After parting ways with Ericcson, Japanese manufacturer Sony hit it big with its Xperia line of phones. The range of smarthphones top-billed by the Xperia S has a sibling for the lower end, the Xperia U. The phone features a dual core that is perfect for its segment.

Hardware

When you open the box, you will have the earphones, USB cable, charger, and the of course the Xperia U. The phone measures 4.4×2.1×0.5 inches and tips the scale at 110 grams. This Android device aimed to compete with other midrange phones has a very elegant design. The designers gave the matte plastic casing with a rubberised feel. It also feels good on the grip with its curved back.

The Xperia U has a dual core 1GHz CPU linked with a 400MP GPU. At the back, you have a 5MP camera while the front has a VGA. The phone has a 4 gigabyte storage. It depends on a 1320mAh battery. The smartphone has a good set of features but its non-expandable storage is one of its big thumbs downs. It does not even have a slot for a microSD.

The phone has a 3.5-inch LCD display with 480×854 pixels and a 280 ppi. The viewing angles are quite limited but the display is quite sharp and bright.

Performance

Sony equips the Experia U with its own user interface atop the Gingerbread. Overall, the designers did well in terms of putting some eye candy into the equation without compromising the phone’s performance.

The reception is strong most of the time and the quality of calls are very good.

The refreshed music player of Sony has a very nice layout. It offers some options for its settings and equalizer. The phone supports AVI, 3GP, and MP4. The Bravia Engine specifically for the mobile platform improves the quality of picture. Clearly, this phone is built for watching your favorite movies.

A lot of phone makers add an S to their smart phones to make a new phone of a flagship release plus some minor tweaks. This happens much today barely a few months after releasing a new smartphone. The Xperia Arc by Sony Ericsson is another phone which gets facelifted.

The recently released Xperia Arc S looks like its older sibling when you look at it with the same curvatures which wowed everyone when the Arc was unveiled. Inside, the parts are basically the same except that the Arc S gets a better CUPU with a 1.4GHz Qualcomm brain. Aside from the minor tweak, the Xperia is also the first handset which gets the 3D sweep panorama by Sony which can take 3D pictures for you and view them when you have a compatible TV at home.

Hardware

The Arc S takes the form of a convex profile just like the original Experia Arc. The backing of the phone also seems to be more rigid compared to the older version but it still retains that hmm-whats-that-creeking-i-hear battery cover. Sony Ericsson could have given this smartphone a bigger power button located near the port for the micro-HDMI. The phone still does not come with a camera that faces the front. The three buttons below the 4.2 inch screen might as well serve better with a backlight.

The 4.2 inch screen that runs on a Mobile Bravia technology by Sony is there to impress anyone as it gives you clear and crisp images at 854×480. It also provides a good space for your fingers if you do a lot of browsing or gaming. The 8 megapixel camera using the Exmor R camera sensor works wonders with the updated software that allows more customization choices.

Software

The Xperia Arc S runs on Android Gingerbread. You get the usual feel of Google or Facebook, and there’s also a screen grab feature. The web browser performs well even when you scroll the screen up or down fast. Sony Ericsson also improved the native keyboard for this version making it Swype-ishly responsive.

Performance

According to benchmark tests against the older Xperia Arc, the Arc S scores better primarily due to its improved CPU. The phone works well even when you view a good amount of graphics or browse the web a lot. On normal use involving phone calls, browsing, multimedia playing, the battery of the Ar S can last a day.

Conclusion

The Xperia Arc S is a single-core device which is very reliable. The difference is not much compared to the original Xperia Arc. The 3D Panorama feature is a bonus but it will not be a feature that you will be using much.