SonyEricsson LT18i Xperia arc S - let's try to figure it out with a smartphone. Mobile phone Sony Ericsson LT18i: description, specifications and reviews Sony Xperia LT 18 ai

Positioning

What does it take to extend the "life" of a good device that was released a year ago and is still on sale? The easiest way is to slightly improve the "iron" characteristic and add some kind of index to the model name. Actually, that is what Sony Ericsson did with its successful Arc: after the name they assigned the Latin letter "S" and installed an overclocked Qualcomm processor MSM8255T. In addition, we decided to change the color a little. Now Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc S is available in white and pink colors, and there is also a universal one - black “Arc”.

Due to the fact that the SE Arc has already been reviewed, and the Arc S practically does not differ from its predecessor, I will not describe many points: I will pay more attention to the performance tests of the "old" and "new" devices.

Design, dimensions, controls

It is not easy to figure out where the Xperia Arc is and where the Xperia Arc S is. It can only be recognized by the color of the back cover. For example, for the “first” Arc it was made with a gradient - from dark silver to black, and for the “second” it was completely black. Also, the previous model did not have a pink and white body color. This is where all the visual differences end.

While fingerprints and small scratches are not visible on the white lid of the device, they are very noticeable on all other colors. When squeezed in the hand, the body of the SE Arc S crunches unpleasantly. However, the design of the device is quite ergonomic.

On the front panel there are light and proximity sensors. Nearby is a speaker. Its volume is very high, the timbre is pleasant, the interlocutor is heard clearly and legibly. Unfortunately, the new modification did not add a front camera, although it would be appropriate here. The screen is protected by mineral glass. True, the display still has a film that wipes off quickly. At the bottom of the device there are three buttons: "Back", "Home" and "Menu". They are pressed very softly, but the stroke is small.

On the left side there is a standard 3.5 mm audio output, on the right there is a volume rocker, microUSB and an indicator of missed events, as well as a small camera activation button. Frankly, it is completely inconvenient to use it due to its size and placement (close to the edge of the bottom end). At the bottom there is a microphone and a strap shackle, at the top there is a power on / off key and a microHDMI connector under a plastic flap.

The speaker, camera peephole, LED flash and an additional microphone are located on the back.

Samsung Omnia W and Sony Ericsson Arc S (right):

Samsung Ace and Sony Ericsson Arc S (right):

HTC Mozart and Sony Ericsson Arc S (left):

Samsung i9000 and Sony Ericsson Arc S (left):

Display

Screen diagonal - 4.2 "( physical size 93x52 mm), resolution - 480x854 pixels (density - 233 pixels per inch). The technology "no air gap" is applied, i.e. there is no air gap between the matrix (LED-backlit LCD) and protective glass... The sensitivity of the capacitive sensor layer is high.

The viewing angles are small: under slopes the picture loses contrast. Right angle color reproduction is pleasant and rich. Perhaps thanks to the "Mobile BRAVIA Engine". But in any case, it loses a lot Super AMOLED Plus matrix and even Super AMOLED.

In short, all the specs and screen options are comparable to the SE Xperia Arc. Light display:

Comparison of displays Samsung Galaxy Note (SuperAMOLED) (left), Sony Ericsson Arc (LED-backlit LCD), Samsung Galaxy S (SuperAMOLED), Samsung Omnia W (SuperAMOLED), HTC Mozart (S-LCD), Samsung Ace (TFT-LCD), Nokia 700 * (CleareBlack AMOLED) (right):

* - the brightness of the Nokia 700 display at maximum brightness is higher than in the photo. This is due to the fact that I took the footage in the dark, and the phone's light sensor dimmed the display backlight slightly.

Battery

The Xperia Arc S uses the same 1500mAh BA750 removable Li-Ion battery as the Xperia Arc. According to official data, the phone will work in standby mode for about 460 hours (for the "first" Arc this time is 430 hours), in the talk mode - up to 7 hours 30 minutes (for the "first" Arc - about 7 hours), music playback - up to 37 hours (at the "first" Arc - up to 30 hours). Overall, the difference is small.

To test the battery life, I installed a special Antutu Tester application. The results turned out to be interesting: the device scored 494 points, leaving behind the Samsung Galaxy SL, Galaxy S2 and LG Optimus 2X.

During practical operation, the following figures were obtained: in standby mode, the smartphone worked for about a week, up to 20 hours when playing music at maximum volume (with headphones) and up to 5 hours when playing HD video with automatic backlight brightness. On average, with 20-25 minutes of calls a day, one hour of shooting photos and videos, the same amount of listening to music, four hours of Wi-Fi (typing on the keyboard - Twitter and Skype) and two hours of watching movies, the battery was discharged in 10-11 hours. Sony Ericsson Arc has approximately the same performance or slightly less.

Communication capabilities

The Xperia Arc S smartphone works in 2G (GSM 850/900/1800/1900) and 3G networks (HSDPA 900/2100). GPRS speed - up to 86 Kbps, EDGE - up to 237 Kbps, HSDPA and HSUPA - up to 14 Mbps and 5.8 Mbps, respectively. There is Wi-Fi standard 802.11 b / g / n. To distribute the Internet, it can be used as an access point. DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance) is supported, a standard that allows compatible devices to send and receive over home network various media content (image, music, video), as well as display it in real time. Bluetooth version 2.1 with A2DP is used for data and voice transmission.

Memory, memory card

The Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc S, like the entire Xperia line, has 512 MB of RAM. Although they could have increased to 720 MB or 1 GB. The internal Flash-memory is free about 300 MB (only 1 GB) - also somehow embarrassing for the flagship model. Comes with a 16 GB card. The maximum supported micrSD card size is up to 32GB.

Camera

As in the previous model, an 8-megapixel camera module is installed, there is an LED flash. But the front camera is still lacking. It is clear that not everyone uses it, but if you really upgrade your smartphone, you could install it. It makes no sense to describe the section in detail, read the review better. I will give examples of photos and a couple of videos. I will only note that the camera shoots very well, and the sound in video clips has a fairly wide stereo base.

From the photo file we get the following detailed description EXIF:

Video file characteristic:

• Format: MP4
• Video: AVC, 6000 Kbps
• Resolution: 1280 x 720, 30 fps
• Audio: AAC, 128 kbps
• Channels: 2 channels, 48.0 kHz

Sample photos:

Performance

Well, now we got to the most interesting thing.

The Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc is powered by a Qualcomm MSM8255 chipset and a 1GHz processor. The Xperia Arc S has the same chipset, but with the "T" index. This means that at the factory the processor clock speed was increased to 1.4 GHz. Interestingly, the MSM8255 can also run 400 MHz faster, but for that you have to manually overclock it. The graphics accelerator is the same - Adreno 205. There are no more differences.

Visually, the SE Arc S works in the same way as the Arc S. Below are several performance tests and benchmarks of the browser of these two devices. For control, the third device will be the SE Xperia Play, built on the same technology base as the Xperia Arc.

Brief technical information.

The well-known firm Sony Ericsson has long been entrenched in the niche mobile devices... Phones from the company are famous for their stylish design and reliability. At the same time, the cost of the devices attracts the attention of buyers.

About the phone

Sony Ericsson LT18i has become an improved copy of the previous model. The developers decided not to abandon the project, but added an overclocked processor to it and slightly changed the color. Users appreciated the modified Android device. Is this Sony Erickson really that good?

Contents of delivery

Acquaintance with any device begins with a complete set. The package has an image of the model and operating system features on the top. There is a sticker that makes it clear that the phone is running Android 4.0 (below - upgradeable). In fact, the system version is 2.3.4. Therefore, in order to get an updated version, you will have to work on your own. This is the first drawback that can be attributed to the creators of Sony Ericsson LT18i. Not every user has the skills to get the coveted Android 4.0, and an experienced owner will not want to additionally fiddle with the update.

The delivery set is standard. The box contains: USB-microUSB, power supply, headphones and HDMI cable... For the latter, we can say thanks to the company. However, you can hardly watch movies on your TV via HDMI - maximum photos and videos.

Design

The appearance of Sony Ericsson LT8i is quite good - the company clearly employs excellent designers. The front side looks very stylish and graceful. The display occupies almost the entire surface, and has a white border around the edges. If we compare a mobile phone in appearance with its closest competitors, then it is clearly an order of magnitude better. The Sony Ericsson LT18i case is made of good plastic. Of course, weak hardware may be hidden under the pleasant design, but the first impression of the device is positive.

The back cover of Sony Ericsson LT18i is available in three colors: white, pink or black. Made of matte plastic. Fingerprints and scratches remain. On white, by the way, not so much. If the phone is squeezed in your hand, a crunch is heard.

The cover can be removed, which is less and less common today. Under it removable battery... Slightly higher are the slots for micro-SD and micro-SIM. They can only be pulled out if the battery is not present.

Sensors and buttons

Proximity and light sensors are located on the front of the phone. Slightly to the right is the speaker. Here it is of high quality, the interlocutor is heard well. Sony Ericsson Arc S is left without a front camera. To some, this will seem a disadvantage, while others will take it calmly. In any case, she would not be superfluous. Apparently, the developers decided to save money by not adding a camera.

The lower part is occupied by mechanical buttons: "Back", "Home" and "Menu". At first, pressing the buttons is inconvenient - you need to get used to their location.

On the left side of the Sony Ericsson LT18i there is a standard headphone jack. On the right is the volume rocker. Above is a micro-USB connector and an indicator of missed events. Everyone knows about the company's demanding attitude to the quality of the cameras of its devices. In this Sony Erickson model, they even added a key quick access To her. However, the location was not chosen the best, so using the button is not very convenient.

At the bottom there is a microphone and a shackle for attaching a strap. The on / off button is on the top. Here it is round and embedded in the body. I must say that the power button spoils somewhat appearance devices. Nearby is the HDMI socket, which is hidden by a plug.

On the back there is a camera peephole and an LED flash.

Display

Has a conventional LCD-matrix. The diagonal of the screen is 4.2 ". The resolution is 480x854 pixels. There is no air gap between the matrix and the glass, which is an additional advantage of Sony Ericsson LT18i. high sensitivity... Has good natural colors. The brightness is not very high, so it is difficult to see the information on the screen in the sun. Despite this, it can be noted that the display fades with rays an order of magnitude less than the popular SuperAMOLED.

Viewing angles are another drawback of the device. If the phone is slightly tilted to the side, color distortion occurs. This disadvantage cannot be called serious. Viewing angles are not very important for a smartphone, but a tablet is.

You can rate the screen on a solid four. If you forget about the corners, then you can put the five.

Battery

Sony Ericsson LT18i, which is flashed via special program, received a conventional lithium-ion battery with a capacity of 1500 mAh. The battery is relatively weak, but the smartphone holds a charge for a long time. With standard use (calls, SMS, surfing the Internet, launching some applications and games), the charging is enough for the whole day.

The developers claim to work in standby mode up to 460 hours. Talk time - up to seven and a half. You can listen to music on a single charge for up to 37 hours.

In practice: the phone worked in standby mode for a week, twenty hours of listening to music with headphones (at maximum volume), five hours of watching HD video (with automatic screen brightness).

Communication capabilities

Sony Ericsson LT18i, the firmware for which is on the manufacturer's website, has received all the features that are popular today. You can access the Internet via 2G or 3G networks. There is Wi-Fi 802.11 standard. Thanks to this, the phone can be turned into an access point. There is Bluetooth for transferring media files. All functions can be customized to suit the personal needs of the user.

Memory

The Sony Ericsson LT18i has 512 MB of RAM. This volume can be found in other models of the Xperia line. It may not be enough for some applications and games. The developers, apparently, saved money by significantly cutting the RAM. If you like to play new games, it is better to take a closer look at devices with a large amount of RAM.

The internal memory is only 1 GB, with 300 MB free. This volume is not enough and the user will have to purchase a memory card. The device supports micro-SD up to 32 GB.

Camera

The device received only one 8 MP camera, there is an LED flash. Many people refuse to purchase the device due to the lack of a front camera. Photos are clear and rich. Not many other companies can boast of the same quality cameras. The video is also good. The sound deserves special attention, which has received an extensive stereo base.

The maximum image resolution is 3264x2448 pixels. There is digital zoom. The image can be stabilized using built-in functions. Photos can be taken in macro mode. The developers have not forgotten about such a popular feature as face and smile recognition.

Video can be recorded in HD, that is, at a maximum resolution of 1280x720 pixels. Recording can be done in a variety of formats. Immediately after shooting, you can view the material on your home TV, thanks to HDMI.

Performance

Finally we got to the fun part.

Sony Ericsson LT18i, the price of which is about ten thousand rubles, received a Qualcomm MSM8255 processor, operating at a clock frequency of 1 GHz. Interestingly, in the previous model, the developers installed a chipset with the "T" prefix, which was already at the factory with a frequency of 1.4 GHz. This device can also be overclocked, but it will have to be done manually. Not every user can do this (all the more correctly), so many will have to

Graphics accelerator - Adreno 205. The device works fast enough. There are no strong lags and brakes. It will not work to run demanding games on such hardware. Most of the popular apps are running fine.

In Quadrant Pro, the device showed 1289 points, which is much lower than that of the flagships. Antutu Benchmark gave an overall rating of 2844.

Software platform

A smartphone with an installed version of "Android" 2.3.4 is on sale. It is exclusive and installed on all devices of the line. It is possible to upgrade to version 4.0. Don't expect huge changes. Externally, only some of the icons will change, and new widgets will also appear.

The new version released by the manufacturer made it possible for the user to take screenshots using standard means. Now just press the power button and select the desired item. Also some system bugs have been fixed. The operating system has become more stable and faster. Any user of the device can upgrade to 4.0 today.

Device in operation

In everyday use, the smartphone showed its best side. There were bugs in programs from developers, but they are minor. Also worth mentioning about checkboxes. Sometimes they were not marked with a different color, and it was difficult to know if an item was selected or not. Interestingly, the company was slow to fix this minor flaw.

The device may lose wifi signal even when close to the source.

As for the rest, the device worked stably and quickly.

Conclusion

Sony Ericsson LT18i is not the best option for advanced users today. The device has a lot of flaws that can scare off a demanding buyer. The phone did not receive a front camera, which every Chinese "handicraft" has today, but many people really need it, for example, for video calls.

The hardware, which has difficulty running some programs, is also not impressive. You will have to forget about popular games altogether. There is very little built-in memory. You can find a cheaper model that boasts 4 or even 8 GB. The same problem with RAM. It is enough only for built-in applications, and only the smallest remain for downloaded ones. And if the built-in one can be expanded by means of memory cards, then what to do with the operative one?

The appearance of the device is good, but there are complaints about mechanical buttons. It is clear that the emphasis was on design, but they were made too small and inconvenient. You have to get used to it.

Apart from these shortcomings, we can say that Sony Ericsson LT18i is not much worse than more expensive brands. Design and completely bypasses many eminent companies and at the same time has an acceptable cost. If you are looking for inexpensive smartphone Ideal for everyday use, the Sony Ericsson Arc S is a great option.

The new version of the smartphone, which will soon be available for wholesale, will be a continuation of the well-proven SonyEricsson model with minor but still significant changes. What's new in the flagship of smartphones now?

Platform

The most important change is the processor - the arc S is equipped with a 1.4GHz single-core Qualcomm Snapdragon MSM8255. This move can most likely be explained by the fact that optimizing applications for dual-core processors is still far from ideal, while increasing the clock frequency actually increases performance. The choice of increased processor power as the main difference is called part of the standard practice for Sony Ericsson to release an updated version of a successful model.

Due to more powerful processor the manufacturer promises improved performance and stunning video. By the way, the TFT display with a diagonal of 4.2 "remains the same - the Mobile BRAVIA Engine technology makes it bright, high-contrast and completely colorful. The resolution remained at 854x480 pixels at 16 million colors.

According to company representatives, new processor provides performance gains. Xperia ™ arc S renders media files and launches 25% faster, and web pages load 20% faster than Xperia ™ arc .. The same RAM remains as the original Xperia arc - 512MB.

Registration

The main color solutions of the novelty are white, black, pink and gold. The latter color looks unusual enough for cell phone, but so far the arc S with such a body will not be delivered to Russia.

The main strength of the arc S is seen by the company as its design, which is considered extremely successful. Let us remind you that the device is very thin - only 8.7 mm - and weighs 117 grams. The Xperia arc S also won the EISA award for Best European Cameras 2011-2012.

Software component

In addition to the design and processor, the changes will also affect the software part. The main platform will be the Android 2.3.4 operating system with a strict proprietary Timescape shell - it can be called a slight difference from the 2.3.3 installed in arc. Sony Ericsson did not want to install the latest version, 2.3.5, since the fundamental differences there are minimal.

More broadly, this difference in the company is explained by the fact that Google itself has slowed down the release of significant updates after last year's incident. Then three major updates to the Android OS were released in a very short time, from which all smartphone manufacturers literally "howled": they had to quickly and repeatedly redo the firmware.

Significant updates are now released significantly less frequently, and manufacturers can focus on releasing their own updates. Despite this, Sony Ericsson began to release its firmware more often - and, as far as we understood, the new firmware now pays more attention to the elimination of minor bugs and the addition of various own elements. For example, in latest firmware new themes and new widgets have been added for Xperia devices, as well as tighter integration with Facebook.

3D Sweep Panorama

Another "feature" of the new arc S is the fashionable three-dimensionality. But here it is not at all the same as in Korean TVs (where special glasses are needed); and not at all the same as when watching a movie with red and blue glasses; and is not at all the same as in, in which in general "everything is own".

Three-dimensionality in arc S was achieved using the original technology of shooting panoramic images and subsequent stitching thereof. Only here not a large panorama is glued together, but several images (programmatically) to achieve a stereo effect. Simple and tasteful, but, most likely, even the "red-blue" anaglyph is still very far from here.

Viewing pictures is also possible on the big screen: the phone has an HDMI connector, through which the device is connected to the TV and allows you to view the pictures on the big screen.

In addition, the 3D Sweep Panorama option will be rolled out to all of the company's phones, representatives said.

Of course, you can read about the original one, but for those who do not want to bother themselves too much by reading a large text, we will briefly tell you about the main technical characteristics of the updated model, partially summarizing the above.

Specifications SonyEricsson Xperia arc S:

• GSM / GPRS / EDGE (850/900/1800/1900 MHz), UMTS HSPA (900/2100, 800/850/1900/2100 MHz),
• TFT display 4.2-inch touchscreen, with a resolution of 854 x 480p, with Reality display technology with Mobile BRAVIA Engine
• 8.1 MP Exmor R camera, autofocus, flash, HD video recording (720p)
• 1.4 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon MSM8255 processor
• Memory - up to 320 MB
• Support for memory cards - microSD, up to 32 MB
• Wi-Fi, Bluetooth stereo (A2DP)
• FM radio with RDS, aGPS
• 3.5mm headphone jack
• Micro USB
• Talk time GSM / GPRS - up to 7 hours 25 minutes
• Standby time GSM / GPRS - up to 460 hours
• Talk time UMTS - up to 7 hours 35 minutes
• Standby time UMTS - up to 460 hours
• Listening time to music - up to 37 hours
• Video playback - up to 6 hours 25 minutes
• Android OS 2.3.4 (Gingerbread)
• Dimensions - 125 x 63 x 8.7mm
• Weight - 117 grams

Video review of SonyEricsson LT18i Xperia arc S

So, - an ultra-thin smartphone based on the Android 2.3 operating system in a classic form factor, with dimensions of 125x63x8.7 mm and a weight of 117 grams. The capacitive touchscreen TFT-display of the smartphone has a diagonal of 4.2 inches, 16.7 million colors and a resolution of 854x480 pixels. The standard TFT technology is enhanced with the proprietary Mobile BRAVIA Engine technology. The smartphone also offers auto-rotate, multitouch and NO air gap technologies.

The arc S has a rear camera only (like the arc), with a resolution of 8.1 MP, with LED flash, autofocus and digital 16x zoom. The smartphone supports HD video recording with a maximum resolution of 1280x720 pixels and stereo sound thanks to a second microphone. There are also light and proximity sensors.

The built-in memory is 1024 MB, of which only 320 MB is available to the user, but micro-SDHC memory cards up to 32 GB are supported, the package will include a 16GB memory card and an HDMI cable.

The set of interfaces is standard: WiFi, USB and Bluetooth (the exact versions of the supported protocols are not yet known), GPS (aGPS), HDMI and DLNA protocol are also supported.

Among the interesting additions, it is worth mentioning the noise reduction technology, the video chat mode in gtalk (already supported by some cellular operators), advanced synchronization with Facebook and Twitter, TrackID music recognition application, FM radio with RDS support. Swype support for typing is also announced.

The retail price of the model will be 21,990 rubles.

We propose and study our school -

Results and comparison with competitors

This is a logical continuation of the successful Xperia arc model - therefore, in terms of the main characteristics, everything has remained unchanged. Arc sells well and is popular with users: it is currently the most advanced smartphone in the Xperia line.

The phone is certified by Rostest, has a Russified keyboard, menus, and a User Guide.


Equipment:

- Sony Ericsson Arc S phone
- Battery
- Charger
- Wired stereo headset
- USB cable for PC connection
- HDMI cable
- microSD card 16Gb
- Instruction
- Warranty card

Warranty: Sony Ericsson Official 1 Year Warranty.

Fun at exhilarating speed
Sony Ericsson XPERIA Arc S is a gadget with especially powerful 1.4 GHz processor, who with the speed of lightning copes with all the tasks assigned to him. You can take high quality photos and save them instantly.

Also the entertainment that offers this device, include the ability to quickly download games and play them, surf the Internet, and view video files. The characteristics of the new model also allow for very fast loading of any applications.

Reality Display and 3D
Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc S model display has diagonal of 4.2 inches and implemented using LCD technology. It features excellent contrast, wide color gamut and minimal image noise. We advise you to buy this gadget for a real Reality Display that supports Mobile BRAVIA® Engine technology, which guarantees, in turn, a bright and clear image that remains so even outdoors due to a special coating.

Continuing the review of this gadget, we note that the f otographs can be displayed in 3D volumetric image directly on your screen, and later can be viewed using a 3D TV. Thus, the most gorgeous, one might say live, pictures are waiting for you. To do this, you just need to select from the menu 3D Sweep Panorama function.

Great picture even in the dark
The picture quality on the Sony Ericsson XPERIA Arc S display is not limited to what is described above. Even in dusk or dim artificial light, Exmor R ™ technology for CMOS sensors in cellular gadgets provides beautiful, bright images. It is especially pleasant to hold this device in your hands, because its thickness is only 8.7 mm, so the smartphone received the best reviews from experts as a compact, thin and light smartphone.

Facebook inside the Xperia
Sony Erickson Xperia Ark S supports the social network Facebook, where you can perform all the same actions as from a computer. And since the price of a new smartphone promises to be acceptable, you can always be in touch in this social resource and know about what is happening in the lives of your friends. Use Android Market actively, download applications that interest you and personalize your smartphone for the most convenient work.

Concluding the review of the gadget, we note the presence of a built-in aGPS systems, support for wireless Wi-Fi module , the ability to go to the social network Twitter at any time, as well as the presence of FM radio - a real paradise for music lovers. The price of the model in our online store will pleasantly surprise you and will not allow you to postpone such an important purchase for an indefinite period.

Video Sony Ericsson XPERIA Arc S

We sell only original products and are ready to honestly talk about all the features of each model. You can buy Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc S (LT18i) Black 0.512Gb for 12850 rubles. Delivery, extended warranty, wide range of accessories.

Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc S (LT18i) smartphone - overview

I have long wanted to study modern android smartphones from Sony Ericsson. And then in the advanced category, Samsung now dominates with its Galaxy S III and Galaxy Note II, meanwhile I have not really seen any interesting alternatives. Previously, HTC was on the horse, but it was definitely blown away - the flagship HTC One X disappointed me a lot, while Sony Ericsson has always produced interesting phones, and the Xperia series was kind of praised, so it was interesting to see what these phones are. a model Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc S came to me, thanks to the Yulmart online supermarket, well, now we will enjoy it. Or let us turn away. Or indifferent - how it goes.

Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc S

In general, compared to the same Galaxy S III, which with all due respect looks somewhat rustic, Xperia looks like an aristocratic metropolitan gadget.
Yes, we know that a fiery engine can be hidden behind a rustic facade, and a complete degeneration behind an aristocratic appearance, but purely outwardly, this is exactly the impression. The back cover is matte white plastic. The cover is removable, under it is a removable battery, a slot for microSD and for microSIM. By the way, not only the SIM card, but also the microSD card can be pulled out only with the battery removed. The upper end is a power button and a microHDMI output with a cap.
The power button is GORGEOUS. I haven't seen this for a long time. A tiny round peg, practically not crawling out beyond the level of the butt - what idiot came up with that? Why hasn't he been lynched yet? Or did they not chop off his finger every time when pressed, this button does not work, because you have to press it with your fingernail? I understand that this was done on purpose. The engineer argued with his colleagues that he would make the most horrible power button in the world without being killed. Probably cut down a lot of money. But now how fun it is for the people who bought it ... The right side - microUSB, volume rocker, at the bottom - the camera call button. By the way, in my opinion, this camera call button is very, very necessary. And I'm sorry that most other manufacturers have given up on this button.
The volume rocker, by the way, is very, very inconvenient: too small, poorly and indistinctly pressed. At the bottom there is only a microphone, on the left side there is a headphone jack.
All three lower control buttons on the front are non-touch. I might have welcomed this, but here, unfortunately, convenience is sacrificed to design: the buttons look very stylish, but pressing them is particularly inconvenient, especially the side ones.
In general, in terms of control keys Sony engineers- three with a big minus. Ergonomics here - zero point zero. But yes, design, my ass! It seems that I will soon come to the conclusion that this phone can be bought only to put it on the shelf and admire it. Display Conventional LCD-matrix. Nice natural colors, good contrast. The brightness margin is very small, but in purely practical terms, the display is even more convenient than SuperAMOLED and its modifications: unlike SuperAMOLED, this display fades in the sun by an order of magnitude less. As you know, SuperAMOLED has this sore spot - it goes blind to the point of complete indecency. And this phone can be used safely in the sun - this is a clear plus. The viewing angles here are not a fountain: when the display is tilted up and down and left and right, the contrast drops and the image becomes slightly whitish. However, for a phone, viewing angles are usually completely insignificant, unlike a tablet, so I don't consider this a serious disadvantage. protective shield... This makes the screen more sensitive to pressure: it is, I got the impression that the display is more responsive than usual. In general, the display is a four. But for behavior in the sun - clearly a five. (Against SuperAMOLED's deuce.) Device operation As I said, the phone ships with Android 2.3. It is impossible to update it to a four on Wi-Fi - you need to install a special PC Companion program and update through it. Theoretically, the phone itself can install this program when connected via USB (the question is asked), but I could not do this on two computers. But if you download PC Companion yourself and connect the phone to the computer via USB, you can install Android 4.0.4.

Firmware upgrade

But this action for an unprepared user is not so simple (either on a phone connected to Wi-Fi, press the "Refresh" button). In addition, purely outwardly for the user, the fourth Android is not too different from 2.3. Therefore, in the review, we will first look at how it all looks out of the box, and then note some of the differences between the four. Moreover, almost all the main applications on 2.3 and 4.0 look almost the same. So, the desktop of a loaded phone on Android 2.3. There are only five desktops, scrolling left and right, but the scrolling is not end-to-end (which is a pity).

Central desktop

Second desktop

First desktop

On the fourth desktop from the bottom there is a widget for a store for buying all kinds of multimedia.

Fourth desktop

Fifth desktop

The shell supports the creation of folders, which can also be placed in the dock: from there the "Multimedia" folder.

In the notification area, there is no panel with all sorts of settings at all, like most other smartphones. That is, turning on / off Wi-Fi, GPS, BT, mobile data, and so on - only through the application with settings or through widgets. This is bad. Applications installed on the system. By the way, there is no end-to-end scrolling here either, which is completely inconvenient.

The lock window allows you to simply unlock your phone or switch to some application - for example, a camera or sound settings. Notifications are displayed on the blocking window, but there is no direct movement to the corresponding application (for example, SMS, phone, Facebook).

Searching results.

Editing a contact. By the way, there is a very convenient option "Forward calls to voicemail" - I have never seen such a thing anywhere else.

Call functions.

And here are the extensions for Timescape.

This is how updates from Facebook and Twitter look like in the widget.

On Facebook and Twitter, you can post directly from this application.

And this is how the update feed goes in the application itself.

These are RSS feed updates.

The app is beautiful, but, in my opinion, goofy. It is easier to have separate clients for the respective networks and RSS feeds - they are much more flexible. Keyboard The default keyboard is comfortable and supports the swype input mode (gesture input, swiping over the letters of the word you are typing without lifting your finger from the screen).

The system also has the Opera Mini browser. Gallery Almost a standard Android application. Unless a specific feature is additionally supported - 3D panoramas, which this phone can do. (More about them later.)

Processing a specific image.

Images from connected social networks are also supported.

Specific settings from Sony Ericsson.

Call parameters. By the way, there is a built-in SIP client, so if you create an account with any IP telephony service using this protocol, you can make calls over the Internet directly from a regular telephone application. It's comfortable.

Sound settings.

There is an equalizer with various preset settings.

Various types of composition selection.

Basic desktop.

Applications installed on the system.

Settings.

There was no shooting button here, you could set the shooting mode with a touch of your finger on the screen or the shooting mode with the "Camera" button, which worked somewhat strangely. Settings.

In the fourth version of Android, the camera began to look noticeably more decent - a large shooting button appeared, which is convenient.

One of the features of this particular camera is that it can shoot panoramas, moreover, in 3D. In the phone itself, such panoramas look like ordinary ones, composed of several horizontal frames, but if this panorama is displayed on a 3D TV via HDMI, it is quite possible that they will also be in 3D. I could not verify this, I somehow needlessly use a 3D TV.
Now about the camera. I liked the way it functions. Focuses normally, and with first time, the color rendition is good, the white balance rarely misses - in general, it is suitable for reportage photography without any remarks. Here are examples of photos taken in different conditions, without processing (clickable). Moreover, unlike the Galaxy S III, where I usually make at least three copies of each frame, this is not necessary here - neither you defocus, nor shake.



















Well, an example of shooting a video. Performance The phone works, let's say, at normal speed. It doesn’t give the impression of being particularly fast, but it doesn’t slow down either. The Quadrant Pro gives it the lowest parrots, but in practice I did not notice much difference here with the HTC One X, to which the Quadrant gives the tallest parrots.

Well, I didn't like the work of the Wi-Fi adapter. In conditions of a not very good signal, he often lost this signal when the Galaxy S III and Galaxy Note II held him ironically. Price In Moscow, this smartphone now costs about 14 thousand rubles, that is, $ 453 or 350 €. Samsung Galaxy S III costs on average 22 thousand, that is, $ 712 or 550 €. This is a noticeable difference. conclusions I will not say that I am delighted with this phone. The characteristics of the hardware are rather modest, the built-in memory is practically absent, the buttons are inconvenient, there are all sorts of complaints about the software. Nevertheless, when you look at the price, which is 1.6 times less than the Galaxy S III, you understand that this phone still has its own positive sides. Indeed, a lot depends on the price! If a person does not have the opportunity to buy a phone for $ 712, but is ready to spend $ 450 on a decent smartphone - Sony Xperia The Arc S is just such a decent (for that kind of money) option; if it sold at a comparable price to the Galaxy S III, I would say that there is nothing to think about, because the Galaxy S III is noticeably better. However, when this phone is obviously cheaper, but at the same time has a really good design, good stuffing and has demonstrated itself as a decent device in general, it shows that it occupies its own niche. Moreover, some software shortcomings can be solved by installing other applications - tea, Android, after all, not iOS - and, as practice shows, many get used to crooked buttons.