Sony’s PS4 game streaming Xperia Z3v lands on Verizon Oct. 23 for $199 on contract

<b>Sony announced Thursday that it’s finally bringing one of its Android-powered smartphones to more than one carrier in the U.S.</b><br /> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkvREU8pHt7JdaOK0niDRwSYeyzlr1cCbRjAICsh2XG5zXQc25inOL_O9o4ueY5pAwspKLs7mODh-_mPsKdRfx9OB68nOoWagAw01ncGHV8yz4AVHCwKtJ3s4Sze4yht37B1svT6gjeGaL/s1600/Sony-tech24h.blogspot.com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="alt" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkvREU8pHt7JdaOK0niDRwSYeyzlr1cCbRjAICsh2XG5zXQc25inOL_O9o4ueY5pAwspKLs7mODh-_mPsKdRfx9OB68nOoWagAw01ncGHV8yz4AVHCwKtJ3s4Sze4yht37B1svT6gjeGaL/s1600/Sony-tech24h.blogspot.com.jpg" title="Sony’s PS4 game streaming Xperia Z3v lands on Verizon" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sony’s PS4 game streaming Xperia Z3v lands on Verizon</td></tr> </tbody></table> <div> Verizon Wireless will be the second carrier ever to offer one of Sony’s flagship phones, the Xperia Z3v (the carrier previously only offered an Xperia tablet). Big Red will also carry the Sony SmartWatch 3 when it launches next month. Sony's Xperia Z3 variant will go on sale for $199 with 2-year contract on October 23.<br /> <b><br /> FLORENCE ION</b><br /> <br /> The Xperia Z3v at a glance.<br /> <br /> The Sony Xperia Z3 was introduced last month at IFA 2014 in Berlin, but this is a special variant with Verizon-exclusive features. Like the Z3, the Z3v is powered by a 2.5GHz Snapdragon 801 processor and 3GB of RAM, and it features a 5.2-inch full HD display and a 20.7-megapixel camera with Sony’s Exmor RS mobile sensor. Verizon users will also have access to wireless charging, 32GB of storage—16GB more than the T-Mobile variant—and a slightly spruced-up design, which resembles the handset’s predecessor, the Xperia Z2. The battery, at 3200mAh, is slightly larger than the regular Z3.<br /> <br /> Why this matters: Sony offers a solid lineup of Android-powered handsets, but it’s been struggling to gain much traction stateside because of the apparent exclusivity of its devices. Previously, if you wanted to adopt one of Sony’s latest flagships, you had to be a T-Mobile subscriber or buy an unlocked device online. It seriously limited those who were with a bigger carrier, like Verizon, from even considering a Sony handset.<br /> <br /> The expansion to other carriers should help Sony resonate with more customers in the U.S. It’ll be interesting to see how well it sells at Verizon six months from now, especially considering the other Android flagships it’s going up against.</div>

Sony’s PS4 game streaming Xperia Z3v lands on Verizon Oct. 23 for $199 on contract

Sony announced Thursday that it’s finally bringing one of its Android-powered smartphones to more than one carrier in the U.S. Sony’s PS4...

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Sony Xperia Z3 review: a classy flagship with great battery life

<h2 style="text-align: center;"> <span style="color: blue;">Sony Xperia Z3 review: a classy flagship with great battery life</span></h2> <b>When you're trying to compete in the phone-making game, there are certain challenges. On the one hand, you want to dazzle customers with innovative features. On the other hand, you want to keep the suit-wearing shareholders happy with growth and strong, continued sales.</b><br /> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNwaDQMXg5ZrGOa5xbCpZCdK-UUaq3VvTslRN3YJeQKeq3JLQ9CXQjGqCDxZnwbTyGySlkroxdtCqXaxisEpSKjJk0qYRboBHQ-fNxKw2hSgMLkH2IiedC2Rrn4-aO17-FADXM522NHl-y/s1600/Sony-Xperia-Z3-tech24h.blogspot.com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="alt" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNwaDQMXg5ZrGOa5xbCpZCdK-UUaq3VvTslRN3YJeQKeq3JLQ9CXQjGqCDxZnwbTyGySlkroxdtCqXaxisEpSKjJk0qYRboBHQ-fNxKw2hSgMLkH2IiedC2Rrn4-aO17-FADXM522NHl-y/s1600/Sony-Xperia-Z3-tech24h.blogspot.com.jpg" title="Sony Xperia Z3" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sony Xperia Z3</td></tr> </tbody></table> <div> <div> The bottleneck in this equation is often technology. You can't force it to progress. So once you've more or less caught up, you're left with a choice: Innovate with software/hardware design, or take a risk with gimmicky features. Any of the above will do in lieu of the (unspeakable) alternative -- not releasing a new model this year.<br /> <br /> We're not trying to preload this review of Sony's new Z3 flagship, which arrives barely six months after its predecessor. Or maybe we are. What we're definitely doing is spelling it out right here in the intro: The Z3 looks a lot like the Z2, and after a quick glance at the spec sheet, you might argue it sounds a lot like it too. This is pertinent because, by its own admission, Sony isn't doing very well at competing in the phone-making game. Given the above, is the Z3 going to tempt existing customers to upgrade? Or perhaps lure those over from other brands? T-Mobile will be stocking it this fall, though the price isn't yet known. Currently it's £550 in the UK -- a touch above the HTC One and Galaxy S5. Let's have a look, shall we?<br /> <br /> <b>PROS</b><br /> <br /> • Fantastic battery life<br /> <br /> • High-quality finish<br /> <br /> • Great camera<br /> <b><br />CONS</b><br /> <br /> • Software feels a little dated<br /> <br /> <b>SUMMARY</b><br /> <br /> For a phone that, initially at least, looks a lot like the one it's meant to replace the Z3 has a few tricks up its sleeve. Best of all is the standout battery life. Android photographers will love the camera too. It's easy to recommend the Z3, unless you're upgrading from the Z2, of course.</div> </div>

Sony Xperia Z3 review: a classy flagship with great battery life

Sony Xperia Z3 review: a classy flagship with great battery life When you're trying to compete in the phone-making game, there are cer...

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Microsoft's Surface mini tablet is reportedly really real, but not really

<h2 style="text-align: center;"> <span style="color: blue;">Microsoft's Surface mini tablet is reportedly really real, but not really</span></h2> <b>According to a report, the rumored 8-inch “Surface mini” tablet is indeed real—although Microsoft has no plans to ship it. And that’s probably because you wouldn’t be interested in buying it, anyway.</b><br /> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHit-LoMNYjGTDBkdnbTOfAxxEAK2T2H8iA5u22Ad3hqu20aWSi3xN4vxBcWpo8XXlAedtSZoEyFXGrzEuxuynQKUnP7L2KlaflzHzVH1brJdyMyVCSRDJ77w2B3SeKLvoadTTPYElfPZP/s1600/Microsoft's-Surface-mini-tablet-tech24h.blogspot.com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="alt" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHit-LoMNYjGTDBkdnbTOfAxxEAK2T2H8iA5u22Ad3hqu20aWSi3xN4vxBcWpo8XXlAedtSZoEyFXGrzEuxuynQKUnP7L2KlaflzHzVH1brJdyMyVCSRDJ77w2B3SeKLvoadTTPYElfPZP/s1600/Microsoft's-Surface-mini-tablet-tech24h.blogspot.com.jpg" title="" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Microsoft's Surface mini tablet is reportedly really real, but not really</td></tr> </tbody></table> <div> Although Microsoft has marketed the Surface line of tablets as productivity devices, the Surface mini is powered by Windows RT, running on top of just 1GB of RAM. Those specs were provided by Neowin, which said it's actually held and tested as Surface mini—although Neowin's source forbade photographs.<br /> <br /> That would essentially make the Surface mini a device for consuming content—and in limited fashion, as there simply aren’t too many applications written specifically for Windows RT these days. Any available apps would have to run on that anemic 1GB of RAM, which is less than what you’ll find in some smartphones these days.<br /> <br /> The cut-down specs are also less powerful than what other tablet manufacturers announced earlier this year. At CES, for example, Asus announced the VivoTab Note 8, powered by an Atom processor, Windows 8.1, and 2GB of RAM, and costing about $250 online. Since then, however, the trend has been to use Intel’s Atom Z3735G processor on tablets like the Acer Iconia Tab 8W, which supports only 1GB of RAM. Although per-application performance may not suffer, there are sure to be limits on how many tabs or apps you can have open at any one time.<br /> <br /> The problem for hardware makers, however, is that even with Microsoft’s decision toeliminate licensing fees for sub-9-inch devices, Windows tablet makers face steep competition from Android tablet makers, who aren’t afraid to use inexpensive ARM processors to reduce prices further. <br /> <br /> Finally, there’s there the issue of demand. Lenovo recently discontinued its 8-inch Windows tablets in the U.S., noting stronger interest in larger-size models. The company emphasized it wasn't pulling out of the category permanently, so that could indicate a retrenchment. Other manufacturers, including Microsoft, could also be reassessing their options.<br /> <br /> A Surface mini wouldn’t be a single-purpose device, although Neowin approvingly mentions that a Surface mini would be an excellent OneNote machine—and it comes with a stylus, too. Netflix has written a version of its app for Windows RT machines, and web apps would make up for other deficiencies. Still, a small screen, limited memory, and the Windows RT OS would make for a tough sell. And with Microsoft’s recent efforts to trim the fat, it would seem that killing the Surface mini would be one of Microsoft’s easier decisions.<br /> <br /> Microsoft representatives declined to comment. </div>

Microsoft's Surface mini tablet is reportedly really real, but not really

Microsoft's Surface mini tablet is reportedly really real, but not really According to a report, the rumored 8-inch “Surface mini” tab...

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