March 25, 2011 at 13:28Great review of Sony Ericsson Xperia arc
Presented in January in Las Vegas, the new flagship of the Xperia line and the entire lineup of Sony Ericsson 2011 Sony Ericsson Xperia arc is of great interest to the audience and this is not surprising. A week-long acquaintance with this device and a careful study of competitors' proposals lead to an unambiguous conclusion: in its price category, the Xperia arc is a completely unique offer. Do you want proofs? Come under the cat.
I took the Xperia arc from Sony Ericsson representatives last week. I was handed a small neat white and blue box, which I unpacked when I arrived home:
The phone itself is in a small lodgement inside (I took off the bag in which it was wrapped, because it was flashing):
Included with it are cables: HDMI, microUSB to USB, a charger, a 16 gig card and several standard pieces of paper that are usually thrown away unreadable.
Ark is big. Holding it in my hands, I remembered the outdated definition of “handheld” - PDAs are no longer in vogue now, but modern top-end smartphones do them in all categories. 12 cm tall, with a 4.2 ”screen, arc feels good in the palm of your hand, and not at all female. This is specifically men's size. The exact dimensions of the “arch” are 125x63x8.7x10.9 (8.9 in the thinnest place) mm.
The phone will be delivered in two colors - black-blue and strict silver. My copy is black, with a gradient of deep blue on the back cover.
The “convex” shape really fits well in the hand, and it’s easier to hit large icons with your finger in a big way. Typing messages from the on-screen keyboard thanks to the dimensions of the arc is also quite convenient - only Xperia pro with its full retractable keyboard can possibly argue with this.
On the top left there is a 3.5 mm audio jack, on the right side - a volume rocker, a camera button and a microUSB connector - do not be confused by its rectangular shape in photos, absolutely standard plugs are suitable for it.
Of course, hard volume keys against the background of a tendency to strip profiles is ok, but there is no limit to perfection: after all, I don’t have enough buttons for switching audio tracks / radio stations. The only button on the standard headset allows you to click on pause / start playback and accept / drop the call. For any more complex action, you need to climb into the pocket of the device. However, this can be avoided with the help of Live View , for example;)
Above is the screen off button, while pressing it for a long time selects the main parameters: sound / vibro, airplane mode and power off.
Thus, accidentally turning off the phone by holding down this button will not work, but the device still clarifies before turning off exactly whether you had this in mind.
And in the same place - one of the chips of Sony Ericsson 2011 model year - an HDMI connector (an adapter is included).
A useful, presumably, thing for a phone that can shoot video in 720p resolution: you can immediately watch it in appropriate quality from a home TV. Previously, video cameras boasted of such chips, there were even models with recording directly to the built-in DVD - recorded, removed, inserted, watch. Now such difficulties are not required. “I always carry a camcorder with me.”
Below is a microphone, a loop for wearing on a cord (interestingly, does anyone use them? At least, there is no cord in the arc kit) and a small notch under the fingernail - to pry off the phone’s cover.
The cover is easy to remove and holds firmly, without backlash. In general, the phone, despite the apparent fragility - large and thin - is assembled efficiently and there was no concern that, for example, it would break in half.
An attentive reader may be confused by the inscription 8GB on a memory card - but this is the cost of a test, journalistic configuration. On sale there will be phones with 16 gig cards, with the possibility of expanding to 32.
An exciting moment, the phone asks you to set the time and date (or choose automatic setup from the network operator), enter the google account (android). You can skip most of the initial settings and return to what you really need during the operation process. In any case, picking your phone’s settings in the process is much more interesting.
The arc display is consistent with the declared scratch resistance: I took photos of the phone after a week of active use, during which, to be honest, the phone several times ended up in my pocket with keys (not on purpose) and a couple of times I even sat on it, forgetting it in the back pocket.
In addition to durable glass, it is already covered at the factory with a protective film, which is almost invisible - the difference with artisanal gluing of the film at home is enormous. It is impossible to guess that it is from the outside. Therefore, to remove all traces of its active use, simply wipe the screen and the phone body with a cloth (“if your TV began to show worse over the years, just wipe the screen” - remember?). And if it doesn’t help, change the protective film, and it’s like new.
By the way, a cleaning cloth is perhaps the most relevant accessory for this phone after a headset (or maybe more important), because both the screen and the case are completely glossy.
The screen resolution of the phone is 480x854 - almost like with old monitors. Just a few years ago, typesetters stopped making sites for 800 resolution, and it seems that soon they will have to return to this tradition again.
It is not surprising that in the presence of such free space, the device allows you to actively use the desktop.
To begin with, there are five of them. At the bottom, the application panel is constantly displayed, where you can put any application shortcut or folder.
To add a shortcut to one of the desktops, you need to pinch any empty space on the screen and a window for choosing options appears:
It’s convenient, for example, to put a link to a specific item in the settings menu - for example, I brought wi-fi settings to the first screen - so that immediately see if there are available networks and connection status.
The first screen turned out to be quite loaded, so the watch fit on it small:
Or maybe it’s, for example, like this:
If there is still not enough space on the screen, you can group and add shortcuts to folders.
The full picture of only widgets, without application shortcuts, from all five desktops can be viewed using the traditional “two fingers on the screen” movement:
Removing shortcuts is also simple: just hold any of them and the menu button will change to a basket where you can throw an unnecessary shortcut :
The phone menu occupies as many screens as needed to fit all installed applications. 16 icons fit on one screen. They can be ordered manually, or you can use any of the standard algorithms:
Usually in my reviews I do not pay much attention to cameras, since on most phones they are standard and differ only in the number of megapixels. But the Sony Ericsson Xperia arc is a special story. The phone is distinguished by a unique Exmor R matrix with batteries located behind the matrix, which means that they transmit light waves without distortion. I talked about this a bit more in the previous post about the Xperia arc - “First impressions” . For the sake of clarity, I’ll duplicate the scheme of work from there again:
Simply put, Exmor R gives an advantage primarily in the dark, when the amount of light entering the matrix is critical.
In order not to be unfounded, I’ll just show you some recent Moscow night photos taken with the Xperia arc. The horizon is littered, I know:
Without comments, make your own conclusions about the quality of shooting the device (well, about the curvature of the hands of the shooter).
The Qualcomm processor with a frequency of 1 GHz can act as a clear illustration of the advertising slogan of the old Rolls-Royces: “there is enough power”. In general, there is nothing to add.
In arc, the default behavior of wi-fi has changed, which can critically affect the battery life. If earlier wi-fi defaulted to "fall asleep" when the screen was turned off, now it continues to work on the contrary. This can be adjusted if you go to the wi-fi settings menu and press the menu button there.
On sale now
Start of sales of new items is expected in early April, pre-order can already be done in the "Connected", and the price of the new product is already on Yandex.Market.
Returning to the thesis voiced at the beginning of the article about the uniqueness of the Sony Ericsson Xperia arc: it is clear that anything can be written in the company's official blog. But let's see what the same Yandex.Market says: among the thin lightweight smartphones with a large screen in the price category up to 30,000 rubles (and to be precise, the phone costs about 26,000), Arch has almost no competitors.
And with the latest version of Android 2.3, Sony Ericsson Xperia arc is generally a unique offer. To verify this, just start a search for detailed parameters in the Market.
What can I say, the flagship was a success.
See you soon!
PS In connection with the changes on Habré, in order not to miss the latest reviews and news of Sony Ericsson - subscribe to our blog .
I took the Xperia arc from Sony Ericsson representatives last week. I was handed a small neat white and blue box, which I unpacked when I arrived home:
The phone itself is in a small lodgement inside (I took off the bag in which it was wrapped, because it was flashing):
Included with it are cables: HDMI, microUSB to USB, a charger, a 16 gig card and several standard pieces of paper that are usually thrown away unreadable.
Appearance
Ark is big. Holding it in my hands, I remembered the outdated definition of “handheld” - PDAs are no longer in vogue now, but modern top-end smartphones do them in all categories. 12 cm tall, with a 4.2 ”screen, arc feels good in the palm of your hand, and not at all female. This is specifically men's size. The exact dimensions of the “arch” are 125x63x8.7x10.9 (8.9 in the thinnest place) mm.
The phone will be delivered in two colors - black-blue and strict silver. My copy is black, with a gradient of deep blue on the back cover.
Ergonomics
The “convex” shape really fits well in the hand, and it’s easier to hit large icons with your finger in a big way. Typing messages from the on-screen keyboard thanks to the dimensions of the arc is also quite convenient - only Xperia pro with its full retractable keyboard can possibly argue with this.
On the top left there is a 3.5 mm audio jack, on the right side - a volume rocker, a camera button and a microUSB connector - do not be confused by its rectangular shape in photos, absolutely standard plugs are suitable for it.
Of course, hard volume keys against the background of a tendency to strip profiles is ok, but there is no limit to perfection: after all, I don’t have enough buttons for switching audio tracks / radio stations. The only button on the standard headset allows you to click on pause / start playback and accept / drop the call. For any more complex action, you need to climb into the pocket of the device. However, this can be avoided with the help of Live View , for example;)
Above is the screen off button, while pressing it for a long time selects the main parameters: sound / vibro, airplane mode and power off.
Thus, accidentally turning off the phone by holding down this button will not work, but the device still clarifies before turning off exactly whether you had this in mind.
And in the same place - one of the chips of Sony Ericsson 2011 model year - an HDMI connector (an adapter is included).
A useful, presumably, thing for a phone that can shoot video in 720p resolution: you can immediately watch it in appropriate quality from a home TV. Previously, video cameras boasted of such chips, there were even models with recording directly to the built-in DVD - recorded, removed, inserted, watch. Now such difficulties are not required. “I always carry a camcorder with me.”
Below is a microphone, a loop for wearing on a cord (interestingly, does anyone use them? At least, there is no cord in the arc kit) and a small notch under the fingernail - to pry off the phone’s cover.
The cover is easy to remove and holds firmly, without backlash. In general, the phone, despite the apparent fragility - large and thin - is assembled efficiently and there was no concern that, for example, it would break in half.
An attentive reader may be confused by the inscription 8GB on a memory card - but this is the cost of a test, journalistic configuration. On sale there will be phones with 16 gig cards, with the possibility of expanding to 32.
Turning on
An exciting moment, the phone asks you to set the time and date (or choose automatic setup from the network operator), enter the google account (android). You can skip most of the initial settings and return to what you really need during the operation process. In any case, picking your phone’s settings in the process is much more interesting.
Screen
The arc display is consistent with the declared scratch resistance: I took photos of the phone after a week of active use, during which, to be honest, the phone several times ended up in my pocket with keys (not on purpose) and a couple of times I even sat on it, forgetting it in the back pocket.
In addition to durable glass, it is already covered at the factory with a protective film, which is almost invisible - the difference with artisanal gluing of the film at home is enormous. It is impossible to guess that it is from the outside. Therefore, to remove all traces of its active use, simply wipe the screen and the phone body with a cloth (“if your TV began to show worse over the years, just wipe the screen” - remember?). And if it doesn’t help, change the protective film, and it’s like new.
By the way, a cleaning cloth is perhaps the most relevant accessory for this phone after a headset (or maybe more important), because both the screen and the case are completely glossy.
Desktop
The screen resolution of the phone is 480x854 - almost like with old monitors. Just a few years ago, typesetters stopped making sites for 800 resolution, and it seems that soon they will have to return to this tradition again.
It is not surprising that in the presence of such free space, the device allows you to actively use the desktop.
To begin with, there are five of them. At the bottom, the application panel is constantly displayed, where you can put any application shortcut or folder.
To add a shortcut to one of the desktops, you need to pinch any empty space on the screen and a window for choosing options appears:
It’s convenient, for example, to put a link to a specific item in the settings menu - for example, I brought wi-fi settings to the first screen - so that immediately see if there are available networks and connection status.
The first screen turned out to be quite loaded, so the watch fit on it small:
Or maybe it’s, for example, like this:
If there is still not enough space on the screen, you can group and add shortcuts to folders.
The full picture of only widgets, without application shortcuts, from all five desktops can be viewed using the traditional “two fingers on the screen” movement:
Removing shortcuts is also simple: just hold any of them and the menu button will change to a basket where you can throw an unnecessary shortcut :
Menu
The phone menu occupies as many screens as needed to fit all installed applications. 16 icons fit on one screen. They can be ordered manually, or you can use any of the standard algorithms:
Camera
Usually in my reviews I do not pay much attention to cameras, since on most phones they are standard and differ only in the number of megapixels. But the Sony Ericsson Xperia arc is a special story. The phone is distinguished by a unique Exmor R matrix with batteries located behind the matrix, which means that they transmit light waves without distortion. I talked about this a bit more in the previous post about the Xperia arc - “First impressions” . For the sake of clarity, I’ll duplicate the scheme of work from there again:
Simply put, Exmor R gives an advantage primarily in the dark, when the amount of light entering the matrix is critical.
In order not to be unfounded, I’ll just show you some recent Moscow night photos taken with the Xperia arc. The horizon is littered, I know:
Without comments, make your own conclusions about the quality of shooting the device (well, about the curvature of the hands of the shooter).
Iron
The Qualcomm processor with a frequency of 1 GHz can act as a clear illustration of the advertising slogan of the old Rolls-Royces: “there is enough power”. In general, there is nothing to add.
In arc, the default behavior of wi-fi has changed, which can critically affect the battery life. If earlier wi-fi defaulted to "fall asleep" when the screen was turned off, now it continues to work on the contrary. This can be adjusted if you go to the wi-fi settings menu and press the menu button there.
On sale now
Start of sales of new items is expected in early April, pre-order can already be done in the "Connected", and the price of the new product is already on Yandex.Market. Returning to the thesis voiced at the beginning of the article about the uniqueness of the Sony Ericsson Xperia arc: it is clear that anything can be written in the company's official blog. But let's see what the same Yandex.Market says: among the thin lightweight smartphones with a large screen in the price category up to 30,000 rubles (and to be precise, the phone costs about 26,000), Arch has almost no competitors.
And with the latest version of Android 2.3, Sony Ericsson Xperia arc is generally a unique offer. To verify this, just start a search for detailed parameters in the Market.
What can I say, the flagship was a success.
See you soon!
PS In connection with the changes on Habré, in order not to miss the latest reviews and news of Sony Ericsson - subscribe to our blog .
