Here it is, ladies and gentlemen, the first and only Sony mobile device. After buying out Ericsson's stake late last year, the Xperia S is Sony's move into the mobile-phone market, and a strong one at that. The Sony Xperia S, on paper, has all the makings of a market killer. Let's find out if it delivers.
The front of the device features a 4.3-inch screen with three navigation touch-sensitive buttons. There is a translucent LED-lit bar right below the buttons which seems to split the phone into two, and adds a touch of distinction from the other smartphones on the market. But the bottom bit doesn't add any functionality and just features the Xperia branding.
The rest of the device is more traditional, in that the top features a power button and a headphone jack and a micro-USB port on one side, and an HDMI, a volume rocker and a dedicated camera button on another.
The review unit we had featured a smooth matte white finish at the back with a special coating that gets most marks right off with a wet tissue. But the real magic happens at the front, though. The 4.3-inch screen of the device has an HD resolution of 1,280x720, which means the display is very crisp. Most other devices featuring an HD display have screen sizes of more than 4.5 inches, which makes the Xperia S look even better in comparison. Add to that Sony's implementation of the Bravia Engine, which improves the quality of images and video, and you have yourself one of the best displays on the market right now.
The camera on the back is powered by a 12-megapixel Exmor R sensor and is a pleasure to use. Right from the dedicated camera button — which goes from standby to shot taken in about 2-3 seconds — to the brilliant quality of pictures and full HD video, the Xperia S sets a new standard in mobile-phone cameras.
Making sure the HD video is shot and played — on screen and on TV via its HDMI connection — requires beefy internals, and the 1.5GHz dual-core processor takes care of that. It also features just about every connectivity option under the sun — including NFC, which it has implemented with SmartTags that you can tap to change your phone's profile. Thankfully, the device features 1,750mAh battery to keep it running through the day.
The one point where the Xperia S falls short is the operating system. It's still running Android 2.3.7. Yes, the upgrade to Android 4.0 is due in a few months, but until then it seems you're left with a solid device with a dated and sub-par experience.
Coming in only at a 32GB internal storage flavour, the Xperia S is priced at Dh2,299. With the due arrival of ICS, the Xperia S is a solid offering by Sony and a good return to market.
Bhavishya Kanjhan is a digital marketing professional and an early adopter of all things digital. Follow his tweets on @bhavishya
