Sony brings 'floating touch' navigation to the Xperia sola

Sony Xperia Sola

All you have to do is hover your finger above the screen so it acts like a moving cursor without making contact with the screen itself. The feature will be further enhanced with future updates.

The Xperia sola also features NFC (Near Field Communication) Xperia SmartTags, enabling you to change the smartphone's settings in an instant. By touching a NFC Android smartphone on a SmartTag, a pre-configured profile in the phone will launch.

Two SmartTags are included as standard with the phone, and can be personalised with up to ten commands.

Out of the box, one is pre-programmed for the living room – to turn on wi-fi and launch Google news and weather apps – the other for the bedroom, to turn on the built-in alarm and switch to silent mode.

In addition, Xperia sola supports NFC pairing so owners can share apps and services by tapping their phones together.

Other tech highlights include a 3.7in Reality display with Mobile Bravia engine, a 1GHz dual-core processor, xLoud and 3D surround sound, plus direct access to the Sony Home Entertainment Network via Video and Music Unlimited apps.

You'll be able to buy the Sony Xperia sola in black, white or red in the second quarter of this year. Initially it will run Android 2.3, but will be upgraded to Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) in summer 2012.

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Andy Clough

Andy is Global Brand Director of What Hi-Fi? and has been a technology journalist for 30 years. During that time he has covered everything from VHS and Betamax, MiniDisc and DCC to CDi, Laserdisc and 3D TV, and any number of other formats that have come and gone. He loves nothing better than a good old format war. Andy edited several hi-fi and home cinema magazines before relaunching whathifi.com in 2008 and helping turn it into the global success it is today. When not listening to music or watching TV, he spends far too much of his time reading about cars he can't afford to buy.