CES 2012: Sony Packs 12 MP Camera Into New Android Mobile Xperia S

After the success of its Xperia Arc smartphone, Sony-Ericsson's latest flagship mobile is the new Xperia S, unveiled this week at the CES.  It combines a powerful processor, a 12 Megapixel camera and a HD display inside a sleek design.

The latest handset from Sony-Ericsson—which is now just Sony, of course—is the Xperia S.  Despite being slim, it boasts a 4.3'' display and runs Android 2.3.5 Gingerbread.  The design is similar to last year's Xperia, but adds a huge expanse of plexiglass, which is exactly the type of feature which can be decisive in determining a design hit or miss.  Ultimately, though, it's a matter of taste ...

A 12 Megapixel camera at the back can shoot 1080p Full HD video, while the 2 Megapixel webcam at the front only captures 720p video.

The most exciting news about the cameras is that the one at the back uses Sony's Exmor-R technology to ensure the best results even when light levels are low.

The Xperia's curvy frame is also home to both a micro-USB port and a micro-HDMI output as well as a microSD slot, which you can use to supplement the 16 GB of internal memory.

The multimedia services that Sony has been perfecting in recent months, like Video and Music Unlimited and an ultra-simple interface for sharing content over DLNA, are also included.

It's set to go on sale before the end of the first quarter of this year—in March, most likely—and we're sure it will soon get an upgrade to Android 4 Ice Cream Sandwich.  That's something it will need because it certainly isn"'t the only high-end smartphone to arrive in recent months.

Its predecessor, the Xperia, had a slightly larger screen at 4.6''.  A third handset, the Xperia Ion, with a bulkier, less sleek design, will be the firm's first 4G phone. 

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