Technical characteristics of Sony xperia tx. For discerning connoisseurs or fanatical fans? Review of the Sony Xperia TX smartphone. Bluetooth is a standard for secure wireless data transfer between various devices of different types over short distances
I have already talked in detail about the announcement of a new line of Sony smartphones in the style of the Xperia arc - a thin, slightly curved smartphone, which got its name due to the bend of the back cover. This year, Sony decided to use the same design idea to the maximum and presented 3 similar smartphones at once: Xperia J, Xperia T, Xperia V. Xperia T received a variation with a slightly changed appearance called TX, and it will be sold in Russia. It differs from the Xperia T in both its removable battery and slightly smaller thickness, which, you see, is not bad.
The flagship of the trio is formally considered to be the Xperia T (and TX in Russia, respectively), although the Xperia V is technologically more interesting, and it’s all about the screen size. The Xperia TX has a Sony maximum of 4.6 inches, while the Xperia V has only 4.3 inches. Apart from the screen size, the Xperia V, in my opinion, is a real flagship: it has LTE support, the body is waterproof, and the screen is made using new technology. I myself am really looking forward to this device, since for me 4.3 inches is the optimal display size, and protection from water has never bothered anyone. But now the market demands larger and larger screens, so the Xperia TX will play the role of the device with the largest display in the Sony line.
Comparison with Xperia T:
Specifications Sony Xperia TX LT29i
Design, convenience
As for appearance, the device is certainly beautiful. The thinness of the body and the curve are emphasized by the large screen with a thin frame, the materials are very good, the matte, slightly rough plastic is reminiscent of polycarbonate, only harder.
Compare with LG Optimus L9:
The build quality is traditionally good, but monolithic predecessors (Xperia S, acro S) are better for obvious reasons. But the removable lid and large body make their presence felt. However, if you don’t find fault, there are no flaws in the assembly of the device. I like the combination of materials: the main body is matte, there is a metallic edging along the ends, and the area above it is already glossy white. It's not noticeable from a distance, but the attention to detail is commendable.
In addition to white, there is traditional black, as well as dark pink, which will be delivered to Russia later. A female version that looks very good, the shade is chosen correctly.
Having spent many months with the Xperia S, I can say that the new design concept is better, the corners do not cut into the palm, the minimal thinness is pleasing, and thanks to the curve, the Xperia TX fits perfectly in the hand. In addition, the absence of traditional buttons under the screen made it possible to save space; the TX is smaller in size than its predecessor, the Xperia ion, with the same screen size.
There are few control elements: volume control and camera launch/shoot buttons on the right, lock/shutdown on the left. I don’t understand why the lock/shutdown button is there; it’s difficult for right-handed people to unlock the phone with one hand. In general, I am surprised by the constant movement of buttons from one end to another. In Xperia S the lock is generally on the top, in TX it is on the left, and only in Xperia V and some other models, as expected, on the right.
There are also a couple of connectors: 3.5 mm at the top and micro-USB at the top right, and that's it. As you can see, HDMI was abandoned; connection to TV was implemented via micro-USB. There are also no touch buttons; the Xperia TX can only be controlled from the screen. Instead of buttons there is a glowing Xperia logo; it looks beautiful in the dark.
As I already said, the back panel is removable; here, in addition to the 1750 mAh battery, there are slots for a SIM card and a micro-SD memory card. Again, when compared with the Xperia S, the panel here is much better made. The camera module is not recessed, so the glass can be easily wiped before shooting. In its predecessor, for this elementary procedure you have to remove the entire panel.
Screen
The Sony Xperia TX uses a 4.6- (to be precise, 4.55-) inch screen, with a resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels, which is typical for HD flagships. The screen clarity is about 320 pixels per square inch - comparable to the Apple iPhone 5. In general, the screen is similar in characteristics to the Xperia ion, it looks better than the Xperia S (as well as the Xperia acro S): wider viewing angles, colors do not fade so much when tilted.
I can’t say anything bad about the screen, I like it more than the Samsung Galaxy S3 with unnatural colors and the PenTile pixelation effect, but the Xperia TX is also not a leader: in terms of picture quality, IPS elements of the same Nokia Lumia 920 or Xperia V with new BRAVIA Mobile Engine 2 technology.
Hardware platform, battery
Xperia TX is the first Sony smartphone on the fourth generation of Qualcomm Snapdragon processors; it uses the MSM8260A Krait chipset and the Adreno 225 graphics core. The chipset is made using 28 nm technology and shows excellent results in benchmarks; it is better optimized than 4-core solutions from NVIDIA and Samsung. Actually, if the previous generation of Sony smartphones lagged quite far behind its competitors in terms of hardware, the new models fully correspond to their flagship status.
As you can see, the results are very, very good, the smartphone is inferior only to the newest flagships such as the Samsung Galaxy Note 2, outperforming all the others (quad-core HTC One X, Samsung Galaxy S3 as well). I have something to compare with - the Sony Xperia S works a little slower, with it it is more likely to experience “brakes” when performing any operations.
Benchmarks AnTuTu and Quadrant:
As for the operating time, the Sony Xperia TX can hardly be called unusual or outstanding in any way. A battery with a capacity of 1750 mAh is not very much for a large screen, and as a result, the results are average. In AnTuTu tests, the device scored 379 points, which is noticeably lower than the Xperia ion we recently tested (533 points, but it also has a 1900 mAh battery). So you shouldn’t count on a long operating time, this is one day with intensive use, the standard for top Android smartphones.
At the same time, video playback tests show very good results, about 6 hours (a movie in AVI format was played).
The Xperia TX has a proprietary Sony feature - fast charging. The device comes with a high-power power supply that charges the battery almost twice as fast as standard chargers. There is also an application called “Economy Mode”. Here you can configure many parameters such as screen brightness, data synchronization, display shutdown time, networks, animation and more. When you turn on Eco Mode, the selected services will be disabled. In this mode, the device will last much longer, but it all depends on the selected parameters, of course.
The memory capacity is 16 GB (built-in), there is a slot for Micro-SD cards, 1 GB of RAM, indicators that are common for 2012 flagships.
Among the new applications, I would like to mention Xperia Link - a program for connecting a computer or tablet to the Internet via the smartphone’s cellular connection. Roughly speaking, the smartphone can distribute 3G via Wi-Fi to other devices; this is an implementation of an access point from Sony.
There is an interesting feature: Wi-Fi by location. A smartphone can turn on Wi-Fi only when it is within range of an already known network to which it can connect. This was done again to save energy so that Wi-Fi was not constantly on.
Camera
The Xperia TX has a new camera module: 13 megapixels, with a Sony Exmor R sensor. This sensor with back-illumination technology provides an advantage when shooting in low-light conditions. Video recording in 1080p at 30 fps with constant autofocus is also available, and there is a second microphone for recording stereo sound. The difference with its predecessors is only 1 megapixel, which is insignificant at such values, so it’s interesting to look at the quality of shooting. It, in my opinion, is almost no different from the Xperia S.
Camera interface:
Sample pictures:
Interface and multimedia
At the moment, all current Sony smartphones come with Android 4.0.4 ICS; for most models (including 2011), an update to Android 4.1 Jelly Bean is announced (early next year). At the same time, the software of the devices is very similar to each other, the interface is unified. Xperia TX, V and subsequent models are distinguished by virtual (on-screen) buttons for control instead of touch buttons under the screen, I like this option a little more, besides, new versions of Android also offer buttonless options.
As I said, the interface of new Sony smartphones is almost the same. There are folders on the desktop (you can group any applications), sorting in the main menu, a full set of widgets, and so on. With five desktops and such shortcuts/folders, you will rarely need to access the main menu. By the way, the main menu can also be organized. As you wish - alphabetically, for example, or randomly. Screens with icons scroll horizontally.
The keyboard has changed again. There are already known layout options: letters alone, letters with a second row of symbols, button layout options (punctuation marks, emoticons), as well as covers - light or dark, combined. A magnifying glass (known from the iPhone) has been added for editing words and moving the cursor (although it is not visible in the screenshots), so the keyboard as a whole has become even better. For me, the input in Sony smartphones seems to be one of the best on the market, there are practically no errors.
I’ll immediately say about the improved photo gallery, the mechanism for selecting several photos and operations with them.
New to the Xperia TX (not present in the last of its predecessors, the Xperia ion, for example) are gadgets. They resemble widgets and can be placed anywhere on the screen (on the desktop, or in the menu, or in the player - it doesn't matter). Mini-applications allow you to perform the simplest actions: a voice recorder, calculator, notes, which are available simultaneously with the main application running. So, it has become much easier to record conversations, for example, or to calculate something without leaving the browser. Mini-applications will also be available in the Google Play store, however, so far it is empty there, there are only pre-installed ones by the manufacturer.
Pre-installed OfficeSuite package for viewing and editing documents, Chrome browser, WisePilot navigation (paid and therefore not very interesting). Of the useful features - a separate application for backup and recovery, where you can choose the location for the copy, as well as fully customize the list of data to be backed up. Here you can also mark the applications that you would like to keep. A handy thing, because in Android backup is done using third-party programs, it is right there in the kit.
The multimedia experience is almost the same as other top-end Sony devices, although the sound quality is slightly improved thanks to the new hardware platform. The sound in the headphones is louder, and in general the smartphone is quite suitable as a replacement player for undemanding users. True, the device does not reach the leaders (iPhone or Acer CloudMobile S500), of course.
Xperia TX plays unconverted 720p video (AVI, for example) without any problems, the codecs are preinstalled. The Movies application looks new, there are window thumbnails, the position is remembered and you can continue playing.
The player interface is similar to other Xperia smartphones: there is a customizable equalizer, the ClearBass function and other gadgets: for example, editing tags, album cover, plus the Infinity button remains. If you press this button while listening to a song, the device will show all the information about the artist, composition, album, other tracks from this album, you can go to the official website of the artist, buy other songs using the PlayNow service.
A visualization mode has appeared during playback; you can choose one of seven options.
Conclusions about the Sony Xperia TX smartphone
Sony Xperia TX is a top-end device from Sony, which was created with an eye on all the latest trends. Very large screens and minimal thickness are in fashion - get it. An HD screen with a diagonal of 4.6 inches, a thickness of 8.6 mm at its thinnest point and a proprietary curve on the back surface - this is how you can describe the Xperia TX in three words. It is also the first Sony smartphone on the latest hardware platform (the latest generation Qualcomm S4 chip) and the first affordable device with a 13-megapixel camera.
The combination of all these characteristics, as well as the price (about 25 thousand at the start of sales, more precisely is not yet known) indicate the flagship status of the new product. As I said at the beginning of the review, this is what it formally is. There are, of course, disadvantages (I was expecting a better quality 13-megapixel camera and longer battery life), but they are also true for the Xperia TX's competitors.
The piquancy of the situation is that there is another smartphone in the Sony line, the Xperia V, which has a smaller screen size, but very similar other characteristics, plus LTE support and a waterproof case. For me personally, the Xperia V is more interesting, and I’m waiting for it to replace my Xperia S, since I think the 4.3-inch screen size is optimal. But the huge popularity of large Android devices (with screens of 4.6 inches and above) clearly indicates that they have an audience, and a rather large one. This is how Sony divided their flagships for different categories of consumers: one larger, the other smaller, each successful in its own way.
Information about the make, model, and alternative names of the specific device, if available.
Design
Information about the dimensions and weight of the device, presented in different units of measurement. Materials used, colors offered, certificates.
| Width Width information - refers to the horizontal side of the device in its standard orientation during use. | 68.6 mm (millimeters) 6.86 cm (centimeters) 0.23 ft (feet) 2.7 in (inches) |
| Height Height information - refers to the vertical side of the device in its standard orientation during use. | 131 mm (millimeters) 13.1 cm (centimeters) 0.43 ft (feet) 5.16 in (inches) |
| Thickness Information about the thickness of the device in different units of measurement. | 8.6 mm (millimeters) 0.86 cm (centimeters) 0.03 ft (feet) 0.34 in (inches) |
| Weight Information about the weight of the device in different units of measurement. | 127 g (grams) 0.28 lbs 4.48 oz (ounces) |
| Volume The approximate volume of the device, calculated based on the dimensions provided by the manufacturer. Refers to devices with the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped. | 77.28 cm³ (cubic centimeters) 4.69 in³ (cubic inches) |
SIM card
The SIM card is used in mobile devices to store data that certifies the authenticity of mobile service subscribers.
Mobile networks
A mobile network is a radio system that allows multiple mobile devices to communicate with each other.
Mobile communication technologies and data transfer speeds
Communication between devices on mobile networks is carried out using technologies that provide different data transfer rates.
Operating system
An operating system is a system software that manages and coordinates the operation of hardware components in a device.
SoC (System on Chip)
A system on a chip (SoC) includes all the most important hardware components of a mobile device on one chip.
| SoC (System on Chip) A system on a chip (SoC) integrates various hardware components, such as a processor, graphics processor, memory, peripherals, interfaces, etc., as well as the software necessary for their operation. | Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Plus MSM8260A |
| Technological process Information about the technological process by which the chip is manufactured. Nanometers measure half the distance between elements in the processor. | 28 nm (nanometers) |
| Processor (CPU) The primary function of a mobile device's processor (CPU) is to interpret and execute instructions contained in software applications. | Krait |
| Processor size The size (in bits) of a processor is determined by the size (in bits) of the registers, address buses, and data buses. 64-bit processors have higher performance compared to 32-bit processors, which in turn are more powerful than 16-bit processors. | 32 bit |
| Instruction Set Architecture Instructions are commands with which the software sets/controls the operation of the processor. Information about the instruction set (ISA) that the processor can execute. | ARMv7 |
| Level 0 Cache (L0) Some processors have L0 (level 0) cache, which is faster to access than L1, L2, L3, etc. The advantage of having such memory is not only higher performance, but also reduced power consumption. | 4 kB + 4 kB (kilobytes) |
| Level 1 cache (L1) Cache memory is used by the processor to reduce access time to more frequently used data and instructions. L1 (level 1) cache is small in size and works much faster than both system memory and other cache levels. If the processor does not find the requested data in L1, it continues to look for it in the L2 cache. On some processors, this search is performed simultaneously in L1 and L2. | 16 kB + 16 kB (kilobytes) |
| Level 2 cache (L2) L2 (level 2) cache is slower than L1 cache, but in return it has a higher capacity, allowing it to cache more data. It, like L1, is much faster than system memory (RAM). If the processor does not find the requested data in L2, it continues to look for it in the L3 cache (if available) or in RAM memory. | 1024 kB (kilobytes) 1 MB (megabytes) |
| Number of processor cores The processor core executes software instructions. There are processors with one, two or more cores. Having more cores increases performance by allowing multiple instructions to be executed in parallel. | 2 |
| CPU clock speed The clock speed of a processor describes its speed in terms of cycles per second. It is measured in megahertz (MHz) or gigahertz (GHz). | 1500 MHz (megahertz) |
| Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) The Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) handles calculations for various 2D/3D graphics applications. In mobile devices, it is most often used by games, consumer interfaces, video applications, etc. | Qualcomm Adreno 225 |
| Amount of random access memory (RAM) Random access memory (RAM) is used by the operating system and all installed applications. Data stored in RAM is lost after the device is turned off or restarted. | 1 GB (gigabytes) |
| Type of random access memory (RAM) Information about the type of random access memory (RAM) used by the device. | LPDDR2 |
| Number of RAM channels Information about the number of RAM channels that are integrated into the SoC. More channels mean higher data rates. | Dual channel |
| RAM frequency The frequency of RAM determines its operating speed, more specifically, the speed of reading/writing data. | 500 MHz (megahertz) |
Built-in memory
Each mobile device has built-in (non-removable) memory with a fixed capacity.
Memory cards
Memory cards are used in mobile devices to increase the storage capacity for storing data.
Screen
The screen of a mobile device is characterized by its technology, resolution, pixel density, diagonal length, color depth, etc.
| Type/technology One of the main characteristics of the screen is the technology by which it is made and on which the quality of the information image directly depends. | TFT |
| Diagonal For mobile devices, screen size is expressed by the length of its diagonal, measured in inches. | 4.55 in (inches) 115.57 mm (millimeters) 11.56 cm (centimeters) |
| Width Approximate screen width | 2.23 in (inches) 56.66 mm (millimeters) 5.67 cm (centimeters) |
| Height Approximate Screen Height | 3.97 in (inches) 100.73 mm (millimeters) 10.07 cm (centimeters) |
| Aspect Ratio The ratio of the dimensions of the long side of the screen to its short side | 1.778:1 16:9 |
| Permission Screen resolution shows the number of pixels vertically and horizontally on the screen. Higher resolution means clearer image detail. | 720 x 1280 pixels |
| Pixel Density Information about the number of pixels per centimeter or inch of the screen. Higher density allows information to be displayed on the screen with clearer detail. | 323 ppi (pixels per inch) 126ppcm (pixels per centimeter) |
| Color depth Screen color depth reflects the total number of bits used for color components in one pixel. Information about the maximum number of colors that the screen can display. | 24 bit 16777216 flowers |
| Screen area Approximate percentage of screen space on the front of the device. | 63.71% (percentage) |
| Other characteristics Information about other screen features and characteristics. | capacitive Multi-touch Scratch resistance |
| Shatter proof sheet on scratch-resistant glass Sony Mobile BRAVIA Engine 2 Reality display |
Sensors
Different sensors perform different quantitative measurements and convert physical indicators into signals that a mobile device can recognize.
Rear camera
The main camera of a mobile device is usually located on its back panel and may be combined with one or more secondary cameras.
| Sensor type Information about the camera sensor type. Some of the most widely used types of sensors in mobile device cameras are CMOS, BSI, ISOCELL, etc. | CMOS BSI (backside illumination) |
| Svetlosila F-stop (also known as aperture, aperture, or f-number) is a measure of the size of a lens's aperture, which determines the amount of light entering the sensor. The lower the f-number, the larger the aperture and the more light reaches the sensor. Typically the f-number is specified to correspond to the maximum possible aperture of the aperture. | f/2.4 |
| Flash type The rear (rear) cameras of mobile devices mainly use LED flashes. They can be configured with one, two or more light sources and vary in shape. | LED |
| Image resolution One of the main characteristics of cameras is resolution. It represents the number of horizontal and vertical pixels in an image. For convenience, smartphone manufacturers often list resolution in megapixels, indicating the approximate number of pixels in millions. | 4192 x 3144 pixels 13.18 MP (megapixels) |
| Video resolution Information about the maximum video resolution that the camera can record. | 1920 x 1080 pixels 2.07 MP (megapixels) |
| Video recording speed (frame rate) Information about the maximum recording speed (frames per second, fps) supported by the camera at maximum resolution. Some of the most basic video recording speeds are 24 fps, 25 fps, 30 fps, 60 fps. | 30fps (frames per second) |
| Characteristics Information about additional software and hardware features of the rear (rear) camera. | Autofocus Digital image stabilization Geographical tags Touch Focus Face recognition |
| Self-timer |
Front-camera
Smartphones have one or more front cameras of various designs - a pop-up camera, a rotating camera, a cutout or hole in the display, an under-display camera.
Audio
Information about the type of speakers and audio technologies supported by the device.
Radio
The radio of the mobile device is a built-in FM receiver.
Location determination
Information about the navigation and location technologies supported by your device.
WiFi
Wi-Fi is a technology that provides wireless communication for transmitting data over close distances between various devices.
Bluetooth
Bluetooth is a standard for secure wireless data transfer between various devices of different types over short distances.
USB
USB (Universal Serial Bus) is an industry standard that allows different electronic devices to exchange data.
HDMI
HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) is a digital audio/video interface that replaces older analog audio/video standards.
Headphone jack
This is an audio connector, also called an audio jack. The most widely used standard in mobile devices is the 3.5mm headphone jack.
Connecting devices
Information about other important connection technologies supported by your device.
Browser
A web browser is a software application for accessing and viewing information on the Internet.
Video file formats/codecs
Mobile devices support different video file formats and codecs, which respectively store and encode/decode digital video data.
Battery
Mobile device batteries differ from each other in their capacity and technology. They provide the electrical charge necessary for their functioning.
| Capacity A battery's capacity indicates the maximum charge it can hold, measured in milliamp-hours. | 1750 mAh (milliamp-hours) |
| Type The type of battery is determined by its structure and, more precisely, the chemicals used. There are different types of batteries, with lithium-ion and lithium-ion polymer batteries being the most commonly used batteries in mobile devices. | Li-Ion (Lithium-ion) |
| Talk time 2G 2G talk time is the period of time during which the battery charge is completely discharged during a continuous conversation on a 2G network. | 6 hours 40 minutes 6.7 h (hours) 400.2 min (minutes) 0.3 days |
| 2G standby time 2G standby time is the period of time during which the battery charge is completely discharged when the device is in stand-by mode and connected to a 2G network. | 300 h (hours) 18000 min (minutes) 12.5 days |
| 3G talk time 3G talk time is the period of time during which the battery charge is completely discharged during a continuous conversation on a 3G network. | 6 hours 40 minutes 6.7 h (hours) 400.2 min (minutes) 0.3 days |
| 3G standby time 3G standby time is the period of time during which the battery charge is completely discharged when the device is in stand-by mode and connected to a 3G network. | 400 h (hours) 24000 min (minutes) 16.7 days |
| Characteristics Information about some additional characteristics of the device's battery. | Removable |
Xperia TX in the Sony product line no longer belongs to the flagships, as it was quite recently, but simply to the brand’s top devices. The powerful and large multimedia device stands out with its concave body, presenting the famous branded “ARC design”!
“I’m not in the mausoleum - you won’t lie down!” - they said in the USSR, looking at the portrait of Ilyich on a gold piece. Something similar is happening today at Sony - smartphones are really not allowed to stagnate (or linger?) in the status of flagships, promptly releasing the next model (or even more than one!) that is noticeably ahead of the previous leader in technical characteristics. Another example is the former flagship Xperia TX, which had just started selling, but was quickly displaced from the top positions by the superior forces of the Xperia Z and ZL...
However, the presence of more powerful devices in the portfolio of the Japanese brand does not at all exclude the need to talk about the Xperia TX, which is firmly among the top products of the brand, possessing all the characteristics characteristic of its position:
OS - Android 4.0.4
Display – 4.55 inches, 1280x720
Processor: dual-core Qualcomm MSM8260A 1.5 GHz + GPU Adreno 220
Memory – 1 GB RAM, 16 GB for data + microSD slot up to 32 GB
Camera – 13 MP, LED flash, Full HD video recording + front 1.3 HD 720p
Other - Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 3.1, NFC, HDMI (via MHL), GPS/GLONASS
Battery - 1750 mAh
Dimensions - 13129 x 68.6 x 8.6mm, 127g
Sony Xperia TX:: Review:: Design and features
In official specifications, the thickness of the smartphone is 8.6 mm. However, it is not that “thin”: the profile of the device is simply variable, and the smallest thickness is used in the tabular data. For example, if measured by the camera module, then the thickness there is already 10.2 mm.
“ARC” design is the main feature of the model (presented, by the way, in three colors – white, black and pink). At the same time, the bend of the “arch” is actually small - the minimum thickness in the middle is 8.5 mm (according to measurements), and the maximum in the lower part is 10.05 mm. Total: the difference between the maximum and minimum thickness is only 1.55 millimeters. However, the beveled ribs visually make this deflection much stronger, and the phone looks very elegant and unusual compared to typical parallelepiped “briquettes”.
3 touch buttons (“back”, “home” and “menu”) are not independent, but are displayed on the display itself - so as not to devour the useful area of the front panel, but to occupy it as much as possible with the screen. At the very bottom below the display is the backlit Xperia logo, which flashes bright white when unlocked and stays lit at a lower brightness level.
The gadget’s large display is its calling card (which, by the way, puts it ahead of the Xperia V in the ranking table, which is not very logical, because the latter has a smaller screen, only an indistinct 0.25 inches, but it is waterproof and LTE supported!)
The TX screen is made of mineral glass, which, as is customary with all the latest smartphones of the brand, is covered with an additional protective film. The proprietary Bravia Engine system of the second generation makes the image on the screen richer without losing its naturalness.
The power-unlock button is located on the left side at the top, designed to be pressed with the index finger, which is not very convenient (IMHO!). But in a left-handed person it will be found just under the thumb. In addition to it, on the left side there is a recess for hooking the cover with a fingernail when removing it, which is also a hole for a neck lanyard (in terms of its availability, Sony stubbornly adheres to old-school standards)
On the right side there are (from top to bottom) a microUSB connector, volume rockers and a camera button. At the top is traditionally a headphone jack, at the bottom is empty.
Sony Xperia TX:: Review:: Interface
When unlocking, you can choose to turn on normally or quickly switch to camera mode. Long-pressing the camera's shutter key also wakes up the smartphone and immediately launches the camera:
Slide your finger across the screen from top to bottom to bring up the notifications and events menu:
The five desktops are equipped at the bottom with a line of five constantly needed icons, the middle of which calls up the screen of installed applications:
Applications in the general list can be arranged as you wish:
Applications on desktops can also be sorted by creating folders:
When you hold down the right key, Android smartphones display a list of running programs. However, the Sony interface somewhat expands the capabilities of the right button, pressing it to bring up not only a list of running applications, but also the so-called mini-application menu:
Mini-applications are proprietary programs that can work on top of the screens of other applications, standard telephone services, etc. - a kind of “frame within a frame”, which, in addition, can be moved anywhere on the screen. By default, the following are installed: a mini-calculator, a timer, a notebook, a mini-voice recorder and a Twitter client. You can expand this list in the Market:
Widgets are not the most necessary functionality, but sometimes they can be useful. For example, when selecting goods in online stores, you can quickly count something on a calculator or create a reminder:
Sony Xperia TX:: Review:: Main functions
Messages
From the message menu it is convenient to send everything that this type of communication basically allows. Using the Add Attachment feature, you can select every conceivable type of file and data from the content available on your phone. And in order to create a file or data on the fly, right in the SMS messenger interface there is a “Camera” button to switch to camera mode with one click, take a photo and attach it to an SMS, and a “Notepad” button to immediately create and attach a simple drawing (say, part of a driving map), a “Location” button to attach coordinates to the message:
As in any Android, mail is represented by two applications - for Gmail and for all other mail services
Calculator, stopwatch, timer, alarm clock, calendar/planner
Radio
In receiver mode, you can quickly call the proprietary TrackID service:
The browser is simple and quite comfortable. The only drawback is the inconvenient transition to the address bar and the list of open tabs. Both are located at the top of the screen and are automatically hidden so as not to reduce the usable area of the page. But when you try to call up the address bar, the event panel often mistakenly appears instead...
The music player is called, of course, Walkman - it is very bright, colorful and, as you would expect, has excellent sound and rich settings:
Video player
Sony Xperia TX:: Review:: Memory
Memory for data is officially designated as 16 GB, but in reality 10-11 of them are available. Normal practice - this is what usually happens.
Sony Xperia TX:: Review:: Camera
Sony's flagship and semi-flagship devices always use cameras with outstanding characteristics. Starting with the Xperia Z, smartphones of the Japanese brand will be equipped with photo modules specially designed for smartphones, but the current ones, adapted from modules for CyberShot cameras, are also excellent. The cameras are very fast, they shoot well in difficult conditions of twilight, darkness or backlight, and in daylight they produce images that are impeccable for a phone:
Sony Xperia TX:: Review:: Performance and Power
The productive dual-core processor from the top line of Sony smartphones is not short of power, and what’s more, it actually demonstrates excellent performance:
Due to the very thin middle part, the Xperia TX battery does not have a particularly outstanding capacity - only 1750 mAh. At the same time, the device is able to last two days away from a power outlet, especially if you configure and use the standard power administrator, which is listed in the list of applications under the name “Energy Saving”.
Let's check how efficiently the device uses the battery. We charge the battery to 100%, reboot the device to clear the memory of clogging programs, turn off all wireless interfaces except cellular communications, and set the screen brightness and volume to maximum. We launch a regular movie in AVI format, lasting 1 hour 23 minutes and weighing 1.45 GB. After finishing the movie, we look at the remaining battery charge using the clear and free “Battery” utility from Google Play. 80% is an excellent result!
Sony Xperia TX:: Review:: Conclusions
The device has the advantage of an excellent camera, excellent power and performance, attractive appearance and a high-quality large screen. The disadvantages are significantly fewer, although they could not be avoided: the lack of LTE, which it should have due to its status and price, as well as the rapidity with which Sony is expanding the range of its products, in which what was purchased yesterday as a flagship is too quickly loses this status, being replaced by a newly arrived leader...
At the time of writing the review, the official price of the Xperia TX was 23,000 rubles, while the gray device, the so-called “Eurotest”, was available from 15,000 rubles. On the one hand, Sony smartphones, especially those in the upper segment, have never been cheap. And this is familiar to their fans, of whom, by the way, there are more and more of them, if, say, subjectively assessed by what metro passengers are holding in their hands - Sony has recently been seen more and more often. On the other hand, you get a little tense, thinking about how many additional accessories for the gadget you can buy with the saved difference between “gray” and “white” - from a capacious memory card to audiophile headphones...
It is difficult and probably pointless to advise anything here. Anyone who is not afraid of the lack of corporate support already knows the benefits of saving on growth. Those who are accustomed to following the official path, guaranteeing peace of mind, will not be attracted by “adventures” with gray products... On the other hand, you can always move from camp to camp.
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With the release of the Xperia Z, our today's hero lost the title of flagship, but it still boasts a strong set of interesting features, powerful hardware and a high price. So, while the Xperia Z is going through a thorny path to store shelves, we can get acquainted with the Xperia TX, fortunately it will not lose its relevance even with the release of the “zero”.
⇡ Equipment
Sony Xperia TX in original box
The smartphone comes in a miniature square cardboard box, decorated in the strict corporate style of the manufacturer.
Sony Xperia TX equipment
The gadget's delivery set is standard. Inside the box are:
- Quick user guide in English;
- In-ear headphones with spare rubber bands and a clothes hook;
- Charging adapter with USB interface;
- USB ↔ microUSB cable.
At the factory, all manufactured Xperia TX receive protective stickers on the screens. This happens quite often with other manufacturers - so that the displays of the devices do not get scratched during transportation. But very rarely this film can be used as standard protection, and the new product from Sony, which is nice, is one of the exceptions to the rule.
⇡ Appearance
Remember, about a year and a half ago, in mid-2011, the XPERIA Arc smartphone from Sony went on sale? It was a typical device on the Android operating system version 2.3, although with very decent technical characteristics for those times. But there was something else in it that made it possible to release an update - Sony XPERIA Arc S, without really changing anything in the gadget. Many journalists called Arc a “style icon” - they (and ordinary users too) really liked the curve of the back panel of the smartphone. The device looked really good.
Sony XPERIA Arc is the first smartphone with a concave back cover
As time passed, with the release of the NXT line, everyone, including Sony itself, began to forget about the unusual forms of the XPERIA Arc. But not for long. At the September IFA in Germany, the Japanese giant demonstrated four new smartphones - Xperia TX, T, V, J, each of which has an “arched” design. The first model is considered to be the oldest - it was the one that arrived in our test laboratory today.
Sony Xperia TX front panel
There are no mechanical or touch keys on the front panel of the smartphone - the “Back”, “Home” buttons and the recently opened applications key required for the Android operating system are software. They are located at the bottom of the display. Most of the front panel is actually 4.55-inch screen. Above it is a speaker, to the left of which there is a light sensor, to the right is a peephole of the 1.3-megapixel front camera and an indicator that can glow in different colors. The XPERIA logo is placed at the bottom of the case, which glows while the device is in use.
Due to the large 4.55-inch screen, the numbers characterizing the dimensions of the gadget are certainly swollen, but in modern realities (especially after the popularization of the Samsung Galaxy S III) the Xperia TX does not look like a huge “shovel”
The device fits perfectly in a man's hand, but may be a little too big for a woman's hand. Thanks to the rough back cover, the Xperia TX never tried to jump out of my hands during a week of testing. The rounded corners do not dig into the palm, as was the case with its predecessor, the XPERIA S. In general, the ergonomics are in perfect order - the gadget is convenient to use. The assembly also inspires confidence. The only pity is that Sony engineers chose to use plastic as the main body material of the new product. It is easily pressed through, and when exposed to external influences, it creaks noticeably. On the other hand, the testing period took place during the New Year's celebrations, which the smartphone survived without a single scratch, although it fell onto a wooden parquet from a small height at least twice.
The device power/lock button is located at the top of the left side of the gadget. On the opposite end in this place is the microUSB interface. Just below is the volume rocker, and just below is the camera button. By default, it is only suitable for directly “capturing” pictures, and for some reason it cannot activate the camera application interface, but this can be fixed in the settings. The combined 3.5 mm audio jack is located on the left side of the top edge. The bottom edge of the smartphone is empty. In the center of all the edges there is a metal edging that goes around the audio jack. It looks very interesting and cute.
On the back side there is a peephole of the 13-megapixel main camera, which is somewhat “recessed” - the right decision, since this is where the Xperia TX comes into contact with the surface of the table. There is an LED flash located just below. The XPERIA logo is duplicated at the bottom, above which a small green ball is placed - a legacy of Sony Ericsson. There is also a slot for the external speaker here.
Sony Xperia TX with the back cover removed
The cover of the new product is removable. On the one hand, this is good news - it is possible to “hot” replace the battery, on the other hand, monolithic cases are more reliable. Under the cover there are slots for microSD and microSIM cards, as well as a lithium-ion battery with a standard capacity of 6.3 Wh (1700 mAh, 3.7 V). Sony Xperia TX comes in three colors: black, white and pink. The first two are already on sale in Russia, but it is unknown when the female version will reach us.
⇡ Technical specifications
| Sony LT29i Xperia TX | |
|---|---|
| CPU | Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 MSM 8260A, 2x1.5 GHz |
| Graphics controller | Andreno 225 |
| Screen | 4.55 inches, 1280x720 Capacitive, IPS technology, Moblie BRAVIA Egine function |
| RAM | 1024 MB |
| Built-in disk | 16 GB Flash (~10.8 GB available to user) |
| Flash card connector | MicroSD (up to 32 GB) |
| Ports | 1 x MicroUSB 1 x audio output mini-jack 3.5 mm |
| mobile connection | GSM/GPRS/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900 MHz UMTS HSPA+ 850/900/1700/1900/2100 MHz |
| Bluetooth | 3.1 |
| WiFi | IEEE 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi Direct |
| NFC | Eat |
| Navigation | GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS |
| Sensors | Illumination, proximity, gyroscope, compass |
| Camera | Main: 13 MP; autofocus; led flash Front: 1.3 MP |
| Nutrition | Li-ion battery: 6.3 Wh (1700 mAh, 3.7 V) |
| Size | 131x68.6x8.6 mm |
| Weight | 127 g |
| operating system | Android 4.0.4 Ice Cream Sandwich |
| Official manufacturer's warranty | 12 months |
| Average retail price | |
Sony Xperia TX system information
⇡ Display
Sony Xperia TX has a lot to offer the discerning user, including a high-quality screen. Its diagonal is 4.55 inches and the resolution is 1280x720 pixels. It's easy to calculate the pixel density - 322.7 ppi. In terms of PPI value, the display of the new product managed to come close to the screen of the iPhone 5, the pixel density of which is 326 per inch. It is believed that a person is not able to distinguish more than three hundred, so it will not be possible to see individual pixels, even if you bring the smartphone close to your eyes.
The display is based on an IPS matrix, and a very high quality one at that. It provides excellent viewing angles, rich colors and good contrast. The smartphone handles gestures effortlessly.
AnTuTu MultiTouch Test Results
The smartphone display has an amazing reserve of brightness: the maximum luminosity of the white field is 499 candelas per square meter. This value allows you to use the device in any conditions, except that on a hot afternoon the screen will fade somewhat - if there is an anti-glare layer, it is not important. The weak side of the display is also the black luminosity - 0.781 nits (lower is better). Due to such a high value, the contrast was set at a level quite standard for IPS matrices - 640:1. True, the black on the screen looks quite deep - the Mobile BRAVIA Engine technology helps out, increasing sharpness and contrast in all sorts of clever ways. If the user finds that it oversaturates the colors, it can be disabled in the settings.
Sony Xperia TX smartphone display color gamut (turquoise triangle) compared to the sRGB color palette (white triangle) and the Adobe RGB color palette (black triangle)
The screen has excellent color reproduction. The display palette covers the entire sRGB space (113.6%) and 84.2% of Adobe RGB. The entire front panel of the device is covered with monolithic glass, protecting it and the screen from minor scratches and other unwanted damage.
⇡ Sound
We have only one requirement for smartphone speakers - that the volume be sufficient for an incoming call. Sony apparently wanted exactly this: the phone has an xLOUD function, which does not affect the sound quality in any way, but tries to make it louder. It works both in the media player or with an incoming call, and in applications (alarm clock, reminders). Unfortunately, the volume of music in headphones cannot be increased using xLOUD. The internal speaker does its job well, but not great - in very noisy places (such as the subway), the user has a chance to miss a call: the phone volume may not be enough.
The Xperia TX features a 4.6-inch HD Reality Display with a resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels, also covered with mineral glass; a 13 MP main camera with support for Full HD video recording, a 720p front camera, a 1.5 GHz dual-core processor and is natively based on the Android 4.0 platform.
According to ZOOM.Cnews readers
Sony XPERIA TX:
Lightweight, beautiful, ergonomic, affordable, functional, can act as a GPS receiver, has a good camera, can be a replacement for a player, has a weak battery.
CHARACTERISTICS
easyBeautiful
Ergonomic
Affordable
Functional
Can act as a GPS receiver
Has a good camera
Can be a replacement for the player
Has a capacious battery
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MAIN TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS
Nutrition
Battery capacity: 1750 mAh Battery: removable Talk time: 6.7 h Standby time: 300 h Operating time while listening to music: 18 hAdditional Information
Features: possible battery capacity - 1700 mAh; HDMI over MHL Announcement date: 2012-09-02General characteristics
Type: smartphone Weight: 127 g Control: touch buttons Operating system: Android 4.1 Housing type: classic Number of SIM cards: 1 Dimensions (WxHxT): 68.6x131x8.6 mm SIM card type: micro SIMScreen
Screen type: color TFT, 16.78 million colors, touch Touch screen type: multi-touch, capacitive Diagonal: 4.55 inches. Image size: 1280x720 Pixels per inch (PPI): 323 Automatic screen rotation: yes Scratch-resistant glass: yesCalls
Light indication of events: yesMultimedia capabilities
Camera: 13 million pixels, LED flash Camera functions: autofocus, digital Zoom 16x Video recording: yes (3GPP, MP4) Max. video resolution: 1920x1080 Front camera: yes, 1.3 million pixels. Audio: MP3, AAC, WAV, FM radio Headphone jack: 3.5 mm Recognition: faces, smiles Geo Tagging: yes Video output: HDMI, MHLConnection
Interfaces: Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Direct, Bluetooth 3.1, USB, NFC Standard: GSM 900/1800/1900, 3G DLNA support: yes Satellite navigation: GPS/GLONASS A-GPS system: yesMemory and processor
Processor: Qualcomm MSM8260A, 1500 MHz Number of processor cores: 2 Built-in memory: 16 GB RAM capacity: 1 GB Video processor: Adreno 225 Memory card slot: yes, up to 32 GBOther functions
Controls: voice dialing, voice control Sensors: light, proximity, gyroscope, compass Speakerphone (built-in speaker): yes Flight mode: yes A2DP profile: yes| Peculiarities | |
|---|---|
| Type | smartphone |
| operating system | Android |
| Version | 4.0 |
| CPU | Qualcomm MSM8260 Snapdragon |
| Frequency | 1500 MHz |
| RAM | 1024 MB |
| Flash memory | 16384 MB |
| Screen | |
| Diagonal | 4.6 " |
| Permission | 1280 x 720 |
| Color reproduction | 16 million colors |
| Digital camera | |
| Camera | 13 million pixels |
| Nutrition | |
| Operating time | 6.7 h |
| Standby time | 300 h |
| Dimensions and weight | |
| Width | 68.8 mm |
| Height | 131 mm |
| Depth | 8.6 mm |
| Weight | 127 gr. |
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