South Africa – Johannesburg, 22nd February 2016 Sony Mobile Communications (“Sony Mobile”) today unveiled a new-look XperiaTM brand with the first “X” series smartphones and a vision for the future of communications, with ambient connected devices capable of changing the way you interact with the world.

“Sony Mobile will continue to create increasingly personalised and intelligent products and services that empower you to do more, and live more creatively than ever. Our products and services will connect you to each other and become essential and beloved parts of your lives.” said Hiroki Totoki, President and CEO at Sony Mobile Communications.

“With our continued passion for technology, we will keep adding new and exciting features to evolve our smartphones. At the same time, we want to change how you access information and interact with friends and family in a closer, natural and more meaningful way.”

First “X” Series smartphones: Xperia X, Xperia X Performance and Xperia XA

The Xperia X series embodies Sony Mobile’s new brand vision through adding new layers of intelligent technology across popular and acclaimed Xperia features: camera, battery and design, to make every day smarter and simpler.

Predicting the unexpected is difficult, but not impossible – the next generation Xperia camera takes spontaneous capture to another level allowing you to shoot in sharp focus, even for spur-of-the-moment shots. The all-new Predictive Hybrid Autofocus in Xperia X and Xperia X Performance is developed in close collaboration with Sony’s TM camera engineers, it lets you choose your subject and then predicts its motion, so you can capture the action in perfect focus, free from blur.

Advanced features require the battery stamina to match, and Xperia X series incorporates Sony’s smart battery management to deliver up to two days battery life. Not only will it keep your phone running for longer from one charge, Xperia X series benefits from a battery lifespan that’s up to twice as long with Qnovo’s Adaptive Charging technology and Sony’s smart battery management system. Each phone is powered to make the most of their advanced capabilities, with Xperia X featuring the Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 650 processor and Xperia X Performance introducing the Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 820 processor for ultra-fast connectivity.

As part of their unified design concept, Sony designers researched premium materials, texture and curvature for the most natural palm fit. Each X series smartphone brings a curved glass display within a rounded, continuous frame for a familiar form that feels comfortable in your hand. The unified design concept is also extended to Xperia XA, which features a stunning edge-to-edge display to integrate seamlessly into your life.

All-new Xperia smart product concepts, a communications vision with machine learning, natural user interface and sensing

Xperia Eye is a conceptual vision for an ultra compact, wearable wide-angle lens camera – with the flexibility to be easily attached to clothing or worn around the neck. It represents a proof-of-concept exploration to bring Sony’s acclaimed camera and sensing technology to its smallest ever form-factor – featuring a 360-degree spherical lens for a natural field of view. Its intelligent shutter technology will use facial and voice detection to capture images, allowing you to enjoy and preserve life’s moments without thinking about the technology.

The Xperia Projector concept will enrich, empower and stimulate creative family communication using a natural and interactive interface projection on any clear surface. It will respond to touch, voice and gestures just as you would interact with your smartphone screen.

The Xperia Agent concept is a vision for a personalised assistant. It will enhance everyday life by responding to voice and gestures – providing you with useful information, communication assistance and home appliance controls. It is also powered by Sony’s voice technology and will respond to a number of commands – and has a built-in camera and projector display for projecting content onto surfaces.