Well, at least that’s the marketing tie-in made by Sony & AT&T to promote the new Xperia TL smartphone. Sony, with all of its corporate synergy, has incorporated the Xperia TL into James Bond’s repertoire of gizmos and gadgets for the upcoming Bond film, Skyfall. Naturally, Bond utilizes AT&T’s fast 4G LTE data network for all of his super-secret spy business.
Earlier this week AT&T held an event in New York City where they showcased the many new smartphones coming to its service, including Sony’s Xperia TL. First announced at IFA 2012, the Xpertia TL has a 4.55, 1080X720, HD Reality display and is powered by Sony’s Mobile Bravia engine. The smartphone has an updated 1.5GHz Qualcomm S4 processor and runs on Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich; which will modernize to Android 4.1 Jelly Bean after launch. Sony has put a lot of emphasis on Xperia TL’s imaging capabilities. With a 13-megapixel camera the Xperia TL is capable of taking magnificent photos and recording videos up to 1080p.
One of the phones biggest selling points is Xperia TL’s ability to snap a picture, from sleep mode, in just under a second. The Xperia TL also uses Near Field Communication (NFC) and Sony SmartTag, which allows the user to store preferences based on the situation and location.
Unfortunately we were not invited to the AT&T event, go figure. However, circling the internet are comments from those who spent some in-depth time with the Xperia TL. Most praised the speed and feel of the phone, but felt that the materials used seem cheap. Many also made mention of the complicated array of buttons on the side of the phone and how it gives the Xperia TL a unique look.
No pricing information has been announced, but Skyfall releases on November 9, 2012 in the United States. I suspect we will have plenty of information by then. Head over to the sony mobile website for more information.
*Writer's Opinion*
If I sound slightly sarcastic and cynical it’s because I am. I despise in-game/movie advertising because I feel it insults our intelligence. No matter how many Xperia TL’s I buy, I will never be remotely close to James Bond status. Having a Xperia TL will not make me more adventurous, and it definitely won’t get me an ever-revolving Bond girl. What especially annoys me is this type of advertising can actually halt plot development to show the logo on a car, shoe, etc. Sometimes these types of ads are quick, almost subliminal; other times it’s blatantly obvious that someone received a big check in the mail. Maybe you don’t agree with me, but ask yourself this: Would Ian Fleming have wanted his iconic hero pushing smartphones and does it truly fit the character? My take is Bond has something much better than the Xperia TL. Bond’s phone has a switchblade, and can be used as a grenade if necessary. And with that, I will step off my soapbox.
