IFA 2014: Sony Action Cam Mini and the Z3 Compact Tablet

The Xperia phones are undoubtedly the star of Sony’s keynote at IFA this year, but we shouldn’t forget that the Japanese company also makes other multimedia devices including headsets and cameras.
First, there’s the new Action Cam Mini, which as the name implies is a smaller version of the Action Cam that we saw at CES earlier this year. The new camcorder is now splash-proof making it an alternative to the GoPro. 

Under the hood is a 11.9MP Exmor R BSI CMOS sensor, a 170-degree ultra-wide-angle lens, and a stereo microphone. The Action Cam Mini is capable of recording 120fps high-speed video at 720p resolution and supports XAVC S codec. Sony will start offering the device at $250 next month.
Sony is also updating its Walkman range with the NWZ-WS613 and the NWZ-A17 music player. The WS613 is a wearable player that doubles as a Bluetooth headset. It can connect to a smartphone to make or answer calls, or beam more tracks stored on the handset. It can also connect to fitness apps to record a user’s activities. The WS613 will be available starting in October for around $160.
Now if you’re looking for something similar to Apple’s iPod, then the NWZ-A17 might be the thing for you. The music player supports WAV, AIFF, ALAC and FLAC formats and comes with 64GB of on-board storage that can be expanded using a microSD card slot.

The A17’s battery is able to deliver around 50 hours of regular audio playback and around 30 hours of high-res music. There’s also Bluetooth and NFC. Users can check what track is currently playing on the device’s 2.25-inch QVGA LCD display. 
The NWZ-A17 will be available later this month for $300. 
In case you want the absolute hi-fi portable music system, be sure to check out Sony’s new MDR-1a and MDR-XB950BT. The MDR-1a is the wired version and comes with 40mm audio drivers with a folding design.

On the other hand, the MDR-XB950BT is the Bluetooth version. It bears the same 40mm audio driver as the MDR-1a and connects to your smart device via Bluetooth. It also comes with a mic so you can make and receive calls while using the headset. There’s also NFC for quick pairing and a 20-hour battery life.
The headset will retail for around $200 once it becomes officially available later this month.
Lastly, there’s the Sony Xperia Z3 Compact tablet – an 8-inch slate designed to be a more portable version of last year’s model. It has a Snapdragon 801 chip with a 2.5GHz quad-core processor, 3GB of RAM and 16GB of expandable on-board storage. 

The tablet’s resolution is 1920 x 1200 pixels and is complimented by a pair of front-facing speakers. There’s also an 8.1MP camera at the back and a 2.2MP snapper up front. Sony has also equipped the device with NFC and an LTE modem, which means the tablet capable of making phone calls when you have a headset connected.
Connect with The Techie Lifestyle on your favorite social networking sites
     

COMMENTS