Sony xperia neo. Sony Ericsson Xperia Neo V - Specifications. Bluetooth is a standard for secure wireless data transfer between different types of devices over short distances.

That is, not very expensive, but at the same time with good processors, cameras and screens. Yes, they appear, but this is due to the fact that top-class devices go on sale, which replace the previous flagships. Accordingly, expensive devices become more affordable.

Sony Ericsson Xperia Neo initially aims at the middle class - for all its merits, it can become one of the most popular solutions in the segment. The model received the same hardware as the flagship, which means that the smartphone has all the usual attributes of a modern Android solution, including a powerful 8-megapixel camera with autofocus and support for HD video recording (720p).

Contents of delivery

• Telephone


• Battery


• stereo headset


• 8 GB microSD card


• Charger


• Cable


• HDMI cable


• Instruction

Appearance

I think that many people remember last year's models from Sony Ericsson on the Symbian platform. These were smartphones and. The devices had an unusual case design, where curved ends were striking, as well as characteristically convex back panels.

When creating a new device, the designers undoubtedly looked back at previously created products. The original concept of human curvature is embodied in the body of Sony Ericsson Xperia Neo.

The phone turned out to be medium in size, which is 116x57x13 mm, weight 126 g. Among Android solutions, the device is not the largest, but not the smallest either.

Ideal size in my opinion. I like medium sized phones like the review hero or , worth mentioning both , and . All of them have fairly close dimensions, which are due to the diagonal of the display. For these models, it varies from 3.5 to 3.7 inches.

Among the "Googlephones" segment, the phone looks fresh, maybe even unusual, which is due to the smooth, curved lines of the case. If the majority of smartphones of this level look like black angular bars, then the shape of the Sony Ericsson Xperia Neo immediately allows you to stand out from their background. It is easy to distinguish it from other models.

The phone will be on sale in several color modifications. You can choose from three body types. It is dark blue, red (as in the photos) and silver. All colors are good, someone can immediately attribute the red color to “female”, but it is more of a burgundy shade. Not a flashy bright color, but quite noble, which will not be alien to the male audience. In general, the company did not limit itself to one modification, as is often the case, but provided a choice of several options at once.

A new type of painting is applied. Now the composition and method of its application are used, which contribute to the durability of the coating. This means that over time, the paint will not peel off, will not fade. However, this does not save the case from small scratches - they appear, but are hardly noticeable.

At the top, in a small oval hole, there is a speaker. Next to it is a camera for video calls and a proximity sensor.

Under the display is a block of mechanical keys. It is made in the form of a curved strip, which consists of three large silver buttons. Due to it, the effect of metal parts is created. The first button helps to return to the previous menu item, the central one directs to the desktop. Also, if you hold it down for a few seconds, it will activate the application manager. The last key brings up the context menu. Below them is the logo of the line - Xperia.

They do not have a backlight, but due to their large size, accidental clicks are excluded. You can notice the presence of a pair of diodes that do not carry out any functional load. The buttons are comfortable, pressed gently, the action is accompanied by a soft click.

On the right side, closer to the top, you can see a small round silver button. She is responsible for the screen lock. Below there is a large volume rocker.

On a small ledge is a two-position camera shutter button. It is also worth mentioning the presence of a light indicator, which is located on this part of the case. It signals missed calls, new messages, glows when charging - a very useful thing. It glows brightly and is hard to miss.

There are no elements on the left side, there is a completely smooth silver plate.

On the top end, which has a curved shape, there is a 3.5 mm jack in the very center. It is used to connect a complete headset or any other headphones. To the left of it is a microUSB port. A cable is connected to it for synchronization and data transfer to a computer. On the other hand, there is an HDMI cable connector. Both slots are covered with flip-up plastic plugs, reliably protected from possible dust ingress.

At the bottom you can see the microphone hole and a notch that helps to remove the back panel.

The back of the smartphone is curved, comfortable and ergonomic. Painted in a metallic shade, it looks beautiful.

On the removable part of the case, there was a place for the corporate logo, there is a small slot below, from under it you can hear the sounds of the speaker. Closer to the center is a camera lens slightly recessed into the body, which is edged with a chrome rim. Next to it is an LED flash.

The smartphone is assembled tightly, reliably, without backlash of the panels. Under the removable cover there is a compartment for a microSD memory card, which does not require turning off the device to replace. The SIM card slot is blocked by the battery.

Display

The display diagonal is 3.7 inches. It is made using Sony Mobile Bravia technology. Its feature is improved color reproduction - when this function is activated (it can be disabled in the menu), the contrast and sharpness of the image increase, the picture is natural, natural, alive. The resolution is 480x854 pixels, up to 16 million colors are displayed.

Of course, the screen is capacitive, multi-touch is supported. It responds well to touch. The smartphone has an accelerometer, it allows you to change the picture, you just need to turn the phone. The proximity sensor turns off the screen when the phone approaches your face during a call. There is no automatic brightness sensor, as in the flagship model.

I would like to note the presence of a special display coating, which should provide protection from scratches. The screen cover is something between glass and plastic, it can be found in many other modern solutions. A special film will be initially glued onto the display, which will serve as additional protection. It is glued very neatly, it is difficult to notice. If you do not know about its presence, then you can not notice its existence.

The screen size is well chosen. In my opinion, the optimal size for a mobile device is 3.5-3.7 inches. In this case, the smartphone retains a moderate size, convenient for everyday use. The behavior in the sun is average, in bright light the data is not very visible. If you do not manually set the display brightness to the maximum value, then there may be problems with the readability of the data on the screen.

To compare the Sony Ericsson Xperia Neo screen, I'll put it next to it. It is very easy to feel the difference. The SuperAMOLED screen's huge margin of brightness immediately catches the eye.

Platform

The smartphone runs on Android 2.3 Gingerbread operating system, Qualcomm MSM8255 processor with a frequency of 1 GHz. There is 512 MB of RAM, as well as about 300 MB for the needs of the user. An 8 GB card will be included with the device.

Menu

The company abandoned the Mediascape application, which received mixed reviews from users. But here there is Timescape and a new proprietary shell. At the top of the screen is a service line, which shows the time, battery charge, signal reception level indicator. Active connections and other data are also displayed there. By clicking on the line, you can find out in more detail about which programs have been downloaded, what messages and letters have been received, or what files have been received via Bluetooth.

As a design element, you can use both pre-installed images from Sony Ericsson and your favorite pictures. In addition, shortcuts and folders are placed on the desktop. For the folder, you can choose one of eight design options, give it a name. Icons are added by dragging them from the phone menu directly into this area.

Of course, there are widgets here, they can also be added to the desktop. There can be 5 such screens, while an interesting function works: you can swipe with two fingers from diagonally opposite corners, all desktops will decrease and be displayed on one screen.

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, then the silent mode is turned on, as evidenced by an additional icon. Movement between zones is fast, without any hint of sluggishness. There are 5 icons at the bottom of the screen. These are multimedia, messages, menu entry, contacts and dialing. If you click on media, an additional menu will pop up with those applications that are in this category.

The application manager is activated by the Home button. It displays 8 programs and is essentially not your usual task manager. As you know, Android closes applications on its own, guided by the amount of free RAM.

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 16 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. Other application menus are made in blue tones, here you can trace the similarities with other Sony Ericsson models.

Phone book

The smartphone has a handy assistant for importing contacts both from the 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.

When creating a new contact, a lot of fields are created - these are various types of phone numbers, email addresses, quick communication tools (AIM, ICQ, Gtalk, Skype and others), residential addresses and others (alias, note, Internet call).

The smartphone has a list of alphabetic characters located on the right side of the screen. If you press your finger on this line and drag it down or up, then a letter pops up on the screen - a kind of quick search, which helps in cases where there are several hundred or even thousands of contacts on the phone. The search by the first letters of the contact name works for both language layouts.

There is a menu of favorite numbers where you can add the most popular contacts.

There is a quick menu: you need to click on the place for the icon with a contact photo, after which you can make a call, send a message via 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. The smartphone does not know how to automatically substitute numbers based on the order of the entered numbers. During a call, the picture assigned to the user is stretched to full screen.

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 (and not only in the messages themselves, but you can also add it to a document or an email). For navigation, a convenient cursor is used, which helps to correct typos, highlight the necessary sections of text.

Your smartphone allows you to use several types of keyboards. This is both a mini-QWERTY keyboard and a full-size keyboard available in landscape orientation.

Predictive text input is available when word correction and auto-completion systems help you type text at a fast pace, 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.

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 (you need to insert a memory card, otherwise this function will not work) of 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. You can create multiple email accounts, each with a different color. This is convenient, because you can view mail for each mailbox separately, and displays messages from all accounts into one. Works sorting mail by date, subject, sender and size.

Camera

The smartphone uses an 8-megapixel module with autofocus and LED flash. In the segment of Android devices, the situation with full-fledged multimedia solutions is not very smooth, good cameras are rare, and Sony Ericsson Xperia Neo has the opportunity to stand out from classmates.

To launch the camera, a dedicated key on the side of the smartphone is used. By holding it for a few seconds, the shooting mode starts, this can be done from any application, it is not necessary to go to the main menu. The shape of the button is unsuccessful, it is too small and tight. I liked the high speed of launching the camera, as well as the very fast saving of pictures.

The interface works exclusively in landscape orientation. Help icons are displayed on the screen to help you set up shooting modes and conditions. 5 small icons are displayed on the side - the phone shows the latest received frames. Pulling the icons to the side opens a gallery of images taken.

Various options are available:

Image Capture Mode: Normal, Scene Detection, Smile Detection.

Photo size: 8 MP, 6 MP, 2 MP (4:3 or 16:9).

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

Touch Capture: Enable, Disable (This function allows you to take a photo without pressing the camera key, just touch the screen).

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

Timer: 2, 10 seconds.

exposure number.

Image stabilizer.

Geotags.

Shutter sound: There are 3 sounds to choose from, you can also turn it off.

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

Measurement: center, middle level, point.

Focus: Single AF, Multi-AF, Macro, Face Detection, Infinity, Touch Focus.

The quality of the photo is good, here the model performed better than the flagship Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc, which was tested earlier. There is no annoying overexposure, adequate color reproduction is observed. Given the very fast speed of the camera, a well-designed menu with many settings, as well as a dedicated key for shooting. For its segment, the photo quality is very good.

Gallery Photos and videos stored in the smartphone's memory are displayed here. The gallery works in both vertical and landscape orientations. Working with files is accompanied by nice animation effects. Working with files is fast, 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 4 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. The video is played from the gallery, where a separate folder is allocated for the videos. Nothing special can be said about the phone here. There is no support for DivX and XviD codecs in the smartphone, so the ability to play video out of the box is quite modest. timescape Timescape combines tabs that combine messages from various social networks: Facebook, Twitter. 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. Messages are presented in the form of translucent panels, on which the name of the sender, the message test itself, as well as the source from where the message came from are written. The ability to customize the background has disappeared, now it is a permanent blue color. 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 To listen to music, you can select tracks sorted into several categories: artist, album, tracks, lists. In the latter case, there are automatic playlists (recently added, popular tracks, never played), and manual listening lists are also created. From the music list, you can add songs to a playlist or send them via MMS, Bluetooth, or email. The screen displays the name of the artist, the name of the album and the song being played. In the music playback mode, a large album cover is displayed (if it was assigned earlier), there are playback control buttons on the screen. If desired, the song is set as a ringtone. Equalizer settings are also available. These presets are: Normal, Classical, Dance, Flat, Folk, Heavy Metal, Hip Hop, Jazz, Pop, Rock. There are no manual settings. Stirring mode available When the screen is locked, additional music control buttons are not displayed, which is inconvenient, you have to perform unnecessary actions every time to move to another song. Other manufacturers (for example, Samsung and HTC) are more thoughtful. Sony Ericsson Xperia Neo only has a widget on the desktop, which to some extent smoothes this moment. While listening to music, you can find information about the artist - a list of videos available for viewing on YouTube is displayed. The sound quality for the Android segment is very good. There is a sufficient margin in volume, the mids are well developed, and the lower range is not bad either. Deep bass lovers can try playing with the equalizer, which will help change the sound image, albeit not without some distortion. Radio The smartphone has a radio that has the function of automatic search for stations, you can switch the input manually. You can also save several dozen frequencies in the phone's memory. You can easily switch between your favorite stations by clicking on a small icon that will automatically move between saved waves. 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. Organizer The calendar in the device is made in a traditional style, the display of information for a whole month, week or a specific day is configured. 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. The phone screen can display the weather forecast, date and time in large characters. The calculator works in both portrait and landscape orientations. The smartphone has Google search, which searches both among the contents of the device and through the browser. Recent requests that were entered on the computer may also be displayed, the phone will use the account. Android Market is necessary for each device of this class - there the user can evaluate thousands of applications and choose the necessary set of applications for himself. There is a convenient search function, as well as dividing programs into categories, which greatly simplifies browsing. You can look at the 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 application, which is standard for most modern devices, allows you to view videos and search among them. The application runs in full screen mode. Working with office documents is limited by the capabilities of pre-installed software - Office Suite allows you to view Word, Excel, PDF, Power Point files, but there is no possibility of editing them. You need to buy the full version of the application, where a wider range of features is available. Weather forecast and news are useful every day. media server DLNA support allows you to view photos and videos from compatible devices wirelessly. The Facebook application will allow you to communicate in the network of the same name directly from your mobile device. Let's golf is a beautiful game from Gameloft. 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. Multi-window support, search for words on the page, text selection, as well as a practical function for changing the brightness of the screen 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. Excellent speed and large screen allow you to comfortably use your smartphone to view WEB pages. GPS navigation For navigation, Google Maps is used - the standard software for all android phones. 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. Scaling works using multitouch or virtual buttons. Settings There are standard settings that are present in any Android smartphone. This section allows you to manage the capabilities of your smartphone in terms of modifying the interface, as well as changing various phone settings. The smartphone offers a convenient branded application that sets up all the key parameters. If you do not use it immediately after purchase, you can return to it later. Connections The smartphone operates in the GSM 850/900/1800/1900 and UMTS 900/1700/2100 bands. There is Bluetooth 2.1 with support for EDR and A2DP, in addition to support for other common profiles. 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. Using the microUSB connector allows you to connect your phone to a computer for synchronization and battery charging. The presence of a miniHDMI slot allows you to connect your smartphone to various external sources (TV or monitor) and broadcast media content from the device to them. Working hours Used lithium-polymer battery with a capacity of 1500 mAh. Official data on operating time are as follows: up to 7 hours of talk time, up to 430 hours of battery life in standby mode, up to 31 hours of music listening. On average, the phone works for a day, sometimes one and a half to two days. With 20-30 minutes of calls per day, 20-30 photos, 2 hours of listening to the player, 30-60 minutes of using network applications (browser, twitter), as well as using continuous synchronization with Google services, by the evening there were about 20-30% of fully charged battery in the morning. In this case, the screen brightness was set to the maximum value. It is worth noting that the work of Wi-Fi and Bluetooth in the background, although not very much, but still affects the time of work, it is better to turn them off. In general, the autonomy of the phone looks attractive. In the continuous movie playback mode with the following settings: the maximum level of display backlight, synchronization is on, Wi-Fi is working, the smartphone lasted 6 hours 45 minutes. This should be attributed to very good indicators. Conclusion The speaker is excellent, there are no problems with volume, the sound reserve is enough for various conditions. The vibrating alert is weak, you can not always feel it. In my opinion, Sony Ericsson Xperia Neo turned out to be a balanced model. The device will be available for sale at a price of about 19,000 rubles approximately in July-August (the company officially announces the 3rd quarter), and this will be an interesting offer for those who want to purchase a functional Android device for less than 20 thousand rubles. Of the shortcomings, it is worth mentioning the screen, which is noticeably inferior in terms of brightness to other models. At the same time, one should not confuse brightness and color reproduction - the phone displays natural shades that are close to natural. There are no built-in video codecs here either, however, this is solved by installing third-party programs. But there are a lot more positives here. It is a compact, ergonomic body with conveniently located elements. The camera for Android class is good, you won't find a better offer for the money. The very good sound in the headphones also deserves praise, here the smartphone turned out to be among the leaders in its segment, even though it is inferior to Symbian devices, as well as the Apple iPhone 4. The stuffing of the phone copies the flagship Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc. At a noticeably lower cost, the buyer receives a fast and convenient interface, as well as enviable functionality. The Sony Ericsson Xperia Neo has every chance of hitting the Android-class bestseller lists, especially if the price of the model drops a little over time. © Alexander Pobyvanets, Test Lab Date of publication of the article - May 24, 2011

Information about the make, model, and alternative names of a particular device, if any.

Design

Information about the dimensions and weight of the device, presented in different units of measurement. Used materials, suggested colors, certificates.

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 technologies and data rates

Communication between devices in mobile networks is carried out through technologies that provide different data transfer rates.

Operating system

The operating system is the system software that manages and coordinates the operation of the hardware components in the device.

SoC (System on a Chip)

System on a chip (SoC) includes all the most important hardware components of a mobile device in one chip.

Built-in memory

Each mobile device has a built-in (non-removable) memory with a fixed amount.

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.

Sensors

Different sensors perform different quantitative measurements and convert physical indicators into signals that are recognized by the mobile device.

rear camera

The main camera of a mobile device is usually located on the back of the device and can be combined with one or more secondary cameras.

Front-camera

Smartphones have one or more front cameras of various designs - a pop-up camera, a PTZ camera, a cutout or hole in the display, a camera under the display.

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 navigation and location technologies supported by the device.

WiFi

Wi-Fi is a technology that provides wireless communication for short distance data transmission between different devices.

Bluetooth

Bluetooth is a standard for secure wireless data transfer between different types of devices over short distances.

USB

USB (Universal Serial Bus) is an industry standard that allows different electronic devices to communicate.

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, which is 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 the device.

Browser

A web browser is a software application for accessing and viewing information on the Internet.

Video file formats/codecs

Mobile devices support various video file formats and codecs, which store and encode/decode digital video data, respectively.

Battery

Mobile device batteries differ from each other in their capacity and technology. They provide the electrical charge they need to function.

The line of smartphones released by Sony Ericsson over time has increasingly ceased to meet the requirements of modern consumers, who constantly watched the technological innovations of other companies. Over time, devices such as the Sony Ericsson Xperia Neo began to come out, which were based on Android.

In the wake of the great popularity of this operating system, many companies that released their flagship devices on its basis tried to succeed (and not unsuccessfully). The plans for the Sony Ericsson Xperia Neo from the manufacturer were exactly the same, as a result of which, in addition to this device, three other smartphones from a fairly high price segment were also announced.

Story

It is worth noting the fact that, by coincidence, the demonstration of this device was postponed in Japan, despite the fact that at that time it was one of the most massive devices in the future. Initially, the company planned to launch this device in April, that is, to start deliveries of Sony Ericsson Xperia Neo and Xperia Arc at the same time, however, they rightly decided that in a situation of a serious shortage of components, it is best to give priority to production of more expensive devices, which are currently sold at a price of approximately 25,000 rubles. It is worth noting the fact that the cost of Neo was planned at around 19,000 rubles, and for this price this mobile phone could be called a very, very balanced device, according to the characteristics of which it was practically not inferior to its flagship counterparts, apart from a different design and not so large display.

How relevant is it?

For most users, the Sony Ericsson Xperia Neo is the golden mean, as it is hardly possible to find at least one other such device that, at its price, would have approximately the same characteristics. For example, if we take into account the HTC Desire S, the technical characteristics of which are close to this model, then its price is 22,000 rubles, and smartphones from Samsung also have approximately the same cost.

Design

The Sony Ericsson Xperia Neo is equipped with a 3.7-inch 16:9 screen, making it a compact enough device that will definitely appeal to people who are not accustomed to carrying oversized mobile phones. The width of the case of this phone reaches 57 mm, which made it especially common, since similar models from other manufacturers were wider by at least 1 cm, which is not such a small difference for most people.

If we take a closer look at the characteristics of Sony Ericsson Xperia Neo, we can pay special attention to the body thickness of 13 mm, which is especially smoothed out by the oval profile and beveled ends. In principle, there is no wrangling about the design of this device, since it is a slightly modernized design of the Vivaz phone, which has been somewhat modified with the help of very, very successful elements. In the end, it turned out to be a very good device, which stands out favorably among other smartphones using this operating system.

Frame

The Sony Ericsson Xperia Neo smartphone has a body called Human Curvature, that is, its main advantage is that it fully corresponds to the shape of a human hand. This case is made of specialized smooth plastic, while the range of the phone includes several colors: red, black and silver. It is worth noting that user reviews of the Sony Ericsson Xperia Neo separately note the soiling of the black phone of this model, while the red and silver devices are more stable in this case. Perhaps that is why the most widespread phones of this model are red, since they do not have any fingerprints.

Control

The controls are almost identical to those used in the previously released Vivaz device, that is, there is a round button on the right side, designed to lock or turn off the phone, and there is also a long button that can be used to adjust the volume if necessary. At the top end you can find all the necessary outputs (HDMI, micro-USB, 3.5 mm headphone jack). It is worth noting the fact that the headphone jack in a similar Arc flagship is located on the side, so the possibility of a more convenient headphone connection in this phone can be called its additional advantage.

Below the screen are three buttons that many users know from Arc. If you do a quick review of the Sony Ericsson Xperia Neo, you can see that there is no separate search button, which will be an advantage for some people, and a definite disadvantage for others. Above the screen there is exactly the same set of components - these are light and proximity sensors, as well as a standard earpiece.

Front-camera

What immediately catches the eye is that it has a fairly large lens, and this can be called another advantage compared to the flagship model of the time Arc, because in principle such a camera was completely absent on it. This camera has 1.3 megapixels, that is, it is quite enough to make video calls with acceptable quality, and if at that time video calls were not so much in demand, then today the use of such a device is quite relevant and can hardly be called a mere tribute to fashion .

Screen

It is worth noting the fact that Sony Ericsson at that time could hardly be called a leader in terms of the quality of the screens used, because it did not produce any models that used an AMOLED display. On the Sony Ericsson Xperia Neo photo, you can see that the company began to use specialized software solutions, such as the Sony Bravia Mobile Engine, which proved to be quite successful in the company's TVs, where they were used for signal pre-processing. Thus, the overall quality of images and videos during the viewing process is greatly improved.

Considering that the device uses a specialized Live Color filter, the picture of this smartphone is much more contrasting, clear and realistic, but do not forget that this feature of this device is not hardware, but software, as a result of which it can be turn it on or off in the settings, and at the same time it works exclusively with graphics, that is, you will not notice any changes in the menu.

Neo and AMOLED

Of course, it is worth noting that the image quality on this screen can hardly be compared in principle with what modern AMOLED taps provide, as well as displays on the iPhone, but there is progress, and the overall impression of the device is much better compared to what which could be observed on the previous Xperia X10. At the same time, it is worth noting the fact that in this model there are far from the largest viewing angles, as a result of which the image on the phone fades significantly when tilted, but this is quite a standard limitation for all TFT displays.

Hardware platform

In the Sony Ericsson Xperia Neo, the instructions say that this device is similar to the flagship Arc in terms of hardware platform, which is its undoubted advantage, given its cost. The platform in this device is a Qualcomm QDS8255 with a frequency of 1 GHz. Theoretically, the difference is due to low power consumption, as well as more efficient optimization, but in fact, practice has shown that, in principle, there is practically no technical difference. Regardless of any additional conditions, Arc has been compared by the manufacturer with the most modern dual-core competitors, so for Neo such a hardware platform is more than optimal.

Battery

For any smartphone based on the Android operating system, power consumption is a particularly sore subject, and as the performance grows, things only get worse. The situation regarding the power consumption of these smartphones looks somewhat better, and at the same time, in practice, the device shows a longer performance compared to competitors with similar parameters. This is most likely also due to the use of updated screen technology, as well as a simpler interface, however, in the case of sufficiently intense loads, the operating time of this smartphone extends throughout the daylight hours, which is quite normal for Android.

Memory

The initial amount of memory reaches 512 MB, of which a little more than 300 MB remain free, that is, among analogues, these indicators are not advanced, but at the same time quite normal. Moreover, if the RAM in this device is quite enough, then using an additional array of internal memory would be a good solution. In Android 2.2 and above, you can install all kinds of applications directly to the memory card, but in fact this memory is seriously lacking. Similar devices released by Samsung, Nokia and Motorola have a built-in 8-16 GB array, while the Sony Ericsson Xperia Neo differs only in the presence of an 8 GB memory card that comes standard in the kit.

Thus, this model stands out quite well even among the predominant majority of modern phones, especially considering the cost of this smartphone today. In terms of technical characteristics, a smartphone can compete with many modern devices, although its only drawback, in which it is definitely inferior even to devices of its time, is its display, since the company could already use a more modern type of screen.

Round table, the main people of Sony Ericsson are discussing plans.

“Remember our SE Vivaz? It seems to be a solid device, and it takes excellent pictures, and the sound in it is good, and the screen, but the design, the design is so unusual and users liked it so much. One problem, our Vivaz is built on the basis of an operating system that starts with a bad letter and works the same way. Maybe we can take Android and put it there, and leave everything else as it was?

No sooner said than done.

“About a year ago, the Finns showed a new flagship, Nokia N97 mini, and before it, just N97. It looks very personal, and the keyboard is comfortable, and the shape of the case, and the white color is interesting. However, iron there old and OS. Maybe we’ll change the hardware and OS, and take the design?”

No sooner said than done.

Well, about the Xperia X10, which was put under pressure and received Arc, you yourself know.

Of course, everything was probably not like that, but after meeting with the new Sony Ericsson “robots”, this is the picture that appears in my head.

Arc

We will not dwell on the SE Arc in detail, we already have material on this device, and everything was known about it even before the start of MWC 2011. The smartphone reminds me of the Xperia X10 after the latter was taken out of the press or rolled over it. Although it's hard to argue with the fact that Arc is actually very thin. And the tangible area of ​​​​the case only enhances the effect of its subtlety.

The smartphone has hardware keys under the display, which pleases. A screen with a diagonal of 4.2 "is also a plus. By and large, Arc should be a work on the mistakes made when creating the Xperia X10. More precisely, on one mistake, the big, big dampness of the final firmware with which the X10 entered the market. If Arc will be stable, it will not have banal glitches and bugs that we could see on the Xperia X10 - I see no reason for this smartphone not to become popular.But, of course, it will not become as popular as the next guest.

• Screen: 4.2”, 480x854 dots, LED-backlit LC, displays up to 16M colors

Neo

This is the right Vivaz: with a cool camera, unusual design, colorful cases and high-quality sound. On a stable, pah-pah, Android 2.3 operating system. Site preview. What else to add? In the first Vivaz, everything was good, except for the software component, if in Neo everything, except for this very component, remained from the first Vivaz, and the system was replaced, the device simply must become a hit. Of course, at the right price.

• Operating system: Android 2.3
• Networks: GSM/GPRS/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900 MHz, UMTS/HSDPA 900/2100
• Platform: Qualcomm MSM8255, 1 GHz
• Interfaces: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR (A2DP), microUSB connector (USB 2.0) for charge/sync, 3.5mm headset jack
• Camera: 8 MP with autofocus, there is a flash

Pro

You know, the black color of the Xperia Pro is nothing like the Nokia N97. Judge for yourself.

But, on the other hand, the Xperia Pro is white - it reminds.

Or maybe it just seems to me. It seems to me that the SE Xperia Pro, despite its attractive features and design, is a pass-through device. Not because it was made that way, but because the form factor of QWERTY smartphones has been more dead than alive for a year now. Yes, the recent release of Desire Z showed that it is possible to make an attractive QWERTY slider. But Desire Z is also perceived as a quality smartphone with an appendage in the form of a keyboard, and not as a keyboard smartphone. This is an exception.

• Operating system: Android 2.3
• Networks: GSM/GPRS/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900 MHz, UMTS/HSDPA 900/2100
• Platform: Qualcomm MSM8255, 1 GHz
• Interfaces: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR (A2DP), microUSB connector (USB 2.0) for charge/sync, 3.5mm headset jack
• Screen: 3.7", 480x854 pixels, TFT, displays up to 16 million colors
• Camera: 8 MP with autofocus, there is a flash

The entire line of “robots” presented by the company evokes warm feelings in me. I sincerely want to believe that the new devices will be devoid of children's sores inherent in the SE XPERIA X1 communicator that appeared two years ago and the XPERIA X10 smartphone a year ago. And then Sony Ericsson has every chance to become a significant player in the Android device market.

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Artem Lutfullin ()

Built on Google Android 2.3 (Gingerbread). This is a phone, one might say, with a difficult fate. It was introduced in February at Mobile World Congress 2011 and was supposed to go on sale in the spring along with the Xperia Arc and Xperia Play, but the earthquake in Japan disrupted the plans of the Japanese-Swedish manufacturer, as a result of which the debut of Xperia Neo in key markets took place only in the middle summer. In Russia, the device appeared on July 7. The manufacturer's recommended price is 17,490 rubles.

Specifications Sony Ericsson Xperia Neo (MT15i):

• Network: GSM/GRPS/EDGE (850/900/1800/1900 MHz), UMTS/HSPA (900/2100 MHz)
• Platform (at the time of announcement): Google Android 2.3 (Gingerbread)
• Display: Touch, capacitive, 3.7", 854 x 480 pixels, 16 million colors, TFT, Reality Display with Mobile BRAVIA Engine technology
• Camera: 8 MP, autofocus, flash, geotagging, Exmor R sensor, HD video recording (720p)
• Front camera: 0.3MP
• Processor: 1 GHz, Qualcomm Snapdragon MSM8255
• Internal memory: 320 MB
• Memory card: microSD (up to 32 GB)
• WiFi
• Bluetooth
• 3.5mm jack
• micro USB 2.0
• HDMI output
• Talk time: up to 7 hours on 2G networks, up to 7 hours on 3G networks
• Standby time: up to 430 hours on 2G networks, up to 400 hours on 3G networks
• Operating time in MP3 player mode: up to 31 hours
• Video player time: up to 7 hours 25 minutes
• Dimensions: 116 x 57 x 13 mm
• Weight: 126g
• Form factor: touch monoblock
• Type: smartphone
• Package contents: 8 GB memory card, battery, charger, microUSB cable, stereo headset, documentation, HDMI cable
• Colors: blue, red, silver
• Announcement date: February 13, 2011
• Release date: July 2011 (in Russia)

Design and construction:

Manufacturers that prefer the Android OS have to stand out in various ways - someone relies on design, someone copies popular devices, and someone throws all his strength on the user interface. The strength of the latest Sony Ericsson models is the design. The Xperia Neo smartphone is the ideological successor of Vivaz and in many ways resembles it.

The back cover, as well as the upper and lower ends are rounded. Under the display are the traditional Android keys - "back", "home" and "menu". Above the touchscreen, there was a place for the manufacturer's logo, a speech speaker, an ambient light sensor, a front camera with a resolution of 0.3 megapixels, and two proximity sensors. The left end is free from buttons, and the right end contains the lock key, LED indicator, volume control buttons and a camera button. The main microphone is on the bottom, the secondary microphone is on the back. On the back, there is a speaker and an HD camera with LED flash. At the top, there is a microUSB port, a 3.5mm headphone jack and an HDMI output. The microSD card and SIM card can be accessed by removing the battery.

Live device without exaggeration looks stylish (in this case, we consider a red model). The appearance slightly spoils a number of holes for sensors and an additional camera, but you quickly get used to them. The design of the Xperia Neo is well-designed, the phone lies comfortably in the hand, and all the controls are located well - the buttons are convenient to press for both right-handed and left-handed people. But the camera button could be more responsive. If the phone is on a hard surface, such as a table, then the speaker is perfectly audible, but if you put it on a case or any other soft surface, the speaker overlaps, and it is easy to miss an incoming call or alarm. It's easy to notice the bad placement of the speaker in horizontally oriented games, when the fingers of the right hand (when the phone is rotated 90 degrees to the left) completely cover it.

Plastic quality, but glossy, why easily soiled. The plugs of the connectors are held on by elastic bands, which look flimsy, but in fact they perform their task with a bang. The monoblock feels monolithic, but the decorative insert on the left in the case of our copy sometimes creaks at the bottom (experimentally established that this depends on how the back cover lay down). Compared to the creaky Xperia X10 on all sides, the Xperia Neo is made head and shoulders above.

In Russia, Xperia Neo comes with a charger, a USB cable, an 8 GB memory card, a wired stereo headset, documentation, a battery and an HDMI cable (we have a phone from a European delivery, so there is no HDMI cable in the photo).

Software:

Sony Ericsson Xperia Neo is built on Android 2.3 (Gingerbread). At the time of writing the review, the OS version is Android 2.3.3, and Android 2.3.4 will be released before October. One game is preinstalled on the phone (in our case, it's Let's Golf!), standard Android applications and services (Android Market, Gmail, Google Search, Google Talk, Maps, etc.). Timescape's signature feature collects recent events (calls, messages, status changes on Facebook and Twitter) in one place, presenting them in a single feed on the main screen. The TrackID function helps to find out the artist of the song currently playing (known bands can be identified without problems, even able to identify little-known artists). Mediascape, fortunately, is a thing of the past and access to multimedia content is implemented in the traditional way.

There are many standard widgets, some duplicate each other, but for the most part, they are all useful. The missing ones can be downloaded in no time from the Android Market (I recommend Tiny Flashlight +, Advanced Task Killer, Yandex.Weather, Backgrounds). You can also place shortcuts and folders on the five desktops. Unnecessary items are removed by simply holding and dropping into the trash. Live wallpapers are supported (you can install if you don't mind the battery).

Sincerely pleased with the huge selection of standard melodies for incoming calls. There are seven dozen of them and they represent different genres - from some completely simple trills for lovers of minimalism to guitar motifs and traditional melodies for those who like to stand out from the crowd. But there are few melodies for the alarm clock and they are all kind of calm and lulling - it is not recommended to set them to wake up in the morning (easy to miss, checked).

The speaker on the Xperia Neo is loud, and the sound quality is much better than that of the Xperia X10. This is especially easy to check on standard melodies - the old model has a “flat” sound and with a noticeable predominance of highs.

Of course, it should be noted that the Xperia Neo is one of the few Google phones that currently supports two-way video calling via Skype.

In general, the software base of the Xperia Neo is a typical Android OS with its own strengths and weaknesses. But, I note that the smartphone is "smart".

Camera:

The device got an 8-megapixel camera with autofocus, geotagging, LED flash and HD video recording (1280x720 pixels). When taking a photo, you can change the capture mode, resolution, flash control, change the exposure value, set the white balance, metering, and activate digital image stabilization. During video recording, the options are about the same.

The camera doesn't shoot badly, it just doesn't shoot as well as I hoped when I saw the mention of Exmor R.

In most shots, the Xperia Neo (left) loses out to the iPhone 4's 5MP camera (right), but not always. For example, in the picture of the 5D sign, the Apple phone messed up the colors and made it blue, even though it's purple (ignore the backlight on the right and left, it changes). Even in the photos of the iPhone 4, there is often a lot of noise, which is not observed in the photo of the Xperia Neo. In general, a smartphone shoots better indoors than outdoors:

If we compare the Xperia Neo (left) and Xperia X10 (right) cameras, then the “old man” is not much ahead:

With video filming, too, no revelations. No better or worse than the competition. True, it is noticeable that he is inclined to “under-transmit” juicy shades.

User experience:

The buttons on the Xperia Neo are located correctly - exactly where you expect to find them. The 3.7” capacitive display operates at a resolution of 854 x 480 pixels. The dimensions of the phone depend on the screen size, and in this case the smartphone is not perceived as a “shovel”, like the Xperia Arc, Galaxy S 2 or the vast majority of HTC products. The shape of the case also contributes to this.

The Qualcomm Snapdragon MSM8255 processor is single-core and operates at a frequency of 1 GHz. Coupled with 512 MB of RAM and an Adreno 205 graphics chip, the Xperia Neo is fast enough and can barely noticeably slow down when scrolling through desktops overloaded with online widgets. A list of contacts with a good hundred entries scrolls smoothly and without hesitation, which some advertised flagship Googlephones cannot boast of (I won’t point fingers, it’s ugly).

Working time is the scourge of all Googlephones. With active use, Xperia Neo will need to be charged every day. Charging time at the initial stage of the phone's life from 1-3% to 100% was about 3.5-4 hours.

A small test was carried out to check the manufacturer's declared operating time in video playback mode (7 hours 25 minutes). For this, a two-hour HD movie Silent Hill was taken in MP4 format. The brightness and volume are turned up to the maximum, the Mobile BRAVIA Engine is on, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, GPS and 3G are also active.

After two hours, the Xperia Neo and iPhone 4 each had 72% battery left. After another two hours, the Sony Ericsson smartphone had 40% of the charge left, and the Apple device had 33%. Obviously, the phone could play the movie at least once more. Thus, I believe that with communications turned off, headphones connected and with moderate brightness, the phone could last the declared time or a time close to it (7 hours). The Xperia Neo heats up moderately, but not as much as the Xperia X10 and even more so the iPhone 4.

The Xperia Neo's touchscreen is much more responsive than the Xperia X10's screen, it fades more in the sun than the displays of the reviewed opponents, but you can read the names in the address book or the names of folders without difficulty. Assessing the brightness of the device is not easy due to the fact that the phone now and then strives to set it automatically:

A few words about Mobile BRAVIA Engine technology. It is very difficult to fix the difference in a picture with and without a camera, it is also not always possible to see the difference with a glance, but according to purely subjective sensations, it is better with it. It seems that it makes the picture more saturated and natural.

Outcome:

It often happens that the first joy of owning a new device quickly disappears and disappointment comes in its place - you don’t like it, it jars and in general there is an unpleasant feeling of wasted money. But in the case of the Sony Ericsson Xperia Neo, there was no change of mood, and for some time I even thought about abandoning the Apple iPhone 4 in favor of it and Android (plus a customizable interface), but my girlfriend, seeing the red Xperia Neo and holding it for a while in hands, left me no chance - the phone was given to her. Of course, at first you will have to learn how to use Android and some tricky tricks (this is Android), but I am calm about the fate of the device.