Upper middle class - a review of Sony Xperia SP
Released last year, the Xperia P, in my opinion, was one of the most successful and pleasant-to-use smartphones of recent years and perfectly played the role of the “second number” next to the flagship S. After the release of the top Z and ZL, this niche was empty for long and now as An inexpensive, but stylish and productive large-screen smartphone is Xperia SP. Let's take a closer look at it.
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In the traditional for the last two years, the box itself is located the device itself, high-power charger, USB / Micro USB cable, headset and various useful pieces of paper.
Xperia SP boasts an elegant, despite the size, appearance and concise design - the number of extra buttons and holes is minimized, even the ear for hanging birds from Angry Birds has been sacrificed. The device is very comfortable in the hand, the location of the buttons does not cause any complaints, except that, in my opinion, it is a little more convenient for left-handers due to the fact that you can press them with different fingers, and not just big ones. Well, you will have to get used to the power button located in the center if you used to have an Acro S.
The 4.6-inch screen occupies about 65-70% of the “facade”, above it is the eye of the front camera, equipped with a grill, a speaker and a light sensor. In the lower left corner is a hole with a microphone.
On the right, there is nothing but the combo USB / HDMI connector, and on the left there is a large round button for turning on the phone, a button for activating the camera, and a volume control. 3.5 audio jack on the upper end is shifted to the left, which, in my opinion, is familiar and convenient.
The lower end is decorated with an illuminated transparent strip of polycarbonate, which deserves a separate description. Loved by many owners of last year’s models, the detail became a bit larger and acquired dynamic backlighting, which changes depending on the image on the screen, whether it is the main screen, a photo or an album cover in the player (in the latter case, the bar will also flash to the beat of the music). Using the backlight, you can also receive notifications, and the color is separately configured for SMS, incoming calls and an alarm clock, and a separate color can be assigned to each of the subscribers.
The back panel is slightly convex, made of a thin matte plastic, resembling soft touch, but a little different, also very pleasant to the touch, absolutely not soiled and does not slip. Here is a massive lens with a protruding aluminum edging, which, on the one hand, does not allow glass to be scratched, and on the other hand, prevents the installation of additional lenses with magnetic mount.
Below are the LED-flash, a second microphone and a speaker with the same mesh as the front one. The cover is quite easy to remove, opening access to slots for micro SIM and micro SD-cards. Cards are inserted and removed without any problems. Immediately you can see that the mesh covering the speaker is glued to the lid. The lid is held very tightly, although if it is not very carefully installed, a small gap is formed on the right side, which is easily corrected by reinstalling.
Xperia SP is equipped with a 4.6-inch HD Reality Display screen, already familiar to many of last year’s flagship Ion and does not need any special presentation. Very juicy convincing colors and sure white. The white balance adjustment application that migrated from Xperia ZL allows you to more accurately calibrate the display. The novelty of this year - the Mobile Bravia Engine 2 feature enhances contrast and saturation when viewing photos and videos, making the picture more attractive.
When tilting more than 30 degrees, the colors fade somewhat, but, for example, when reading this is absolutely not critical - the text is perfectly visible even at 70-80 degrees of tilt, although I can not imagine who might need it.
SP inherited from the model Sola. “Glove mode”, it is already on by default, but for its final activation it is necessary to unlock the phone with a gloved hand in order to adapt it to this glove. The screen responds well to both thin leather and thick woolen gloves - in harsh weather conditions this is most welcome. The screen also reacts to wet fingers, although not always willingly, but this, however, was not promised.
The display is protected by scratch-resistant mineral glass, on which a factory film is glued, which is absolutely not noticeable. For a week and a half of active use and storage in a pocket without a cover, no scratches appeared.
The first thing you want to praise the headset that comes in the kit. Smart Headset MH1c, in principle, was sold separately before (about 1500 rubles), but, you see, it is much more pleasant to get it for free with a smartphone. Firstly - a very clear sound with fat bass, the almost complete absence of distortion at maximum volume, as well as the complete absence of caustic resonances in the region of 6-7k, characteristic of “liners”. Secondly - a flat cable, which is not prone to self-entanglement and facilitates disentanglement, under the right earpiece is a remote control that allows you to control the volume and playback (one press - pause, two quick - the next track, three quick - the previous one), equipped, to that However, an additional button Smart Connect, on which you can assign the launch of any application, for example - the camera. But in the third - a stylish design with round metal elements, perfectly combined with the smartphone itself.
An external monaural speaker is an external monaural speaker that provides sound quality at the level of an average pocket radio. It is possible to programmatically increase its volume (xLoud) and increase the monocompatibility of tracks (ClearPhase), but for listening to music, of course, it is better to use headphones. As for the conversational dynamics, he, in my opinion (that is, the rumor) can not complain about the lack of volume and even has some of its stock.
Connecting a smartphone to monitors and televisions does not cause any problems, except for the need to purchase a special cable or an MHL / HDMI adapter, which costs about 400 rubles in Russian retail or around 150 in the great Chinese online stores. In my opinion - an adequate fee for minus one connector on the case. When connected to a computer via USB, it is defined as a device or as a flash drive, if you select the appropriate mode in the settings.
Here we are waiting for the old 8-megapixel familiar Exmor RS with some software improvements, like HDR and super-auto mode, as well as a huge number of settings. We will not pay special attention to the camera, since it has already recommended itself very well. Among other things, it works great in the twilight, but in case of too bright light sometimes you have to manually adjust the exposure. The hardware button allows you to shoot the phone as well as a camera-soap box, and you can hang on it as just launching the camera, and instant shooting.
Xperia SP can safely be called the most “long-playing” of Sony phones, and indeed in its class. With active use (listening to music, watching TV shows, games, reading, constant use of Google Maps, Chrome, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram), the charge is more than enough for a light day. If you put the device into Stamina mode, then the standby charge should be enough for more than two days. A very serious statement from the Android-smartphone. This trend can not but rejoice, remember Xperia ZL, also showed in this area outstanding results, so that jokes about Android and a set of chargers, it seems, you can forget.
Inside the Xperia SP is quite expected and relevant, for the middle class of 2013 iron. Moreover, in some tests this model manages to overtake the flagship (although this happens, of course, at the expense of a lower screen resolution). In complex, from the point of view of graphics, three-dimensional games, FPS confidently keeps at around 35-40, and in the 3DMark test, the Ice Storm sags up to 15-20 in particularly complex scenes. Especially I want to note that while the phone heats up very moderately and quickly cools. The results of the main tests you can see on the screenshots below.
Unfortunately, we did not have the opportunity to test the performance of Xperia SP in the LTE network. The test results in 3G and Wi-Fi modes can be seen below. GPS works perfectly - the 10-kilometer route was recorded very carefully and with all the details.
The device boots up in 22 seconds, showing, at this time, a nice animated screensaver. By default, Android 4.1.2 is installed here with the ability to upgrade to 4.2 soon. Sony Mobile's own shell is similar to what is installed on the Xperia Z and ZL. Among the special features, you can note the lock screen with the ability to quickly access the camera and player, vertical unlocking with a nice “blinds” effect, a proprietary Walkman player with automatic sound enhancement function, surround sound simulations, an equalizer and a bass booster (all this, of course, can be disabled). The list of pre-installed software includes the Evernote organizer, MobiSystems File Commander, QR NeoReader scanner, car navigator, Opera Mini browser, Adobe Reader, Socialife reader for social networks, a simple video editing application and the basic version of McAfee Mobile Security. All preinstalled software, of course, can be safely removed if you do not need it.
Processor : Qualcomm MSM8960 Snapdragon Pro, 2 cores, 1700 MHz
Memory : 1 GB RAM, 8 GB internal flash array
Video : Adreno 320
Display : TFT, 16 million colors, 4.6 inches, HD, 1280 x 720 pixels, (~ 319 ppi)
Communications : GSM 850/900/1800/1900, HSDPA 850/900/2100, LTE 800/850/900/1800/2100/260
Main camera : 8 MP, Exmor RS matrix, 3264 * 2448 pixels, autofocus, LED flash
Front camera : VGA
OS : Android 4.1.2
Dimensions : 130.6 x 67.1 x 10 mm
Weight : 155 g
As a result, we have an elegant smartphone with original details and pleasant materials. Quite compact, by today's standards, has one of the longest-lived batteries and has the finest performance for its class. We also note the absence of significant heating under heavy loads, a bright screen with the ability to calibrate, the absence of extra buttons and connectors, a speaker with a good volume margin and a great headset in the kit. As for the price, it is 15-17 thousand rubles, depending on the distributor.
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Equipment
In the traditional for the last two years, the box itself is located the device itself, high-power charger, USB / Micro USB cable, headset and various useful pieces of paper.
Appearance and ergonomics
Xperia SP boasts an elegant, despite the size, appearance and concise design - the number of extra buttons and holes is minimized, even the ear for hanging birds from Angry Birds has been sacrificed. The device is very comfortable in the hand, the location of the buttons does not cause any complaints, except that, in my opinion, it is a little more convenient for left-handers due to the fact that you can press them with different fingers, and not just big ones. Well, you will have to get used to the power button located in the center if you used to have an Acro S.
The 4.6-inch screen occupies about 65-70% of the “facade”, above it is the eye of the front camera, equipped with a grill, a speaker and a light sensor. In the lower left corner is a hole with a microphone.
On the right, there is nothing but the combo USB / HDMI connector, and on the left there is a large round button for turning on the phone, a button for activating the camera, and a volume control. 3.5 audio jack on the upper end is shifted to the left, which, in my opinion, is familiar and convenient.
The lower end is decorated with an illuminated transparent strip of polycarbonate, which deserves a separate description. Loved by many owners of last year’s models, the detail became a bit larger and acquired dynamic backlighting, which changes depending on the image on the screen, whether it is the main screen, a photo or an album cover in the player (in the latter case, the bar will also flash to the beat of the music). Using the backlight, you can also receive notifications, and the color is separately configured for SMS, incoming calls and an alarm clock, and a separate color can be assigned to each of the subscribers.
The back panel is slightly convex, made of a thin matte plastic, resembling soft touch, but a little different, also very pleasant to the touch, absolutely not soiled and does not slip. Here is a massive lens with a protruding aluminum edging, which, on the one hand, does not allow glass to be scratched, and on the other hand, prevents the installation of additional lenses with magnetic mount.
Below are the LED-flash, a second microphone and a speaker with the same mesh as the front one. The cover is quite easy to remove, opening access to slots for micro SIM and micro SD-cards. Cards are inserted and removed without any problems. Immediately you can see that the mesh covering the speaker is glued to the lid. The lid is held very tightly, although if it is not very carefully installed, a small gap is formed on the right side, which is easily corrected by reinstalling.
Screen
Xperia SP is equipped with a 4.6-inch HD Reality Display screen, already familiar to many of last year’s flagship Ion and does not need any special presentation. Very juicy convincing colors and sure white. The white balance adjustment application that migrated from Xperia ZL allows you to more accurately calibrate the display. The novelty of this year - the Mobile Bravia Engine 2 feature enhances contrast and saturation when viewing photos and videos, making the picture more attractive.
When tilting more than 30 degrees, the colors fade somewhat, but, for example, when reading this is absolutely not critical - the text is perfectly visible even at 70-80 degrees of tilt, although I can not imagine who might need it.
SP inherited from the model Sola. “Glove mode”, it is already on by default, but for its final activation it is necessary to unlock the phone with a gloved hand in order to adapt it to this glove. The screen responds well to both thin leather and thick woolen gloves - in harsh weather conditions this is most welcome. The screen also reacts to wet fingers, although not always willingly, but this, however, was not promised.
The display is protected by scratch-resistant mineral glass, on which a factory film is glued, which is absolutely not noticeable. For a week and a half of active use and storage in a pocket without a cover, no scratches appeared.
Multimedia
The first thing you want to praise the headset that comes in the kit. Smart Headset MH1c, in principle, was sold separately before (about 1500 rubles), but, you see, it is much more pleasant to get it for free with a smartphone. Firstly - a very clear sound with fat bass, the almost complete absence of distortion at maximum volume, as well as the complete absence of caustic resonances in the region of 6-7k, characteristic of “liners”. Secondly - a flat cable, which is not prone to self-entanglement and facilitates disentanglement, under the right earpiece is a remote control that allows you to control the volume and playback (one press - pause, two quick - the next track, three quick - the previous one), equipped, to that However, an additional button Smart Connect, on which you can assign the launch of any application, for example - the camera. But in the third - a stylish design with round metal elements, perfectly combined with the smartphone itself.
An external monaural speaker is an external monaural speaker that provides sound quality at the level of an average pocket radio. It is possible to programmatically increase its volume (xLoud) and increase the monocompatibility of tracks (ClearPhase), but for listening to music, of course, it is better to use headphones. As for the conversational dynamics, he, in my opinion (that is, the rumor) can not complain about the lack of volume and even has some of its stock.
Connecting a smartphone to monitors and televisions does not cause any problems, except for the need to purchase a special cable or an MHL / HDMI adapter, which costs about 400 rubles in Russian retail or around 150 in the great Chinese online stores. In my opinion - an adequate fee for minus one connector on the case. When connected to a computer via USB, it is defined as a device or as a flash drive, if you select the appropriate mode in the settings.
Camera
Here we are waiting for the old 8-megapixel familiar Exmor RS with some software improvements, like HDR and super-auto mode, as well as a huge number of settings. We will not pay special attention to the camera, since it has already recommended itself very well. Among other things, it works great in the twilight, but in case of too bright light sometimes you have to manually adjust the exposure. The hardware button allows you to shoot the phone as well as a camera-soap box, and you can hang on it as just launching the camera, and instant shooting.
Battery
Xperia SP can safely be called the most “long-playing” of Sony phones, and indeed in its class. With active use (listening to music, watching TV shows, games, reading, constant use of Google Maps, Chrome, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram), the charge is more than enough for a light day. If you put the device into Stamina mode, then the standby charge should be enough for more than two days. A very serious statement from the Android-smartphone. This trend can not but rejoice, remember Xperia ZL, also showed in this area outstanding results, so that jokes about Android and a set of chargers, it seems, you can forget.
Comprehensive Testing
Inside the Xperia SP is quite expected and relevant, for the middle class of 2013 iron. Moreover, in some tests this model manages to overtake the flagship (although this happens, of course, at the expense of a lower screen resolution). In complex, from the point of view of graphics, three-dimensional games, FPS confidently keeps at around 35-40, and in the 3DMark test, the Ice Storm sags up to 15-20 in particularly complex scenes. Especially I want to note that while the phone heats up very moderately and quickly cools. The results of the main tests you can see on the screenshots below.
Connection
Unfortunately, we did not have the opportunity to test the performance of Xperia SP in the LTE network. The test results in 3G and Wi-Fi modes can be seen below. GPS works perfectly - the 10-kilometer route was recorded very carefully and with all the details.
Software
The device boots up in 22 seconds, showing, at this time, a nice animated screensaver. By default, Android 4.1.2 is installed here with the ability to upgrade to 4.2 soon. Sony Mobile's own shell is similar to what is installed on the Xperia Z and ZL. Among the special features, you can note the lock screen with the ability to quickly access the camera and player, vertical unlocking with a nice “blinds” effect, a proprietary Walkman player with automatic sound enhancement function, surround sound simulations, an equalizer and a bass booster (all this, of course, can be disabled). The list of pre-installed software includes the Evernote organizer, MobiSystems File Commander, QR NeoReader scanner, car navigator, Opera Mini browser, Adobe Reader, Socialife reader for social networks, a simple video editing application and the basic version of McAfee Mobile Security. All preinstalled software, of course, can be safely removed if you do not need it.
Specifications
Processor : Qualcomm MSM8960 Snapdragon Pro, 2 cores, 1700 MHz
Memory : 1 GB RAM, 8 GB internal flash array
Video : Adreno 320
Display : TFT, 16 million colors, 4.6 inches, HD, 1280 x 720 pixels, (~ 319 ppi)
Communications : GSM 850/900/1800/1900, HSDPA 850/900/2100, LTE 800/850/900/1800/2100/260
Main camera : 8 MP, Exmor RS matrix, 3264 * 2448 pixels, autofocus, LED flash
Front camera : VGA
OS : Android 4.1.2
Dimensions : 130.6 x 67.1 x 10 mm
Weight : 155 g
Summary
As a result, we have an elegant smartphone with original details and pleasant materials. Quite compact, by today's standards, has one of the longest-lived batteries and has the finest performance for its class. We also note the absence of significant heating under heavy loads, a bright screen with the ability to calibrate, the absence of extra buttons and connectors, a speaker with a good volume margin and a great headset in the kit. As for the price, it is 15-17 thousand rubles, depending on the distributor.
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/182392/
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