Great review of Sony Ericsson Xperia arc
Presented in January in Las Vegas, the new flagship of the Xperia line and the entire range of Sony Ericsson 2011 Sony Ericsson Xperia arc is of great interest among the audience and this is not surprising. A weekly acquaintance with this device and a careful study of the proposals of competitors lead to an unequivocal conclusion: in its price category, the Xperia arc is a completely unique offer. Want proofs? Come under cat.
I took the Xperia arc from Sony Ericsson last week. I was handed a small neat white-blue box, which I unpacked when I arrived home:
')
The phone itself lies in a small lodgment inside (I took the bag in which it was wrapped, because it flashed):
Included with it are cables: HDMI, microUSB to USB, a charger, a 16 gig card and a few standard pieces of paper that are usually thrown away without being read.
The arch is big. Holding it in my hands, I remembered the outdated definition of “handheld” - PDAs are not in fashion now, but modern top-end smartphones are doing them in all categories. “Height” 12 cm, with a 4.2 ”screen, the arc feels well exactly on the palm, and not at all female. This is specifically a man's size. The exact dimensions of the “arch” are 125x63x8.7x10.9 (8.9 at the thinnest point) mm.
The phone will be delivered in two colors - black and blue and strong silver. My copy is black with a deep blue gradient on the back of the case.
The “puffy” shape really fits well in the hand, and large icons are easier to hit with a finger with a sweep. Thanks to the dimensions of the arc, it is also quite convenient to type messages from the on-screen keyboard - with it, it is possible that only Xperia pro with its full-featured sliding keyboard can argue with it.
From the top left, there is a 3.5mm audio jack, from the right end there is a volume rocker, a camera button and a microUSB connector - do not be confused by its rectangular shape in the photos, absolutely standard plugs fit it.
Of course, the hardkey keys for switching the volume against the background of the tendency to sweep profiles are ok, but there is no limit to perfection: after all, I don’t have enough buttons for switching sound tracks / radio stations. The only button on the standard headset allows you to pause / start playback and accept / reset a call. For any more complex action you need to climb behind the device in your pocket. However, this can be avoided using Live View , for example;)
Above - the button off the screen, it is - with a long press - select the basic parameters: sound / vibro, airplane mode and power off.
Thus, accidentally turning off the phone, holding this button down will not work, but the device still specifies exactly what you had in mind before turning it off.
And there - one of the chips of Sony Ericsson 2011 model year - HDMI-connector (adapter comes in the kit).
A useful, I suppose, thing for a phone that can shoot video in 720p resolution: you can immediately watch it in the appropriate quality from your home TV. Previously, such cameras showed off video cameras, there were even models with recording directly onto the built-in DVD - recorded, pulled out, inserted, looked at. Now such difficulties are not required. "I always carry a video camera with me."
Bottom - a microphone, an eyelet for carrying on a cord (I wonder if at least someone uses them? At least, no arc is attached to the arc) and a small recess under the nail - in order to peel off the cover of the phone.
The cover can be easily removed and held firmly, without backlash. In general, the phone, despite its seeming fragility — large and thin — was built qualitatively and did not cause any fear that, for example, it would break in half.
An attentive reader may be confused by the inscription 8GB on a memory card - but these are the costs of a test, journalistic configuration. Phones with cards for 16 gigs, with the possibility of expansion up to 32, will be on sale.
An exciting moment, the phone asks you to set the time and date (or select the automatic setting from the network operator), enter the google-account (android). Most of the initial settings can be skipped and returned to what is really needed during the operation. In any case, poking around in the phone settings in the process is much more interesting.
The arc display is quite consistent with the stated scratch resistance: I took photos of the phone after a week of active use, during which, to be honest, the phone was several times in the pocket with the 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 with a protective film at the factory, which is practically invisible - the difference with homemade film sticking at home is huge. One cannot guess what it is from the outside. Therefore, to remove all traces of its active operation, simply wipe the screen and the phone case with a cloth (“if over the years your TV has started to show worse, just wipe the screen” - remember?). And if it does not help, change the protective film, and it is like new.
By the way, a cleaning cloth is probably the most relevant accessory for this phone after the headset (and maybe more importantly), since and the screen and case are fully glossy.
The screen resolution of the phone is 480x854 - almost like old monitors. Just a few years ago, the web designers stopped making up sites for a resolution of 800, and it looks like they will soon 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 bar is constantly displayed, where you can put any application shortcut or folder.
To add a shortcut to one of the desktops, you need to clamp any empty space on the screen and a window will appear to select options for actions:
It’s convenient, for example, to put a reference to a specific item of the settings menu - for example, I brought up the wi-fi settings on the first screen - to immediately see if there are any available networks and connection status.
The first screen turned out to be quite loaded, so the small ones fit on it:
And they can be, for example, such:
If there is still not enough screen space, you can group and add shortcuts to folders.
A complete picture of widgets only, without application labels, from all five desktops can be viewed using the traditional two-finger-on-screen movement:
Removing shortcuts is also easy: just hold any of them, and the menu button will change to a basket where you can throw out an unnecessary shortcut:
The phone menu takes up as many screens as needed to fit all installed applications. 16 icons fit on one screen. You can arrange them manually, or you can by some of the standard algorithms:
Usually in my reviews I don’t 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 in more detail in a previous post about the Xperia arc - “First Impressions” . For clarity, I will duplicate the scheme of work from there once again:
Simply speaking, Exmor R gives an advantage primarily in the dark, when the amount of light falling on the matrix is ​​critical.
Not to be unfounded, just show a few recent pictures of Moscow night, made with Xperia arc. The horizon is littered, I know:
No comment, conclusions about the quality of the shooting apparatus (well, about the curvature of the handles removing) do it yourself.
The Qualcomm 1 GHz processor can be a clear illustration of the advertising slogan of the old Rolls-Royces: "Power is sufficient." In general, nothing to add.
In arc, the default behavior of wi-fi has changed, which can critically affect the battery life. If earlier wi-fi “fell asleep” by default when the screen was turned off, then now it continues to work on the contrary. This can be adjusted by entering the wi-fi settings menu and pressing the menu button there.
Now Available
Start of sales of new items is expected in early April, pre-order can already be done in the "Connected", and the price of a 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 you can write anything in the company's official blog. But let's see what the same Yandex.Market says: among 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 practically no competitors.
And with the latest version of Android 2.3, the Sony Ericsson Xperia arc is a unique offer. To verify this, it is enough to run a search on the detailed parameters in the Market.
What can I say, the flagship was a success.
See you again!
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 last week. I was handed a small neat white-blue box, which I unpacked when I arrived home:
')
The phone itself lies in a small lodgment inside (I took the bag in which it was wrapped, because it flashed):
Included with it are cables: HDMI, microUSB to USB, a charger, a 16 gig card and a few standard pieces of paper that are usually thrown away without being read.
Appearance
The arch is big. Holding it in my hands, I remembered the outdated definition of “handheld” - PDAs are not in fashion now, but modern top-end smartphones are doing them in all categories. “Height” 12 cm, with a 4.2 ”screen, the arc feels well exactly on the palm, and not at all female. This is specifically a man's size. The exact dimensions of the “arch” are 125x63x8.7x10.9 (8.9 at the thinnest point) mm.
The phone will be delivered in two colors - black and blue and strong silver. My copy is black with a deep blue gradient on the back of the case.
Ergonomics
The “puffy” shape really fits well in the hand, and large icons are easier to hit with a finger with a sweep. Thanks to the dimensions of the arc, it is also quite convenient to type messages from the on-screen keyboard - with it, it is possible that only Xperia pro with its full-featured sliding keyboard can argue with it.
From the top left, there is a 3.5mm audio jack, from the right end there is a volume rocker, a camera button and a microUSB connector - do not be confused by its rectangular shape in the photos, absolutely standard plugs fit it.
Of course, the hardkey keys for switching the volume against the background of the tendency to sweep profiles are ok, but there is no limit to perfection: after all, I don’t have enough buttons for switching sound tracks / radio stations. The only button on the standard headset allows you to pause / start playback and accept / reset a call. For any more complex action you need to climb behind the device in your pocket. However, this can be avoided using Live View , for example;)
Above - the button off the screen, it is - with a long press - select the basic parameters: sound / vibro, airplane mode and power off.
Thus, accidentally turning off the phone, holding this button down will not work, but the device still specifies exactly what you had in mind before turning it off.
And there - one of the chips of Sony Ericsson 2011 model year - HDMI-connector (adapter comes in the kit).
A useful, I suppose, thing for a phone that can shoot video in 720p resolution: you can immediately watch it in the appropriate quality from your home TV. Previously, such cameras showed off video cameras, there were even models with recording directly onto the built-in DVD - recorded, pulled out, inserted, looked at. Now such difficulties are not required. "I always carry a video camera with me."
Bottom - a microphone, an eyelet for carrying on a cord (I wonder if at least someone uses them? At least, no arc is attached to the arc) and a small recess under the nail - in order to peel off the cover of the phone.
The cover can be easily removed and held firmly, without backlash. In general, the phone, despite its seeming fragility — large and thin — was built qualitatively and did not cause any fear that, for example, it would break in half.
An attentive reader may be confused by the inscription 8GB on a memory card - but these are the costs of a test, journalistic configuration. Phones with cards for 16 gigs, with the possibility of expansion up to 32, will be on sale.
Turning on
An exciting moment, the phone asks you to set the time and date (or select the automatic setting from the network operator), enter the google-account (android). Most of the initial settings can be skipped and returned to what is really needed during the operation. In any case, poking around in the phone settings in the process is much more interesting.
Screen
The arc display is quite consistent with the stated scratch resistance: I took photos of the phone after a week of active use, during which, to be honest, the phone was several times in the pocket with the 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 with a protective film at the factory, which is practically invisible - the difference with homemade film sticking at home is huge. One cannot guess what it is from the outside. Therefore, to remove all traces of its active operation, simply wipe the screen and the phone case with a cloth (“if over the years your TV has started to show worse, just wipe the screen” - remember?). And if it does not help, change the protective film, and it is like new.
By the way, a cleaning cloth is probably the most relevant accessory for this phone after the headset (and maybe more importantly), since and the screen and case are fully glossy.
Desktop
The screen resolution of the phone is 480x854 - almost like old monitors. Just a few years ago, the web designers stopped making up sites for a resolution of 800, and it looks like they will soon 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 bar is constantly displayed, where you can put any application shortcut or folder.
To add a shortcut to one of the desktops, you need to clamp any empty space on the screen and a window will appear to select options for actions:
It’s convenient, for example, to put a reference to a specific item of the settings menu - for example, I brought up the wi-fi settings on the first screen - to immediately see if there are any available networks and connection status.
The first screen turned out to be quite loaded, so the small ones fit on it:
And they can be, for example, such:
If there is still not enough screen space, you can group and add shortcuts to folders.
A complete picture of widgets only, without application labels, from all five desktops can be viewed using the traditional two-finger-on-screen movement:
Removing shortcuts is also easy: just hold any of them, and the menu button will change to a basket where you can throw out an unnecessary shortcut:
Menu
The phone menu takes up as many screens as needed to fit all installed applications. 16 icons fit on one screen. You can arrange them manually, or you can by some of the standard algorithms:
Camera
Usually in my reviews I don’t 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 in more detail in a previous post about the Xperia arc - “First Impressions” . For clarity, I will duplicate the scheme of work from there once again:
Simply speaking, Exmor R gives an advantage primarily in the dark, when the amount of light falling on the matrix is ​​critical.
Not to be unfounded, just show a few recent pictures of Moscow night, made with Xperia arc. The horizon is littered, I know:
No comment, conclusions about the quality of the shooting apparatus (well, about the curvature of the handles removing) do it yourself.
Iron
The Qualcomm 1 GHz processor can be a clear illustration of the advertising slogan of the old Rolls-Royces: "Power is sufficient." In general, nothing to add.
In arc, the default behavior of wi-fi has changed, which can critically affect the battery life. If earlier wi-fi “fell asleep” by default when the screen was turned off, then now it continues to work on the contrary. This can be adjusted by entering the wi-fi settings menu and pressing the menu button there.
Now Available
Start of sales of new items is expected in early April, pre-order can already be done in the "Connected", and the price of a 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 you can write anything in the company's official blog. But let's see what the same Yandex.Market says: among 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 practically no competitors.
And with the latest version of Android 2.3, the Sony Ericsson Xperia arc is a unique offer. To verify this, it is enough to run a search on the detailed parameters in the Market.
What can I say, the flagship was a success.
See you again!
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 .
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/116179/
All Articles