Sony Xperia Sola launched as compact powerhouse

Sony Xperia Sola launched as compact powerhouse
No relation to a solar eclipse

The Sony Xperia Sola has been unveiled as the market name for the rumoured Xperia Pepper.

The Xperia Sola comes with a 3.7-inch TFT (854 x 480) Reality Display with Mobile BRAVIA Engine, which should be a great screen if the Sony Xperia S is anything to go by. The screen also uses Sony's floating touch technology, allowing you to hover you finger above the screen to perform actions such as scrolling pages.

Sony has also packed a 1GHz dual-core processor, 5GB internal memory, microSD card slot, 5MP camera with HD (720p) video recording, aGPS, xLOUD and 3D surround sound audio technology and NFC technology into the Xperia Sola.

Sony Xperia Sola

Not all high and mighty

We're disappointed to see that the Xperia Sola only comes with Android 2.3 Gingerbread and a lacklustre 1320mAh battery, which won't last too long if you're a heavy user.

Sony has confirmed that the Xperia Sola will receive an upgrade to Ice Cream Sandwich during the summer.

Sony NFC SmartTags

Sony is really pushing its NFC technology and it has thrown in a couple of Smart Tags with the Xperia Sola, allowing you to program each tag with various settings and then swipe the handset over them to apply the settings to the phone.

The Sony Xperia Sola breaks the single letter naming regime Sony applied to its first three handsets the Xperia S, Xperia P and Xperia U. The Xperia Sola is expected to land in the UK in April and TechRadar has contacted Sony to find out a more definite Sony Xperia Sola release date and price.

Update: Sony has confirmed that the Sony Xperia Sola will land in UK stores during Q2 of 2012 and will fall into the mid-range price bracket. Exact pricing has not yet been confirmed.

John McCann
Global Managing Editor

John joined TechRadar over a decade ago as Staff Writer for Phones, and over the years has built up a vast knowledge of the tech industry. He's interviewed CEOs from some of the world's biggest tech firms, visited their HQs and has appeared on live TV and radio, including Sky News, BBC News, BBC World News, Al Jazeera, LBC and BBC Radio 4. Originally specializing in phones, tablets and wearables, John is now TechRadar's resident automotive expert, reviewing the latest and greatest EVs and PHEVs on the market. John also looks after the day-to-day running of the site.