Sony Takes Their Support of Android Developers to a Whole New Level: Free Loaners

[dgstorm]

Sony has been on an absolute "quest" to improve their image with Android developers and the Android community lately, and I do not use that word lightly. To quest for something is to almost obsessively seek it out, and Sony is doing exactly this to continue their new trend of establishing a deeper relationship with developers. From unlocking the bootloaders on their devices to offering detailed instructions to developers on how to best optimize their time while developing for Sony products, they have been actively wooing developers toward Sony products. Now it seems they are taking things to a whole new level. Sony is now offering a program by which Android developers can get a "free loaner" phone to test their projects on. Yes. You read that right. Here's a quote taken straight from the Sony Developer's Blog on the details of the program:

The Device Loaner Program was created with you, the developer, in mind. For the smaller studios and independent developers with limited resources, this is a perfect program to take advantage of. With it, you can immediately borrow an Xperia™ smartphone for up to 30 days. The service is completely free, and initially aimed at the U.S. and Canadian market. If you’re a developer outside of these markets, please be aware that you’ll be paying for international shipping fees, plus applicable customs/duties for your particular destination.

Device Loaner Program product page.

We currently have these models available for you to borrow:

• Xperia S
• Xperia arc S
• Xperia active
• Xperia PLAY
• Xperia arc
• Xperia X10 Mini Pro
• Xperia X10a
• Xperia X8
• LiveView

To register for the Device Loaner program, simply go to the Device Loaner Program home page where you’ll find step-by-step instructions for setting up an account. Inventory is limited, and only one phone or device is allowed per customer, so sign up today and get your order placed as soon as possible. And if there’s an Xperia™ product that you’d like to see added, or have a question about the program, simply leave us a comment at the bottom of this page!

For all of our amazing devs, you can check it out over at the source link below!

Source: SonyMobileBlog

[wicked]

Sony doing the right things.

[UltraDroid]

I'm not a user of Sony phones, but this kind of behavior by an OEM is outstanding! I wish I had the ability to send a PM to whoever at Sony devised this strategy, to personally say thank you. This kind of forward thinking can only benefit the entire Android Community, and hopefully will encourage other OEMs to do the same. We're all in this together, and things like this can only have a positive effect.