NOTE: This Post is in THREE parts!!
Click for Part 2: http://itsakulah.blogspot.com/2011/07/samsung-galaxy-s-ii-vs-sony-ericsson_6275.html
We Liked
- Curved Bodywork
- Large Reality Display
- Cheap Build
The Sony Ericsson Arc has a lot on its shoulders. Arriving with much fanfare
at CES 2011, it signalled a new start for Sony Ericsson who has openly admittedthat its previous range of Xperia smartphones wasn’t up to scratch.
So what’s new?
Pretty much everything and judging by the Arc’s spec list, SE
seems to have learnt a hard lesson and is eager to put the past
behind them.
behind them.
some brand spanking new mobile technology, the Arc is fully equipped to set
sail for the dizzy heights of success. But does it sink or swim?
DesignThe Sony Ericsson Arc is a front runner in the looks
department and flaunts a beautifully crafted curved
back that is just 8.7mm at its thinnest part and9mm at its thickest. Despite its wafer-thin body,
the Arc doesn’t feel fragile although the plastic
casing may suffer from wear and tear over the
course of a lengthy contract.
That said, most of the Arc’s design features go
in its favour. It’s on the taller end of the smartphone
scale at 125 x 63 x 8.7mm but this long tall Sally has
managed to keep the weight off and feels incredibly
light in hand, tipping the scales at 117 grams.Of course, there are lighter handsets out there
but when you consider that its predecessor, the X10,
weighed in at 135 grams this is a definite improvement.
The Arc has also been given a screen size boost and now rocks a 4.2 inch
TFT LCD job. It might not match up to the iPhone 4′s Retina display, but
this isn’t your bog standard LCD screen. The Arc is the first Sony Ericsson
smartphone to come fitted with Sony’s Reality Display technology which has
been teamed up with the company’s Mobile Bravia Engine to produce more
accurate colour management. The results are incredibly pleasing to the eye
with pin sharp pictures and deep colours creating a rich platform for viewing
your media on.
TFT LCD job. It might not match up to the iPhone 4′s Retina display, but
this isn’t your bog standard LCD screen. The Arc is the first Sony Ericsson
smartphone to come fitted with Sony’s Reality Display technology which has
been teamed up with the company’s Mobile Bravia Engine to produce more
accurate colour management. The results are incredibly pleasing to the eye
with pin sharp pictures and deep colours creating a rich platform for viewing
your media on.
Power and Operating System
Like the X10, the Xperia Arc gets its power from a 1GHz Qualcomm offering.
However, this processor is more efficient than before as it uses up less battery power and handles graphics and video content with ease.
Sony Ericsson assured the tech world that it has learned from its
past mistakes and its a case of so far, so good on the operating
system front as the Arc ships with the latest version of Android 2.3 Gingerbread.
The manufacturer has put a slimmed down version of its
own Xperia user interface over Google’s OS but has
separated the two so new Android updates can be rolled
out quicker than they have been previously. Word has it
that a Honeycomb update (which could be in the form of
Android 2.4) is heading for the Arc at some point in the
near future, but all should become clear soon.
own Xperia user interface over Google’s OS but has
separated the two so new Android updates can be rolled
out quicker than they have been previously. Word has it
that a Honeycomb update (which could be in the form of
Android 2.4) is heading for the Arc at some point in the
near future, but all should become clear soon.
As for the ‘slimmed down’ Xperia UI, it gives Android more
of a chance to shine than before. Timescape, which lists
your latest texts, calls, Facebook and Twitter updates in
a single stream, reappears in the form of a widget as does
Sony Ericsson’s Mediascape app. The best thing of all is
that Gingerbread and the hardware have been finely tuned
to with each other so general day to day usage will go
without a hitch.
of a chance to shine than before. Timescape, which lists
your latest texts, calls, Facebook and Twitter updates in
a single stream, reappears in the form of a widget as does
Sony Ericsson’s Mediascape app. The best thing of all is
that Gingerbread and the hardware have been finely tuned
to with each other so general day to day usage will go
without a hitch.
Internet: As you would expect from an Android-sporting
handset, the Sony Ericsson Arc has a WebKit browser
and naturally comes with both 3G and Wi-Fi connectivity
on board. Added extras like pinch to zoom technology
handset, the Sony Ericsson Arc has a WebKit browser
and naturally comes with both 3G and Wi-Fi connectivity
on board. Added extras like pinch to zoom technology
and Adobe Flash 10.1 support, neither of which hinder
the Arc’s operation, bring it up to scratch with its
fellow Android rivals.
the Arc’s operation, bring it up to scratch with its
fellow Android rivals.
Camera: The Arc comes with an 8.1 megapixel
camera which is joined by an LED flash and HD video
recording at 720p. It also comes with a hint of
Cybershot goodness as this snap happy handset is
kitted out with an Exmor R sensor which sets out to
enhance the quality of your pictures and videos
even in low light conditions.
camera which is joined by an LED flash and HD video
recording at 720p. It also comes with a hint of
Cybershot goodness as this snap happy handset is
kitted out with an Exmor R sensor which sets out to
enhance the quality of your pictures and videos
even in low light conditions.
The Arc comes fitted with a mini-HDMI port and Sony
Ericsson tells us a cable will come in the box.
As always, you’ll be able to play media from the handset
onto your television but this clever little feature also
mirrors your entire user interface and displays it on
your TV – so if you want to show off your gaming skills
to everyone in the room, go for it!
Ericsson tells us a cable will come in the box.
As always, you’ll be able to play media from the handset
onto your television but this clever little feature also
mirrors your entire user interface and displays it on
your TV – so if you want to show off your gaming skills
to everyone in the room, go for it!
Other tech specs:
- Music player – supports MP3, eAAC, WMA and WAV files
- Video player- supports MP4, H.263, H.264, WMV files
- DLNA
- Up to 512MB phone memory
- MircoSD card slot that supports cards up to 32GB
- A-GPS
- Wisepilot turn-by-turn navigation
- Google Maps
- Bluetooth
- MicroUSB port
- 3.5mm headphone jack
- Android Market
- 7 hours talk time
Any downsides?
The fact that we have zero gripes with the Arc is probably music to
Sony Ericsson’s ears. If we had to pick out something, we would
Sony Ericsson’s ears. If we had to pick out something, we would
have preferred it to have a metal case rather than a plastic one.
The Arc looks so good and we would hate to see it age before its time.
Conclusion
The Sony Ericsson Arc has completely changed our opinion on
the Xperia range and puts everything that was wrong before, right.
the Xperia range and puts everything that was wrong before, right.
The picture quality produced by the Reality Display is outstanding
and its multimedia capabilities are top notch.
Even in every day usage, it works perfectly with Android 2.3
Gingerbread but still comes with a hint of Sony Ericsson’s personality.
If this was a love story, we’d be happily sailing off into the sunset.
Dialaphone review the Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc. See a full hands-on with the Xperia Arc and read the full Xperia Arc review at:http://blog.dialaphone.co.uk/2011/02/11/sony-ericsson-arc-we-are-sailing/
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All Comments (30)
- Your great in reviewing i really like the way you speak and that you got rid of the annoying ehhhh :D
- You'r supposed to be a professional. The Bravia engine is only operational when watching videos or pics.
- very very nice. i like
- Nice videoI've liked it too much
- @mcabevere google flv to mp4 converters
- @Dialaphone Oh U're very kind! =) thank you very much for your review and advice!!!!!! xoxo GBU!
Uploader Comments (Dialaphone)