Sony Xperia go - Specifications. Sony Xperia go full review: walk, run, call Xperia go

Sony continues to develop successful ideas embodied in niche models of yesteryear. New Sony Xperia go- a compact phone with a waterproof case has replaced the well-known Sony Ericsson Xperia active, the first protected smartphone from Sony on Android. The model is already on sale in Russia, and it's time to tell a little more about what exactly Sony has prepared for its customers.

Design

The 180-degree turn of the concept of an unsinkable compact smartphone is immediately striking: the niche Xperia active was replaced by the Xperia go dressed in all civilians. The highest level of phone protection remained unchanged, but the image has completely changed: if Xperia active was bright (black-orange or black-and-white), with a catchy detail in the form of a powerful connector for attaching a strap, like a towing eye, then Xperia go is modest and nothing reveals his superpowers. Like James Bond, who has not had time to drink vodka with a martini yet.

Traditional photo with matchbox

Ergonomics

The Go's most notable ergonomic feature is the lack of a camera button. The reasons are clear: fewer buttons - fewer slots through which water and sand can penetrate into the case. But it's still unusual.

Some replacement for it should be the camera key on the lock screen. This and the fast capture mode add up to a fairly quick launch of the camera even without a button.

The lack of a camera button made me complain about the location of the power button (aka screen lock) on the top end of the case.

The traditional solution becomes not very convenient when you try to take a quick shot: reflexively turning the phone to the "landscape" position, you find that you have to unlock the screen with your little finger - or rotate the phone again, wasting precious seconds. It is no coincidence that the camera button is always placed on the side - so when taking pictures it turns out to be in the most convenient place. The power button on the right side, like on the Xperia P, for example, would have saved the day, but alas ... Go owners will have to develop a habit: first unlock the screen, then turn the phone. Or shoot in portrait orientation.

The display of the smartphone seems to be raised above the front surface of the Go, which forms a smooth ledge under its bottom. This relief not only forms the recognizable appearance of the Sony Xperia, but also allows you to conveniently place your thumb there in the usual position - without the risk of accidentally pressing one of the three touch keys located just above.

Reminiscent of the ideology of human curvature (human-pleasing bends), suggesting a sharpened design for human palms.

There, at the bottom, is a microphone.

The volume rocker is located in the usual place - on the right.

There are only two connectors left, the most necessary ones are microUSB and headphones. Both are closed with tight plugs, which, however, are easily picked off with a fingernail along the edges.

When you remove the headphones or USB cable from the jack, a warning appears on the phone screen about the need to close the plugs back - otherwise, they say, no water resistance for you.

The care is pleasant, but unnecessary - the plugs hanging on an elastic band are not a very aesthetic sight, and even frightening - well, how come off. Therefore, Go owners are unlikely to forget to put them in their place. You can also turn off the on-screen warning.

Despite the fact that the model belongs to the category of compact, it cannot be called small. The dimensions of the device are 111 x 60.3 x 9.8 mm - it fits just fine in the breast pocket of a jacket or shirt, but it also lies confidently in the hand. 3.5 - 3.7" is probably the ideal size in terms of comfort for palms of any size.

Protection

It was not just a pity to dip such beauty under water - it was scary. Theoretically, the information I knew about the high level of moisture and dust protection of information warmed the soul a little - after all, compared to the bright orange plastic Xperia active, Xperia go looks like an Oscar nominee next to a hunter in full gear - well, where is he, in a tuxedo, into the swamps. In addition, during the trip, Xperia go acted as a hotspot, distributing Wi-Fi to my other mobile devices - if something happened, I would have been left without the Internet. However, everything went like clockwork: the test “put the phone in the water and call it” the device passed with a bang. In total, Go lay in the water for about five minutes, receiving calls and continuing to distribute wi-fi! Theoretically, he could lie there for half an hour, but I did not risk checking it. As they say, you yourself drown uranium scrap in mercury.

Sony Xperia active is protected according to the IP67 standard (Ingress Protection Rating 67). This means the maximum (sixth) level of protection against dust:

some dust may enter inside, but this does not interfere with the operation of the device. Full contact protection

- and high (seventh of eight) level of moisture resistance:

during short-term immersion, water does not enter in quantities that disrupt the operation of the device. Permanent work in immersed mode is not expected.

By the way, during this test, the utilitarian essence of the material of the Xperia go body was revealed - being wet, it does not slip in the hands at all. You can take it to the sea without fear of accidentally drowning it to the delight of archaeologists of the future. This is a good decision in comparison with the same Xperia active, the smooth plastic of which was much more slippery. It also dries pretty quickly.

In the comments to the post, they gave a link to a wonderful video that demonstrates not only the water resistance, but also the shock resistance of the Xperia go. I think this is an extreme from the category of "you can repeat it at home" - if, of course, you have an Xperia go, and not a regular smartphone:

viscera

After water procedures, it's time to take a look from the inside, how they affected the phone.

The cover is removed using a recess in the lower right corner of the case. It is easy to spot, because the turquoise-colored armor of the smartphone “shines through” through it. Having picked up the cover, we pry it around the perimeter and remove it.

Inside the water - like on the Xperia active, the main protection is provided by the internal armor - on the Go it is all bright turquoise. Beautiful. So you don’t have to worry about whether the lid fits snugly to the case; it doesn’t solve anything here.

So what do we see inside?

The most important thing here is the location of the SIM card. It is installed in a special removable tray, which is already inserted into the corresponding slot, tightly covering it. The SIM card on Xperia go is standard.

The microSD memory card slot closes differently, with a rubber plug. The schemes engraved on the case will not allow you to confuse the location of the cards during installation.

The connector for removing the cover turns out to be an "ear" for the strap - an elegant solution that allows you to save on extra holes. And it’s convenient - as you can see in the photo, you don’t have to suffer with slipping the strap, the method of attaching it here is the most convenient possible - and reliable, at the same time. Yes, this is definitely a more elegant and successful solution than it was.

The speaker of the phone is covered with a film:

Of the interesting - the rubber plug of the headphones is completely bare, if desired, you can tear it out and insert it back. But not necessary.

Some of the parts are covered with pieces of soft plastic, such as electrical tape, which I did not dare to tear off - I still have to use Go later.

Hard

The Xperia go has a dual-core 1 GHz processor, a 5 MP camera with the ability to shoot 3D panoramas and panoramas, and 720p video.

The battery size has grown compared to the Xperia active - 1305 mAh versus 1200. The battery test results show that this was not in vain:

I don't think it's necessary to explain how important a large battery capacity is for a phone positioned as a device for an active lifestyle. In addition to the increased battery capacity, the optimization of energy consumption also works to increase the work on a single charge: for example, the display, which has increased to 3.5 ", has the same resolution of 480x320 pixels, which is also a plus for efficiency.

At the same time, it is impossible to say that this is not enough. You can, perhaps, find fault with the pixelation of the image - the ability to see the pixels has already become considered a disadvantage. However, in everyday use it is imperceptible, the amount of content that fits on the screen is much more important. In this sense, everything is OK: one desktop contains 16 application shortcuts, or, for example, 5 large widgets:

In the browser, the shortcomings of pixelation are felt more clearly: for example, on the Yandex main page, you can see that it is quite difficult to read news headlines in its standard form, you need to resize:

Whether this is an acceptable sacrifice in the name of economy - decide for yourself. In general, at the household level, I did not feel any damage compared to the full-size Sony Xperia models - there is no contrast that was when, for example, I picked up the old Xperia mini from 2010 after the Xperia X10.

A dark spot in the biography of Xperia go - the problems with the loss of the network, which the owners of some devices complained about - are already in the past, they were solved by the firmware released on August 2.

Soft

Xperia go was loaded with Android version 2.3.7, and the belief in an early update to Ice
Cream Sandwich:

Widgets of all special applications that come with Go are collected in a separate folder on the desktop:

Compass, flashlight, pedometer, miCoach personal trainer and FigureRunning app.

The first two are generally familiar from the reviews in this blog, and generally quite well known and often found. Unless the compass amused me - with its requirement to write out the "eight" with the phone in the air to calibrate the settings. It's funny, probably, I looked from the side when I made passes with my hands with a concentrated view on the street - from the side of the phone, I suppose it was not visible :)

The Adidas-branded miCoach app is an e-personal trainer that helps you design your training program and gives you valuable guidance as you go. The application is fully localized - there is also a Russian version in the list of languages. Choose a training program, set up voice prompts, choose a male or female voice that will drive you and start - and forward to a healthy lifestyle.

The FigureRunning app allows you to turn your running routes into drawings on a map. There is a game element - new colors of pencils are opened gradually, and a social element - the ability to follow the progress of friends. The application website has examples of such drawings:

But you can come up with something cooler than the Statue of Liberty.

Equipment

Sony Xperia go comes in a branded cardboard box-case. The go packaging is made in turquoise, to match the color of the insides, tones. Inside, in addition to standard headphones and an adapter to microUSB, I, along with a plug for discharging from the mains, I found only an adapter from microSIM to a standard SIM size.

However, there is also a special package for Xperia go, called Xperia go sports edition, which includes:

Smartphone Sony Xperia go (yellow)
Sports case on the arm
Sports lace on hand
Dedicated headset mounts
Wired stereo headset
Charger unit
USB cable for data transfer and charging.

My copy, as you probably already guessed, was black, but the manufacturer also promises white and yellow body colors. White in the photo looks cute, and it remains only to regret that it was not he who fell into my hands. Hope it's not too slick. Well, the yellow Go is for those who miss the good old bright Xperia active.

By the way, according to color perception studies that I once read, yellow is the most catchy - more noticeable even than the same orange.

Characteristics

Let's bring the figures and facts scattered throughout the text in one place and see what happens:

Dimensions: 111 x 60.3 x 9.8mm
Weight: 110 g
Screen: 3.5” 480x320 Reality Display with Mobile BRAVIA Engine for better picture quality
5MP camera with fast shooting technology (1.5 seconds from locked state)
Scratch-resistant mineral glass with wet finger technology
the highest level of dust and moisture protection for a smartphone - IP67
Dual core 1GHz processor
Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) on board with upcoming update to 4.0 (Ice
Cream Sandwich
Battery 1305 mAh
Black, white and yellow body colors

Summary

Compact size
Moisture protection
Increased battery size

High pixelation of the picture
No camera button

Sony Xperia go

happy sony go user

February 19, 2014 4

Pros:

Ergonomic, comfortable, thin (easy to carry even in a shirt pocket), works sensitively, excellent applications, good built-in memory, two 1GHz cores! applications are put with a bang and rarely slow down (normal applications from official sites, of course)

Minuses:

An inconvenient button for unlocking the sleep mode, from above, in the case, you can generally feel the figs. The lack of RAM 512MB affects, when you exit to the desktop, it slows down from time to time. The battery is weak.

General impression:

I have been using this phone for half a year already, the overall impression is only positive, it corresponds to its price!
I set it up for myself, cut off most of the background modes of applications, lowered the brightness of the screen, turned on the STAMINA mode.
As a result, you can pull the charge and use almost nothing for 2 and 3 days, going out once a day to the Internet for soap.
Or use it to the fullest (which brings only pleasure with its abilities) but half a day, and at best until the evening of the day when you removed it from charging in the morning)).
recently updated android, no problem! everything is working!

Sony Xperia go

Nadia

January 29, 2014 2

Pros:

If it's really waterproof, then +

Minuses:

Weakly catches wi-fi, slows down, moreover, for a long time, you need to call urgently, but he does not display the contact list, he thinks for a long time that he pressed the call button, you can freak out until you get through.

General impression:

I did not like it because of such minuses, the brake in a word. .. .. .. sorry for the money spent.

Sony Xperia go

jaroli steel cat

December 8, 2013 1

Pros: Cons:

Bad calls, bluetooth and wi-fi disappear.

General impression:

I bought it in the spring in May 2013 and now this Sony lies and does not turn on.

Sony Xperia go

[email protected]

November 20, 2013 2

Pros:

It is comfortable to hold, a bright screen, with the version of Android 2.3 it works pretty fast. you can listen to music in the shower. The video is good (very strange) That's where the pluses ended

Minuses:

On the first day I scratched the screen, the body is flimsy and cracks over time. for such a price (I bought it as soon as GO appeared) they could also stick a camera at 8MP. very weak speaker. the battery is dead (everything was optimized, turned off, stopped unnecessary applications, removed the brightness) sits down in half a day (it works 2 days without a SIM card). pictures, like all Sony, are grainy (this is hereditary). Updated to Android 4. 1. 1-still sorry. A bunch of extra applications that can not be removed without RTH rights.
sometimes the bluetooth and the network disappear for a long time. When scrolling through the screens, it slows down. after the official update: you can not select a picture of the lock screen; when charging, the sensor is buggy; when connected to a computer, the connection is lost. old games started crashing.

Sony Xperia go

Nastya

dated August 8, 2013 5

Pros:

Comfortable to hold, screen is clear. Holds a charge for a long time, all day with frequent use (this is normal for touch phones).

Minuses:

At the beginning, the phone had to be rebooted almost every day (calls did not reach). But over time it passed. I would also like the battery to be removed and the SIM card not cut off.

General impression:

The phone is super. I've been using for a year now. All the games are on the phone (I compared this phone with the phone of my friends), rarely buggy. The quality of the photos is not very good, but the audio is very good. There are many things you can download. Also waterproof and shockproof. I've dropped it on the floor and in water several times, nothing works. I love this phone!

Sony Xperia go

dr slam

February 12, 2013 4

Pros:

1 Ordinary case, metal is better, of course, but this one will do.
2 GPS

Minuses:

1 Plants the battery, more than 3 days could not be held
2 Lots of unnecessary programs
3 is quite fragile

General impression:

With the right settings for yourself, removing unnecessary programs, a normal smartphone, on a par with other classmates.

Sony Xperia go

olegator89

December 3, 2012 2

Pros:

Small size. Light weight. Very handy to carry in your jeans pocket. Good display. Good location of the control buttons of the device. Good waterproofness. Good dust protection. Successfully made plugs from all connectors. A good set of built-in programs for fitness. Nice flash.

Minuses:

The assembly of the case was carried out extremely poorly, just disgusting. It creaks from all sides, no matter where you push it. A lot of dust accumulates under the housing cover and it is necessary to constantly scrape it out from there. The display, though with good brightness, but the backlight is very poor. The sound in good headphones is of very average quality, but in relatives it is simply terrible. The camera starts up quickly, but in operation it is simply unbearably slow. This phone has huge communication problems. Disappears. It just doesn't catch. Sent messages are not received. After updating the operating system, things got much worse. The battery is non-removable and discharges very quickly. Extremely sluggish interface. Calls are dropped constantly.

General impression:

The device is very raw and unreliable. I absolutely do not recommend purchasing. Maybe later, when the system is properly finished.

Sony Xperia go

Gusev G.

November 13, 2012 5

Pros:

1. Cute design. Beautiful. Stylish. Convenient to carry in your pocket. Draws attention immediately.
2. Large and cool screen. No scratches applied. Bright. Perfect for watching videos.
3. Excellent sensor. Very sensitive. With great response.
4. Great sound in my old sennheiser IE4 headphones.
5. Excellent waterproof performance. I checked it and it really works. Previously, my phones often fell into puddles and mud, now I am calm.
6. Dust protection works well. Also checked.
7. Old and familiar android - fast and stable. Functionality is top notch as always.
8. Decently works with the network. Doesn't lose or break. Fast internet.
9. Excellent work of the built-in navigator. Picks up satellites quickly. Good map loading speed.
10. Good speaker. Everyone hears fine. I read that they complain about a weak sound, I advise you to buy a hearing aid and not to suffer.

Minuses:

1. The lid creaks a little.
2. Really weak battery. Although, I am completely satisfied.

: Sony (Ericsson) has repeatedly released phones and smartphones that will help you lead an active lifestyle and play sports. As a continuation of last year's Sony Ericsson Xperia Active, Sony Xperia go is now in favor.

The smartphone is interesting in that it is one of the few devices on our market that can work both in water and on land without any harm to the insides. The body is protected from dust and water - this is the main advantage of the smartphone. Other characteristics will remind you that the Sony Xperia go belongs to the mid-range models. There is a 3.5-inch HVGA screen, a dual-core 1 GHz processor, a 5-megapixel autofocus camera, a memory card slot, and a set of useful programs for sports.

Contents of delivery

Smartphone

stereo headset

micro USB cable

Ear pads (sports edition)

Dedicated headset mount (sports edition)

Strap (sports edition)

Case (sports edition)

The smartphone will be sold in two configurations. The extended sports edition kit includes a hand strap, a case, and plastic over-the-ear ear pads.

The cover has a vertical valve that covers the device from above, protecting it from moisture or dust. In addition, it has a transparent window that allows you to monitor the screen of your phone. The cover also has a special pillow. It is made of a material that is somewhat reminiscent of foam rubber, but more elastic. It works as a shock absorber, eliminating the possible inconvenience that may arise, for example, when jogging.

Appearance

The body of the smartphone is completely made of plastic. Three color options will be available: black, white and yellow. In the latter case, the device will be sold in a sports edition package with an additional set of accessories, while the first two versions will receive a more modest list of useful things in the box.

Sony Xperia go has become a more versatile solution compared to last year, which had a very peculiar design. Without a doubt, all fans of something bright and unusual liked him, but not everyone was ready to go for it. But Xperia go is now quite suitable for the role of its main phone, for example, the black version looks calm and neutral, not standing out among monoblocks similar to itself.

The case is entirely made of matte plastic, this applies to white and yellow versions. But the black version uses an unusual softtouch coating. Traditionally, such a material is associated with something like rubber, but here it is completely different. Harder and more unusual, but at the same time pleasant. Here is an interesting option offered by Sony to highlight the usual color, drawing attention to it with the help of the original coating.

In the design of the novelty, you can see the original solution, here the screen is, as it were, raised above the surface, something similar could be seen in. But if there the transition was more obvious and noticeable, then here it became smoother.

Xperia go has become larger than its predecessor thanks to a significantly increased screen diagonal. But at the same time, the body has lost a lot of weight and has become much thinner. Now it is 111x60.3x9.8 mm, weight 110 g. Previously it was 92x55x16.5 mm, the weight is the same 110 g.

There is a small notch at the top of the screen, a speaker is hidden in it. Nearby is a proximity sensor that turns off the backlight of the screen during a call. This model does not have a camera for video calls. There is also a light indicator for various kinds of notifications.

Under the screen are three touch keys. The first returns to the previous menu item, the second enters the main screen, and the last is responsible for additional functions. They are equipped with a backlight, and vibration feedback can also be triggered at the moment of touch. Below them is a microphone hole.

On the left is a hole for headphones, which is closed with a special flap.

On the right side there is a convenient button to adjust the volume. There is also a microUSB port for a cable and a charger, it also received a protective cover. If you open it, the phone will tell you with a special notification on the screen that you need to remember to close the compartment to avoid moisture.

The display lock button is placed on the top end.

At the bottom is a strap attachment.

Behind you can see the opening of the second microphone, the camera and flash, as well as the bell speaker located at the bottom.

The cover is removed, under it you will not be able to see the battery, it is soldered under a solid plate.

The SIM and microSD slots are on the side. For the first, a special tray is provided, and the card is hidden in a recess. It is not very convenient to put it down, it is inserted deep, so you need some small object to secure it in place.

Quality build and nice materials, as well as IP67 compliance are all nice features of the new sports smartphone from Sony Ericsson. By the way, the model is guaranteed to work under water at a depth of up to 1 meter, if it stays there for no more than 30 minutes.

Screen

The resolution of the TFT-display is 320x480 pixels, up to 16 million colors are displayed on a 3.5-inch screen. The display is covered with durable mineral glass, which reliably protects the screen from possible scratches.

The capacitive screen responds well to pressing, there is a multi-touch. Sony Mobile Bravia Engine will offer a proprietary function to increase brightness and contrast in cases such as watching videos or photos.

On the street, the screen behaves in the usual way. The information remains readable, but there is little margin for brightness.

A sensor with excellent sensitivity, and it is able to respond to the touch of wet fingers, this function is called Wet Finger. So if you want, you can chat with friends in the pouring rain, and nothing will happen to the phone.

The viewing angles of the TFT display are good, the picture is distorted within moderate limits, which are standard for screens of this type.

Platform

The smartphone has a dual-core 1-GHz NovaThor U8500 processor, 512 MB of RAM and 4 GB of its own, which can be supplemented with a memory card. So far, the model works in conjunction with a proprietary shell and Android 2.3.7 Gingerbread, but there will also be an updated version of the software, Ice Cream Sandwich, which has already been officially received by the company's previously released models. The overall performance of the smartphone without any complaints, the device is fast, pleases with response and speed of reaction.

Menu

At the top of the screen is a service line, which displays the time, battery charge, signal reception level indicator. Active connections and other data are also displayed there. By clicking on it, you can learn more about what programs have been downloaded, what messages and letters have been received, or what files have been received via Bluetooth.

There are 5 icons at the bottom of the screen. These are multimedia, messages, menu entry, contacts and dialing. If you click on a folder, for example, with media data, an additional menu will pop up with those applications that are in this category.

As design elements, both pre-installed images or wallpapers from Sony, as well as your favorite pictures, are used. Seven colorful menu themes are available. In addition, shortcuts and folders are placed on the desktop. For the latter, you can choose one of eight design options, give it a name. Icons are added by dragging from the phone menu directly to this area.

There are widgets, they can also be added to the desktop. There can be five such screens, their number does not change. At the same time, an interesting function works: you can swipe with two fingers from different angles, all desktops will decrease and be displayed on one screen. Widgets have been improved, for example, a large list of icons is available for making various connections, which is initially hidden in a small rectangle. The weather forecast data is animated and beautifully displayed.

The application manager is activated by the Home button. It will show the last 8 running programs.

The smartphone menu consists of several work areas, initially there are three of them. If you install additional applications, then over time there will be more such areas. The screen has 12 icons on a translucent background, under which you can see the wallpaper installed on the main screen. Icons can be arranged as it is convenient for the user. There is also sorting by several criteria: alphabetically, frequently used, recently installed. The icons are beautiful and well-designed.

When the screen is locked, the display shows the date and time. To unlock the screen, you need to slide your finger along from left to right. If you do it the other way around, the camera will start. This can display additional information about missed calls, new messages, letters, calendar events, and Facebook notifications. If such notifications seem superfluous, then they can be turned off.

Phone book

The smartphone has a handy assistant for importing contacts both from a SIM card and from Facebook and Google accounts, they are displayed in a single list. A backup copy of the list of numbers is created on a memory card, later the data can be restored. Works sorting by first and last name.

When you create a new contact, a lot of fields are created. These are various types of telephone numbers, e-mail addresses, quick communication tools (AIM, ICQ, Gtalk, Skype and others), residential addresses and others (nickname, note, Internet call).

There is a menu of favorite numbers where you can add the most popular contacts. A quick menu is available: you need to click on the place for the icon with the contact photo, after which you can make a call, send a message by SMS or e-mail, view data on Facebook.

Call log

Directly from the phone book, you can access the call log, it is highlighted in a separate tab. There, a single list includes dialed numbers, received and missed calls, for clarity, they are marked with icons of different colors. By clicking on the line, you can remove the number from the call log, add it to a contact, or perform some other actions. By selecting a number from the list, detailed information about the call will be displayed.

When viewing the call history, you can not only make a telephone conversation with the selected subscriber, but also send him an SMS or an e-mail from this list without going to another menu. Dialing is carried out using a convenient virtual keyboard. There is an automatic search for numbers that match the numbers.

Messages

For SMS and MMS, there is a shared folder where received messages go. When sending, by adding various objects to the SMS, you can automatically convert it to MMS. Messages are grouped by recipients in the conversation feed. When dialing a subscriber's number, the phone displays a list of matching numbers in alternating digits.

While typing, a small field reserved for characters will be displayed. The longer the message, the more the space allocated for the character set increases. The device can copy, cut and paste text. For navigation, a convenient cursor is used, which helps to correct typos, highlight the necessary sections of text.

Predictive text input is available when word correction and auto-completion systems help you type text, allowing you not to waste time correcting errors. Possible word options are shown as a separate line above the keyboard. Copying and pasting fragments is supported. Now Sony has implemented Swype, which simplifies text entry.

Email

To work with e-mail, automatic mailbox setup is launched (if it is not Gmail, connecting immediately after the mail address is entered during the initial activation of the phone). It includes entering basic information (login, password). The phone perfectly understands various encodings, supports downloading attachments in familiar formats.

When creating a letter, you can also attach various files from the device's memory to it. The function of copying text and automatic checking of the mailbox also works (the interval is set manually). The device simultaneously runs two applications - Gmail and Email. The only difference between them is that in the first one, mail comes only from the gmail.com server, while the second application works with any mail storages.

Camera

The smartphone uses a 5-megapixel module with autofocus and LED flash. There is no separate button for shooting in the smartphone, as in many other Sony devices. But the camera can be launched from the lock screen, the quick capture function also works there.

The interface is designed not only for landscape, but also for portrait mode. Help icons are displayed on the screen to help you set up shooting modes and conditions. In the upper left corner is the parameter mode, the flash is turned off at the bottom. At the top right there is a lever for switching between photo and video, then there is a shutter button. Even lower is a stack of icons that show thumbnails of recent shots. If you click on it, you can go to the gallery.

Various options are available:

Image capture mode: normal, panorama, 3D panorama, multiview.

Photo resolution: 5M (2592x1944), 3M (2048x1536), 2M 4:3 (1632x1224), 2M 16:9 (1920x1080 pixels).

Shooting Conditions: Normal, Portrait, Landscape, Night Scene, Night Portrait, Beach & Snow, Sports, Party, Document.

exposure number.

Flash: auto, off, fill, red-eye reduction.

Timer: 2, 10 seconds.

Smile recognition.

Focusing: Single AF, Multi AF, Face Detection, Touch Focus, Infinity.

ISO: auto, 100, 200, 400, 800.

White balance: auto, room lighting, fluorescent, daylight, cloudy.

Measurement: center, middle level, point.

Geotags.

Shooting method: on-screen button, touch shooting.

The smartphone takes good pictures, although it is not the best camera in its class. But it is worth considering that we have a special, secure phone. Pictures with good detail, color reproduction. There is noticeable blurring along the right edge, but this is a feature of many phones. There is autofocus, so there will be no problems with shooting texts and documents.

Gallery

Photos and videos stored in the smartphone's memory are shown here. The gallery works in both vertical and landscape orientations. Working with files is accompanied by nice animation effects. Image previews are generated without delay. Pictures are displayed in a 2x3 or 3x2 grid, depending on the position of the device.

In the folders, the thumbnails of the pictures are smaller, thanks to which not 3, but 5 pictures are placed vertically. The image opens in full screen, scaling works with multitouch. Files can be sent via email, Bluetooth, SMS, or hosted on Picasa. You can assign images as desktop wallpaper or assign them to a contact. Rotation of images, reduction of their size is supported, as well as additional information about a specific file is displayed, the place where the picture was taken is also shown if geotagging is working.

Images are shown both in folders (for example, received via Bluetooth, section with photos), and ordered by date. Thanks to this, it is very convenient to view photos - several sections are obtained in the same folder. You can scroll through either using the strip displayed at the bottom of the screen, or by simply touching the screen with your fingers anywhere in it.

timescape

Timescape combines tabs that combine messages from various social networks: Facebook, Twitter, Vkontakte. In addition, there is data on phone calls, SMS and MMS, e-mail. Displayed data is configured, unnecessary can be hidden. The update is also installed: manually or automatically. Additional apps are installed from Google Play. So, for example, you can supplement the set with the Foursquare program.

Messages are presented in the form of translucent panels on which the name of the sender, the test of the message itself, as well as the source from where the message came from are written. The list scrolls very quickly, without a hint of delay. In general, the thing is beautiful and interesting, the main drawback is associated with a not very beautiful design - if the author of the message has an avatar, then this image will be displayed stretched to the full width of the transparent panel.

Player

The player's menu has been redesigned, repeating the models of the new line. Now it consists of a couple of tabs. The first is assigned to the song currently playing, and the second contains all the information about the music in the device's memory.

To listen to music, you can select tracks organized into several categories: artist, album, tracks, lists, SenseMe, and favorite tracks. Each group is allocated in a separate box, under which the number of data is indicated. A search function is available, which is useful for working with large music storage. The information is sorted alphabetically, for faster scrolling, you can use the cursor that appears on the screen, as well as the initial letters.

Separately, I would like to highlight the SenseMe function, which came from Walkman players. It allows you to choose tracks according to your mood, which is very convenient. To do this, an application that is installed on a computer is useful and with its help you can analyze the entire media library by entering the necessary data into the file tags.

From the list with music, you can add songs to a playlist or send via MMS, Bluetooth or email, as well as to a cloud service. Mixing mode is provided. The screen displays the name of the artist, the name of the album and the song being played. In the music playback mode, the album cover is displayed (if it was assigned earlier), there are playback control buttons on the screen.

You can switch tracks not only by pressing the buttons, but also by flipping through the album covers. If desired, the song is set as a ringtone, and you can also find additional song data using tools from Google, YouTube, or download additional modules through Google Play.

Equalizer settings available. These presets are: Normal, Heavy, Pop, Jazz, Unique, Soul, Light, Bass Boost, Treble Boost, Special. The last profile allows you to set your own parameters for playing music. The xLOUD function allows you to get very loud sound from the speaker. It is easy to notice the difference, this option allows you to hear your phone in any, even a very noisy place. Surround sound emulation is turned on: concert hall, club, studio.

Very interesting and useful is the function of editing data directly in the phone. You can take a song, make changes to the tags, correct the name, the smartphone will find the cover itself or offer one of the options. Now on the lock screen there are buttons to control the player when playing music in the background. Previously, they were very lacking, now it has become much more convenient to manage the player. You can only do adding album art for clarity.

The mids are well developed here, and the lower range is also pleasant. Deep bass lovers can try playing with the equalizer. In my opinion, this is the best device in terms of sound among Android models. The sound margin is not the largest, it is, but sometimes you have to set the volume to the maximum.

Radio

The smartphone has a radio that has the function of automatic search for stations, you can switch manually. Also, several tens of frequencies are stored in the phone's memory. You can easily switch between your favorite stations by clicking on small icons that will move between waves. While listening to the radio, you can record a snippet of a song, identify track information using TrackID, and post the information to Facebook.

TrackID allows you to identify the melody sounding on the radio in your smartphone or somewhere nearby. Not only the song title will be displayed, but also the album title, artist name and cover art.

Applications

Calendar

The calendar is configured to display information for a whole month, week or a specific day. You can customize the type and alert tone for recorded events and appointments. There is a separation of information by storage location, each option has its own color label.

When creating a new record, it is given a name, a period, a place. It is indicated with which of the calendars it will be synchronized, you can send invitations to contacts from the notebook. The repeat period is set (every day, weekly, monthly, yearly). A reminder will help you not to lose sight of the recording - the signal will work in advance.

Alarm

The smartphone allows you to save several alarms in memory. The repetition is set both for 1 time and for every day, only on weekdays or weekly. You can also set specific days. The melody of the signal is set, you can add a vibrating alert and a text file to it. Sets the period for the re-triggering of the signal.

Displays time in different time zones.

There is a stopwatch and a timer.

Weather forecast and news are useful every day.

The calculator works in both portrait and landscape orientations.

YouTube is a standard application for most modern devices that allows you to view videos and search among them. The application runs in full screen mode.

The built-in version of Office Suite can work with Word, Excel, PDF, Power Point files. It is presented as a demo version without editing function.

The Play Market offers a convenient search function among thousands of applications. Programs are divided into categories, which makes browsing easier. You can see reviews, evaluate the rating and express your opinion about the software. Each application is provided with a brief description and images for greater clarity. Purchased applications are displayed in a separate list, which is convenient: if a new phone was purchased, you can immediately install the programs that were previously purchased.

The Facebook application will allow you to communicate in the network of the same name directly from your mobile device. Moreover, in a smartphone, this function is implemented better than in other devices. So, you can mark your favorite song in the player while listening. Facebook albums are added to the gallery, and information about friends' birthdays is added to the calendar.

The flash can act as a flashlight, there are several modes of operation.

Gtalk built in.

Browser

For Internet surfing, a convenient application is used. A navigation bar is displayed at the top of the screen, to the right of it there is a shortcut that allows you to bookmark the page. The phone remembers the most visited pages, there is a log of pages viewed.

Several windows open at the same time, word search works on the page, text selection, as well as a practical function for changing the screen brightness directly from the browser. Thanks to multi-touch, pages are easily scaled (virtual keys also work to change the size of the displayed one). The font size changes, password saving works, flash is supported, the browser works quickly.

GPS navigation

For navigation, Google Maps is used - the standard software for all Android devices. The only drawback is that the program requires constant network activity, which affects the amount of traffic consumed by the device. Traffic jams are displayed, thus, the application has become full-featured and convenient not only for pedestrians, but also for car owners.

There is a function of determining the current location, calculating the route from the start to the end point, and the method of movement is set: by car, on foot or by public transport. The route is laid on the map, while key places are indicated in the form of text messages that are displayed on the screen in the form of a column, you can switch between them: view the route in advance or vice versa, go back and lay a different path. Zooming works with multitouch or virtual buttons.

Connections

The smartphone operates in the GSM 850/900/1800/1900 and UMTS 900/1700/2100 bands. There is Bluetooth 3.0 with support for EDR and A2DP, in addition to support for other common profiles. The work of Wi-Fi b/g/n is implemented at the usual level. The smartphone remembers the entered passwords for networks, can automatically connect to them, being within their range. There is a function of work as an access point. Using the microUSB connector allows you to connect your phone to a computer for synchronization and battery charging.

Sports applications

Sony Xperia go will offer several programs that you can use for sports if you wish. The miCoach app will help those who like to run or just walk frequently.

The pedometer works, the distance, loads, depreciation of shoes are calculated. Registration is required on the site, and you can also do it using your phone. The application is interesting because there are many functions, there is a simple and understandable set of tips that, if necessary, are downloaded from the network. Voice prompts will work here, as well as a visual load indication system.

The Figure Running program is straightforward, it displays the route that the user has traveled. In general, everything is not bad, but I really didn’t like that the application in the background does not subside, but continues to hit the battery charge. You have to restart your smartphone, or you need to install an advanced task manager.

There is also a compass that will help you create geotagging.

The Walkmate pedometer was found in many Sony Ericsson devices, and now it is also in the new Sony. Its purpose is clear, the path is being calculated, you can specify your personal data, then the application will calculate the energy consumption.

Working hours

The smartphone comes with a non-replaceable 1305 mAh battery. Declared up to 6.5 hours of talk time, up to 520 hours of standby time. In music playback mode, the smartphone works up to 45 hours, up to 6 hours in video mode. On average, it is worth focusing on a day of work when using various Google services, 30 minutes of calls, 2 hours of listening to music. In the continuous video playback mode at maximum screen brightness and working Wi-Fi, the phone worked for 5 hours and 13 minutes.

There are settings that will allow you to set the script to work under certain conditions in order to extend the life of your smartphone by disabling certain functions.

Conclusion

The volume of the call is at an average level, on the street the melody is not heard in all situations, so it is better to select a ringing signal. Vibration also does not stand out, very, very average in strength. The speaker is good, it has enough volume for different conditions.

At the start of sales for the Sony Xperia go, they ask for 13,990 rubles as standard and 14,490 rubles for the sports edition. In the latter case, the surcharge is quite reasonable, earhooks will definitely come in handy for those who run, and a case will not be superfluous.

If you look at the characteristics of the smartphone, then in general everything looks good, if not for one moment. The device has a low screen resolution, 320x480 pixels, which is obviously outdated picture quality, which is appropriate for entry-level models. I can't say that the display is completely bad, but considering that models of the same level already have WVGA screens, this cannot be ignored.

Another thing is that this is a sports model, which is specific in itself. It is quite possible that the Sony Xperia go will serve as an additional phone to the flagship model, then everything falls into place. You don’t want to be left without communication, you need the functionality of a smartphone - and then a hardy model will be just right. A good camera, player, high speed menu operation, in addition IP67 protection and nice design combined with good ergonomics make the Sony Xperia go a relatively expensive but attractive device of its kind.

ST27i, which will be discussed today, is presented by the Japanese developer as a youth solution and is in the budget segment. The device cannot boast of prohibitively high technical characteristics, compared even with its direct and closest competitors. Nevertheless, the device managed to take an advantageous position in the market, and it gained really impressive popularity. This suggests that there is something bewitching in this once-new smartphone market. Well, if so, let's take a closer look at the smartphone. So, get acquainted, Sony Xperia Go.

Screen

Today we will do something different than usual. We will not give technical specifications at the beginning, but we will do it at the end of the review in order to draw a line under everything that will be said. But first things first. What do we have in this case? Before us lies the Sony Xperia GO ST27I. The screen diagonal is 3.5 inches, as in the good old fourth iPhone. The resolution does not particularly spoil users, only 480 by 320 pixels. I would like to note that with such a budget, we have fairly good viewing angles. In parallel, we can note a good supply of brightness so that you can read the text in sunlight.

In general, users are in favor of the fact that for its class the device has not just a good screen, but, one might say, optimal. By the way, a special coating is applied to the display. It makes it possible to work with it even if there is water on the screen itself. This is useful for those people who often work with smartphones with wet hands. That is to say, very impatient people. An excellent solution for regular use near the sea. It is interesting that this model stands out from its segment due to its use. For a state employee, this is unusual.

Hardware

Sometimes there are cases when the Sony ST27I does not turn on. In part, this problem is connected just the same with the hardware of the device. But what is it here? Let's make a reservation right away: on board the smartphone there is an operating system of the Android family. Its version is 2.3.7. A number of changes have been made to the shell. Specialists of a Japanese company worked on them. The changes affected the design, as well as the interface as a whole. And now from general words to specific names.

CPU

NovaThor U8500 is installed as a chipset. It works with two cores of the “Cortex A9” generation. The clock frequency of the processor cores is one gigahertz. The amount of RAM is small - only 512 MB. As we can see, everything here is within the framework of budgetary rules. Another thing is the pre-installed software. That's really the reason for a separate conversation.

Lockscreen

Qualitatively worked out the lock slider. When using the Sony Xperia ST27I, you will have to make long movements. By swiping from left to right, we can unlock the screen of the device. If we swipe from right to left, we activate the camera. At the bottom, by default, there are four icons at once. What are they represented by? The first icon is a folder with additional programs. They can be used by people leading an active lifestyle. The second is the transition to the company store. The third is to open the text message menu. The fourth is to open the menu with calls.

Peculiarities

It should be noted that there are branded floating wallpapers. They are beautiful enough. They are blue by default. However, the user has the right to decide for himself what shade they should be. The range of active programs is represented by a compass, a speedometer, a FigureRunner utility, a program for using a flash as a flashlight, and another utility from Adidas. It is designed for training. What awaits us, besides this software?

Additional programs and widgets

There are not so few of them in the Sony ST27i. For example, there is a widget that allows you to control wireless interfaces, as well as change the brightness level, activate flight mode, turn navigation on and off, and other similar functions. Its external design is quite good, the Japanese have worked on it, as they say, for the glory.

The second widget allows you to see what the weather expects us not only today, but also tomorrow, as well as the whole next week. Hourly splitting is possible to view the most accurate weather forecast. By default, there is help that is periodically displayed on the screen. It contains tips that allow the owner of the phone to optimize its performance through the use of chips with a battery. Help, in general, will be useful for people who have just begun to master the operating system of the Android family.

Do you need a newsfeed?

Sony ST27I, the characteristics of which we will present in this article, is equipped with a program called TimeEscape. It displays a feed of user actions that the owner of the phone previously added as friends. To be honest, there is no practical sense from this utility as such. Nevertheless, certain categories of users may well be interested in it. The Music Unlimited program will allow you not only to listen to music, but also download it to your device. In terms of watching videos, it is useless. Which, by the way, can already be understood from the name of the application.

Form style

Separately, I would like to talk about the music player, since we got to this topic. It is decorated in the best traditions of the Japanese company. Using the interface, files can be quickly transferred, as well as transferred to a playlist, where the user has the right to add the necessary tracks or compositions.

If the buyer understands, then he will be able to please himself with high-quality and surround sound, since the equalizer itself is present in the settings of the multimedia player built into this device. With the help of a special add-on, you can increase the volume of the speakers. This is a very useful add-on, since the speakers themselves cannot be called loud. It's more of a conversational thing. We can say that the conversational speaker with the voice quality of the interlocutor is doing well.

A service called Unlimited, which is built into the multimedia player, allows you to find information about the artist of the song currently playing. The information will be found using third party services such as YouTube or Wikipedia. Sony Xperia Go ST27i, the characteristics of which will be given at the end of today's review, is well suited for listening to music. In this area, among analogues of the budget segment, it is probably the leader. Actually, that's why the smartphone was presented as a youth solution. You can buy this model for 7 thousand rubles.

Interaction with social networks

Tired of music? No problem! You can use analog radio. The list is selected quickly, it can be edited manually. The radio is also designed in the typical Sony style. To determine the music that plays, for example, in a cafe, you can use a traditional Japanese developer program called TrackID. It works smartly, with almost no delays, for which the Japanese can say “thank you”.

Not very functional, but really beautiful is the clock widget. Accessory management is done using a program called LiveWare. Customization is additionally represented by its own wallpapers and themes, and this is one of the strengths of this model.

Photographic opportunities

It is unlikely that a lot will be said about the camera of the device. However, we can walk through the pivot points. First of all, it should be noted that, of course, one should not expect a miracle from this model. The quality here is average. Even if the pictures are taken in normal lighting, it remains to be desired. Yes, the main module has a resolution of five megapixels. But something is not clear, either there are problems with the processing algorithm, or the optics are of poor quality, but still the pictures even of this resolution do not particularly correspond.

There is no bad without good

What saves the day? Probably a whole range of built-in effects from the company. The simplest are 3D panoramas. The coolest ones are face detection. Auto focus on the subject is present, works at medium speed. Digital zoom can be used, but in order not to be disappointed, it should not be. This is done with the volume buttons. When shooting a movie, the image is stabilized. Striking results are produced by shooting clips. Unlike photos, videos are of high quality, they can be shot in HD quality. Why the Japanese this time focused on video shooting is not clear. It would be better if they finalized the creation of photographs too.

Offline work

The developer himself stated that in the networks of the second generation the smartphone will be able to work for six and a half hours, in 3G mode - an hour less. Music can be played for 45 hours. However, in order to soberly assess such indicators and analyze the situation, remember that we have an operating system of the Android family on board and take a look at a lithium-ion battery. It has a capacity of 1305 milliamps per hour. The battery, by the way, is built into the smartphone itself, it cannot be replaced manually. With such a small capacity, you immediately begin to think that Android will land the device by noon. However, it turns out that even when used with activity above average, Sony can live until the evening. The result was extremely surprising, and in a pleasant way. The device is charged from zero to one hundred percent in about two hours.

Sony Xperia Go ST27I: specifications and reviews

So, it's time to talk briefly about what characteristics this model has. Phone Sony ST27I has a screen with a diagonal of 3.5 inches with a component of 320 by 480 pixels. The camera has a resolution of five megapixels. There is protection against moisture and dust of the IP67 standard. Dual core processor running at 1 GHz. The amount of RAM is 512 MB. The operating system version is “Android 2.3”. You can upgrade to 4.0.

What do customers say about this device? From the point of view of use for "gatherings" in social networks, this is a good device. It will also be interesting for those who regularly use the device to listen to music. However, users in the reviews complain about low performance (and what to expect with such a processor and memory?) And a weak camera. If you're going to take quality pictures to share on social media or elsewhere, you'll need to look for a better alternative.

Test

Review of the protected smartphone Sony Xperia go: sun, air and water - we are not afraid of anything

Before us is a strict, stylish. Thin, light rectangular "brick". But in this case, appearances, more than ever, are deceiving. Sony Xperia go is protected from water, directed spray jets, foam, dust, sand. This is a smartphone for people who prefer outdoor activities, fitness, running, cycling, traveling and beach holidays - sun, waves, sand.

Sony Xperia go

While jogging, you can not be afraid that the Sony Xperia go will fly out of your pocket or slip out of your hand. On the beach, you can safely bury it in the sand, and in addition, pour water from above.

Not much time has passed since the release of Sony Xperia go on the market, but this model has already been mocked by everyone who is not lazy. What are, at least, tough tests (or rather, abuse) to which the smartphone was subjected by the extremist group of testers "A1 Härtetest Team".

It is unlikely that someone will arrange something like this for their own smartphone, but at least you won’t have to worry about it.

And although the back cover (made, oddly enough, not from armor-piercing steel, but from rather elastic plastic) does not inspire great hopes for extreme security, this is just a case that covers a case that is tightly assembled on rubber gaskets, all the connectors of which are so are tightly closed with rubber valves, gaskets and plugs.

Let's start with the technical specifications.

Specifications

Communication standards support: 3G UMTS/HSPA 850(900)/2100 MHz; GSM/GPRS/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900 MHz
Platform: Android OS 2.3.7 (Gingerbread), upgrade to Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandvich)
Display: 3.5-inch, Reality Display with Mobile BRAVIA Engine, 16 million colors, TFT, mineral glass, Wet Finger Tracking, 320x480 pixels resolution
Processor: dual-core, STE NovaThor U8500, 1 GHz; ARM Mali-400 GPU and NEON technology support
Memory: 8 GB built-in (up to 4 GB available to the user), 512 MB RAM, microSD card slot (up to 32 GB)
Communications: Wi-Fi (802.11b/g/n), Bluetooth 3.0, DLNA, microUSB 2.0 HS, aGPS, 3.5mm audio jack
Internet access: WAP, GPRS, EDGE, HSDPA, email POP/SMTP, email IMAP4, HTML
Camera: 5 MP with autofocus and LED flash, digital Zoom 16x, face detection, smile detection; support HD (720p) video recording
Sensors: light, distance and position, digital compass with GPS navigation
Protection against external influences: IP67
Audio: MP3, AAC, AAC+, eAAC+, AMR-NB, AMR-WB, MIDI, OGG, FM radio
Video: MPEG4, H.264, H.263
Photo: JPEG, BMP, WBMP, PGN, GIF, PNG
Dimensions: 60.3x111x9.8 mm
Weight: 110 g
Battery: 1305 mAh

Delivery set

The Sony Xperia go is delivered in a small, and in addition thin, box - 185x190x28 mm - cleverly arranged into a two-section volume, in which everything fits in a strange way, but easily: a network adapter, a USB-microUSB cable, headphones, a plastic insert adapter for a micro SIM card, a twenty-four-fold English User Guide booklet, and a similarly folded RF exposure and SAR flyer, which states in twenty-two languages that this model is fully compliant. Yes, and in addition to all of the above, in the box we will find the device itself.

Sony Xperia go package

The smartphone is charged via USB, so the AC adapter does not have its own cord, but it connects to the smartphone with a common USB cable.

The adapter for a microSIM card is just a transparent plastic rectangle the size of a regular miniSIM card with a microSIM-shaped window cut out in the middle. That is, a standard SIM card is inserted into the Sony Xperia go (which was once called mini, which everyone has already forgotten about), and if necessary, connect microSIM cards using this simple adapter insert.

That's actually all about the configuration - nothing special.

However, in our test lab, in addition to the Sony Xperia go smartphone itself, there was also such an interesting gadget as the Sony SmartWatch watch, but more on that below.

Smartphone design

Sony Xperia go is made in the form of a monoblock 60.3x111x9.8 mm and weighs 110 g. We can say that this is a rather small device, despite a decent 3.5-inch screen.

Sony Xperia go - a typical monoblock, with typical hardware elements

By the way, potential buyers express their main complaints about the screen, and specifically about the resolution of 320x480 pixels, which seems insufficient for many smartphone users. In fact, the display is good with good viewing angles, the image is clear and not blurry, good auto-adjustment of brightness under lighting (it only goes blind in very bright direct sunlight). Like other Sony models, the Sony Xperia go uses Bravia Mobile Engine image enhancement technology, but it is visually difficult to see how much it improves this image. The grain, of course, is distinguishable, but only at a short distance and if you look closely.

In this case, it seems that the manufacturer deliberately decided to install such a screen: and first of all, in order to save battery power, because this smartphone is clearly positioned as a protected device for active users (of course, not for scuba divers, but this smartphone can be taken to the beach boldly and not be afraid that the connectors will become clogged with sand).

And this sports orientation is observed in everything.

In general, Sony Xperia go is available in three colors: black, white and yellow. All these modifications are the same, but the yellow model is slightly more expensive, it additionally received the Sports Edition label, and although this modification does not differ in technical characteristics, it is complemented by a hand cover and special headphone mounts, which will obviously be useful for runners. We have a copy in the editorial office in a white case.

So, the form of a smartphone is a monoblock. Almost the entire front panel is occupied by the screen, with the exception of a small ledge at the bottom of the display, under the touch buttons (standard for OS Androin: "Back", "Home", "Menu").

USB is hidden behind a secure rubber plug

There are two mechanical buttons: on the upper end, closer to the left corner, is the power button and on the left side is the rocker key “+/-” (used as a sound volume control, zoom in/zoom out buttons when viewing graphic files, or zoom in/out buttons when working in photo and video mode). The surface of these buttons is pleasantly matte, the buttons themselves are thin, with a short soft stroke.

(In addition, I would like to say that the disadvantage of this smartphone, perhaps, can be considered the absence of a separate shutter button for the camera. Although in this case, Sony developers tried to compensate for this shortcoming with an additional screen lock slide function, when moving from right to left, it launches the camera, with a large noticeable software "button" on the touch screen, and as an addition in the camera settings, you can set the function of the shutter button to perform the entire screen in photography mode. But a separate mechanical button, nevertheless, is more convenient. Well, by the way, no matter how bitter it is to admit, The camera is not the strong point of this smartphone.)

On the front panel, under the screen, as we have already said, there are touch buttons "Back", "Home", "Menu", below them there is a microphone hole. Above the display is a phone speaker, two proximity sensors (including those that turn off the touch screen when your ear approaches it during a telephone conversation) and an ambient light sensor. Near the LED activity indicator (turns on during charging, for example). Well, as we can see, there is no front camera on the front panel, so Skype video calls, unfortunately, are not possible.

Headphones included Sony Xperia go

The camera lens is located at the back, next to it is the second microphone (already for the camera) and the LED flash, which can also be used as a flashlight, and very bright. On the lower half of the back cover is the XPERIA logo and an icon, also known by the Sony Ericsson trademark. To the right of the logo is a loudspeaker speaker.

To complete the description, we should also mention the connectors. There are two of them: a 3.5 mm mini-jack audio jack and a flat microUSB type B. The audio jack is located on the left side of the case, at the top. The USB port is exactly opposite - on the right side. Both of them are covered with plugs that close these holes quite tightly. On the lower right corner there is a strap mount, which (like the absence of a separate mechanical camera button) becomes almost a Sony branded “chip”. In addition to the fact that the Japanese, without exception, supposedly like to hang all sorts of key fobs on their mobile phones - maneki-neko, netsu-tsatski and other hello kitties, this mount also performs a really useful function. It secures the back cover. Moreover, it is fastened quite reliably, but to open it, it is enough to press the pin in the recess with your fingernail and pick up the detached cover.

Removing the cover, we will open a dense sea-green monolithic case (the battery is not removable, it is hidden somewhere inside). At the top in the end on the right is a slot for a microSD memory card - the card is sunk quite deep into the case and is covered with a rubber plug on top. Below is the SIM card slot. The SIM card itself is installed on a metal tray and only after that it is inserted into the case, tightly fixed in it with a rubber plug. There are no more opening parts here (unless you unscrew anything with a screwdriver).

There is no removable battery under the Sony Xperia go removable cover

Surprisingly, such rubber plugs (as well as gaskets in the case) protect the smartphone from water entering the case when submerged up to 1 meter. At the same time, the phone is blocked underwater, but the camera works, so the Sony Xperia go can be used as an underwater camera (without an additional box). The lid closes without any tricks with a light touch, but if there are gaps under the lid, it is enough to press the lid along the edge and it will easily snap into place.

Performance

The Sony Xperia go hardware platform is built on the ST-Ericsson NovaThor U8500 chipset, which includes a 1 GHz dual-core Cortex A9 processor and a Mali-400 graphics chip. Based on this, as we understand, this device can in no way be attributed to the flagship models, but the test results in benchmarks are quite decent.

Sony Xperia go test results

Working hours

Regarding the duration of the work, we can say that we have a well-balanced device. The battery with a capacity of 1305 mAh is not the most powerful, but thanks to an economical screen with a resolution of 320x480 pixels and a moderate hardware platform, the duration of the smartphone looks quite attractive.

The manufacturer promises up to 6.5 hours of talk time in 2G networks and up to 5.5 hours in 3G networks, 520 hours of standby time in 2G networks (460 h - 3G), up to 45 hours of music listening and up to 6 hours of video playback.

Field tests showed the following:

in the normal settings mode (i.e. without turning on the energy saving mode) after 3 hours of continuous various manipulations with the smartphone - the Internet, talking on the phone, playing games - the battery charge has decreased from 100% to 75%
exactly the same result - reducing the charge from 100% to 75% - the smartphone showed after 2 days of being in standby mode (with the screen turned off, of course, but with the network turned on, Bluetooth and WiFi)
after 3 hours of continuous video viewing, the battery charge decreased from 100% to 68%, i.е. consumption rate of 10% per hour - but in this case, the indicators will vary depending on the quality of the video file, its resolution and format
The highest power consumption was noticed during games, it is not possible to say anything exact here, since the load depends on many factors (heavy games in 3 hours can completely burn the battery).

Software

Sony Xperia go runs Android OS version 2.3.7 - kernel version 2.6.35.7+, build number 6.0.B.3.162. When you first connected the network via WiFi and downloaded Google Play, the smartphone reported that the update to 6.0.B.3.184 was ready. An update to Android OS version 4 (Ice Cream Sandwich) is planned in the future. The standard interface of Sony Xperia go offers the user five desktops with the ability to place widgets, shortcuts and folders on them.

Sony Xperia go desktop interfaces

The software here is basically the same as on other Android smartphones, the only thing worth mentioning separately is the quick access bar located at the bottom of the central (start) screen.

The Quick Access Toolbar contains five shortcuts, from left to right:

Fitness
Google Play
Apps screen
Messages
Telephone

Perhaps, it’s worth talking a little more about the “Fitness” section, because on the one hand, everything is clear with the rest, and on the other hand, this section (or rather the programs that it contains) makes the Sony Xperia go sports smartphone.

Actually, this section is a folder with shortcuts, just placed on the central panel. Like any other folder, it can be renamed, and shortcuts in this folder, just like in any other, can be sorted, deleted, set shortcuts to other programs, if necessary (for example, FM radio and audio player).

Clicking on the Fitness icon opens a folder with shortcuts to pre-installed programs: Flash, Compass, FigureRunni, WalkMate, miCoach. In this case, “Flash” means a regular flashlight, which, however, can itself transmit an SOS signal (3 dots, 3 dashes, 3 dots).

"Compass", in addition to indicating the cardinal points, allows you to add your location to the database (with coordinates on the map and notes). In this program, you can select the type of compass: analog, antique, digital, GPS, night or digital simple. And in general there are a lot of settings, there is something to tinker with.

The built-in compass of Sony Xperia go will not let you get lost in the open spaces

But the FigureRunni, WalkMate, and miCoach programs are more interesting.

FigureRunni is an ingenious program for creating a pattern (pattern) on a map in order to subsequently overcome the drawn path while walking or jogging.

FigureRunni program interface

The miCoach program is, in fact, a personal trainer from Adidas, with which you can create a plan for your own training, which takes into account your personal parameters (height, weight), you can also use tips and training programs here (downloaded from the site ), voice prompts.

Workout with Sony Xperia go and miCoach

Synchronization with PC

Sony Xperia go does not give full access to its files; to fully synchronize your smartphone with a PC, you will have to install the Sony PC Companion program on your computer.

But even through this program, only three functions are available: Support Zone - updating the smartphone software, Contacts Setup - transferring and updating contacts, Media Go - transferring to a smartphone and organizing multimedia content.

It is assumed that such programs should be installed almost automatically, but in fact, installing and configuring such programs is often not a completely trivial thing, and not every computer has the ability and desire to install additional programs.

Sony Xperia go metalized power off button

So, in this case, you can do without Sony PC Companion. It is enough to insert an external microSD memory card into the smartphone, when connected to a PC via USB, the external memory of the smartphone (microSD card) will simply be defined as an external drive to which you can copy any files.

It will not be possible to install programs on this way (there is Google Play for this), but Sony Xperia go will see all kinds of multimedia files on the card and be able to play them without problems. Also, in the smartphone camera settings, an external SD card can be specified as a data storage, and then all the captured photos will be saved to the card.

Camera

Like the screen, the camera in the Sony Xperia go is not the main plus: 5 megapixels, the ability to shoot HD video up to 720p, digital 16x zoom, autofocus and LED flash. In a nutshell, we can say about this camera - nothing special.

As a minus, there is no separate mechanical camera shutter button, although this moment is partly eliminated by the fact that in the settings you can assign a quick camera call to the screen lock slide (this function works when the slide moves not from left to right, but from right to left).

The quality of the pictures cannot be said to be bad, but average. On the street, the camera shoots quite decently, but indoors, in low light conditions, it is better to shoot with a flash.

Sony Xperia go test shots (click on photo to view in real resolution)

smart watch

Well, as a bonus, SmartWatch watches took part in our testing.

Smartwatch for Sony Xperia go

You can display data from various applications installed on your smartphone on the SmartWatch screen - time, weather forecast, player, call and message information, social network widgets.

Smartwatch Package Contents

The SmartWatch package includes: a watch, a black silicone strap, a “User's Guide” (several pieces in different languages) and a completely original USB cable that connects to the device with a clip.

In addition to the typical black strap, we also had an additional blue one for example, but in general, the choice of color solutions for straps for SmartWatch is very diverse. You can also do without a strap, and attach the device to clothing with a clip.

Smartphone and watch synchronization

Smartwatch connects to the Sony Xperia go smartphone via Bluetooth. The watch is determined by the LiveWare dispatcher (it can be pre-installed on the smartphone, or it must be downloaded from Google Play), after pairing with the smartphone, an additional item will appear in the list of headsets in the LiveWare dispatcher - SmartWatch, in which all settings will be available: installing and configuring applications , widgets, their sorting, setting the type and type of clock.

Applications are easy to use

Total

Before us is a very nice device.

dimensions and weight
the Sony Xperia go smartphone is extremely protected for domestic (non-industrial) use
the smartphone is positioned in the segment of devices intended for outdoor activities, and it really corresponds to this positioning in hardware and software

not the best screen with a resolution of 480 x 320 pixels
not the best 5-megapixel camera
as well as the lack of a separate mechanical button for the camera