Sony today announced another variant of its Xperia Z lineup of smartphones. The latest Android smartphone has features similar to its predecessors, but it increases the durability factor and reaches a new threshold for water resistance.

Sony Corporation today released its annual earnings report for the fiscal year that ended March 31, 2013. The Japanese company reported an increase in sales, and its Sony Mobile subsidiary saw some important gains despite disappointing results.

Sony Mobile has issued a statement on its official Twitter news account to confirm that it is still working to deliver an update to its Xperia devices. Sony said that the it is nearing completion of its Android 4.1 Jelly Bean update for some of its 2012 smartphones. The Xperia P, Xperia Go, Xperia S, Xperia SL, Xperia arc S, and Xperia ion are all "in the final stage" of being updated, but official dates for the phones to begin updates have yet to be announced. Sony promises to offer more news next week.

The Sony Xperia Z arrives at a time when Sony is bullish on its chances to become a much larger player in the smartphone industry. Might the Sony Xperia Z be the device that finally takes Sony's smartphone efforts to the next level?

In recent weeks, multiple lock screen security holes have been discovered in the Apple iPhone 5, Samsung Galaxy S III, and Samsung Galaxy Note II. While those hacks granted limited access to the phone, a new hack has been discovered that exposes the Sony Xperia Z.

Sony Mobile has added a pair of Android 4.1 phones to its portfolio of smartphones set to be released in 2013. Sony today announced the Xperia L and Xperia SP smartphones that are expected to launch globally in the second quarter of 2013.

Android 4.1 Jelly Bean was promised earlier this month, but several Sony Xperia TL owners reported they were unable to download the update. AT&T today announced that it should be available to users by going to Settings > About phone > Software update. The same features previously mentioned - speed increases, better battery life, expanded notifications, Google Now, Drive Mode, and more - are available in the Jelly Bean update. Xperia TL owners should make sure the phone is charged at least 75 percent and connected to Wi-Fi before starting the update process.

The Google Nexus 4 is at the cutting edge of Android software, but how does the Sony Xperia Z stack up?

AT&T released the Sony Xperia TL with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich last year, but the carrier and Android manufacturer have finally gotten with the times and upgraded the device to have some sorely-needed features from Android 4.1 Jelly Bean.

Sony Mobile has begun its Android 4.1 Jelly Bean update of the Sony Xperia T and Xperia V smartphones, beginning the company's planned rollout of Android 4.1 for smartphones released in 2012.