Now that Sony has split from Ericsson and is going it alone in the smartphone industry they are working hard to produce something noticeable. Their first phone, the Xperia S, has a distinctive look with its transparent band, supports HD video recording and playback and will be the first dual core handset from Sony. From a brief overview of the specifications and features the Xperia S does not appear to offer much that is unique, but it may do so with some of its peripheral accessories.
The Xperia S supports additional Bluetooth features with its Smart Wireless Headset Pro and also a touch sensitive wrist watch called the SmartWatch, which allows you to access your phone from a distance, again via Bluetooth. Bluetooth headsets aren’t really anything new, although Sony have added a lot of new functionality here, and some people may remember touchscreen watches released by Samsung and LG a few years back.
Along with these Sony has introduced its new “SmartTags” system. These are small discs that utilize near field communications (NFC) to interact with the Xperia S (and future Sony smartphones). The tags allow you to create separate profiles on your phone that can be activated by tapping your phone against a SmartTag. You can place a SmartTag by your bed that will set your alarm clock, and have one in your car to activate the GPS.
It is easy to see how tapping a phone against a disc is easier than fiddling about trying to load a GPS app by hand, but perhaps the SmartTag system only has limited usability. You can place them around your home, in your car or even at work but it will be difficult to use them anywhere else without taking them with you and potentially losing them. In such instances it would probably be easier to just use your fingers to operate the phone, rather than searching through all of your pockets for the right SmartTag.
SmartTags will probably not become widespread outside of the Xperia range. Unlike any potential mobile payment scheme, SmartTags will work differently for each phone using them. The tags contain a unique read-only identifier that cannot be changed. Instead, you can configure your phone to respond to that identifier in any way that you like, and other Xperia users can do the same. SmartTags would thus only be for personal use. If you set your car SmartTag to load your GPS, it may do something completely different when another person uses it on a different phone.
So there is no potential for shops or coffee shops to start using such a system. The fact that it is limited to Xperia phones will also stop it from becoming widespread. SmartTags are probably going to end up like the Motorola Atrix’s docking ports – a great idea that never really caught on. They will probably do better than the Atrix accessories though, as they will most likely be included with the phones rather than costing an additional $500.
The Xperia S and Xperia Ion will be the first phones released by Sony (or Sony Ericsson) to use NFC. There is a lot of potential for NFC in a wide variety of applications, from Android Beam to mobile payments, and SmartTags does show that Sony is trying to innovate once again. These are the first two phones in Sony’s NXT series, which marks a new direction for the company after its split from Ericsson. The Xperia Ion will be released in the US only on an exclusive deal with AT&T, but Sony Xperia S phone contracts will go on sale across the globe including the UK.