@hotmail.com

  2. By Toughboy Tough

    #3

    Hey Joe!
    I’m from Kazakhstan, Almaty Recently i bought an Xperia U phone with Gingerbread installed on it, then after a couple of days i updated it to ICS 4.0.4 then began all of that veryfuckingdissappointing problems with quick energy loss, hanging for several minutes and etc.
    So i wrote to Sony describing all these problems, they just advised me to use PC fucking companion to repair it.
    i only asked them to help me to return an old original Firmware which was built in my phone, id est Gingerbread 2.3.4 or 2.3.7 i can’t remember for sure. There is no Sony Support Center in our country!!!!! So can u help me with this or U can’t?
    I just need a link or i donnow what to return it. If U can support me with that Original Firmware, it would be very very very fucking NICE. Why Sony does not inform that they are not going to upgrade Xperia U before producing this phone??????? now what should i do with this piece of androgarbage???
    Hey fellow i’m really dissappointed. i’m not going to dissappoint U with all of this, i’m just asking U if U can do smth? i need just a source where can i download this. thanks

  4. By aditya nugroho

    #7

    why sony xperia u cant update android jelly bean?

    please help give the reason wisely about this issue?
    I, one of the fans of sony xperia products.
    especially sony xperia U.

    do not make a product that’s been made​​, and then in the left xperia u like it!
    sony xperia specifications when U is not much different from GO xperia sony J or xperia xperia P.
    with many news about xperia u cant update android jelly bean, I was very disappointed!
    because my one loyal users sony XPERIA U
    as part of the sony mobile, has left my favorite product is (XPERIA U)

    I hope the sony mobile, giving a solution of jelly bean android OS updates with justice for all products SONY XPERIA

    thank you.

  5. By aditya nugroho

    #9

    why sony xperia u cant update android jelly bean?

    please help give the reason wisely about this issue?
    I, one of the fans of sony xperia products.
    especially sony xperia U.

    do not make a product that’s been made​​, and then in the left xperia u like it!
    sony xperia specifications when U is not much different from GO xperia sony, xperia xperia P or J.
    with many news about xperia u cant update android jelly bean, I was very disappointed!
    because my one loyal users sony XPERIA U
    as part of the sony mobile, has left my favorite product is (XPERIA U)

    I hope the sony mobile, giving a solution of jelly bean android OS updates with justice for all products SONY XPERIA

    thank you.

  7. By Est Dev

    #11

    Hi
    I have some voice break(sometime very irritating) problem when playing music in full volume plz give me some solution

  8. By 96 Nagaraj

    #13

    Hi Sony Developer,
    First of all , Great Job on Xperia U.

    But your recent ICS Update has made the phone laggy and almost dead slow.

    So what about giving us a JB update so that it can set the phone right? Also JB requires a single Core 1Ghz Processer. Xperia U has a Dual core processor. So can’t U get a JB update. Pls reply

    Thanks.
    Nikhil.N

  9. By Ashwin Jayakumar

    #15

    hi SONY DEVELOPER,

    can u tell me hw to update my xperia u to Ice Cream sandwich..
    I BOUGT MY PHONE ONLINE AND ITS VERSION IS CURRENTLY GINGERBREAD 2.3.7..
    I INSTALLED PC COMPANION BUT NO UPDATES ARE SHOWN,,, CAN U SUGGEST ANY HELPPPP HEREEE…

      • By Reza Hary Irawan

        #18

        Hi Sony developer,

        Thank you for your replied. I have one question again, hope you understand. Can you all developers make update Android Ice Cream Sandwich on Xperia U can using blink eyes to faceunlock. Just like Android Jelly Bean even not Jelly Bean and please input offline database to Google voice just like Jelly Bean too. It is just like patching. Can’t you?

        Best regards

        - Rezaoh

        • By Joe Padre

          #19

          Hi Reza,
          At the moment, there are no planned updates from Sony for Xperia U software beyond Android 4.0. Sorry.
          Thanks and best regards,
          Joe from Developer World

          • By Naveen Veeramani

            #20

            Am using a Xperia U with ics, we need JB……

            Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0

  11. By NARINDER SINGH

    #21

    I HAVE XPERIA MIRO, ITS A GOOD PHONE, HAS GOOD MUSIC AND CAMERA QUALITY. BUT NOW I WANNA USE XPERIA U. BUT MY BUDGET IS ONLY UPTO RS. 11000. THE MIRO HAS 800 MHZ PROCESSOR BUT “U” HAS A BETTER PROCESSOR AND ALSO BETTER DESIGN THAN MIRO. BUT THE PRICE IS A BIT HIGH!! AND THIS HAS CREATED A DILEMMA IN MY MIND BETWEEN XPERIA U & NOKIA LUMIA 510(BCZ LUMIA 510 ALSO OFFERS SUCH FEATURES AT BETTER PRICE). I JUST WANNA KNOW IF THERE IS A POSSIBILITY OF XPERIA U’S PRICE FALL WITHIN A MONTH IN INDIA?

  12. By Faisal Idrees

    #22

    Hi
    I am having problem with the wifi system connects for few seconds the show error. I had done every thing with software repair. I spent lot of time with it but nothing works fine.

  13. By Xyren Dela Cruz

    #23

    Hi there., I just want to inform that i’ m not satisfied with the music quality of my phone xperia u. I realy love sony because I know and i’ve experienced the good quality of your products specialy when it comes to music, but I dont know what happen. I keep asking myself why is it that our phone sounds terrible hope you could give me an answer because untill now I cant believe that this phone sounds terrible while i’m using outstanding product of SONY

    • By Joe Padre

      #24

      Hi Xyren,
      Thanks for the feedback, will fwd your comment to the appropriate team.
      Best regards,
      Joe from Developer World

  14. By Appanna Anjaparavanda

    #25

    Hi.. i just loved the specifications of this phone. Just 2 features that i really felt bad about was the
    ” un-expandable memory (4gb)” and the power of the battery (1350 MaH)”.. If this phone had improved upon these 2 features, i would have personally loved it. Storage could still be ignored, but the battery is really bad. I did see the Battery Extending application but still i would have preferred a better battery..

  15. By Jez Thorn

    #26

    I would buy this phone if it had 8gb storage or more for music files. 4gb is just not enough – my Sony Walkman MP3 player (2005 model) has 4gb storage. You can’t call the Xperia U a music/entertainment phone with 4gb, a lot of people seem to agree. Apart from that it was good enough to entice to me away from my traditional candybar phone… back to waiting (I don’t like big smartphones, the P is nice but still too large). Why are you calling the U an entry level phone when the specs in such a small device would indicate otherwise? I think I’ll wait for the successor to this phone. Does Sony have plans to make a higher end version of this?

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