Full review of Sony Xperia J: a smartphone for every day. Sony Xperia J - Technical specifications of Sony Xperia J
The ST27i, which we will talk about today, is presented by the Japanese developer as a youth solution and is located in the budget segment. The device cannot boast of prohibitively high technical characteristics, compared even to its direct and closest competitors. Nevertheless, the device managed to occupy a favorable position in the market, and it gained truly impressive popularity. This suggests that there is something charming about this once new entry in the smartphone market. Well, if so, let's take a closer look at the smartphone. So, get acquainted Sony Xperia Go.
Screen
Today we will do things differently than usual. We will not give technical specifications at the beginning, but will do it at the end of the review in order to draw a line under everything that will be said. But first things first. What do we have in this case? Before us lies the Sony Xperia GO ST27I. The screen diagonal is 3.5 inches, like the good old fourth iPhone. The resolution doesn’t particularly pamper users, only 480 by 320 pixels. I would like to note that with such a budget we have quite good viewing angles. At the same time, we can note a good margin of brightness so that text can be read in sunlight.
In general, users say that for its class the device has not only good screen, and, one might say, optimal. By the way, the display has a special coating applied. It makes it possible to work with it even if there is water on the screen itself. This will be useful for those people who often work with smartphones with wet hands. So to speak, very impatient people. Great solution for regular use near the sea. I wonder what this model stands out from its segment due to its use. This is unusual for a public sector employee.
Hardware
Sometimes there are cases when the Sony ST27I does not turn on. This problem is partly related to the hardware of the device. But what is it like here? Let’s make a reservation right away: on board the smartphone there is an operating system of the Android family. Its version is 2.3.7. A number of changes have been made to the shell. Specialists from a Japanese company worked on them. The changes affected the design, as well as the interface as a whole. And now from general words to specific names.
CPU
The chipset is NovaThor U8500. It works with two Cortex A9 generation cores. The clock speed of the processor cores is one gigahertz. Volume random access memory small - only 512 MB. As we can see, everything here is within the framework of budget rules. Another thing is the preset software. This is really a reason for a separate conversation.
Lockscreen
The lock slider is well designed. When using the Sony Xperia ST27I, you will have to make long movements. By swiping from left to right, we can unlock the device screen. If we swipe from right to left, we will activate the camera. By default, there are four icons at the bottom. What are they represented by? The first icon is a folder with additional programs. They can be used by people leading an active lifestyle. The second is going to the company store. Third - to open the menu text messages. The fourth is to open the menu with calls.
Peculiarities
It should be noted that there are branded floating wallpapers here. They are quite beautiful. By default they are blue. However, the user has the right to decide for himself what shade they should be. The range of active programs is represented by a compass, speedometer, FigureRunner utility, a program for using the flash as a flashlight, and another utility from Adidas. It is intended for training. What awaits us besides this software?
Additional programs and widgets
There are quite a few of them in the Sony ST27i. For example, there is a widget that allows you to control wireless interfaces, as well as change the brightness level, activate flight mode, enable or disable navigation and other similar functions. His external design quite good, the Japanese did a great job on this, as they say.
The second widget allows you to see what weather awaits us not only today, but also tomorrow, as well as throughout the next week. An hourly breakdown is possible to view the most accurate weather forecast. By default, there is help that is periodically displayed on the screen. It contains tips that allow the phone owner to optimize its operation through the use of battery chips. The help, in general, will be useful for people who have just begun to master the operating system of the Android family.
Do you need a news feed?
Sony ST27I, the characteristics of which we will present in this article, is equipped with a program called TimeEscape. It displays a feed of actions of users whom the phone owner previously added as friends. To be honest, there is no practical use from this utility as such. Nevertheless, certain categories of users may well be interested in it. Music program Unlimited will allow you not only to listen to music, but also download it to your device. It's useless for watching videos. Which, by the way, may be clear from the name of the application.
Form style
Separately, I would like to talk about the music player, since we have already reached this topic. It is decorated in the best traditions of the Japanese company. Using the interface, files can be quickly transferred, as well as transferred to a playlist, where the user has the right to add the necessary tracks or compositions.
If the buyer understands this, he will be able to please himself with high-quality and surround sound, since the equalizer itself is present in the settings of the multimedia player built into this device. Using a special add-on, you can increase the volume of the speakers. This is a very useful add-on, since the speakers themselves are not loud. This is more of a conversational thing. We can say that the conversational speaker is doing well with the quality of the interlocutor's voice.
A service called Unlimited, which is built into a multimedia player, allows you to find information about the artist playing in this moment compositions. The information will be found using third-party services such as YouTube or Wikipedia. Sony Xperia Go ST27i, the characteristics of which will be given at the end of today's review, is well suited for listening to music. In this area, among analogues in the budget segment, it is probably the leader. Actually, that’s why the smartphone was presented as a youth solution. You can purchase this model for 7 thousand rubles.
Interaction with social networks
Tired of music? No problem! You can use analog radio. The list is selected quickly and can be edited manually. The radio is also designed in the typical Sony style. To determine the music that is playing, for example, in a cafe, you can use a traditional Japanese developer program called TrackID. It works quickly, with virtually no delays, for which we can say “thank you” to the Japanese.
Not very functional, but truly beautiful is the clock widget. Accessories are controlled using a program called LiveWare. Customization is additionally represented by your own wallpapers and themes, and this is one of the strengths this model.
Photographic Opportunities
It’s unlikely that much can be said about the device’s camera. However, we can go through the supporting points. First of all, it should be noted that, of course, one cannot expect a miracle from this model. The quality here is average. Even if the pictures are taken in normal lighting, there is much to be desired. Yes, the main module has a resolution of five megapixels. But something is not clear, either there are problems with the processing algorithm, or the optics are of poor quality, but still the pictures are not particularly consistent even with this resolution.
Every cloud has a silver lining
What saves the day? Probably a whole range of built-in effects from the company. The simplest ones are 3D panoramas. The coolest ones are face detection. Automatic focusing on the subject is present and works at average speed. Digital zoom You can use it, but to avoid disappointment, you shouldn't. This is done using the volume buttons. When shooting video, the image is stabilized. Shooting clips produces striking results. Unlike photos, videos are of quite high quality and can be shot in HD quality. It is unclear why the Japanese this time focused specifically on filming video. It would be better if they improved the creation of photographs too.
Autonomous operation
The developer himself stated that in second-generation networks the smartphone will be able to work for six and a half hours, in 3G mode - an hour less. Music can be played for 45 hours. However, in order to soberly evaluate such indicators and analyze the situation, let us remember that we have an operating system of the Android family on board and take a look at the lithium-ion battery. It has a capacity of 1305 milliamps per hour. The battery, by the way, is built into the smartphone itself; you cannot replace it manually. With such a small capacity, you immediately begin to think that Android will land the device by noon. However, it turns out that even when used with above-average activity, the Sony can survive until the evening. The result was extremely surprising, and in a pleasant way. The device charges from zero to one hundred percent in about two hours.
Sony Xperia Go ST27I: specifications and reviews
So, it’s time to talk briefly about what characteristics this model has. Sony phone ST27I has a 3.5-inch diagonal screen with 320 by 480 pixels. The camera has a resolution of five megapixels. There is IP67 protection against moisture and dust. Processor with two cores, working with clock frequency 1 GHz. The amount of RAM is 512 MB. Version operating system- “Android 2.3”. You can update to 4.0.
What do buyers say about this device? From the point of view of use for “get-togethers” on social networks, this is a good device. It will also be interesting for those who regularly use the device to listen to music. However, users in reviews complain about low performance (what can you expect with such a processor and amount of memory?) and a weak camera. If you are going to take high-quality pictures in order to share them on social networks or other places, then you will have to look for a better analogue.
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When things aren't going well for a manufacturer, management tries its best to cut all sorts of expenses. The year before last, the break in almost ten years of cooperation between the Swedish company Ericsson and the Japanese Sony is one of the clearest examples of this. What started out as a successful collaboration that gave a huge impetus to the development of the mobile industry, just remember the Cyber Shot and Walkman devices, eventually ended in a complete fiasco. And so, contrary to logic, instead of concentrating its attention around a small number of verified models, in 2012 Sony is releasing 15 new devices. The model range is becoming so uniform that not all sellers, not to mention potential buyers, can distinguish one device from another. Why do smartphones that look similar in appearance differ so much in price? It seems like we will never know the answer to this question. All that remains is to try to figure out all the Sony models ourselves and help our readers with this. In this review, we are looking at one of the most affordable Sony models – the Xperia J. You can find out what interesting things the Sony Xperia J can offer to the user from the review.
Continuing the theme of bloated model range It’s impossible not to say that all 15 models released last year have several body color options. The total number of offers on Hotline is 44 devices. It doesn't look like Sony is struggling. Of course, 44 models are better than five, because the range of their buyers is much wider, but what are the costs of maintaining and servicing such a quantity of equipment? Whatever one may say, it turns out that not everything is so bad in the kingdom of Japan. Therefore, the brand should be perceived not as someone who now needs help and indulgence, but as a completely thriving company.
Starting from , each subsequent smartphone that came to our editorial office left a worse impression of itself than its predecessor. I found myself at the very top. A phone that can easily be compared to Apple iPod touch 4-generation. The truth is that there is only one thing in common between them - back panel, it instantly loses its presentation, becoming covered with a web of scratches. A pleasant exception was the no less interesting than the Xperia S. And now, almost a year after the appearance of the first “new” Sony, we are testing the Sony Xperia J. You won’t find any interesting characteristics in it, its main trump card is unusual appearance and relatively affordable price. By paying 2,400 hryvnia, the user receives a smartphone running the Android 4.0 operating system, which, in the foreseeable future, should receive an update to Android 4.1. In addition to the popular operating system, the Xperia J has room for a 4-inch TFT screen with a resolution of 854x480 pixels, a 5 MP camera, a 1 GHz processor, 512 MB of RAM and a 1750 mAh battery. With the exception of the latter, the parameters are inferior to the Xperia Neo L mentioned above, but the Neo L will cost you 550 hryvnia less. What is the salt? Is this a price for newness and a slightly slimmer body? There are more questions than answers. But first things first.
Design and ergonomics
The appearance of the smartphone is reminiscent of smartphones from the 2011 model year; the concave rear part of the body and the beveled ends are especially striking. Thanks to these design delights, the Xperia J fits like a glove in your hand. Soft-touch spraying also contributes to a pleasant feeling.
On the front panel there is a recess for the earpiece, an indicator of missed events, a front camera lens, a proximity sensor, a screen and three touch keys. The top and bottom edges of the front panel are beveled. There is a silver insert along the perimeter of the case. It divides the smartphone into two parts, front and back. At the bottom end there is an LED that can change its color depending on the selected theme. There are not many keys on the sides of the case; they are all located on the right side - the power button and the double volume key. On the opposite side there is a MicroUSB connector. Finally, at the top end there is a headphone jack. The volume key is easy to find blindly, but the power button takes some getting used to. The problem is not that it is difficult to detect, but that you need to press it a little from below, this is how it responds best to pressure and makes a characteristic click. If you press it directly in the center, you will have to apply more force, and you will not hear the click. The last thing to talk about is the recess for removing the back panel. It is located on the right side, near the bottom end.
The back side is completely covered with soft-touch coating. It prevents the phone from slipping in your hands. In the upper left corner there is a camera lens and, to the right, a flash LED. Approximately in the center of the case is the inscription XPERIA, and closer to the bottom end, on one of the protrusions there is an oblong slot for the speaker. Under the removable cover there is a 1750 mAh battery and two slots for SIM and memory card. Access to them is blocked by the battery, so installing or replacing one of the cards without removing it will not be possible.
The fit quality of the parts is excellent, while creaks are present throughout the body, which does not add points to its competition.
Interface and software
The smartphone runs on the Android 4.0.4 operating system with the proprietary Xperia UX interface installed on top.
The lock screen is greeted with two icons - unlock and launch the camera. From here you can get to the Notification Panel; to do this, you need to pull the status bar, located at the very top of the screen, down.
The desktop consists of five windows, through which you can move both left and right. They cannot be added or removed.
The bottom panel consists of five icons. The central one is used to call up the list of applications, and those located on the sides are responsible for dialing a number, going to messages, Google Play and a set of multimedia functions collected in one folder. The process of creating folders is simple; to do this, you need to drag one shortcut onto another and select the name of the new directory. Below the Notification Panel, five rectangles are displayed that let you know which Desktop window you are on. The Notification Panel itself has minimal functionality. All it is designed for is displaying events and going to Settings.
Scrolling through windows is slow, which is not surprising given the type of processor and operating system used.
The numeric keypad consists of numbers, Latin letters and Cyrillic alphabet. Unfortunately, letter search does not work when dialing a number. But the full-size keyboard is one of the most comfortable. Typing is a pleasure. The number of erroneous clicks is minimal.
A pleasant addition to the modest capabilities of the device was Smart app Connect. Its capabilities are reminiscent of the context pages in the Premium Suite in Samsung smartphones, with the only difference being that in Sony, users can create their own actions when certain events occur. By default, the set consists of three events: connection charger, headsets and headphones. In case of any of these events, the smartphone may start installed application, change the sound profile and activate or deactivate wireless communications, or open a specific page in the browser, send a text message or post information on social networks
Hardware platform
The Sony Xperia J has an old gigahertz Cortex-A5 processor – Qualcomm MSM7227A with an ARMv7 instruction set and an Adreno 200 graphics core. It’s hard to imagine anything less. Paired with the processor is 512 MB of RAM and 4 GB of permanent memory, of which 2.8 GB is available to the user.
Despite the rather modest parameters, the Xperia J is much faster than the same Prestigio Multiphone 4300 DUO, which also uses a gigahertz processor, but with a more powerful graphics core and lower screen resolution. This speaks of one thing - optimization on the part of one developer and the inability to optimize processes on the part of the second. Confirmation that Sony were able to achieve more from what they had are the results of synthetic tests. They are higher than those of analogues based on the MTK6575 system-on-chip.
But most importantly, it is an energy-efficient Cortex-A5 processor. With its help, it was possible to achieve excellent results from a 1750 mAh battery. More than 4 hours of work at maximum load in Antutu Tester, which allowed us to score 763 points, taking second place in the rating.
The volume of the multimedia speaker is low, the sound produced lacks volume. When using high-quality headphones, you can achieve good sound quality, including volume, which, however, is a merit of the special xLOUD setting, which increases the volume. Generally, musical possibilities devices can be rated at a solid four points out of five possible. If it were not for the sound quality from the speaker, then it would be a 5 minus.
Video playback is handled by an application created in collaboration with Gracenote. This allows you to receive expanded information about video content. The search only works if the file name is correct in English. The application does not accept transliteration or Cyrillic alphabet. Given the application's modest capabilities for playing various types of files, it is unlikely that anyone will use it constantly. The most convenient way is to install a third-party player that can handle a wider range of codecs, and although this will not help in playing video in 720p quality, the processor is simply unable to pull out such a stream of information, but you won’t have to worry about what container the video file is in.
Display and camera
The 4-inch diagonal display with a resolution of 854x480 pixels (245 PPI) has excellent viewing angles. Colors do not change their saturation from any angle. At maximum brightness, colors do not look pale as in others Sony models. The minimum brightness is comfortable for working in complete darkness, including reading. Taking into account the diagonal, the Sony Xperia J screen can be placed on par with HTC models. There is no light sensor or automatic brightness adjustment.
The main camera is capable of taking photos with a maximum resolution of 5 MP, the front one is 0.3 MP, video recording is carried out with one resolution – 640x480 pixels. The viewfinder interface includes four icons on the left side of the screen and a shutter button, mode switch and gallery entrance on the right half. There is automatic focusing when taking photographs and recording videos. The quality of both is average. Better than in HTC One V, but inferior Samsung Galaxy S Duos.
Examples of 5 MP photos taken with a Sony Xperia J smartphone
An example of a video recorded by a Sony Xperia J smartphone
Results
At first glance, it seemed that the Sony Xperia J had nothing to offer the user, especially on Sony background Xperia Neo L. In reality, everything turned out to be not entirely true. Yes, technically the model is inferior to its predecessor, but the overall impression is much more positive. Thin and pleasant to the touch body, good display and camera, excellent operating time and sound quality in headphones. It is these qualities that make the Xperia J a more preferable smartphone, unless the resolution of the recorded video is your first priority. This is the only advantage of Neo L over the model under consideration. As for competitors, there are more than enough of them and here the Xperia J will not be easy. If we take into account the main opponent in the person, then on the latter’s side there will only be a display, and even then the difference between them is almost invisible. In all other respects, Sony has the advantage. It works on a similar platform. It comes with an excellent 4.3-inch IPS screen, but lacks camera quality. It can rightfully be considered the most serious competitor. Despite the fact that it has a display with a slightly smaller diagonal, 3.8 inches, in all other respects it leaves no chance for the Sony Xperia J. Of course, many will wonder what is better, a device from a well-known brand, but with limited functionality, or something more technologically advanced, but from lesser-known manufacturers. You can talk about this for a long time, but the answer is simple - it all depends on how important the brand is to you. If prestige comes first, then you should choose from the listed models. In a situation where it is rational to approach the purchase, the best alternative it turns out . Except for battery life, it beats the Xperia J in every way.
This is the youngest device in the modern Xperia line. At the same time, the company decided not to save money, and even with this positioning, the device received a dual-core processor, an excellent screen, and even a fast camera. But since the devil is in the details, we still can’t do without an exorcist...
Design
First impression Xperia U leaves only good things. The small, neat device is made of plastic that is pleasant to the touch and sports the signature design of the latest Xperia line. Like its older brothers, under the screen of the gadget there is a transparent strip with a multi-colored LED. Plus, the bottom plastic insert is removable, and the set includes four of them. The device I tested was white, extremely elegant but not overly feminine - a sophisticated unisex in the Sony style.
Assembly Sony Xperia U excellent. The parts fit together perfectly, in some places even too much. For example, I couldn’t remove the replacement socket from my copy. She sat like a glove. There are no squeaks when squeezing, back cover Doesn't bend under your fingers.
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On the right side there are three hardware buttons: camera, volume rocker and power button. On the left there is only room for a MicroUSB connector, and on top there is a headphone jack. Quite a well thought out design.
A funny detail: in the box with the smartphone, in addition to the usual headset, charger and set of instructions, there are a couple of nice additions. The generous wizards from Sony put there a branded film for the screen, a cleaning cloth and a special adapter from Micro-SIM to regular SIM card. Apparently, this is in case you decide that the fourth iPhone is already a thing of the past, and the future belongs exclusively to cute, inexpensive “androids”.
But there are also notorious nuances. First, the icons touch buttons It's hard to see on the transparent panel. What is also complicated by the fact that the “Back” button is on the far left (in the center is “Home”, and “Menu” on the right), and not everyone is used to this arrangement. As a result, erroneous clicks are guaranteed in the first days of work. And in the following days too - the unmarked touch keys under the screen every now and then accidentally meet my fingers.
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Screen
The screen is excellent and perfectly complements the first wow impression. With a modest diagonal of 3.5 inches, there are full 854x480 pixels, which gives the output a very clear and beautiful picture. Yes, and Sony BRAVIA proprietary technologies are not just for words here and provide very high-quality color rendition, without the Korean “eye-popping” style. In the sun, the image remains readable, although it does have a slight glare. Hardly for the money they ask for Sony ST25i, there's more to be desired this year.
The capacitive screen supports four simultaneous presses. This, of course, is not ten, but it will do for most games, but will not be useful anywhere else.
The only thing I can complain about is the light sensor. It barely works, continuing to blind the eyes in the dark and not turning the backlight to maximum on the street. Apparently, firmware updates will fix this, but for now you have to change the brightness manually.
Iron
Designing ST25i, the engineers did not make compromises and installed the same processor here as in the more advanced Xperia Sola. This is a dual-core ST Ericsson NovaThor U8500 with a clock speed of 1 GHz. It also comes with 512 MB of RAM and a Mali-400 MP video accelerator. This is an excellent technological combination that is enough for playing HD video without conversion, high-performance games and other resource-intensive tasks.
The smartphone practically does not slow down, but it heats up quite noticeably even under average load. In fact, even simply playing music in APE format can already raise the temperature under the hood of the car. This is the price to pay for impressive power for this class.
Applications install on the system with lightning speed, the browser works very quickly, and even terrible Flash videos play without problems.
Some older applications that were written for Android 2.1 may be unstable. From my permanent set of “oldies,” the AndLess player, the Racing Moto game, and the Multitouch Test tester application crashed with errors or froze. Although these are rather questions for software developers, since the smartphone is in complete harmony with the new software.
Alas, there was still a big fly in the ointment. The gadget does not have a slot for a memory card, and its own “brains” are only 8 GB, of which the user has access to: 1.6 GB for installing applications and 4 GB in storage mode. Lovely! I can see the Sony office where the decision is made on the positioning of this year’s Xperia line and I can clearly hear the demonic laughter of the marketers. Indeed, why cut the functionality of a younger model when you can seriously limit its memory? Some games for Android, let me remind you, “weigh” a good gigabyte. Not to mention listening to lossless music, shooting with a camera, watching videos... The space in the smartphone runs out already after 3-4 days of active work. You will inevitably think about looking at more advanced Xperia models or write a letter of complaint to the UN.
Android
The smartphone has an operating system Android 2.3.7 with branded shell Timescape. The fourth version of the green robot is expected for the Xperia family only in the summer, but the current result of the joint efforts of Google and Sony is quite interesting.
When you turn it on for the first time, the screen automatically launches quick setup apparatus. In it you can set your preferred parameters for connecting to the Network, configure synchronization with Internet services, enable backup and other nice little things.
 Almost every smartphone function has Xperia U has its own widget |
The device offers you five desktops, an almost empty upper notification area and a set of branded widgets. The Timescape shell focuses on the content and specific functions of the device, which manifests itself, for example, when pinch a gesture on the desktop - instead of the usual carousel of tables, we are simultaneously shown all the widgets selected by the user, between which you can quickly switch.
Sony has diversified the usual “Android” life with a whole set of applications. We will talk about those related to multimedia playback in another section. Now let's go on a controlled flight through the Internet and social networks.
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The Timescape shell has an application of the same name that aggregates all updates to your Facebook and Twitter profiles into a single feed. The same application has a whole armful of widgets that bring the latest information from your friends’ profiles to your desktop. There is also a special “music and video” widget that searches your social networks in search of YouTube videos recommended by “friends” and displays them in a small window.
In addition to the standard Google Play, there is also its own PlayNow application store, where you can buy or download applications, games and music for free. The range is small, and the average price of applications is about $2. So it’s impossible to seriously consider Sony PlayNow as a competitor to the almighty Google Play. There is also a client application for downloading, demo testing and purchasing games from the Electronic Arts studio.
Also on a smartphone Sony Xperia U There is a utility for setting up energy savings by disabling unnecessary functions and an application for counting mobile traffic.
 The browser is standard, you can open up to eight windows at the same time. Thanks to the hardware, everything works very quickly |
The connection to the PC is carried out via the MTP protocol, the same way as is done, for example, in the Samsung Galaxy W. Personally, I like this method because there is no need to safely remove the device, and automatic format conversion is also available when copying. As much as I was used to listening to music in FLAC, in order to save memory, I still allowed the system to quickly convert the music to MP3.
When connecting to a computer directly from your phone, you can install the Sony PC Companion synchronization program, but this is not necessary - everything works just like that. The only strange thing I encountered is that automatic MKV conversion does not work when copying. This video format must be uploaded to the phone in the original resolution and format.
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In Contacts, in the dialing section, a smart search is organized: you dial a number on a virtual 12-key keyboard, and the smartphone helpfully gives you contacts with matching numbers and corresponding letters. Similar quick search implemented in smartphones with HTC Sense. There is, however, a “nuance” here: the Cyrillic alphabet is not supported in this search (yet?).
Overall, during testing Xperia U worked reliably for me. But there were also surprises. For example, hanging in the background system applications may begin to devour the battery charge by both cheeks. And one day the smartphone produced a series of cyclic reboots. If something like this happens to you, call an exorcist, turn off the device and turn it on again. Helps.
Camera
IN Sony ST25i a 5-megapixel camera with a function is installed quick shooting. You can start it without even removing the lock, just by holding down the shoot button. The function does not work at lightning speed, but still faster than the traditional way.
Image quality in automatic mode mediocre and not enough stars in the sky. Fortunately, the camera is stuffed with a huge number of settings, and with their help you can both simplify the work with the device and achieve relatively good pictures.
 Interior photography in natural light. |
But shooting video is frankly not fun. The declared HD is recorded at 29 frames per second, which is nominally quite good. But in practice, the picture turns out jerky, with artifacts that are visible not only on the monitor, but even on the screen of the phone itself.
To appreciate the quality of the shooting yourself, enjoy the parade of young mothers in the historical part of Odessa.
There is a mode for shooting photos and panoramas in 3D, as well as special utility to view the received images on compatible devices. Unfortunately, I didn’t have any of those on hand. But the shooting procedure itself is extremely difficult: to create a stereo panorama, you need to shoot it from several angles, for which you need to turn the camera very slowly. You'll probably get it right the fifth time! Overall, it's more of a fun diversion than an actual tool.
Multimedia
I liked the sound in the headphones. It is detailed and pleasant to the ear. The sound frequencies are balanced, and the volume headroom is good enough to take your smartphone out onto a busy street. And, most importantly, all these sound components are successfully mixed together and form a kind of explosive musical mixture that can easily rock not only your headphones, but also you.
The native music player supports the Cyrillic alphabet, is beautiful and has an additional feature: sorting music by emotional states. To do this, you need to send some information about your music library to the Sony servers, and in response you will receive an order: this song in “happiness-joy”, and this one in “sadness-sadness”. This function works so far through a stump deck; a significant part of the audio library I downloaded to my smartphone was completely left without emotional identifiers. I hope that the functionality of this option will improve in the future, as the idea itself is quite interesting.
It’s also worth talking about another cool idea from Sony - the Live Aware manager. It allows you to configure automatic launch of the programs you need when you connect a headset, headphones or charger. A very convenient thing that allows you to make working with the player automatic.
The video player is not particularly notable except for support for transferring content to a device paired via Wi-Fi, and the presence of a simple video editor in which you can trim the captured video. So I would recommend you to look for something more interesting on Google Play. The same MX Player, for example.
Battery
Xperia U ST25i received a more than modest 1290 mAh battery. If you don’t skimp and push the device hard, in 7-8 hours the battery will go a long way from 100% to zero. If you do not abuse 3D games and video shooting, the device will last a full daylight hours.
Extremely budget-conscious users will be able to get even a day out of the device - if they turn off Wi-Fi and 3G, synchronize only important services and try to avoid resource-intensive applications. But do you need a smartphone then?
Sony Ericsson Xperia Ray, in my opinion, can compete with our hero in the image field. It's beautiful, similar to Xperia U, a device with the same clear screen, albeit smaller size. Yes, the Ray's processor is weaker, but the battery lasts a little longer. Plus, he already received Android 4.0, and Sony Xperia U will “suffer” for some time on 2.3.7. You can buy a Sony Ericsson Xperia Ray for 10-12 thousand rubles, so this option has a right to life. Especially in gentle female hands.
In terms of convenience Sony Xperia U you will have to fight tooth and nail with the youngest representative of the new HTC line. One smartphone V boasts a more convenient and thoughtful shell, a fresh operating system, longer battery life, big screen and the best video shooting. Its processor, however, is much weaker, the sound in the headphones is worse, and the price is more expensive - about 14,000 rubles.
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Advantages:
— Timescape shell and proprietary software
- Design
— Productive processor
— Function quick launch cameras and hardware button for shooting
— Good sound in headphones
— An abundance of camera settings and the way they are organized
Flaws:
— Short battery life
- Low memory (about 5.7 GB for the user)
— Inconvenient touch buttons under the screen
— Old version Android
— Poor video recording quality
— Strange operation of the light sensor
Summary
Sony has come up with a beautiful and fast device, loaded to the brim with the same Sony-style that is capable of seriously and for a long time blowing the minds of its owners. But minor firmware flaws, a weak battery and a catastrophically small amount of memory still spoil the impression and are slightly sobering. It seems to me that the device is almost ideal for a girl who loves social media, music and appreciating beautiful gadgets. But the seasoned geek sighs, walks around this handsome guy, and chooses the Xperia Sola or HTC One V.
Specifications Sony Xperia U ST25i
| GSM | 850, 900, 1800, 1900 |
|---|---|
| WCDMA | 900, 2100 |
| Type of shell | monoblock |
| operating system | Google Android 2.3 |
| CPU | ST Ericsson NovaThor U8500, 1 GHz |
| RAM | 512 MB |
| Screen type | TFT |
| Screen size | 3,5 |
| Number of colors | 16 million |
| Screen resolution | 854x480 |
| Sensory | Yes |
| Built-in memory | 8 GB |
| Memory card support | No |
| Sound | xLOUD Experience, Track ID |
| Communications | Wi-Fi, 3G |
| Connectors | MicroUSB, 3.5 mm |
| Camera | 5 MP, autofocus, flash, HD video recording, BSI sensor |
Then phones from Sony appeared in the form of the NXT line, where the camp of middle-class solutions was represented by the model, and then the . Updating the range, the manufacturer launched another model of a similar level; it became the Sony Xperia J.
This is a candy bar with a 4-inch screen and a 1 GHz processor with 512 MB of RAM, which runs Android 4.0 paired with a proprietary shell. Multimedia capabilities are quite standard: a 5-megapixel camera with autofocus, there is a front camera, and also a fairly big battery at 1750 mAh. With all this, the smartphone received an original design in the spirit of more expensive smartphones Xperia, how it compares favorably with its classmates.
Contents of delivery
- Smartphone
- Battery
- power unit
- USB cable
- Brief instructions
Design
Like many other Sony products, new model presented in different colors. Available in four color options: black, white, pink and gold.
Therefore, it is easy to choose the cutest option for yourself, taking advantage of such a wide variety. In any case, the front part will be black, only the back surface will be colored.
The device turned out to be medium in size, not the smallest, but not very large either: 124.3x61x9.2 mm, weight 124 g.
This is one of those cases where a smartphone is not very expensive, but has an original design. The top and bottom ends are beveled, plastic surrounds the screen on all sides. The edges are slightly raised to protect the display when it rests on the surface. By the way, this smartphone does not have a factory protective film, only a decorative one, which is a pity; it was usually found in many Sony models and served as a useful means of protection.
A thin silver insert runs along the perimeter of the case, and then there is a removable plastic panel.
Above the screen you can see front camera and a proximity sensor, as well as an earpiece. There is an indicator light here, but here is a sensor for automatic adjustment brightness is not provided.
At the bottom there will be a block of three touch buttons: back, home, functions, which are backlit. The microphone is also located here.
In the center of the top end there is a 3.5 mm headphone hole.
There is nothing on the bottom, only on the corner of the case there is a strap mount.
On the left side there is a microUSB connector.
On the right there is a small screen lock button with a modest profile, so it is not very convenient to press. Below is the volume rocker with a more convex profile. There is also a recess on this side for removing the back panel.
The part is made of matte plastic and has an original concave profile that repeats the features of the Xperia V. So if you put the phone on the table with the screen down, it will look more original from the side.
In the upper left corner is the camera lens and flash. At the bottom there is a slot for a ringer speaker.
The assembly is excellent, everything is assembled tightly, no creaks or play in the body parts. There is a battery inside the smartphone; it blocks the slot for the SIM card and microSD, which lies next to it.
Screen
The display diagonal is exactly 4 inches, resolution is 480x854 pixels, up to 16 million colors are displayed. The display is protected by Gorilla Glass, but, as I already said, there is no film provided here.
Only manual adjustment of the brightness level is possible. On the street the behavior is normal, the picture goes blind under the bright sun, but in normal lighting everything is fine. The capacitive sensor detects up to 5 simultaneous touches, sensitivity without complaints.
The display has a rather strange color rendering, the colors are somewhat embellished, as the contrast will be artificially high. This reminds Samsung phones with first generation Super AMOLED screens - bright, but not natural. Otherwise, there are no complaints about the TFT screen; viewing angles are normal for a screen of this class. Using the examples of Highscreen Alpha GT at the top and Sony Xperia J at the bottom.
Filling
The model runs on the Android 4.0.4 operating system. The smartphone has a single-core 1 GHz Qualcomm MSM7227A processor, Adreno 200 graphics accelerator and 512 MB of RAM. In addition, it offers 4 GB of internal memory, of which 2 GB remains for the user, and a slot for a memory card up to 32 GB inclusive.
The performance results can be seen in the screenshots; the operating speed is not the highest. It happens that the smartphone starts to slow down, this is annoying. Compared to more productive devices with MTK chips, the model from Sony does not look so interesting. And the previously used U8500 NovaThor was also quite good. It’s a pity that they abandoned it, deciding to save money and choose a cheaper solution.
Menu
At the top of the screen there is a service line, which displays the time, battery charge, and signal reception level indicator. Active connections and other data are also displayed there. By clicking on it, you can find out in more detail what programs were downloaded, what messages and letters were received, or what files were received via Bluetooth.
Both preinstalled images or wallpapers from Sony, as well as your own favorite pictures, are used as design elements. There are seven different colored menu themes available. Depending on what theme is selected, a small strip located at the bottom will change color.
Shortcuts and folders, as well as widgets, are placed on the desktop. They are selected from a vertical list that scrolls quickly. There are five desktops available, their number does not change. At the same time, an interesting function works: you can swipe two fingers from different angles, all desktops will be reduced and displayed on one screen.
There are 5 icons at the bottom of the screen. These are multimedia, messages, menu entry, contacts and dialing. If you click on a folder, for example, with media data, an additional menu will pop up with those applications that are in this category. The task manager is called up by holding the center key.
When the screen is locked, the display shows the date and time. To unlock the screen, you need to swipe your finger along from left to right. If you do it the other way around, the silent mode is activated, as indicated by the additional icon. Displayed here Additional Information about events that have gone unnoticed.
The smartphone menu consists of several work zones, initially there are three. If you install additional applications, then over time there will be more such areas. There are 12 icons on the screen translucent background, under which you can see the wallpaper installed on the main screen. Icons can be arranged in a way that is convenient for the user. There is also sorting by several criteria: alphabetically, frequently used, recently installed.
Phone book
The smartphone has handy assistant to import contacts both from a SIM card and from Facebook and Google accounts, they are displayed in a single list. Created backup copy list of numbers onto a memory card, the data can later be restored. Sorting by first and last name works.
When you add a new contact, many fields are created. This Various types telephone numbers, email addresses, means of quick communication (AIM, ICQ, Gtalk, Skype and others), residential addresses and others (nickname, note, Internet call).
The smartphone has a list of letters of the alphabet located on the right side of the screen. If you press your finger on this line and move down or up, a letter will pop up on the screen - a kind of quick search, which helps in cases where the phone has several hundred, or even thousands of contacts. The search works by the first letters of the contact name for both language layouts.
There is a menu of favorite numbers where you can add the most popular contacts. A quick menu is available: you need to click on the icon with a contact photo, after which you can call, send a message via SMS or e-mail, see data on Facebook.
Call log
Straight from phone book You can access the call log, it is highlighted in a separate tab. There, a single list contains dialed numbers, received and missed calls; for clarity, they are marked with icons of different colors. By clicking on a line, you can delete a number from the call log, add it to a contact, or perform some other actions. If you select a number from the list, it will display detailed information about the call.
From your call history you can not only make phone conversation with the selected subscriber, but also send him an SMS or email from this list, without going to another menu. Dialing is carried out using a convenient virtual keyboard. There is an automatic search for numbers that match the numbers.
Messages
For SMS and MMS there is a common folder where received messages go. When sending, adding various objects to the SMS can automatically convert it into an MMS. Messages are grouped by recipient into a correspondence feed. When dialing a subscriber's number, the phone displays a list of matching numbers in alternating numbers.
While typing, a small field reserved for characters will be displayed. The longer the message, the more the space allocated for the character set increases. The device can copy, cut and paste text. A convenient cursor is used for navigation, which helps to correct typos and highlight the necessary sections of text.
Smart text input is available, where word correction and auto-completion systems help you type text, allowing you to avoid wasting time correcting errors. Possible options words are shown as a separate line above the keyboard. Copying and pasting of fragments is supported. Sony supports fast text input similar to Swype. There is a lot of space on the screen, the keyboard is comfortable, so typing messages is comfortable.
To work with e-mail it starts automatic setting mailbox(unless it's Gmail, which connects immediately after the email address was entered during the initial activation of the phone). It includes entering basic information (login, password). The phone perfectly understands various encodings and supports loading attachments in familiar formats.
It’s easy to attach pictures from the device’s memory to a new letter. Both the text copy function and automatic check mailbox (the interval is set manually). The device simultaneously runs two applications – Gmail and Email. The only difference is that in the first, mail comes only from the gmail.com server, while the second application works with any mail storage.
Camera
The smartphone uses a 5-megapixel module with autofocus and LED flash. There is no separate button here, so the application is launched either from the lock screen or from the menu. The interface is designed not only for landscape, but also for portrait mode. The screen displays auxiliary icons that make photographing easier. In the upper left corner there is a settings mode, at the bottom the flash is turned off. At the top right is a lever for switching between photos and videos, then there is a shutter button. Even lower is a stack of icons that show thumbnails of recent photos. If you click on it, you can go to the gallery.
Various options are available:
Shooting conditions: normal, portrait, landscape, night photography, night portrait, beach and snow, sports, party, document.
Photo resolution: 5M (2592x1944), 3M (2048x1536), 2M 4:3 (1632x1224), 2M 16:9 (1920x1080 pixels).
Flash: auto, off, fill, red-eye reduction.
Timer: 2.10 seconds.
Focus: single autofocus, touch focus, infinity.
Exposure number.
White Balance: Auto, Indoor Light, Fluorescent, daylight, cloudy.
Measurement: center, middle level, point.
Geotags.
Shooting method: screen button, touch shooting.
Shutter sound.
Where to save the photo.
My sample had problems with the camera; the pictures turned out strange: very blurry, with very mediocre detail. Also, while taking photographs, autofocus did not always work correctly.
 Gallery The smartphone offers an updated gallery, where pictures are sorted by month, displayed in a list of thumbnails. On each line there are five small pictures, and the section itself will begin with one large image. The gallery works in both vertical and horizontal orientation. The speed of operation is good, it is convenient to use.
The image opens in full screen, scaling works using multi-touch. Files can be sent via email, Bluetooth, SMS or hosted on Picasa. Images are assigned as desktop wallpaper or assigned to a contact. It supports rotating pictures, reducing their size, and also displays additional information about a specific file, and also shows the place where the picture was taken if geotagging is working.
There is a built-in photo editor function that allows you to apply various effects, crop the image and perform other actions. Built-in video support is very limited; only 3GP and MP4 videos are played, so you won’t be able to do without an additional player if you want to watch a movie on your smartphone screen immediately after downloading it from the Internet.
Radio The smartphone has a radio receiver that has the function of automatically searching for stations; you can also switch manually. Also, several dozen frequencies are stored in the phone's memory. You can easily switch between your favorite stations by clicking on small icons that will move between waves. While listening to the radio, you can record a snippet of a song, identify track information using Track ID, and post the information on Facebook.
Player The player menu has been redesigned, repeating the models of the new line. Now it consists of a couple of tabs. The first is dedicated to the song currently playing, and the second contains all the information about the music in the device’s memory. To listen to music, you can select tracks organized by several categories: artist, album, tracks, lists, SenseMe, and favorite tracks. Each group is highlighted in a separate box, under which the number of data is indicated. A search function is available, which is useful for working with large music storage. Information is sorted into alphabetical order, for accelerated scrolling, you can use the cursor that appears on the screen, as well as the initial letters.
I would also like to highlight the SenseMe function, which came from Walkman players. It allows you to choose tracks to suit your mood, which is very convenient. To do this, you will need an application that is installed on your computer and with its help you can analyze your entire media library by entering the necessary data into the file tags. From the list with music, you can add songs to a playlist or send them via MMS, Bluetooth or email, as well as to a cloud service.
A mixing mode is provided. The screen displays the name of the artist, the name of the album and the song being played. In music playback mode, the album cover is displayed (if it was assigned previously), and there are playback control buttons on the screen.
Tracks are switched not only by pressing buttons, but also by scrolling through the album cover. If desired, the song is set as a ringtone, and you can also find additional data about the song using tools from Google, YouTube, or download additional modules through Google Play. Equalizer settings available. These are the following presets: normal, heavy music, pop, jazz, unique, soul, light, bass boost, treble boost, special. The last profile allows you to set your own parameters for playing music. The xLOUD function allows you to get very loud sound from the speaker. Enables surround sound emulation: concert hall, club, studio.
The function of editing data directly on the phone is available. You can take a song, make changes to the tags, correct the title, the smartphone itself will find the cover or offer one of the options. Player control buttons now appear on the lock screen when playing music in the background. Previously, there were very few of them, but now it has become much more convenient to control the player.
TrackID allows you to identify a melody playing on the radio on your smartphone or somewhere nearby. Not only the song title will be displayed, but also the album title, artist name and cover art. The following formats are supported: AAC, AAC+, eAAC+, OGG, WAV, MIDI, MP3, AMR-NB, AMR-WB. Volume reserve; in a noisy metro it may not be enough. In terms of sound quality, the smartphone did not surprise anyone, it plays flat, the bottom frequency range much cut down, nothing interesting.
Applications Calendar The calendar can be configured to display information for a whole month, week or specific day. You can set the alert type and tone for recorded events and meetings. There is a division of information by storage location, each option has its own color label.
The new entry is given a name, period and location. You can specify which calendar it will be synchronized with, and you can send invitations to contacts from your address book. The repetition period is set (every day, weekly, monthly, yearly). A reminder will help you not to lose sight of the recording - the alarm will go off in advance.
Alarm The smartphone allows you to save several alarms in memory. The repeat can be set either once or every day, only on weekdays or weekly. You can also set specific days. The signal melody is set, you can add a vibration alert to it and text file. Sets the period for the signal to be triggered again.
Weather forecast and news are useful every day.
The calculator works in both portrait and landscape orientation.
YouTube is a standard application for most modern devices that allows you to view videos and search among them. The application runs in full screen mode.
Built-in version Office Suite knows how to work with Word files, Excel, PDF, Power Point. It is presented as a demo version without editing function.
The Facebook application will allow you to communicate on the network of the same name directly from your mobile device.
A separate application is responsible for watching videos. It is beautifully designed, but taking into account limited support smartphone of various formats, you need to use an additional player if you want to watch unconverted movies.
Google search starts.
Google Talk chat is working.
There is an application for broadcasting data from a smartphone to other devices.
The SMS counter is working.
Google Play will be a useful source for installing new applications. There is a convenient search function, as well as dividing programs into categories, which greatly simplifies browsing. You can look at the reviews, evaluate the rating and express your opinion about the software. Each application is equipped brief description and images for greater clarity. Purchased applications are displayed in a separate list, which is convenient: if purchased new phone, you can immediately install those programs that you previously purchased.
Browser Used for internet surfing standard application. A navigation bar is displayed at the top of the screen, and to the right of it there is a shortcut that allows you to bookmark the page. The phone remembers the most visited pages and has a log of pages viewed.
The mode of simultaneous work with several windows is supported, search for words on the page is enabled, text selection is enabled, as well as a practical function for changing the screen brightness directly from the browser. Thanks to multi-touch, pages can be easily scaled. Chrome is also installed, so you can choose the one that suits you best convenient application, having tried both at work.
GPS navigation Used for navigation Google Maps– standard software for all Android phones. Traffic jams are displayed, so the application has become fully functional and convenient not only for pedestrians, but also for car owners.
There is a function for determining the current location, calculating the route from the starting point to the ending point, and specifying the method of movement: by car, on foot or public transport. The route is laid out on the map, and key places are indicated in the form of text messages, which are displayed on the screen in the form of a column; you can switch between them: view the route in advance or vice versa, go back and plot another path. Zooming works using multi-touch or virtual buttons. The area data is clearly displayed thanks to the convenient Google Street View option.
Connections The smartphone operates in the GSM 850/900/1800/1900 and UMTS 900/1700/2100 bands. There is Bluetooth 2.1 with support for EDR and A2DP, in addition to support for other generally accepted profiles. The Wi-Fi module b\g\n operates at the usual level. The smartphone remembers entered passwords for networks and can automatically connect to them while within their range. The device can work as an access point and serve as a source for accessing the Internet for other devices. Using a microUSB connector allows you to connect your phone to a computer for synchronization and charging the battery.
Working hours Installed lithium ion battery capacity 1750 mAh. The official operating time data is as follows: up to 7 hours 20 minutes of talk time, up to 618 hours of battery life in standby mode, up to 39.5 hours of listening to music, up to 8.5 hours of video mode. In continuous video playback mode at maximum brightness, the device worked for 5 hours 44 minutes. In normal mode, the smartphone works for a couple of days with normal load. If there is a little mobile internet, then it turns out already 3 or even 4 days, a smartphone with good battery life.
Conclusion The speaker is good and gives a pleasant voice. The vibration signal is average and is not always felt. The melody can be heard well, the ringing is loud, especially if you turn on xLOUD. The price for the smartphone is 10,990 rubles, which is a normal figure for the start of sales. At the same time, if you look at what else you can buy for this money, you can find many other devices. For example, Sony Xperia Sola, LG Optimus L7, Huawei Honor, Philips W732, as well as more modestly priced offers from Alcatel, Fly, Highscreen. Therefore, if you compare Sony with less famous brands, the model may not seem very interesting, but against the backdrop of the future HTC Desire X, which will cost 14-15 thousand rubles, the smartphone looks very good. The main rival is the Samsung Galaxy Ace 2, which turned out to be a very interesting solution for the money. In my opinion, the new product from Sony is interesting primarily for its design in the spirit of older models, and there is no complete borrowing of ideas, which was clearly visible from the NXT line at the beginning of this year. At the same time, it feels like they saved money on hardware, and accordingly, in terms of operating speed, the device is in the middle position, not the most powerful solution for the money. On the other hand, this allowed us to achieve good results in terms of battery life.
© Alexander Pobyvanets, Test laboratory |
