outlast harasser: Sony France says Xperia V pushed back to late January to make way for Jelly Bean (update: not universal)

Europeans who were slightly disappointed that the Xperia V would be shipping with Ice Cream Sandwich a year after the OS first appeared will be glad to know that at least one Sony division shares their feelings. Sony France says it's pushing back the launch of the 4.3-inch smartphone from late this year to the end of January so that it can ship with Jelly Bean from the start -- unfortunate, but possibly worth the wait. The company is simultaneously dropping the off-contract price ever so slightly from €549 to €529 ($704 to $678) to make the delay that much more palatable. We've reached out to learn whether or not other European countries are on a similarly adjusted schedule, although it's less likely that our Gallic friends will be singled out while everyone else gets their device earlier and waits for an upgrade.

Update: As Mobiltelefon.ru notes, Sony Russia claims it's still on track to ship the Xperia V by the end of the year. While that's not technically Europe, it suggests that Sony may not wait until 2013 to put everyone on the same page.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Sony