I had the privilege earlier today of getting a tour of the Sony UX Truck that will be travelling across Toronto over the next few weeks. The idea is to take Sony’s latest lineup from its Xperia smartphones and tablets to its Bravia XBR 4K television on the road to showcase not only the products themselves but also how NFC (Near Field Communications) helps them work together to deliver a more connected experience.
Led by Michael Neujahr, National Manager Event Marketing and Training, we were given a tour of what visitors can expect when the Sony UX Truck makes a stop near them. As with today, visitors will also find the truck staffed by Sony representatives who will be able to answer any questions that they may have.
The tour really consists of two key sections. The first half of the tour focuses on a number of specific NFC applications using a variety of Sony products. For example, in one demonstration, screen mirroring (displaying your tablet’s screen on your TV) is shown off. Another demo focuses on Side View, an app that lets you use a smartphone or tablet to operate your Sony BRAVIA television or Blue-ray player among other Sony home devices. The Side View app is running on the tablet below:
Another showcase focuses on music and Sony’s Speaker Balls, small speakers that pair with a quick tap to play the content on the device it just paired with, and NFC headphones.
A fourth demonstration focuses on an NFC backup solution.
Among the devices you will be able to play with are the Sony Xperia ZL and the Sony Xperia Tablet Z. You’ll also see a variety of NFC-enabled accessories including the aforementioned Speaker Balls, NFC headphones and NFC backup solution. Sadly, the Xperia Z which is coming to Canada later this month through Bell was not on display. Perhaps it will be later in the summer.
The second part of the tour will show you how all the different elements of Sony’s NFC-enabled device strategy come together. The star here is Sony’s new 65-inch 4K Ultra HD television, the XBR65X900A. Once I caught sight of it, I forgot all about NFC for a while. Before bringing it back to our focus on mobility, let us just say that 4K is impressive. Sony actually recommends that you get closer to your TV (about 1.5 times the height of the TV is optimal distance) to get an immersive experience. The images are so sharp that you almost feel like the TV is actually a window into another world. Panoramas in particular were particularly vivid and detailed.
Even the optional soundbar below the television supports NFC. You could simply walk into the room, tap your NFC-enabled smartphone to it and start listening to your music through the soundbar.
All in all, the Sony UX Truck experience is a great way to see a number of products that Sony and Sony Mobile currently offer. The demonstrations focusing on how different devices work together will certainly help people how NFC can help them get the most of their devices.
And if the Hogtown Smoke food truck follows the Sony UX truck around, even better!
