Sony to Sell Xperia P TV Dock Later This Year

Who needs a cable box when you can plug your smartphone into the family room flat screen TV?

Sony today announced that the Xperia P TV Dock will be available in the third quarter of 2012. The dock is an accessory that connects the Xperia P smartphone to a television via HDMI so users can view the phone's picture gallery, watch personal videos, play mobile games, or access the Internet in widescreen. It also charges the phone while cradling.

"For the movie buffs out there, you can also download and enjoy the latest blockbusters from Video Unlimited," Sony said on its blog.

TV Dock wirelessly connects to a keyboard and mouse via Bluetooth, essentially turning the Xperia P phone into a mini computer, with searchable documents and emails for a limited PC experience. The dock includes USB ports for hooking up secondary cables.

Pricing for the TV dock was not discussed.

The Xperia P, , includes a 4-inch display and is NFC-enabled. Sony said the Xperia P is the first phone to include the company's "white magic" display, which will automatically adjust brightness to allow for browsing in bright sunlight.

For more, see from Mobile World Congress and the slideshow below.