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Sony Ericsson Xperia arc review

Our Rating :
Price when reviewed : £399
inc VAT

Subtle and practical improvements to Android, a decent camera and a large, colourful screen make the arc tempting, but it may soon find itself outpaced by dual-core models.

Specifications

Android 2.3, 4.2in 480×854 display

http://www.box.co.uk
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The star of the show is Android 2.3, with its much-improved text selection and application management. Sony Ericsson has customised the user interface slightly – there’s no link to the Manage Applications setting from the home page’s menu, as on stock Android 2.3, but its improvements to the application tray are useful. The arc’s app tray slides horizontally rather than vertically, and you can sort apps and move them between trays, creating themed groups if you wish.

Sony Ericsson Xperia arc bottom

However, while the software is bang up to date, the arc’s hardware is in danger of becoming outmoded. Most new phones currently being announced have dual-core processors, making them far snappier than the current models. If you must have Android 2.3 now, then the Xperia arc is by no means a bad phone, but it seems expensive considering the more powerful phones just around the corner.

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Details

Price £399
Rating ****

Hardware

Main display size 4.2in
Native resolution 480×854
Second Display No
CCD effective megapixels 8.1-megapixel
Flash LED
Video recording format MP4
Connectivity Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, USB
GPS yes
Internal memory 512MB
Memory card support microSD
Memory card included 8192MB
Operating frequencies GSM 850/900/1800/1900, 3G 850/900/1900/2100
Wireless data EDGE, HSPA
Size 125x63x11mm
Weight 117g

Features

Operating system Android 2.3
Microsoft Office compatibility Word/Excel/PowerPoint/PDF viewers
Email client POP3/IMAP/Exchange
Audio format support MP3, AAC, OGG
Video playback formats 3GP, MP4, XviD
FM Radio yes
Web Browser Webkit
Accessories headset, data cable, charger, HDMI cable
Talk time 7 hours
Standby time 16.7 days
Tested battery life (MP3 playback) 32h 54m

Buying Information

SIM-free price £399
Price on contract £30-per-month, 18-month contract
SIM-free supplier www.box.co.uk
Contract/prepay supplier www.vodafone.co.uk
Details www.sonyericsson.com

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