Sony has unveiled a smartphone that allows some web browsing without touching the screen.
The Sony Xperia Sola features "floating touch" navigation, which the firm says offers "magic web browsing without touching the screen" - although the gesture system appears to be limited to choosing links.
According to Sony, users hover their finger above links on the screen "so it acts like a moving cursor, without actually having to touch the screen".
"Once the desired link is found it can be highlighted and a simple tap will load the page," Sony explained, promising the tech will be used for more in the future. "Floating touch will evolve with new user functionality and applications through software updates and engagement with developers."
We'll have to get our hands on - or above - an Xperia Sola to review before we can say whether that is any more useful than merely touching the screen, however.
Calum MacDougall, head of Xperia marketing for Sony Mobile Communications, said the system gives "consumers a fun new way to browse the web and latest technology to show off".
The Xperia Sola also features Sony's NFC SmartTags, which allow users to automate basic functions for the phone to perform, such as switching to silent mode, when it is moved near a tag.
Aside from those features, the Xperia Sola is a 3.7in Android handset, running version 2.3 - but upgrading to 4.0 this summer - on a dual-core 1Ghz processor. It features a 5-megapixel camera, which Sony goes from "from sleep to snap in a little over a second with a single key press".
The Sola will arrive in the second quarter, with a spokesperson saying it was a "mid-range phone" and would be "priced accordingly".
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