Sony to release 11 new smartphones for 2012

Information has come to light suggesting that electronics giant Sony will be releasing around 11 smartphones this year, all running Android.

The leaked information, obtained by GSM Arena, lists the names of 11 phones, together with the expected launch dates for each, and their prices in Indian rupees. Yes, GSM Arena reports the information as being “allegedly leaked through Sony’s sales report in India.”

Of course, even if all of the data is genuine, it doesn’t mean that things won’t change between now and the launch dates - indeed, even the launch dates themselves could be shifted. GSM Arena says the names of the phones, such as Nypon, Pepper and Tapioca, are merely code names and so will likely be changed by the time the devices hit the market.

Prices for the phones vary from 192 euros ($245) to 562 euros ($722), with the earliest release date being listed as April for three phones. There’s no information about the phones’ specifications, though Cnet reports that the Nypon (April release; 370 euros/$475) will come with a 4-inch display incorporating the company’s WhiteMagic technology, which boosts screen brightness without draining the battery. Meanwhile the Pepper (April release; 308 euros/$395) may come with a 3.7-inch Reality Display.

It’s not clear whether the phones will get a US launch, though a more aggressive move into the US market was hinted at in an interview last month with executive vice president of Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications Kristian Tear when he said that in 2012 the company would “refocus and invest more in brand-building and select markets.” This more ambitious talk came soon after Sony announced it was buying Ericsson’s 50 percent stake of the Sony Ericsson mobile phone business for almost $1.5 billion.

With the Mobile World Congress taking place in Barcelona next month, some official announcements are expected regarding Sony’s new smartphones.

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