Meet The Makers: The man who gets millions of Xperia owners out of bed everyday

Meet The Makers: The man who gets millions of Xperia owners out of bed everyday

Meet The Makers: The man who gets millions of Xperia owners out of bed everydayNo one likes being woken up in the morning, so if you are going to be torn from the sweet embrace of sleep, it needs to be by something that doesn’t make you want to throw your smartphone out of the window.

Did you ever stop to think that it’s actually someone’s job to compose the alarm music that wakes you up? Well, it is and the experts at Xperia have been working on making the process of getting up that little more bearable.

To learn more, we dropped in on Jun-ichi Nagahara who has worked for Sony in Tokyo for 27 years and is a Sound and User Interface Designer, AKA the mastermind behind the music that starts your day, every day.

First off, how does it feel to wake up Xperia users every morning?

It’s an immense responsibility; millions of Xperia users are relying on us to ensure they get out of bed. It’s a job we take very seriously.

What makes a good piece of music to wake up to?

It has to have a good melody-line, it’s the morning so it needs to be quite gentle with a simple arrangement and of course it has to be specially mastered to suit a phone alarm.

How did you decide on the default Xperia alarm tone?

We did lots of ‘Shingi’ (deliberation, discussion) to decide, and, of course, lots and lots of testing.

How have alarms and ringtones developed alongside the progression of smartphones?

For each Xperia generation, there are total design concepts for each new product. We need to consider the new design concept and make sure the sounds fit – all aspects of the phone have to work in harmony, even the alarms.

What alarm tone wakes you up in the morning?

Personally, I use the Xperia default alarm on the Z3 Compact, I use it alongside the Sleep Cycle Alarm Clock app (available via the Google Play Store, an intelligent alarm clock that analyses your sleep and wakes you in the lightest sleep phase.)

Finally, what’s the trick to avoiding the snooze button?

I find putting the phone as far away from the bed as possible does the trick, the other side of the room for example, it just means you have to get up to turn it off. I also like to think that we make good alarm-music that people want to wake up and listen to!

So there you have it, the next time you get aggravated by your alarm, think about how much more annoying if it would be if it wasn’t for the tireless work of Jun-ichi Nagahara to make it that much more bearable.

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Source: Sony Mobile Blog






The Sony Mobile MWC 2018 FAQ

Thanks to everyone who has been sharing questions with us over @sonymobilenews since we unveiled Xperia XZ2 and XZ2 Compact on Monday morning.

For anyone that missed the Q&A on Twitter, we wanted to share some of the most popular questions right here on the blog.

 

How much will Xperia XZ2/ XZ2 Compact cost?

I’m afraid we don’t have pricing info as this can vary globally. Our recommendation is to check with local retailers.

You mentioned Sony Mobile dual camera tech on stage, when is that coming?

Exciting right? We are working on a dual camera technology that enables ultra-high sensitivity for low light image and video capture. There’s no timeline as yet but we’ll keep you posted as we hear more.

Why did you remove the headphone jack on XZ2 and XZ2 Compact?

This is part of the shift to our new Ambient Flow design language. In order to create the beautiful seamless design, our designers needed to remove the headphone jack. Plus, we’re aware of the major market trend toward wireless headphones over wired headphones.

But can I still use wired headphones with XZ2 or XZ2 Compact?

Yes absolutely, both new smartphones come boxed with an adaptor. This will also support Hi-Res Audio.

Is there an XZ Premium follow up?

No news as yet. XZ Premium is our innovation flagship and can still be purchased in most markets.

XZ1 had a 13MP camera, how come XZ2 just has 5MP?

Pixel number isn’t everything. The 5MP camera on XZ2 and XZ2 Compact boasts F2.2 which means it is brighter than previous 5MP cameras used on Xperia devices. Plus, it has a 90FOV compared with 80FOV of our previous 5MP camera. These factors will combine together with the increased processing power and image quality brought by the Snapdragon 845 Mobile Platform to ensure front-facing camera shots still looks great, even with fewer pixels.

How has Super slow motion been upgraded on XZ2 and XZ2 Compact?

It is now possible to record in Full HD 960fps. In the case of Full HD (1080p), the duration of slow motion is three seconds. 720p offers up to six seconds, giving you lots of choice to be super creative with your smartphone videos.

 

Take a closer look at Xperia XZ2 and Xperia XZ2 Compact.

The post The Sony Mobile MWC 2018 FAQ appeared first on Sony Xperia Blog.

Source: Sony Mobile Blog






Hands (and ears) on with Xperia XZ2 and Xperia Ear Duo

Hands (and ears) on with Xperia XZ2 and Xperia Ear Duo

Did you catch the Sony announcements from yesterday’s MWC conference and can’t wait to get your hands on the new Xperia tech? Us too…

That’s why today, we headed backstage at the Sony Mobil­e booth to try our newest handset and smart product to give you the lowdown on all the best features. ­First up, Xperia XZ2.

 

Dynamic Vibration System

A line we’re seeing a lot here on the Sony booth is ‘Entertainment to the Extreme’ and the Dynamic Vibration System (DVS) innovation is the best showcase of this we’ve come across.

For years we’ve seen and heard films, games and music, well now we can feel it as well. DVS analyses audio data and translates it into haptic feedback letting you feel the action in your hands.

Now, if you think this is like the buzz you get from a WhatsApp message notification, think again. It’s more DUALSHOCK 4 meets Xperia and you don’t have to be a phone engineer to see where the extra power is coming from. Take a look at a standard phone vibration module vs DVS…

Hands (and ears) on with Xperia XZ2 and Xperia Ear Duo
You vs The guy she told you not to worry about

DVS affords a surprisingly varied level of feedback. A Spider-man trailer featured a scene set on the subway and as a train chugged over the tracks we felt every bump along the way.

Playing Angry Birds we could feel the tension of the catapult as we lined up our shot and the resulting carnage as our bird crashed, smashed and bashed its way through the blocks.

When it comes to music, Sony’s audio expertise shines through with powerful front facing stereo speakers making this Xperia device our loudest one yet. We were treated to Sony Music artist Rita Ora in a comparison with the XZ1 that saw an astounding improvement in sound quality and volume with DVS adding to the experience as we felt every beat of the kick drum and hiss of a hi-hat.

Source: Sony Mobile Blog






Guest Post: Sony Pictures Entertainment CTO Don Eklund on the power of mobile HDR

First off I want to thank Sony Mobile for letting me join Furumi-san on stage at MWC 2018. The XZ2 and XZ2 Compact are incredible devices packed with features, but what really excites me is screen technology, in particular, their HDR displays.

In the 27 years I’ve worked at Sony I have seen dramatic improvements in picture quality, from analog VHS to digital DVD, Standard Definition to High Definition, and now the availability of High Dynamic Range in place of Standard Dynamic Range.

As I mentioned today, when people see HDR for the first time you can see their eyes widen. It’s easy to see why, HDR provides a means of delivering pictures that look “real” because image fidelity has reached a new level.

One of the best things about a company like Sony is that our technology reaches from end to end. Sony products start at the camera lens on the film set and continue all the way to living room. Now, with Xperia smartphones, you can see extraordinary pictures from the camera lens accurately realized in the palm of your hand.

And because they are Sony products it means those pictures really are extraordinary. It’s a mistake to think all HDR is created equal. A given camera can capture an image in an HDR format and a display can decode the HDR picture, but unless the devices are made with adequate quality and precision, the result will be sub-par. You can easily witness this fact in today’s televisions. A 65″ TV can be purchased for five times the cost of a cheaper model of the same size, but the cheaper device will not impress you with HDR.

I know there are doubters out there who wonder if this kind of screen tech is really needed in a mobile device. The reality is that HDR performance is independent of screen size. On a 65” TV in your living room or a 5.7” Xperia XZ2 in your pocket, the difference HDR delivers in terms of quality is unmistakeable.

Of course, it’s not just about watching content, this has implications for capturing quality as well. Mobile devices are great for sharing pictures and video with others. With the ability to shoot in HDR (supported natively by YouTube), you can make your content stand out from the ordinary.

I hope you will enjoy watching and creating cutting edge images with Xperia smartphones that bring a level of realism never seen before – I know I will.

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Source: Sony Mobile Blog






#SonyMWC 2018 press conference livestream

#SonyMWC kicks off 8.30am CET Monday 26th February with our press conference. You can find out everything that’s coming up in the world of Sony Mobile by following the live feed right here – tune in to be the first to know.

If you have questions – feel free to drop a comment below or tweet us at @SonyMobileNews using #SonyMWC.

 

The post #SonyMWC 2018 press conference livestream appeared first on Sony Xperia Blog.

Source: Sony Mobile Blog






MWC 2018 – How to watch the Sony press conference live

Mobile World Congress (MWC), the highlight of the mobile industry calendar, is just around the corner and as ever; we’ll be here bringing you the latest news from the Sony Mobile camp and exclusive behind the scenes access throughout the jam-packed week.

The Sony Press Conference will start from 8:30AM (CET) Monday 26th February and you’ll be able to watch the whole thing LIVE on the blog.

Once the conference is over, we’ll be on the ground bringing you all of the most exciting news.

Alarms at the ready, we’ll see you on Monday!

Join us. 26.02.2018 #SonyMWC pic.twitter.com/n6IQ82XRVZ

— Sony Xperia (@sonyxperia) February 19, 2018

The post MWC 2018 – How to watch the Sony press conference live appeared first on Sony Xperia Blog.

Source: Sony Mobile Blog






Five Sony XperiaTM smartphones recognized under Android Enterprise Recommended program

Five Sony XperiaTM smartphones recognized under Android Enterprise Recommended program

Five Sony XperiaTM smartphones recognized under Android Enterprise Recommended programQuick update for our enterprise users: Sony Mobile has five Xperia smartphones approved under the new “Android Enterprise Recommended program” – an initiative that helps businesses select, deploy and manage the Android devices and services best suited to meet their needs.

Through rigorous Google testing, Xperia XZ1, Xperia XZ1 Compact, Xperia XZ Premium, Xperia XA2 and Xperia XA2 Ultra, have been validated for business usage, with ‘enterprise grade’ security standards and platforms designed for the current and future mobile workforce.

“Android Enterprise Recommended” gives businesses confidence by curating a selection of devices and services that meet enterprise requirements, all validated by Google. The program ensures a consistent deployment of Android with centralised device management and regular updates.

 

Find out more about how Xperia devices could benefit your business here.

*Android is a trademark of Google Inc

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Source: Sony Mobile Blog