Sony has really improved its Xperia line of phones in the past few months. The youngest in the family, the Xperia Go, is also claiming to be the toughest one. This rugged device has the IP67 rating, which means it has the highest protection against dust and is just one level below the below the highest protection against solid objects – from up to one metre.

However despite its rugged and tough build, the device is designed unlike any other similar device. Whereas most other rugged devices are rubberized or swollen, the Xperia Go is slim, even when compared to many other regular devices. With a thickness of 9.8mm, the device will fit in your pocket very easily and its weight of 110g means you will hardly notice it there.

On a table top, the black minimalist design doesn’t stand out too much. If you pick it up, you can feel the rough finish at the back which also improves the grip on the phone.

The front features a 3.5 inch screen and three touch sensitive buttons. On the sides are the headphone port, volume rocker and USB port; the top features the power button. On the rear is the camera and the speaker. The placement of the speaker means the sound may be muffled when placed back down. The overall design of the device is by no means flashy or loud, and yet it does not appear to be subdued in any manner.

The screen on the Go features a resolution of 320 x 480 and features great viewing angles. You wouldn’t really expect anything less from Sony though. The 5 megapixel camera is built in a similar vein; the quality of the images is great and the 720p video is smooth too.

Perhaps the only disappointment about the phone is that it runs Android Gingerbread 2.3. Not only has Sony been slow to roll out Android Ice Cream Sandwich (4.0) to its existing devices, but the use of an older operating system on its new releases really limits the experience these devices are able to offer.

The Sony Xperia Go retails at AED 1,199 and is available at electronic retailers.

The writer is a digital marketing professional and an early adopter of all things digital.