Sony today took the wraps off of a pair of new additions to its Xperia line of handsets, dubbed the Xperia go and Xperia acro S. The Xperia go is a durable handset that Sony says has a scratch-resistant 3.5-inch 320x480 Reality Display and also has an IP67 rating for dust and water resistance. Around back, the Xperia go features a 5-megapixel camera capable of capturing 720p video, and going under the hood reveals a 1GHz dual-core processor, 512MB RAM and 8GB storage. Expect to see Android 2.3 preloaded onto the Xperia go when it comes to market, though Sony does say that the device is upgradable to Android 4.0. Sony also notes that the Xperia go will be known as "Xperia advance" when it comes to the U.S. The Xperia go will begin launching globally in the third quarter in black, white and yellow.

The bigger of the two new Xperia brothers is the Xperia acro S, which features a 4.3-inch 1280x720 Reality Display that, like the Xperia go, is scratch resistant. Also like the Xperia go, the Xperia acro S is dust and water resistant, though its ratings are IP55 and IP57. Other specs for the Xperia acro S include a 1.5GHz dual-core processor, 12-megapixel rear and 1.3-megapixel front cameras, 1GB RAM, 16GB storage, and Android 4.0. The Xperia acro S will launch in black, white and pink and will also be debuting globally in the third quarter.

Along with the scratch, dust and water resistance that both the Xperia go and Xperia acro S feature, it's worth noting that the two handsets also features displays with wet finger tracking, which is a pretty nice addition. There's no mention of when either device might hit U.S. shelves, but folks looking for a durable Android handset may want to keep an eye out for these two. Video introductions for both the Xperia go and Xperia acro S are available below.

Introducing Xperia go and Xperia acro S – two new stylish, durable and water resistant smartphones from Sony

Stylish, sleek and durable smartphones made to resist life’s challenges without compromising on design or functionality

Easy connectivity and premium entertainment from Sony Entertainment Network anywhere, anytime

Reality Display for razor sharp clarity and fast capture camera to go from sleep to snap in just over a second

30 May, London, United Kingdom – Sony Mobile Communications (“Sony Mobile”) today announced two new Xperia™ smartphones for consumers looking for premium specifications and beautiful design with extra durability and water resistance. Xperia go and Xperia acro S have scratch resistant mineral glass displays and meet industry standard IP ratings* (International Protection) for protection against dust and water immersion.

Xperia go and Xperia acro S enable easy connectivity to share and enjoy content on TV, smartphone, laptop or tablet. They also come preloaded with Music Unlimited and Video Unlimited from Sony Entertainment Network giving access to Hollywood blockbusters, TV series and millions and millions of music tracks. Xperia go and Xperia acro S will be available globally from the third quarter of 2012.

Consumer demand for durable and water resistant smartphones 

Industry research demonstrates that consumers consider durability and water resistance as important features when purchasing a smartphone. For example, a study conducted in Japan by Mobile Marketing Data Labo** highlighted water resistance in the top three most important features for smartphone buyers. In a recent poll*** on Sony Mobile’s Facebook community more than a third of participants stated durability as the most important feature when choosing a smartphone. Also, Xperia acro HD, which has the same durability and water resistance features as Xperia acro S, has been the best selling smartphone in Japan since its launch in March****, further demonstrating the appeal of durability and water resistance.

Xperia go – the stylish Sony smartphone made for extra durability

With Xperia go consumers can watch the latest movies and TV shows in razor sharp quality and with super fast performance. Its sleek and stylish design means durable and water resistant smartphones no longer have to look bulky and ruggedized.

Key features for Xperia go

3.5” Reality Display powered by Mobile BRAVIA Engine gives razor sharp clarity

5MP fast capture camera goes from sleep to snap in just over a second

Scratch resistant mineral glass display with wet finger tracking

Highest level of dust and water resistance in a smartphone – IP67 Rating

1Ghz dual core processor gives consumers super fast performance

Launching on Android 2.3 (Gingerbread), upgradeable to Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich)

Available in black, white and yellow colours

Xperia go will launch in the US market under the name “Xperia advance”

Xperia acro S – The stylish water resistant HD smartphone

Xperia acro S boasts a 4.3” HD Reality Display for razor sharp clarity, full HD video recording, HD video chat, easy HDMI TV connectivity to enjoy content on the big screen. NFC enabled, Xperia acro S can easily open applications with one touch against an Xperia SmartTag.

Key features for Xperia acro S

4.3” 720p HD Reality Display powered by Mobile BRAVIA Engine gives razor sharp clarity

12MP fast capture camera goes from sleep to snap in just over a second with a single key press

PlayStation™ Certified

Full 1080p HD video recording and 720p HD front camera

Scratch resistant mineral glass display with wet finger tracking

IP55 and IP57 Ratings for dust and water resistance

1.5Ghz dual core processor gives consumers super fast performance

Launching on Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich)

Available in black, white and pink colours

*IP67 Rating = Protected against dust and the effects of immersion between 15 cm and 1 m for 30 minutes

IP55 Rating = Protected against dust-limited to ingress (no harmful deposits) and water projected by a nozzle (6.3mm) against enclosure from any direction shall have no harmful effects

IP57 Rating = Protected against dust-limited to ingress (no harmful deposits) and the effects of immersion between 15 cm and 1 m for 30 minutes

** Japanese research conducted by Mobile Marketing Data Labo (October 2011)

*** 33% stated durability as the most important feature when choosing a smartphone - based on a survey of 1,477 Facebook users through the global Sony Mobile Facebook fan page as of Friday 25 May 2012

**** According to data from ITmedia, Xperia acro HD (for NTT docomo) was the biggest seller across all smartphones for ten weeks between March and May 2012