Got a chance to check out Sony Ericsson Xperia arc. In my opinion, this phone is well built. And FYI, it is a successor for Xperia X10. Although previously, SE has a bad encounter with software upgrade issue, it seems that they are now giving the best software to the latest phone. The SE Xperia arc is running on Android Gingerbread (Android 2.3.2)
The SE Xperia arc has a 4.2-inch multi-touch screen. The Reality Display with Mobile BE (Bravia Engine) actually deliver very nice and vivid colors. I have seen the side-by-side comparison with Xperia X10. It really makes a big difference.
For Sony camera fans, Exmor sensor should be a familiar term. The Xperia arc sports a 8-megapixel camera with flash. It has the Exmor mobile sensor on it and together with the F2.4 lens, the camera is great at capturing images under low light condition.
Here is a picture of the arc’s camera in action.
A closer look. Look at how bright the scene is.
It has a front facing VGA camera too.
Here is a short video of the camera in action.
If you realize, the body on the SE Xperia arc is curve.
At the thinnest part, the arc is just 8.7mm thick.
Here are the top and bottom view.
Here are the key features of Sony Ericsson Xperia™ arc
- Slim, lightweight and strong, with perfect ergonomics
- Extra wide 4.2” multi-touch Reality Display with Mobile BRAVIA® Engine to ensure ultimate multimedia and viewing experiences
- Sony Exmor R™ for mobile: for best-in-class low-light photography and video capture
- 8.1 megapixel camera and HD video recording capability
- Android Market™ – thousands of applications to keep you entertained
BTW, the arc is touted to have the black screen. It may sound funny but if you look at your smartphone, you will realize that when the display is off, it is not exactly black. It is a little greyish.
For Xperia arc, the black is black. According to Sony Ericsson, when the black is black, it actually enhances the displayed information on the screen.
Plus the Xperia arc has zero air gap on the screen. If you tilt your phone, you might be able to notice some gap between the screen and the glass. However, for Xperia arc, it is flat.
The Xperia arc will be launched in Q1 in Singapore with two colors, Midnight Blue and Misty silver.
I did a short video on the software.
BTW, Sony Ericsson also did some customization on the OS. One significant feature is the folder. Now, like an Apple iOS, you can create folder. However, unlike Apple iOS, you can have many apps in a folder. I am not sure what is the limit. SE did mention to us that they have tried 50 apps in a folder without issue.
Here is a short video on how to create the folder.
Overall, I think Sony Ericsson did a great job with Xperia arc. It is well built and SE has placed careful thoughts on the design.
[ad#boxlist]