Xperia ion LT28h new release in Hong Kong with ICS

[FrontierGate]

For sale now in Hong Kong in red color only.

It comes with Android ICS 4.04, removed 4G LTE, but supports DC-HSPA+. (speed up to 42Mbps)

[FrontierGate]

More photos from unboxing a retail phone:

[spectre51]

Great news for those that have a LT28i or LT28at.  You can flash the ftf for the LT28h firmware and exclude the baseband (or reflash the stock baseband over the top) and have ICS and LTE.  Check the ion forums on XDA for more info.

[gurnblansten]

Not so much "great" news as just news. Another language, totally different everything. AT&T apparently out for certification but from what I've read they are not the fastest with updates - add Sony to the mix and September/October rumours seem credible. Loved the"idea" of this phone, looked good on the web, in the box, nice to look at until started using it. My HTC Evo 3D got ICS 2 months ago and rocks - tempted to switch back and offload the Ion on ebay because hate being left behind and Sony not inspiring with updates or longevity support. By the time ICS (Which should have shipped ON THE PHONE) is released Jellybean will be rolling out to HTC One X and Samsung Galaxy III - either one of the phones I SHOULD HAVE bought from companies that deliver what customers want in timely manner.

[spectre51]

You can set what language you want it to use and what are you talking about "totally different everything"?  Nothing is different actually except that you are running ICS.  Seems like you have a lack of knowledge about that process because there are plenty of people enjoying ICS on their ion's now with LTE and tethering and all that good stuff.  Even have a method for rooting the ion as well.

[gurnblansten]

Actually do know more than enough thanks.

a) North America - Canada and U.S. if you root a phone you void warranty because phones sold carrier subsidised still in the 21st century - appaling but the way it is. Would not buy at Sony Store as price even higher, support good for 30 days from P.O.S. and warranties void again if rooted unless you fork out $100 more for 3rd party after-market warranty.

b) HSPA+ with LTE networks here. Custom ROM's will not be an option for 330+ days now, buyer's remorse not an option and full pop again for a real phone opposed to this nightmare. Cheaper to cancel carrier and buy new phone subsidized under contract - at least number porting finally an option!
c) No Playstation or Play Market in North America for all the games and additonal "legit" Sony touted content. Took advantage of running the .apk files on original phone before sent back under warranty replacement to no avail. with Gingerbread. Other ROMS where sweet and content amazing because those ROM's unlock the power of phone better than Sony seems capable of doing. Can't redo that on 2nd one because they use DRM to check lock/unlocks which, if done = VOID warranty. 1st one sent back so seems all well and enduring "pain" of Sony's slow, inept development, release schedules. My old HTC EVO 3D running ICS does circles around new Ion with Gingerbread, just no LTE.

Can buy a S3 or OneX sold with ICS, upgrades to Jellybean announced. Forked out close to $450 for Ion LT28i running GINGERBREAD (2012 not 2011 when that may have been groundbreaking) opposed to $580-$699 for "better" phones from respected manufacturers ruuning faster processers, better interfaces, and current O/S. Newer products from HTC, Samsung and Motorola looking promising and at least they offer "Actual" support and current O/S.

[spectre51]

Root will only void a warranty if you break something and can't flash back to stock getting rid of root.  And if you can't flash back to a stock OS then you shouldn't be rooting. Unlocking bootloader is another story.  Don't even need to root to get official Sony ICS plus LTE on the ion anyway.

The playstation suite is available in North America on the ion just not Canada (there is more to NA than just Canada) yet so I'm sure you are just generalizing that but its inaccurate.  http://playstation.com/pss/store/en.html

Most people don't buy phones for custom roms.  Besides the phone is still realtively new and it usually takes time for developers to start pushing out custom roms. 

You're so worried about voiding warranty yet in the same breath talk about custom roms so....which is the important thing to you?

You knew what the ion had/didn't have when you bought it so stop spamming these fourms with your complaints when its obvious this phone isn't for you and you should head over to HTC or Samsung because at this point you are boarding on trolling here.

[gurnblansten]

Sorry but sadly for us, WRONG and WRONG. HTC, Sony, Samsung, Motorola all use single repair depot in Canada. First hand experience and handy tool called Google/News back this up for all North American repairs. Non carrier Upgrade of O/S or Root of phone (Even using Manufacturer provided tools) and flash back VOIDS warranty. If any "repair" issue arises they will reject or charge you to restore back to carrier supported ROM and O/S. Happened to my HTC EVO 3D (Soft bricked during OTA upgrade to ICS via WiFi) - Carrier wanted $170 (50% discount for being in warrany - about 10 days left) to restore back to factory/carrier because DRM detected change/reflash done playing with ICS about one month before HTC/Carrier release and downgrade back to carrier GB.

Took 15 hours of hard work with a $10 carrier unlock got ICS running from XDA developers site and phone is pretty darn sweet at 2 years old. It is running the O/S Sony failed to deliver and yet to provide on newly released ION with almost same specs. minus LTE.

SHOULD NOT have to hack a new $450 phone because Sony is simply greedy and incompetent. They never seem capabale of releasing phones with current market O/S or having them work to their own design and hardware specs. First Android was SEMC X10 - annoyed at the epic fail on this one and eventually unlocked, updated with custom XDA releases and got some enjoyment before selling it on eBay and going HTC.

As for Playstation - Ion is still N/A and absent (Canada and US). You can run the game engine just fine. The Store for actual content crashes and won't load (ICS not GB required apparently) so questing for games on your required. Sony has actually started pulling the full inacurrate 30 second spots showing PS Gameplay, Spiderman movie playing via a Docking Station all absent in market (Can buy dock on Amazon - likely imported from another region so possible hazard for not being compliant to US/Canadian standards) to just showing phone with Sony.Believe branding at AT&T logo.

Meanwhile Rogers Canada giving away Ion at $50 as LTE (Single band) while One X and S3 (Dual band LTE) come at much, much higher price points on new terms. Existing Term customer will pay full HW price price where phones closer to one another (Early upgrade waiver reduces this) at $500-$650 range respectively.

Appreciate it will take time for accessories/after market products, games etc. But the point is glaring neglect to "push" product sales over quality, integrity. Go into stores here and see Ion, S3 and One X (Side by each as Québecois would say) and if I'm in earshot you'll get pitch to spend way more for anything else but the Sony. Why, simply better bang for hard earned buck and what most people want is flash, features which are present today, now in competitor products. Plus, unlike Ion their products are being upgraded before Sony sees light of day. I wanted to trust and believe but and sorely disappointed again by greed, poor support for expensive product showing promise but likely never delivered on, or done long after everyone else has jumped ahead incluiding Sony with newer products.

By the time ICS out for Ion in North America (September or October) - OneX and S3 are already piloting JB and models in new year will ship upgraded. Sony... still waiting

[FrontierGate]

Oh, you live in Quebec?  You wrote in French and then translated to English.

Yeah, I wish Sony would do their own repair (at Sony repair centre) instead of using a 3rd-party repair depot in Canada.