Sony Xperia Ion is a controversial product from a name brand. On the one hand, everything seems to be good about it: a fast set of chipsets, a good display, a pleasant appearance and good cameras. But on the other hand, this gadget was originally developed for the US market with all the attendant adaptation nuances. The brand entered into an agreement with AT&T for the exclusive supply of Sony Xperia Ion smartphones, but then something went wrong, or maybe, on the contrary, everything turned out too well, but Sony decided to expand the geographic availability of the device.

The gadget began to be sold on the European and Asian markets, and a year after the presentation it appeared here in Russia. The Sony Xperia Ion LT28h model has gained a foothold in the domestic market, which differs from the similar LT28i in the lack of support for LTE protocols. In this connection, it is better for those who like to work in 4G networks to pass by or browse foreign online stores.

So, the subject of today's review is the Sony Xperia Ion LT28h smartphone. The characteristics, advantages and disadvantages of the model, as well as the opinion of experts in this field, coupled with user reviews, will be discussed in this article.

Contents of delivery

The gadget comes in a nice box made of thick cardboard in a brand-specific black and white color. On the front you can see the image of the smartphone itself, and on the back the most remarkable Sony specifications Xperia Ion. The box turned out to be small thanks to the proper arrangement of all internal elements.

Inside you will see:

• the device itself;
• power adapter (EP850);
• USB cable for recharging and synchronization with a PC;
• stereo headset (MH750);
• manual and specification with detailed characteristics on Sony Xperia Ion;
• warranty card.

The package package, for its price category, can be called modest - you won’t see any covers, films or other cosmetic accessories here. But maybe it’s for the better, because many owners prefer to buy such accessories, as they say, according to their taste and color. Nevertheless, some users in their reviews of the Sony Xperia Ion are extremely upset that a model of this class does not even have a simple case.

Appearance

The gadget looks large and at first impressions resembles a weighty “spatula”. The case received only two colors - black and red. Moreover, the latter cannot be called purely feminine, because the color scheme chosen was dark red, and not some raspberry or soft strawberry.

The front part, regardless of color, is black, and the back is made of velvety plastic and a textured lid in the selected color scheme. Below you can see the familiar brand logo with the inscription “Ixperia”. The appearance of the camera eye of the Sony Xperia Ion is noticeably different from other similar smartphones: a bulky lens with the same rather large flash and perforation for a microphone. On the left side you can see a large plug, under which the micro-USB interface and HDMI connector are hidden. The top end is reserved for a standard 3.5 mm minijack audio output.

The upper front part is occupied by the front camera peephole, a decorative grille for the earpiece and proximity sensors with lighting. There is also a small indicator light here that shows the current state of the Sony Xperia Ion (battery is charging, almost empty, shooting, etc.).

With its dimensions - 133x68x11 mm - the gadget weighs 144 grams, which is a bit much. Many owners in their reviews have repeatedly complained about the massive design and weight: the device will easily pull your shirt or blouse pocket, and will also make you shake your hands from the heaviness after even a short use. Nevertheless, many see only a plus in such dimensions, calling the gadget a mini-tablet with all the ensuing advantages.

As for the assembly, there are no critical complaints: there are no gaps, nothing plays, creaks or crunches when working with the device. The top cover, which provides access to the micro-SD and micro-SIM interfaces, fits tightly, but not so tightly that you need to run for a tool to open it; just pry it with your fingernail and remove it correctly.

Display

Sony Xperia Ion is equipped with a smart TFT matrix with a 4.55-inch display and a resolution of 1280 by 720 pixels. The screen received pretty good protection, where the glass prevents minor scratches, and also has an almost invisible film, typical for devices of the brand.

The display is capacitive, so multi-touch technology is fully supported. The image quality is at a fairly high level: rich colors, true picture and balanced contrast. The viewing angles of the Sony Xperia Ion are also good: you can calmly look through photos or watch videos in the company of one or two like-minded people.

The screen dimensions allow you to surf the Internet, play games and work with other Android applications with proper comfort. Feedback from owners on this matter is ambiguous: some are quite satisfied with the large screen with good visualization, while others complain about the downside - the massiveness of the case. Therefore, it is better to check before purchasing Sony phone Xperia Ion in your hands and only then decide which side is critical for you - the large display or the heaviness of the device.

Interfaces

On the right side there is a button to turn off the gadget, and below it is a rocker for controlling the volume. Some owners complain about excessively beveled ends, where the button operation is not as convenient as other smartphones. In addition, the keys themselves require a certain skill and adaptation due to their shallow travel. At the very bottom of the right side there is a camera activation button, which is very convenient. Many users have become accustomed to hardware-based shooting controls: when the display is locked, you can hold down the camera key and it will launch, taking the first frame.

Below the main display there are four familiar Android buttons: “Menu”, “Home”, “Back” and “Search”. The touch-type keys are backlit in the form of stripes. With the Sony Xperia Ion, the company decided to completely abandon the usual traditional control buttons, so many fans of the brand will have to get used to sensitive sensors.

As for the screen itself, no problems were noticed with the speed of processing clicks. The manufacturer has worked on the mistakes that it made in previous generations, and now everything is fine here.

Performance

The performance of the Sony Xperia Ion LT28h is driven by the well-proven Qualcomm APQ8060 processor, running on two cores with a frequency of 1.5 Hz. The graphics component falls on the shoulders of the Adreno 220 series accelerator. RAM (1 GB) is enough for comfortable work with the interface and applications. However, on some particularly “heavy” games you will have to reset the graphics settings to medium or even low levels in order to avoid a drop in FPS.

Sony Xperia Ion feels great in UMTS HSPA+ networks on protocols from 850 to 1900 Band. As mentioned above, unfortunately, there is no support for LTE networks. If you can’t do without it, and you like the phone, then the only option is to look at the offers of Sony distributors on foreign Internet sites (model LT28i). The only thing is that you will have to competently reflash the phone, that is, completely adapt it to our realities, but with support for 4G networks.

Owners in their reviews are generally satisfied with the performance of the smartphone. No serious comments were noted, and as for work in high-speed networks, then a good half of users are quite satisfied with the 3G format, and faster Internet access is needed more for a computer than for a mobile gadget.

Drives

About 11 or so gigabytes of memory out of 16 are available to the user for his needs. If this turns out to be not enough, it can always be expanded using third-party SD cards, up to 32 GB. In general, it is not clear why Sony, positioning its smartphones as multimedia, and given the existing dimensions, cannot equip the gadget, for example, with a 32 or 64 GB drive. The technical capabilities and dimensions of the device make it possible to do this, but engineers stubbornly do not want to add built-in memory to the devices.

Wireless protocols

The smartphone supports standard Wi-Fi and Bluetooth protocols starting from version 2.1 (EDR), works well on ANT+ profiles, which are used in conjunction with sports gadgets, and also has the ability to communicate with GLONASS, NFC and DLNA.

Cameras

The front camera has acceptable characteristics, so there will be no problems with Skype and other instant messengers, but it won’t be suitable for anything else (which is not necessary). But the main camera deserves special attention.

The 12.1-megapixel matrix is ​​capable of shooting video in high resolution and has an impressive set of effects: 3D panorama, multi-angle view in the same 3D, fish eyes and other useful and not so useful surroundings.

The user can choose the shooting method: a regular key, a touch button on the display, or some specific custom combination. It is also possible to quickly launch with your own presets: button and shooting, button and only launching the program, etc. Fortunately, all additional functionality can be easily disabled and you can work with the usual settings that were enabled by default.

Naturally, for most users, the key point regarding the camera’s capabilities is the megapixels of the matrix. The figure seems impressive for a smartphone, but that’s not the point here. Marketers constantly put pressure on the already overloaded heads of users with all sorts of incomprehensible, but quite resonant terms: here you have 4 cores, 12 megapixels, 128 gigabytes, ultra-HD and complete stuffing. In fact, the main question here is different: do I, the owner of the phone, need all this “beauty”? If we talk specifically about the Sony Xperia Ion, the device is capable of capturing a piece of the desired reality, and with very high quality. But why would he do that? a high resolution, if the majority of owners, judging by the reviews, post their pictures somewhere on Instagram or VK. And to work with stunning landscapes and protected animals, there is special professional equipment. Therefore, any criticism here will be ambiguous.

Yes, in some materials it is clear that the camera sometimes misses, sometimes it knocks out some color, but nevertheless the picture turns out to be detailed and natural. The smartphone performed well during daytime shooting, but its night “life” did not work out: in poor lighting, even a bright flash will not help you get a really high-quality shot; on the contrary, it will make everything worse. Otherwise, we have a sensible matrix, which does not differ in anything supernatural, but simply takes normal and detailed pictures.

Autonomous operation

The battery of the Sony Xperia Ion is quite modest - only 1900 mAh, which is clearly not enough for this platform. The Android brethren have always been energy-hungry, and our respondent was no exception.

When the smartphone was fully loaded (high-resolution video, Wi-Fi, maximum screen brightness), the battery was discharged in three to four hours. If you find a sensible energy saving program in Google Play, you can increase the time battery life 20 percent of the available resource. Otherwise, you will be forced to charge your phone almost every evening.

Many users in their reviews are perplexed why a smartphone with such big screen and an impressive set of chipsets equipped such a modest battery. Apparently, the manufacturer had his own reasons for this, which he chose to remain silent about.

Summarizing

On popular online trading platforms the cost of the gadget fluctuates around 15,000 rubles. Judging by the assessments of experts in this field, the price is quite balanced. Here we must not forget that our respondent is a stylish multimedia gadget, and not an eight-core rocket that will take you into the space of “heavy” applications.

For this money you will get an unusual, but at the same time interesting design, metal case ( back cover), good screen, a full set of wireless modules, support for all popular formats out of the box and an acceptable memory reserve.

As for the telephone component itself, there is also complete order here: the quality of voice transmission is at a high level with a loud speaker, albeit slightly raised high frequencies. Separately, it is worth noting the fact that the Xperia Ion works with networks almost perfectly. The same iPhone of the fifth series loses significantly in this regard: in the place where the Sony caught three nets, in the same place the Apple gadget catches only one, and even then after some time.

Naturally, there was a fly in the ointment. Inconvenient people play this role here. touch buttons under the display, beveled side keys that take some getting used to, and a massive body that’s not designed for the back pocket of jeans. This also includes mediocre battery life with such a modest battery and a stupid plug for the AC adapter, where the next time you charge it it seems that it will definitely break.

It would be advisable to save up a little and buy a direct competitor to the model - the third Galaxy from Samsung, but the appearance of the Ion is clearly more interesting. In general, most of the problems that users complain about in their reviews are not related to the phone itself, but to the Android platform, so I can recommend the gadget to anyone who is looking for a stylish device with a large display and fast hardware.

Sony initially released the SONY XPERIA ion smartphone in the US market for the local mobile operator AT&T. In the states, the smartphone, as they say, went to the masses and the company decided to release it in other markets, including Russia.

But the following story turned out: the smartphone officially began to be sold in our country only in September, this is a very late date for such a smartphone. At this time, analogues from competitors are already being sold on the market, for example Samsung Galaxy SIII costs 22 thousand. rub., yes great smartphones from LG and HTC. The launch price for SONY XPERIA ion was 24 thousand. rub. and the phone went unnoticed, as they say, “it didn’t flood”!

For Sony itself, this means absolutely nothing. This is not the flagship for the company, the SONY XPERIA S remains the flagship for now. If so, then the SONY XPERIA ion is a “plug” between the SONY XPERIA S and the expected new flagship SONY XPERIA TX.

But nevertheless, there is something to tell about SONY XPERIA ion.....

Device Specifications

Manufacturer: Sony

Model: Xperia ion

Year of manufacture: 2012

Opera. system: Android 4.0.4

Battery capacity (mAh): 1900

Dimensions (mm): (width x height x thickness) 68 x 133 x 10.6

Weight (g): 144

Processor type: Qualcomm Snapdragon S3 MSM8260

Clock frequency (MHz): 1500

RAM (MB): 1024

ROM (MB): 2048

Built-in memory (GB): 16

Communications: GSM 1800, GSM 1900, GSM 850, GSM 900, UMTS 1900, UMTS 2100, UMTS 850, UMTS 900

Wi-Fi: 802.11b,g,n

Other: EDGE, GPRS, GPS, HSDPA, HSPA+, HSUPA, NFC, UMTS/WCDMA, GLONASS

Screen size: 4.55

MultiTouch: Yes. 10 touches.

Protective screen coating: Yes, Sony's own glass.

Screen resolution (px): 720 x 1280

Screen type: TFT

Video accelerator: Adreno 220

Rear camera (MP): 12

Autofocus: Yes

Flash: Yes

Front camera (MP): 1.3

Speaker: Mono

Headphone output: 3.5

Other: FM Radio, G-Sensor, Gyroscope, Light Sensor, Proximity Sensor, Digital Compass

Memory cards: microSD, microSDHC, microSDXC

Connectors: microHDMI, microUSB

Features: Sony Exmor R camera sensor, Mobile BRAVIA Engine screen

Packaging, accessories

The smartphone comes in a flat rectangular package. The packaging contains an image of a smartphone and a brief Technical information. The same packaging is available for smartphones: Sony XPERIA U, Sony XPERIA Sola, Sony XPERIA P, Sony XPERIA S.

Equipment:

2. USB cable.

3. Charger.

4. Warranty card.

5. Various documentation.

6. Adapter for microSIM card.

The battery is not removable. As you can see, the equipment is budget. It's strange that the manufacturer didn't include an HDMI cable in the kit.

Appearance, design

By appearance SONY XPERIA ion looks just great. For me personally, this is one of the best designs in the smartphone market. Moderate thickness, sharp corners, pleasant weight, monolithic black body - all this creates the appearance of a fashion model. When the screen is turned off, the entire front part of the smartphone becomes a single whole and looks very impressive. The phone fits perfectly in the hand thanks to the rounded back. In appearance, the smartphone is suitable for both men and women, but the red color is more suitable for the fairer sex.

The smartphone is made of high-quality matte and glossy plastic. The back is almost entirely made of metal with a nice texture (inconspicuous vertical stripes). The top and bottom consist of matte plastic inserts. Glossy plastic runs along the perimeter of the screen. Few fingerprints remain on the screen and back of the smartphone.

The build quality of the SONY XPERIA ion is simply excellent, I would even call it a reference. There is simply nothing to complain about. Everything is done as high quality as possible. Naturally, there is no play, creaking or other defects. The build quality is top notch.

Functional connectors on the device body:

1. At the top end, exactly in the middle, there is a 3.5mm headphone jack.

2. On the right side is the on/off/unlock/lock key for the smartphone. Just below is the volume key. At the very bottom there is a separate button for the camera.

3. There is a microphone hole at the bottom.

4. On the left side there is HDMI connector and USB, which in turn are covered with a single plug. It is good when the various connectors on the case are covered with plugs, as this greatly reduces the risk of dust getting into the connector or damaging it.

5. On the front of the smartphone there is: a proximity sensor, a speaker, a front camera lens, led indicator notifications. At the bottom of the screen there are touch keys: menu, home, back, search. The keys are painted white and are not backlit. The backlight is only available in the form of strips under the keys themselves. Controversial decision. Under the keys is the inscription "XPERIA". There is no automatic brightness adjustment sensor.

6. On the back of the smartphone there is the main camera, flash, second speaker, inscription and logo "XPERIA".

Functional elements

The smartphone has Android 4.0.4 version. An update to 4.1 is rumored to be promised before the end of the year. The main menu is built according to the 4x5 formula for three desktops. A shell from Sony called TimeScape is installed, it is one of the best shells. The shell itself has extensive settings. Navigation through the menu occurs smoothly and without any delays.

Support for microSDXC memory cards has been implemented. 64GB card. works great.

As mentioned above, the smartphone has a separate button for using the camera. A picture can be taken both from a locked state and directly when the camera is active. A very convenient feature, you can always take a photo at the right moment. In the camera settings, you can turn off the shutter sound, which is good when you need to take a photo in secret, so to speak. The sensor that is installed in this smartphone exactly the same as the SONY XPERIA S. The 12MP camera allows you to take excellent pictures and even in the evening the pictures are taken good level. I also think that this moment this is one of the best cameras on a smartphone.

Examples of photos:

The camera allows you to shoot video in the now fashionable format like FullHD at a frequency of 30 fps. The video looks quite high quality on a 42-inch FullHD panel.

Screen. Screen size 4.55 inches. MultiTouch for 10 touches. Screen resolution 1280x720 pixels. Type TFT. Excellent screen for color reproduction (natural colors), great sharpness. In this screen there is no air gap between the screen and protective glass this makes the image on the screen look simply amazing, as if alive, you want to touch it. It's a pleasure to watch the film in HD format. Keep in mind that a protective film is already applied to the screen using the factory method, which will additionally protect the screen from scratches. The screen behaves well in the sun; information is almost always visible. The only thing is the viewing angles are not very large. With a strong deviation, the colors on the screen fade, but this is most likely nitpicking rather than some significant drawback. There is a large margin in brightness, which is very good.

I’ll say a few words about the touch keys: they have some kind of inhibited reaction to touch, sometimes you have to press two or three times for some action to occur. Sometimes this drawback is very annoying when you need to do something quickly.

I really liked the sound in the smartphone. The speaker is moderately loud. There is a sophisticated equalizer with extensive sound settings. The smartphone has a Walkman application, which also hints at the music component of the smartphone. Excellent set of headphones. In general, lovers of high-quality music will be pleased. This smartphone is perfect for the role of an MP3 player.

The smartphone has an HDMI connector, which allows you to display any information on a monitor or TV screen. It is very convenient to view captured photos or videos.

In work, testing

The smartphone is equipped with a Qualcomm Snapdragon S3 MSM8260 processor and an Adreno 220 video accelerator. This is certainly not the best hardware considering the end of 2012, but nevertheless this combination allows you to play modern 3D games quite comfortably. N.O.V.A 3, Dead Trigger, etc. go without problems. When working in 3D, the smartphone heats up noticeably, but this does not affect its operation in any way.

Results in synthetic tests:

There is a full GPS module. There are no problems with navigation so that there is no point in dwelling on this point in detail. Works with Navitel.

Wi-Fi. This smartphone has problems with Wi-Fi operation. The signal is not very strong, perhaps this is a problem with the metal cover and poor placement of the antenna.

I liked the quality of the transmitted speech. The sound is very clear, without interference or distortion. All thanks to the second microphone, which is responsible for noise suppression.

The ability to quickly charge has been implemented. It takes approximately 45 minutes to fully charge.

Out of the box, the smartphone has support for the following formats: 3GPP, MP4, Matroska, AVI, WebM, so there is no point in installing the player separately.

The smartphone also has an NFC chip. For some reason it was not possible to set up work using this protocol with the Samsung Galaxy SIII....

Battery life

The smartphone has a non-removable 1900mAh battery. The power consumption test results are as follows:

1. Work in “just phone” mode - 92 hours.

2. Playing an MP3 file. Headphones, maximum volume - 27 hours.

3. Mixed cycle work: games, Internet, video, calls, music - 12 hours.

4. Video playback - 6 hours.

The indicators are quite consistent with the declared battery density. But playing an MP3 file seemed short in time.

conclusions

The smartphone will be almost perfect. The price is rapidly falling and if you want a smartphone with excellent design, workmanship and camera, then you should definitely look at the SONY XPERIA ion.

Competitors. At the time of writing the review, the cost of SONY XPERIA ion is 21,890 rubles. In the price category up to 22 thousand. rubles you can buy: HTC One X, LG P880 4X HD - as you can see, these are solutions based on 4 core processors, and here the SONY XPERIA ion is simply outright inferior to its competitors. And for 20,350 rubles. we actually get Meizu MX M032 with Galaxy SIII filling.

pros

1. Great appearance.

2. Excellent build quality.

3. Very good camera.

4. Good sound.

5. Resistant to scratches on the body.

Minuses

Of the minuses in this smartphone, I would only highlight the not very responsive touch control buttons.

I repeat: almost perfect smartphone. And one of those that I want to replace my Galaxy SIII with.

Information about the make, model, and alternative names of the specific device, if available.

Design

Information about the dimensions and weight of the device, presented in different units of measurement. Materials used, colors offered, certificates.

Width Width information - refers to the horizontal side of the device in its standard orientation during use.	68 mm (millimeters) 6.8 cm (centimeters) 0.22 ft (feet) 2.68 in (inches)
Height Height information - refers to the vertical side of the device in its standard orientation during use.	133 mm (millimeters) 13.3 cm (centimeters) 0.44 ft (feet) 5.24 in (inches)
Thickness Information about the thickness of the device in different units measurements.	10.6 mm (millimeters) 1.06 cm (centimeters) 0.03 ft (feet) 0.42 in (inches)
Weight Information about the weight of the device in different units of measurement.	144 g (grams) 0.32 lbs 5.08 oz (ounces)
Volume The approximate volume of the device, calculated based on the dimensions provided by the manufacturer. Refers to devices with the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped.	95.87 cm³ (cubic centimeters) 5.82 in³ (cubic inches)

SIM card

The SIM card is used in mobile devices to store data that certifies the authenticity of mobile service subscribers.

Mobile networks

A mobile network is a radio system that allows multiple mobile devices to communicate with each other.

Mobile communication technologies and data transfer speeds

Communication between devices on mobile networks is carried out using technologies that provide different data transfer rates.

Operating system

An operating system is a system software that manages and coordinates the operation of hardware components in a device.

SoC (System on Chip)

A system on a chip (SoC) includes all the most important hardware components of a mobile device on one chip.

SoC (System on Chip) A system on a chip (SoC) integrates various hardware components such as a processor, GPU, memory, peripherals, interfaces, etc., as well as the software necessary for their operation.	Qualcomm Snapdragon S3 MSM8260
Technological process Information about technological process, on which the chip is made. Nanometers measure half the distance between elements in the processor.	45 nm (nanometers)
Processor (CPU) The primary function of a mobile device's processor (CPU) is to interpret and execute instructions contained in software applications.	Scorpion
Processor size The size (in bits) of a processor is determined by the size (in bits) of the registers, address buses, and data buses. 64-bit processors have more high performance compared to 32-bit processors, which for their part are more productive than 16-bit processors.	32 bit
Instruction Set Architecture Instructions are commands with which the software sets/controls the operation of the processor. Information about the instruction set (ISA) that the processor can execute.	ARMv7
Level 1 cache (L1) Cache memory is used by the processor to reduce access time to more frequently used data and instructions. L1 (level 1) cache is small in size and works much faster as system memory, and other levels of cache memory. If the processor does not find the requested data in L1, it continues to look for it in the L2 cache. On some processors, this search is performed simultaneously in L1 and L2.	32 kB + 32 kB (kilobytes)
Level 2 cache (L2) L2 (level 2) cache is slower than L1, but in return it has a larger capacity that allows caching more data. It, like L1, is much faster than system memory (RAM). If the processor does not find the requested data in L2, it continues to look for it in the L3 cache (if available) or in RAM memory.	512 kB (kilobytes) 0.5 MB (megabytes)
Number of processor cores The processor core executes software instructions. There are processors with one, two or more cores. Having more cores increases performance by allowing multiple instructions to be executed in parallel.	2
CPU clock speed The clock speed of a processor describes its speed in terms of cycles per second. It is measured in megahertz (MHz) or gigahertz (GHz).	1500 MHz (megahertz)
Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) Graphics processing unit (GPU) handles calculations for various 2D/3D graphic applications. IN mobile devices it is used most often by games, consumer interface, video applications, etc.	Qualcomm Adreno 220
Volume random access memory(RAM) Random Access Memory (RAM) in use operating system and all installed applications. Data stored in RAM is lost after the device is turned off or restarted.	1 GB (gigabytes)
Type of random access memory (RAM) Information about the type of random access memory (RAM) used by the device.	LPDDR2
Number of RAM channels Information about the number of RAM channels that are integrated into the SoC. More channels means more high speeds data transmission.	Single channel
RAM frequency The frequency of RAM determines its operating speed, more specifically, the speed of reading/writing data.	500 MHz (megahertz)

Built-in memory

Each mobile device has built-in (non-removable) memory with a fixed capacity.

Memory cards

Memory cards are used in mobile devices to increase the storage capacity for storing data.

Screen

The screen of a mobile device is characterized by its technology, resolution, pixel density, diagonal length, color depth, etc.

Type/technology One of the main characteristics of the screen is the technology by which it is made and on which the quality of the information image directly depends.	TFT
Diagonal For mobile devices, screen size is expressed by the length of its diagonal, measured in inches.	4.55 in (inches) 115.57 mm (millimeters) 11.56 cm (centimeters)
Width Approximate screen width	2.23 in (inches) 56.66 mm (millimeters) 5.67 cm (centimeters)
Height Approximate screen height	3.97 in (inches) 100.73 mm (millimeters) 10.07 cm (centimeters)
Aspect Ratio The ratio of the dimensions of the long side of the screen to its short side	1.778:1 16:9
Permission Screen resolution shows the number of pixels vertically and horizontally on the screen. Higher resolution means clearer image detail.	720 x 1280 pixels
Pixel Density Information about the number of pixels per centimeter or inch of the screen. Higher density allows information to be displayed on the screen with clearer detail.	323 ppi (pixels per inch) 126ppcm (pixels per centimeter)
Color depth Screen color depth reflects the total number of bits used for color components in one pixel. Information about the maximum number of colors that the screen can display.	24 bit 16777216 flowers
Screen area Approximate percentage of screen area occupied by the screen on the front of the device.	63.31% (percent)
Other characteristics Information about other screen features and characteristics.	Capacitive Multi-touch Scratch resistance
	Shatter proof sheet on scratch-resistant glass Sony Mobile BRAVIA Engine Reality display

Sensors

Different sensors perform different quantitative measurements and convert physical indicators into signals that a mobile device can recognize.

Rear camera

The main camera of a mobile device is usually located on its back panel and may be combined with one or more secondary cameras.

Sensor model Information about the manufacturer and model of the sensor used by the camera.	Sony Exmor R
Sensor type Information about the camera sensor type. Some of the most widely used types of sensors in mobile device cameras are CMOS, BSI, ISOCELL, etc.	CMOS BSI (backside illumination)
Image Resolution One of the main characteristics of cameras is resolution. It represents the number of horizontal and vertical pixels in an image. For convenience, smartphone manufacturers often list resolution in megapixels, indicating the approximate number of pixels in millions.	4000 x 3000 pixels 12 MP (megapixels)
Video resolution Information about the maximum video resolution that the camera can record.	1920 x 1080 pixels 2.07 MP (megapixels)
Video recording speed (frame rate) Information about the maximum recording speed (frames per second, fps) supported by the camera at maximum resolution. Some of the most basic video recording speeds are 24 fps, 25 fps, 30 fps, 60 fps.	30fps (frames per second)
Characteristics Information about additional software and hardware features of the rear (rear) camera.	Autofocus Digital zoom Digital image stabilization Geographical tags Panoramic photography Touch Focus Face recognition

Front-camera

Smartphones have one or more front cameras of various designs - a pop-up camera, a rotating camera, a cutout or hole in the display, an under-display camera.

Audio

Information about the type of speakers and audio technologies supported by the device.

Radio

The radio of the mobile device is a built-in FM receiver.

Location determination

Information about the navigation and location technologies supported by your device.

WiFi

Wi-Fi is a technology that provides wireless communication for transmitting data over close distances between various devices.

Bluetooth

Bluetooth is a standard for secure wireless data transfer between various devices of different types over short distances.

USB

USB (Universal Serial Bus) is an industry standard that allows different electronic devices to exchange data.

HDMI

HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) is a digital audio/video interface that replaces older analog audio/video standards.

Headphone jack

This is an audio connector, also called an audio jack. The most widely used standard in mobile devices is the 3.5mm headphone jack.

Connecting devices

Information about other important connection technologies supported by your device.

Browser

A web browser is a software application for accessing and viewing information on the Internet.

Browser Information about some of the main characteristics and standards supported by the device's browser.

HTML HTML5 Flash CSS 3 xHTML CSS 2.1

Audio file formats/codecs

Mobile devices support different audio file formats and codecs, which respectively store and encode/decode digital audio data.

Video file formats/codecs

Mobile devices support different video file formats and codecs, which respectively store and encode/decode digital video data.

Battery

Mobile device batteries differ from each other in their capacity and technology. They provide the electrical charge necessary for their functioning.

Capacity A battery's capacity indicates the maximum charge it can hold, measured in milliamp-hours.	1900 mAh (milliamp-hours)
Type The type of battery is determined by its structure and, more precisely, the chemicals used. There are different types of batteries, with lithium-ion and lithium-ion polymer batteries being the most commonly used batteries in mobile devices.	Li-Ion (Lithium-ion)
2G talk time 2G talk time is the period of time during which the battery charge is completely discharged during a continuous conversation on a 2G network.	10 h (hours) 600 min (minutes) 0.4 days
2G latency 2G standby time is the period of time during which the battery charge is completely discharged when the device is in stand-by mode and connected to a 2G network.	400 h (hours) 24000 min (minutes) 16.7 days
3G talk time 3G talk time is the period of time during which the battery charge is completely discharged during a continuous conversation on a 3G network.	4 h (hours) 240 min (minutes) 0.2 days
3G latency 3G standby time is the period of time during which the battery charge is completely discharged when the device is in stand-by mode and connected to a 3G network.	350 h (hours) 21000 min (minutes) 14.6 days
Characteristics Information about some additional characteristics device battery.	Removable

Contents of delivery:

• Smartphone
• Network adapter
• USB cable
• Stereo headset
• Documentation

Until the Sony Xperia TX goes on sale, the ion is the flagship of the company's mobile division. Let's see what kind of device this is, what will please or disappoint you.

Design, construction

If the Sony Xperia acro S came to us straight from Japan, then the ion is a product originally created for the US market. We must understand that for any company producing smartphones, making a joint project with American operators means a kind of victory - the circulation is great, and the glory is great. The orders are quite large, usually hundreds of thousands of pieces. The device in question was sold (is being sold) by AT&T, the decision to supply it to Russia is quite strange - since the appearance of ion on sale confuses the cards in the Xperia line. I don’t think there are many people who are ready to understand what is happening with Xperia; many still believe that the very best from Sony now is the Xperia S. In fact, until the TX goes on sale, it is the ion that will remain the most the very device from Sony. Due to display size, characteristics, camera. I don't know how good or bad this is, I'm just stating a fact.

The device itself is great, to put it mildly. A sort of heavy shovel. Comes in regular packaging, there are two body colors, black and red, I got red. It’s curious that even though I would never wear a smartphone of this color, it’s not feminine at all - keep in mind that here it’s not soft red or raspberry, but dark red. The entire front is black, with red battery cover and velvety plastic areas on the top and bottom. At the back you can see the traditional logo, below it is the inscription Xperia. The design of the photographic area is interesting, there is a large camera lens, under it there is a flash circle, below there is an area with perforation, there is a microphone. There is a massive flap on the left side, hiding HDMI and microUSB connectors under it, and a 3.5 mm jack on the top end. Accessories for Apple seem to be suitable, but in fact the EarPod headset does not work. Above the display there is a front camera lens, a speaker, light and proximity sensors. There is also a small indicator light; it blinks if something happens to the device, for example, while charging.

Dimensions are 133 x 68 x 10.8 mm, weight 144 grams. This smartphone looks much better in black, and there is one good addition - almost the entire back is made of metal. As for the size, everything is easy to explain - the ion has an impressive display size and quality. In general, this device can safely be classified as a mini-tablet just because of the screen. Naturally, now in terms of resolution there has been a step forward in a number of devices, and ion is not on the same wavelength here, but the screen is still good.

Comparison with Apple iPhone

To insert microSIM and microSD cards into the phone, you need to remove the top flap and simply pull it off. The assembly of the smartphone is good, nothing creaks or cracks, and there are no unnecessary gaps either. I used the device as a second phone for quite a long time, during which time nothing bad happened to the body, except that the paint peeled off slightly from the frame around the camera lens.

Display

As I said, the TFT display diagonal is 4.55 inches, resolution is 1280 x 720 pixels. The screen is protected by glass, the glass is not scratch-resistant, and there is a film that is invisible to the user, as in many other Sony devices. Capacitive screen, multitouch supported, four fingers maximum. In my opinion, the screen is good by today's standards; everything is fine here with viewing angles, colors, and contrast. If you are used to watching videos on the go, then a smartphone with such a display will help in a bold undertaking, the same can be said about browsing websites, playing games, and working with programs. Size matters, and a device with a 4.5-inch display really goes a little beyond the boundaries - it’s not clear what to call such a device. After all, this is truly a thing at the intersection of the world of smartphones and the world of tablets.

But the price to pay for the screen size is the body size. And before purchasing, I would recommend twirling the ion in your hands. There has not yet been a single person who would not say: “What a healthy shovel.”

Control

On the right side there is a power button, just below there is a volume rocker. Considering the fact that the ends here are beveled, pressing these buttons is not very convenient, plus, they do not have such a deep travel. You need to get used to it. Below on the right side there is a camera button, this is very cool, many of us are used to using a hardware control for shooting. If the display is locked, you can press and hold the button, the camera will launch and immediately take a photo. The camera can be launched by moving the unlock slider not to the right, but to the left.

Under the display there are four traditional Android buttons: calling an additional menu, Home, return and search. The buttons are touch sensitive, backlit, and have stripes underneath them. Sony had a signature feature - regular buttons in Android-based devices, it’s a pity that modern devices have abandoned this. You can get used to the sensors, they are sensitive, but it would be better to see a traditional solution.

The screen, as you understand, is also one of the control elements; there are no problems with sensitivity and processing speed.

OS, performance, features

While I was using ion, an update came out called 6.1.E.1.20. Used Android version 4.0.4, you can read about the OS in the review on our website.

About performance: Qualcomm APQ8060 is used, dual-core processor, 1.5 Hz, Adreno 220 graphics processor, 1 GB of RAM. The device is quite fast, this applies to both launching applications and working with them. But there is also something strange, for example, the backlight goes out with some kind of twitching.

Peculiarities:

• In the call settings there is an item “Noise Suppression”, reducing background noise during a call; by default this function is enabled. I tried to use it when music was playing on the speakers nearby, the people I called didn’t notice much of a difference (I tried it both with noise reduction turned off and with it on). But on the street, if there is wind, the function’s operation is noticeable

• There is an xLOUD mode, increasing the volume of the speakers, I recommend turning it on immediately, it becomes noticeably louder
• There is no inclusion in the brightness settings automatic settings, but there is a light sensor
• Among the display locking modes there is unlocking using the owner's face, the function works quite normally - they say the battery runs out much faster if you use this method
• To take a screenshot, you need to press and hold the power and volume down button
• A number of applications are customized, for example, this is a player. It's called a Walkman, you can customize the equalizer yourself or use presets, and there's also surround sound. But there are no settings such as ClearStereo; this is the prerogative of other devices. The sound quality is not bad, but the iPhone 5 is head and shoulders above in this regard, I listened using the same headphones, the same tracks - the volume of the ion is not so high, the sound is bland

• Evernote, McAfee Security, Astro (file manager), NeoReader (QR code scanner), Moxier Pro, Opera Mini and Wisepilot are pre-installed for navigation. There is an Electronic Arts game downloader, you can try before you buy. I would highly recommend that you install it right away Chrome browser, I like it in both the iOS and Android versions

• Your own widgets - clock, control of wireless interfaces and basic functions, help, Timescape, Walkman and others
• It’s interesting that for audio, in addition to standard files, Ogg support is announced
• When connected to a TV, a special menu appears (TV Launcher), but I’ll talk about this in a separate review
• As in the case of the Sony acro S, the ability to play AVI is not written anywhere, but the device copes with such films with a bang, as you can see in the screenshots. It’s good that the user does not have to install additional software

According to official sources, the device operates in UMTS HSPA+ networks 850 (Band V), 900 (Band VIII), 1700 (Band IV), 1900 (Band II), 2100 (Band I); GSM EDGE 850, 900, 1800, 1900. Don't count on LTE, it's in the ion version for AT&T.

Wireless interfaces

Like other top Sony smartphones, this device can do a lot, it supports Bluetooth, version 2.1 with EDR, it works with the ANT+ profile for sports wireless gadgets, it supports GLONASS, NFC, DLNA. Naturally, there is Wi-Fi. It’s a shame that the kit didn’t include a specific HDMI cable for a specific “short” connector; I have no idea where the user should look for it.

Memory

The device has 1.3 GB of memory, 11.24 GB is available to the user, you can always expand your capabilities by adding microSD card(up to 32 GB). It seems to me that Sony may well install more memory inside; after all, most smartphones are positioned as multimedia, and if you often take photos and videos, the built-in memory will very quickly run out. Why not install 32 or 64 GB? This has not been unheard of for a long time.

Nutrition

The device uses a 1900 mAh battery, it seems that you can count on a long service life. It seems to me that among other “androids” ion really has a long life, I talked for half an hour a day, took pictures more, listened to music. If you remove the backlight, you can achieve work within a day and a half. But if you use it actively, get ready to look for an outlet later in the evening. Everything is, in general, typical.

Camera

The camera resolution is 12.1 MP, can shoot video in FullHD, as always with Sony, when taking photos there are many useful and not so useful effects - panoramic 3D view, multi-angle 3D view, regular panoramic view. You can choose the shooting method, touching a button on the display, just a key, or a combined method; it was quite possible to do without this setting. For quick launch There are your own scenarios; by pressing a button, you can start the camera and take a photo, or just start the program. If you wish, you can disable the function altogether. I took all the pictures for the material using automatic mode.

Naturally, for most consumers, the key parameter was and remains the sensor resolution. The numbers, it seems, should speak for themselves. Marketers are accustomed to hitting innocent heads with incomprehensible but sonorous terms, here you have 4 cores (!), 12 MP (!), 64 GB (!), FullHD and complete stuffing. In fact, the main question is why I need it, and whether I need it. The camera in the Sony Xperia ion can help you capture (and capture well) a piece of reality. But is such permission necessary if many smartphone owners now post photos on Instagram or Facebook? Don't think. It seemed to me that the post-processing of the images suffered slightly; they were quickly saved, but the colors were too bright, sometimes unnatural. But otherwise, ion pleasantly surprised me, especially with its detail. Yes, in some pictures you can see that the camera misses, there is chromatic aberration, colors are washed out, but if you shoot on a sunny day, you will be surprised when viewing the frames on a computer. Let's say I really liked how ion copes with portrait photography, you can even make out the pores, there are no problems with colors and detail. In poor lighting conditions, it makes no sense to blast the area with a flash, this can just have the opposite effect, it’s more interesting to try to shoot something as it is.

Information about the make, model, and alternative names of the specific device, if available.

Design

Information about the dimensions and weight of the device, presented in different units of measurement. Materials used, colors offered, certificates.

Width Width information - refers to the horizontal side of the device in its standard orientation during use.	68 mm (millimeters) 6.8 cm (centimeters) 0.22 ft (feet) 2.68 in (inches)
Height Height information - refers to the vertical side of the device in its standard orientation during use.	133 mm (millimeters) 13.3 cm (centimeters) 0.44 ft (feet) 5.24 in (inches)
Thickness Information about the thickness of the device in different units of measurement.	10.6 mm (millimeters) 1.06 cm (centimeters) 0.03 ft (feet) 0.42 in (inches)
Weight Information about the weight of the device in different units of measurement.	144 g (grams) 0.32 lbs 5.08 oz (ounces)
Volume The approximate volume of the device, calculated based on the dimensions provided by the manufacturer. Refers to devices with the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped.	95.87 cm³ (cubic centimeters) 5.82 in³ (cubic inches)

SIM card

The SIM card is used in mobile devices to store data that certifies the authenticity of mobile service subscribers.

Mobile networks

A mobile network is a radio system that allows multiple mobile devices to communicate with each other.

GSM GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) is designed to replace the analogue mobile network (1G). For this reason, GSM is often called a 2G mobile network. It is improved by the addition of GPRS (General Packet Radio Services), and later EDGE (Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution) technologies.	GSM 850 MHz GSM 900 MHz GSM 1800 MHz GSM 1900 MHz
UMTS UMTS is an abbreviation for Universal Mobile Telecommunications System. It is based on GSM standard and applies to 3G mobile networks. Developed by 3GPP and its biggest advantage is providing greater speed and spectral efficiency thanks to W-CDMA technology.	UMTS 850 MHz UMTS 1900 MHz UMTS 2100 MHz
LTE LTE (Long Term Evolution) is defined as a technology fourth generation(4G). It is developed by 3GPP based on GSM/EDGE and UMTS/HSPA to increase the capacity and speed of wireless mobile networks. The subsequent technology development is called LTE Advanced.	LTE 700 MHz Class 17 LTE 1700/2100 MHz

Mobile communication technologies and data transfer speeds

Communication between devices on mobile networks is carried out using technologies that provide different data transfer rates.

Operating system

An operating system is a system software that manages and coordinates the operation of hardware components in a device.

SoC (System on Chip)

A system on a chip (SoC) includes all the most important hardware components of a mobile device on one chip.

SoC (System on Chip) A system on a chip (SoC) integrates various hardware components, such as a processor, graphics processor, memory, peripherals, interfaces, etc., as well as the software necessary for their operation.	Qualcomm Snapdragon S3 MSM8260
Technological process Information about the technological process by which the chip is manufactured. Nanometers measure half the distance between elements in the processor.	45 nm (nanometers)
Processor (CPU) The primary function of a mobile device's processor (CPU) is to interpret and execute instructions contained in software applications.	Scorpion
Processor size The size (in bits) of a processor is determined by the size (in bits) of the registers, address buses, and data buses. 64-bit processors have higher performance compared to 32-bit processors, which in turn are more powerful than 16-bit processors.	32 bit
Instruction Set Architecture Instructions are commands with which the software sets/controls the operation of the processor. Information about the instruction set (ISA) that the processor can execute.	ARMv7
Level 1 cache (L1) Cache memory is used by the processor to reduce access time to more frequently used data and instructions. L1 (level 1) cache is small in size and works much faster than both system memory and other cache levels. If the processor does not find the requested data in L1, it continues to look for it in the L2 cache. On some processors, this search is performed simultaneously in L1 and L2.	32 kB + 32 kB (kilobytes)
Level 2 cache (L2) L2 (level 2) cache is slower than L1 cache, but in return it has a higher capacity, allowing it to cache more data. It, like L1, is much faster than system memory (RAM). If the processor does not find the requested data in L2, it continues to look for it in the L3 cache (if available) or in RAM memory.	512 kB (kilobytes) 0.5 MB (megabytes)
Number of processor cores The processor core executes software instructions. There are processors with one, two or more cores. Having more cores increases performance by allowing multiple instructions to be executed in parallel.	2
CPU clock speed The clock speed of a processor describes its speed in terms of cycles per second. It is measured in megahertz (MHz) or gigahertz (GHz).	1500 MHz (megahertz)
Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) The Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) handles calculations for various 2D/3D graphics applications. In mobile devices, it is most often used by games, consumer interfaces, video applications, etc.	Qualcomm Adreno 220
Amount of random access memory (RAM) Random access memory (RAM) is used by the operating system and all installed applications. Data stored in RAM is lost after the device is turned off or restarted.	1 GB (gigabytes)
Type of random access memory (RAM) Information about the type of random access memory (RAM) used by the device.	LPDDR2
Number of RAM channels Information about the number of RAM channels that are integrated into the SoC. More channels mean higher data rates.	Single channel
RAM frequency The frequency of RAM determines its operating speed, more specifically, the speed of reading/writing data.	500 MHz (megahertz)

Built-in memory

Each mobile device has built-in (non-removable) memory with a fixed capacity.

Memory cards

Memory cards are used in mobile devices to increase the storage capacity for storing data.

Screen

The screen of a mobile device is characterized by its technology, resolution, pixel density, diagonal length, color depth, etc.

Type/technology One of the main characteristics of the screen is the technology by which it is made and on which the quality of the information image directly depends.	TFT
Diagonal For mobile devices, screen size is expressed by the length of its diagonal, measured in inches.	4.5 in (inches) 114.3 mm (millimeters) 11.43 cm (centimeters)
Width Approximate screen width	2.21 in (inches) 56.04 mm (millimeters) 5.6 cm (centimeters)
Height Approximate screen height	3.92 in (inches) 99.62 mm (millimeters) 9.96 cm (centimeters)
Aspect Ratio The ratio of the dimensions of the long side of the screen to its short side	1.778:1 16:9
Permission Screen resolution shows the number of pixels vertically and horizontally on the screen. Higher resolution means clearer image detail.	720 x 1280 pixels
Pixel Density Information about the number of pixels per centimeter or inch of the screen. Higher density allows information to be displayed on the screen with clearer detail.	326 ppi (pixels per inch) 128ppcm (pixels per centimeter)
Color depth Screen color depth reflects the total number of bits used for color components in one pixel. Information about the maximum number of colors that the screen can display.	24 bit 16777216 flowers
Screen area Approximate percentage of screen area occupied by the screen on the front of the device.	61.92% (percentage)
Other characteristics Information about other screen features and characteristics.	Capacitive Multi-touch Scratch resistance
	LED-backlit Shatter proof sheet on scratch-resistant glass Sony Mobile BRAVIA Engine Reality display

Sensors

Different sensors perform different quantitative measurements and convert physical indicators into signals that a mobile device can recognize.

Rear camera

The main camera of a mobile device is usually located on its back panel and may be combined with one or more secondary cameras.

Sensor model Information about the manufacturer and model of the sensor used by the camera.	Sony Exmor R
Sensor type Information about the camera sensor type. Some of the most widely used types of sensors in mobile device cameras are CMOS, BSI, ISOCELL, etc.	CMOS BSI (backside illumination)
Flash type The rear (rear) cameras of mobile devices mainly use LED flashes. They can be configured with one, two or more light sources and vary in shape.	LED
Image Resolution One of the main characteristics of cameras is resolution. It represents the number of horizontal and vertical pixels in an image. For convenience, smartphone manufacturers often list resolution in megapixels, indicating the approximate number of pixels in millions.	4000 x 3000 pixels 12 MP (megapixels)
Video resolution Information about the maximum video resolution that the camera can record.	1920 x 1080 pixels 2.07 MP (megapixels)
Video recording speed (frame rate) Information about the maximum recording speed (frames per second, fps) supported by the camera at maximum resolution. Some of the most basic video recording speeds are 24 fps, 25 fps, 30 fps, 60 fps.	30fps (frames per second)
Characteristics Information about additional software and hardware features of the rear (rear) camera.	Autofocus Digital zoom Geographical tags Panoramic photography Touch Focus Face recognition

Front-camera

Smartphones have one or more front cameras of various designs - a pop-up camera, a rotating camera, a cutout or hole in the display, an under-display camera.

Audio

Information about the type of speakers and audio technologies supported by the device.

Radio

The radio of the mobile device is a built-in FM receiver.

Location determination

Information about the navigation and location technologies supported by your device.

WiFi

Wi-Fi is a technology that provides wireless communication for transmitting data over close distances between various devices.

Bluetooth

Bluetooth is a standard for secure wireless data transfer between various devices of different types over short distances.

USB

USB (Universal Serial Bus) is an industry standard that allows different electronic devices to exchange data.

HDMI

HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) is a digital audio/video interface that replaces older analog audio/video standards.

Headphone jack

This is an audio connector, also called an audio jack. The most widely used standard in mobile devices is the 3.5mm headphone jack.

Connecting devices

Information about other important connection technologies supported by your device.

Browser

A web browser is a software application for accessing and viewing information on the Internet.

Video file formats/codecs

Mobile devices support different video file formats and codecs, which respectively store and encode/decode digital video data.

Battery

Mobile device batteries differ from each other in their capacity and technology. They provide the electrical charge necessary for their functioning.

Capacity A battery's capacity indicates the maximum charge it can hold, measured in milliamp-hours.	1900 mAh (milliamp-hours)
Type The type of battery is determined by its structure and, more precisely, the chemicals used. There are different types of batteries, with lithium-ion and lithium-ion polymer batteries being the most commonly used batteries in mobile devices.	Li-Ion (Lithium-ion)
2G talk time 2G talk time is the period of time during which the battery charge is completely discharged during a continuous conversation on a 2G network.	10 h (hours) 600 min (minutes) 0.4 days
2G latency 2G standby time is the period of time during which the battery charge is completely discharged when the device is in stand-by mode and connected to a 2G network.	400 h (hours) 24000 min (minutes) 16.7 days
3G talk time 3G talk time is the period of time during which the battery charge is completely discharged during a continuous conversation on a 3G network.	4 h (hours) 240 min (minutes) 0.2 days
3G latency 3G standby time is the period of time during which the battery charge is completely discharged when the device is in stand-by mode and connected to a 3G network.	350 h (hours) 21000 min (minutes) 14.6 days
Characteristics Information about some additional characteristics of the device's battery.	Removable