Xperia arch s characteristics. Review of Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc S: accelerated flagship. The SIM card is used in mobile devices to store data that certifies the authenticity of mobile service subscribers
Its processor and RAM, as it became known later, were similar to other smartphones of the company in 2011. On the one hand, this is good, because even the younger devices offer a 1-GHz processor and 512 MB of RAM. On the other hand, it’s bad, since the entire “flagship” of the Xperia Arc has been reduced to a large display and a thin body.
Passively watching how competitors announce dual-core Android phones, and users make a choice based on the frequency of the processor, the company did not and decided to bring an improved version of the Xperia Arc S to the market. The model differs from the Xperia Arc by the frequency of the Qualcomm Snapdragon MSM8255 GHz instead of 1 GHz) and additional colors - black, white and pink. Consider the device!
Specifications Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc S (LT18i):
- Network: GSM/GRPS/EDGE (850/900/1800/1900 MHz), WCDMA/HSPA (900/2100 MHz)
- Platform (at the time of announcement): Android 2.3.4 (Gingerbread)
- Display: touch, capacitive, 4.2", 854 x 480 pixels, 16 million colors, Sony Mobile Bravia Engine, TFT, mineral glass
- Camera: 8.1MP, autofocus, flash, face detection, geotagging, 720p HD video recording, Sony Exmor R sensor
- Processor: 1.4 GHz, Qualcomm Snapdragon MSM8255
- Graphics Chip: Adreno 205
- RAM: 512 MB
- Internal memory: 320 MB (out of 1 GB)
- Memory card: microSD (up to 32 GB)
- A-GPS
- WiFi (802.11b/g/n)
- Bluetooth 2.1+EDR
- 3.5mm jack
- micro USB 2.0
- FM radio with RDS
- Digital compass, position, proximity and light sensors
- Audio: MP3, AAC, AAC+, eAAC+, AMR-NB, AMR-WB, MIDI, OGG
- Video: 3GP, MP4
- Photo: JPEG, BMP, WBMP, PGN, GIF, PNG
- Battery: 1500 mAh
- Talk time: up to 7 hours 25 minutes in 2G networks, up to 7 hours 35 minutes in 3G networks
- Standby time: up to 460 hours
- Music player time: up to 37 hours
- Video playback time: up to 6 hours 25 minutes
- Dimensions: 125 x 63 x 8.7 (10.9) mm
- Weight: 117 g
- Form factor: monoblock with touchscreen
- Type: smartphone
- Package contents: EP800 charger, 16 GB memory card, EC600R USB cable, IM820 HDMI cable, BA750 battery, MH650 stereo headset, documentation
- Colors: black, white, pink
- Announce date: August 31, 2011
- Release Date: Q4 2011
Design, construction and equipment
The official Russian bundle of Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc S includes an EP800 charger, a 16 GB memory card, an EC600R USB cable, an IM820 HDMI cable, a BA750 battery, an MH650 stereo headset, and documentation. In a number of European countries, an 8 GB memory card is inserted into the phone and there is no HDMI cable in the box (our case).
In Russia, Xperia Arc S was released in autumn in three colors other than Xperia Arc: white, black and pink. We got a black version for testing, made of glossy plastic. There are no structural differences between Xperia Arc S and Xperia Arc.
The front side contains light and proximity sensors, a speaker, a 4.2 ”display with a resolution of 854 x 480 pixels (protected by mineral glass and an invisible sticker), three hardware keys (back, home, menu) and logos - Sony Ericsson and Xperia. The 3.5mm headphone jack is not very well located on the left side. On the right side, there is a small camera button, a volume rocker, a microUSB port, and an LED. At the top end there was a place for an HDMI port and a miniature off/lock button. On the back, there is an 8.1-megapixel camera with autofocus and flash, logos and a speaker. You can remove the microSD and SIM only after removing the 1500 mAh battery.
Usually thin and large phones do not fit very comfortably in the hand, but the Xperia Arc S is a pleasant exception. If you take it in your hand, then thanks to the rounded back cover in the form of an arch, it will touch the palm of your hand. Both right-handers and left-handers with medium-sized hands can press all the buttons with one hand. In general, I liked the design of the phone, although the lock key could have been made more expressive. The small thickness imposed a restriction on the location of the connectors, as a result of which the 3.5 mm jack is located on the side - it is unlikely that listening to music in headphones and keeping the phone in a trouser pocket will work. Due to the thin body, the device does not have a front camera.
Software
As of mid-December, the Xperia Arc S is based on Android 2.3.4 (Gingerbread). The build version is 4.0.2.A.0.42. Let me remind you that the phone, like other Sony Ericsson smartphones of 2011, will receive Android Ice Cream Sandwich in the first quarter of 2012.
I see no reason to describe in detail the graphical interface and software suite of the Xperia Arc S, since they are no different from what the Xperia Pro and Xperia Neo offer. But I will dwell on some points.
First, it's impossible not to mention Facebook inside the Xperia. This service integrates the popular social network into your phone, allowing you to easily share your favorite music or photo, add users to your phone book, link your calendar, find out what your friends are watching, listening to and playing.
Secondly, Xperia Arc S offers a large number of widgets for every taste. Thirdly, the Xperia Arc S is pre-installed with many programs for a wide range of tasks. With their help, you can listen to your favorite songs, watch photos and videos, find out your current location, news and weather, communicate on social networks, read documents, watch news and weather, etc. etc.
The graphical shell of Xperia has no name and Sony Ericsson is not focusing on it yet. However, it deserves to be labeled and everything is going to the fact that Sony will start promoting it in the same way as Samsung and HTC do with their TouchWiz and Sense. The interface of Xperia, in my opinion, is in no way inferior to TouchWiz and Sense, it looks stylish, it works quickly.
Camera
The Xperia Arc S uses an 8.1MP Exmor R sensor camera with autofocus, flash and HD video recording. The program supports geotagging, several modes of photography, creating 3D panoramas. Xperia Arc S shoots at the level of other 8.1-megapixel Sony Ericsson phones, which is not surprising, because they use the same modules.
A few shots for comparison with competitors:
Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc S on the left and Apple iPhone 4S on the right:
Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc S on the left and Sony Ericsson Xperia Neo on the right:
Video for evaluating the quality of the video:
User experience
According to the manufacturer, Xperia Arc S with a 1.4 GHz processor is on average 25% more productive than the 1 GHz Xperia Arc (turning on the camera and processing media files are 25% faster, and pages load about 20% faster). Unfortunately, it was not possible to compare the speed of Arc S with the original Arc, but Xperia Neo turned out to be at hand, which is very close to Arc in hardware. The comparison showed that, yes, Xperia Arc S really opens applications faster, but the difference is so insignificant (not even in seconds) that it makes no sense to change Xperia Arc to Xperia Arc S. Also, if you choose between them, then I would prefer the model that is cheaper. Or made a choice by color (white Xperia Arc S is very good, like pink), but the black case attracts fingerprints like a magnet.
In the Quadrant test, Xperia Arc S scored 1957 points, Xperia Neo - 1520, Xperia Active - 1532. AnTuTu results: 3672, 2994 and 3087 points, respectively. Results in the Vellamo benchmark: Xperia Arc S - 1006 points, Xperia Neo - 816 points.
Both Arc and Arc S attract attention with their design and the impression is not spoiled by the fact that the cases are entirely made of plastic. The old flagship Xperia X10 started to squeak a lot over time, but the Xperia Arc S holds up well considering how many times I've removed its lid and how many times testers have done it before me.
The phone is loud - significantly louder than the Xperia Neo. The touchpad is of high quality - it responds well to touch and has good viewing angles. Thanks to the no air gap technology (the absence of an air gap between the glass and the display), the picture is, as it were, directly under the glass - this immediately catches the eye. But the usefulness of the Mobile BRAVIA Engine function (improves the quality of photos and videos) I have not fully determined. If I do not inspire myself, then it really makes the picture a little juicier.
Xperia Arc S running time when playing HD-video in MP4 format (at maximum screen brightness, with enabled wireless modules and GPS) was 4 hours 52 minutes. The Xperia Neo lasted 5 hours 31 minutes, the Nokia N9 5 hours 20 minutes and the iPhone 4S 6 hours 52 minutes. The manufacturer's declared operating time of the phone when playing video is limited - 6 hours 25 minutes (against 7 hours and 25 minutes for Xperia Arc). In normal use without active web surfing, the device can last a couple of days on a single charge.
There are a lot of standard applications, as mentioned above. Of course, not all of them are useful, and those that are missing can be downloaded from the Android Market in two seconds. Fortunately, the phone supports Wi-Fi and HSPA (14.4 Mbps).
Outcome
The end of the year is approaching and some results can be summed up. The line of the Japanese-Swedish vendor in 2010 looked depressing, and few believed that in 2011 he would be able to produce competitive solutions. But after the Xperia Arc, the Xperia Pro, Xperia Ray, Xperia Mini Pro, Xperia Active, Live with Walkman saw the light - all of them are among the best in their classes. The Xperia Arc S model, released in the fourth quarter, cannot compete on an equal footing with the muscles of the Samsung Galaxy S 2, LG Optimus 3D or HTC Sensation XL. But on its side, the design, user-friendly interface and the fact that ordinary Android users are unlikely to notice the difference in speed between a single-core 1.4-GHz smartphone and a phone with a dual-core processor.
Sony Ericsson will soon become just Sony, but I am sure that it will not stop producing excellent smartphones. According to the latest leaks, interesting decisions are planned for 2012, at the head of which are again put not only characteristics, but also design. Phones in the modern world are accessories. And the company understands this like no other.
Positioning
What is needed to extend the "life" of a good device, released a year ago and still on sale? The easiest way is to slightly improve the "iron" characteristic and add some index to the model name. Actually, that's what Sony Ericsson did with their successful Arc: they added the Latin letter "S" after the name and installed an overclocked Qualcomm MSM8255T processor. In addition, we decided to change the color a little. Now Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc S is available in white and pink, and there is also a universal one - black "Arc".
Due to the fact that the review of the SE Arc has already been, and the Arc S practically does not differ from its predecessor, I will not describe many points: I will pay more attention to the performance tests of the “old” and “new” devices.
Design, dimensions, controls
It is not easy to understand in appearance where the Xperia Arc is and where the Xperia Arc S is. You can only recognize it by the color of the back cover. For example, for the "first" Arc, it was made with a gradient - from dark silver to black, and for the "second" it was completely black. Also, the previous model did not have a pink and white body color. This is where all the visual differences end.
If there are no fingerprints and small scratches on the white cover of the device, then on all other colors they are very noticeable. When squeezed in the hand, the body of the SE Arc S crunches unpleasantly. However, the design of the device is quite ergonomic.
On the front panel are light and proximity sensors. Next to it is a speaker. Its volume is very high, the timbre is pleasant, the interlocutor is heard clearly and legibly. Unfortunately, the front camera was not added in the new modification, although it would be appropriate here. The screen is protected by mineral glass. True, the display still has a film pasted on it, which is quickly wiped off. At the bottom of the device there are three buttons: "Back", "Home" and "Menu". They are pressed very gently, but the stroke is small.
On the left side there is a standard 3.5 mm audio output, on the right side there is a volume rocker, microUSB and an indicator of missed events, as well as a small camera activation button. Frankly, it is quite inconvenient to use it because of the size and placement (close to the edge of the bottom end). At the bottom there is a microphone and a strap attachment bracket, at the top there is a key for turning the phone on and off and a microHDMI connector under a plastic cap, which is almost recessed into the case.
The speaker, camera eye, LED flash and an additional microphone are located on the back side.
Samsung Omnia W and Sony Ericsson Arc S (right):
Samsung Ace and Sony Ericsson Arc S (right):
HTC Mozart and Sony Ericsson Arc S (left):
Samsung i9000 and Sony Ericsson Arc S (left):
Display
Screen diagonal - 4.2 "(physical size 93x52 mm), resolution - 480x854 pixels (density - 233 pixels per inch). The "no air gap" technology is used, i.e. there is no air gap between the matrix (LED-backlit LCD) and the protective glass The sensitivity of the capacitive touch layer is high.
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Viewing angles are small: under the slopes the picture loses contrast. Color rendition at a right viewing angle is pleasant and rich. Perhaps thanks to the "Mobile BRAVIA Engine". But in any case, Super AMOLED Plus loses a lot to the matrix and even Super AMOLED.
In short, all the specifications and screen parameters are comparable to the SE Xperia Arc. Light display:
Display comparison Samsung Galaxy Note (SuperAMOLED) (left), Sony Ericsson Arc (LED-backlit LCD), Samsung Galaxy S (SuperAMOLED), Samsung Omnia W (SuperAMOLED), HTC Mozart (S-LCD), Samsung Ace (TFT-LCD) ), Nokia 700* (CleareBlack AMOLED) (right):
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* - the brightness of the Nokia 700 display at maximum brightness is higher than in the photo. This is due to the fact that I shot in the dark, and the phone's ambient light sensor slightly dimmed the backlight of the display.
Battery
The Xperia Arc S uses the same removable 1500mAh BA750 Lithium-Ion (Li-Ion) battery as the Xperia Arc. According to official data, the phone will work in standby mode for about 460 hours (for the "first" Arc this time is 430 hours), in talk mode - up to 7 hours and 30 minutes (for the "first" Arc - about 7 hours), music playback - up to 37 hours (for the "first" Arc - up to 30 hours). In general, the difference is small.
To test the battery life, I installed a special Antutu Tester application. The results were interesting: the device scored 494 points, leaving behind the Samsung Galaxy SL, Galaxy S2 and LG Optimus 2X.
In the course of practical operation, the following figures were obtained: in standby mode, the smartphone worked for about a week, up to 20 hours when playing music at maximum volume (in headphones) and up to 5 hours when playing HD video at automatic backlight brightness. On average, with 20-25 minutes of calls per day, one hour of shooting photos and videos, the same amount of listening to music, four hours of Wi-Fi (typing on the keyboard - Twitter and Skype) and two hours of watching movies, the battery was discharged in 10-11 hours. Approximately the same figures for Sony Ericsson Arc or slightly less.
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Communication options
The Xperia Arc S smartphone works in 2G (GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900) and 3G networks (HSDPA 900 / 2100). Speed GPRS - up to 86 Kbps, EDGE - up to 237 Kbps, HSDPA and HSUPA - up to 14 Mbps and 5.8 Mbps, respectively. There is Wi-Fi standard 802.11 b/g/n. To distribute the Internet, it can be used as an access point. DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance) is supported - a standard that allows compatible devices to transmit and receive various media content (image, music, video) over a home network, as well as display it in real time. Bluetooth version 2.1 with A2DP is used for data and voice transmission.
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Memory, memory card
The Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc S, like the entire Xperia line, has 512 MB of RAM. Although they could increase to 720 MB or 1 GB. About 300 MB of free internal Flash memory (only 1 GB) is also somewhat embarrassing for a flagship model. Comes with a 16 GB card. The maximum supported micrSD card capacity is up to 32 GB.
Camera
As in the previous model, an 8-megapixel camera module is installed, there is an LED flash. But the front camera is still missing. It is clear that not everyone uses it, but if you upgrade your smartphone, then you could install it. It makes no sense to describe the section in detail, it is better to read the review. I will give examples of photos and a couple of videos. I will only note that the camera shoots very well, and the sound in video clips has a fairly wide stereo base.
From the photo file we obtain the following detailed EXIF characteristic:
Video file characteristic:
- Format: MP4
- Video: AVC, 6000 Kbps
- Resolution: 1280 x 720, 30 fps
- Audio: AAC, 128 kbps
- Channels: 2 channels, 48.0 kHz
Photo examples:
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Performance
Well, here we come to the most interesting part.
The Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc has a Qualcomm MSM8255 chipset and a 1 GHz processor. The Xperia Arc S has the same chipset, but with the "T" index. This means that at the factory the clock frequency of the processor was increased to 1.4 GHz. Interestingly, the MSM8255 can also run 400 MHz faster, but for this it will have to be overclocked manually. The graphics accelerator is the same - Adreno 205. There are no more differences.
Visually, the SE Arc S performs the same as the Arc S. Below are a few performance tests and browser benchmarks of the two devices. For control, the third device will be the SE Xperia Play, built on the same technological base as the Xperia Arc.
Brief technical information.
As for shooting video, almost the same settings are available here as in photo mode. The maximum resolution for videos is 1280x720 at 30 frames per second. In addition to it, you can set 854x480, 640x480, 320x240 or 320x240.
Performance, autonomy, software
At the heart of the Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc is a Qualcomm QSD8255 processor running at 1 GHz, as well as a 512 megabyte RAM array. A nice addition to the powerful hardware was the use of the latest version of Android - 2.3 Gingerbread. All pages in the browser (of course, with flash support) open cheerfully, navigation through them occurs without delay. Compatibility with the entire range of applications from the Android Market is guaranteed.
One of the strengths of the model is extended multimedia capabilities - this is especially true for the Android platform, which is often characterized by rather insufficient support for media functionality. Arc has one of the best photomodules, which has already been mentioned, as well as a microHDMI connector responsible for transferring images to external media. In addition, the manufacturer has provided a proprietary software shell that hides the classic Android interface. It is built on a combination of two applications: Timescape and Mediascape. The first collects information about activity in connected social network accounts - Facebook, Twitter. Information about calls and SMS has also been added to the general feed. Thus, the entire history of any “social” changes and actions is collected on the screen, which is very convenient. It's disappointing that Timescape's functionality is noticeably inferior to dedicated social media clients, in fact, you can only read a new message. To view a photo or a web page, this interface is not used, but a standard browser.
Mediascape offers an alternative interface for browsing the gallery and music library. The interface offered by Sony Ericsson is almost in no way inferior to HTC Sense, which has already become the benchmark for Android add-ons. The latter only looks prettier, especially its latest version. However, in terms of customization and shell customization, we observe complete parity. By the way, specialists from Sony Ericsson adapted their interface to low-resolution screens in a very interesting way, namely, to Xperia mini and Xperia mini pro smartphones. However, we will talk about them in a separate article.
findings
In general, despite the fact that the Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc is no longer a hot novelty, it is very good and interesting. Someone might argue that it does not have a dual-core processor, unlike the flagship solutions from other manufacturers. It really is. But in essence, what does it change? There are still very few applications that would use the potential of two cores. The available performance is enough for any task. The design is beautiful and unique. Sony Ericsson cares about the appearance of their devices like no other. In principle, there can be no comparison with similar bars from Samsung or LG. The camera is objectively one of the best in the Android environment. Well, the price has come down a bit. For example,
04.12.2012 14981
Smartphone Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc S (LT18i) - Overview
I have long wanted to study modern android smartphones from Sony Ericsson. And then in the advanced category, Samsung now dominates with its Galaxy S III and Galaxy Note II, meanwhile, I haven’t really seen any interesting alternatives yet. Previously, HTC was on horseback, but it was definitely blown away - the flagship HTC One X disappointed me a lot. And Sony Ericsson has always released interesting phones, and the Xperia series seems to have been praised, so it was interesting to see what these phones are. The first to review Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc S came to me, thanks to the Ulmart Internet supermarket, well, now we will enjoy it. Or we turn away. Or we will be indifferent - as it will turn out.
Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc S
Display: 4.2", 854x480, capacitive sensor, multi-touch
CPU: Qualcomm MSM 8255, 1400 MHz
RAM: 512 MB
Flash memory: 1 GB (320 MB available)
Memory cards: microSD (TransFlash), up to 32 GB
Network: GSM 900/1800/1900, 3G
SIM card: mini SIM
Wireless connection: WiFi a/b/g/n, Bluetooth
NFC: No
Camera: 8 megapixels, LED flash, 720p video resolution
Front-camera: No
Ports: microUSB (MHL), headphone output 3.5 mm
GPS: aGPS
Additionally: proximity sensor, light sensor
Battery: lithium-ion 1500 mAh, removable
Dimensions: 63x125x8.7mm
The weight: 117 g Some parameters in the technical specifications, frankly, are perplexing. Firstly, it is still sold with Android 2.3 - this is at a time when space smartphones surf the open spaces of version 4.1.1. However, of course, you can put a four here, but this is done not through Wi-Fi, but only through special software (PC Companion) installed on your computer. Secondly, there is practically no built-in flash memory. From the wretched gig, which hosts the system and applications, you are left with only 320 MB - what can be installed there? True, memory cards are supported here and a 16 GB card is included in the kit as compensation, but this is a solution worthy of cheap Chinese phones, I will tell you with all revolutionary frankness. Because it's not at all the same as a normal phone and has 16GB built-in flash memory and supports memory cards. You don't have to give us a 16 GB memory card, dear Sony! Moreover, you can buy it for 650 rubles. You make us a built-in memory of 16 GB, and we will somehow buy an additional 32 GB memory card ourselves! What else do we have interesting there? There is little RAM (normal phones have long been equipped with a gig, and some already have two), a very mediocre processor, a frail battery. In general, pleases from all sides. Contents of delivery It comes in this box with two psychedelic inscriptions. The first inscription is "Sony Ericsson. Pretend". This, apparently, they are hinting that they are pretending to be a normal phone. The second inscription in capital letters is "Android 4". And already quite small, as in enslaving contracts, "The possibility of renewal." That is, we are selling you, dear comrades, a phone with Android 2.3. And you can dance with a tambourine to put a four, or not - this is not known to marketers. The main thing is to write Android 4.0 large.
Package contents: phone, USB-microUSB cable, power adapter, headphones, HDMI cable. Thank you for the HDMI cable, of course, but somehow I don’t really understand who might actually need it. Drive High Definition movies from this phone on the LCD panel? Do not make me laugh. Well, really, maybe you want to show photos or home videos - then this cable will really come in handy. 
Appearance and control
Outwardly, the phone looks very decent - the designers at Sony are good. From the front side, the smartphone looks elegant and stylish - the screen occupies almost the entire surface, the white plastic edging with beveled corners goes to the ends of silver plastic, which are not visible from above. 
In general, compared to the same Galaxy S III, which, with all due respect, looks somewhat rustic, Xperia looks like an aristocratic metropolitan thing. 
Yes, we know that a fiery engine can be hidden behind a rustic facade, and complete degeneration behind an aristocratic appearance, but from the outside, the impression is just that. The back cover is white matte plastic. 
The cover is removed, under it is a removable battery, a slot for microSD and for microSIM. By the way, not only the SIM card, but also the microSD can be pulled out only when the battery is removed. 
The top end is a power button and a microHDMI output with a plug. 
The power button is HORRIBLE. I haven't seen this in a long time. A tiny round peg that practically does not crawl out beyond the level of the butt - what idiot came up with this? Why hasn't he been lynched yet? Or did they not cut off his finger for every time when this button does not work when pressed, because it must be pressed with a fingernail? I understand that this is done on purpose. The engineer argued with his colleagues that he would make the most terrible power button in the world, and he would not be killed. Probably made a lot of money. But now how fun it is for the people who bought it ... The right end is microUSB, the volume rocker, at the bottom is the camera call button. By the way, in my opinion, this camera call button is very, very necessary. And I'm sorry that most other manufacturers have abandoned this button. 
The volume rocker, by the way, is very, very inconvenient: too small, poorly and indistinctly pressed. On the bottom end there is only a microphone, on the left end there is a headphone output. 
All three lower control buttons on the front are non-touch. I might welcome this, but here, unfortunately, convenience is sacrificed to design: the buttons look very stylish, but pressing them is specifically inconvenient, especially the side ones. 
In general, from the point of view of the control keys for Sony engineers - a triple with a big minus. Ergonomics here - zero point zero tenths. But - yes, design, my ass! It seems that I will soon come to the conclusion that this phone can only be bought in order to put it on a shelf and admire it. Display
Ordinary LCD-matrix. Nice natural colors, good contrast. The margin of brightness is very small, but in purely practical terms, the display is even more convenient than SuperAMOLED and its modifications: unlike SuperAMOLED, this display fades an order of magnitude less in the sun. In SuperAMOLED, as you know, this is a sore spot - it goes blind up to complete indecency. And this phone can be used safely in the sun - this is a clear plus. The viewing angles here are not a fountain: when the display is tilted up and down and left and right, the contrast drops and the image becomes slightly whitish. However, viewing angles are usually completely insignificant for a phone, unlike a tablet, so I don’t consider this a serious minus. Another interesting point: no air gap technology is used here - this is the absence of an air gap between the matrix and the protective screen. At the same time, the screen becomes more sensitive to pressing: it is, I got the impression that the display is more responsive than usual. In general, the display is a four. But for the behavior in the sun - clearly five. (Against the deuce in SuperAMOLED.) Device operation
As I said before, the phone comes with Android 2.3. You can't update it to a quad via Wi-Fi - you need to install a special PC Companion program and update through it. Theoretically, the phone itself can install this program when connected via USB (the question is asked), but I couldn’t do it on two computers. But if you download PC Companion yourself and connect the phone to the computer via USB, you can install Android 4.0.4.
Firmware update
But this action is not so simple for an unprepared user (whether it's on a phone connected to Wi-Fi, press the "Update" button). In addition, purely outwardly for the user, the fourth Android is not too different from 2.3. Therefore, in the review, we will first consider how it all looks out of the box, and then we will note some differences between the four. Moreover, almost all the main applications on 2.3 and 4.0 look almost the same. So, the desktop of the loaded phone on Android 2.3. There are five desktops in total, they scroll left and right, but the scrolling is not through (which is a pity).
Central desktop
Second desktop
First desktop
On the fourth desktop from the bottom there is a widget for a store for buying all sorts of multimedia.
Fourth desktop
Fifth desktop
The shell supports the creation of folders, which can also be placed in the dock: here is the "Multimedia" folder from there.
In the notification area, there is no panel at all with all sorts of settings, like most other smartphones. That is, turning on and off Wi-Fi, GPS, BT, mobile data, and so on - only through the application with settings or through widgets. This is bad. Applications installed on the system. By the way, there is also no through scrolling, which is quite inconvenient.
The lock window allows you to simply unlock your phone or switch to some application - such as a camera or sound settings. Notifications are displayed on the lock window, but there is no direct transfer to the corresponding application (for example, SMS, phone, Facebook).
Searching results.
Editing a contact. By the way, there is a very convenient option "Direct calls to voicemail" - I have not seen this anywhere else.
Call functions.
And here are the extensions for Timescape.
This is what updates from Facebook and Twitter look like in the widget.
You can post to Facebook and Twitter directly from this application.
And this is how the update feed goes in the application itself.
These are RSS feed updates.
The application is beautiful, but, in my opinion, stupid. It's easier to have separate clients for the respective networks and RSS feeds - they are much more configurable. Keyboard The default keyboard is comfortable and supports the swype input mode (gesture input by swiping through the letters of the typed word without lifting your finger from the screen).
The system also has Opera Mini browser installed. Gallery Almost a standard android application. Unless a specific thing is additionally supported - 3D panoramas, which this phone can do. (More about them later.)
Processing a specific image.
Images from connected social networks are also supported.
Specific settings from Sony Ericsson.
Call settings. By the way, there is a built-in SIP client, so if you create an account in any IP telephony service using this protocol, you can make calls over the Internet directly from a regular phone application. It's comfortable.
Sound settings.
There is an equalizer with various preset settings.
Various types of selection of compositions.
Main desktop.
Applications installed on the system.
Settings.
There was no shooting button here, you could set the shooting mode by touching the screen with your finger or the shooting mode with the "Camera" button, which worked a little strange. Settings.
In the fourth version of Android, the camera began to look noticeably more decent - a large capture button appeared, which is convenient. 
One of the features of this particular camera is that it can shoot panoramas, and also in 3D. In the phone itself, such panoramas look like ordinary panoramas, made up of several horizontal frames, but if this panorama is displayed on a TV with 3D via HDMI, it is quite possible that they will also be in 3D. I could not check it, I somehow need a TV with 3D without the need. 
Now about the camera. I liked the way it functions. It focuses normally, and the first time, the color rendition is good, the white balance rarely misses - in general, it suits reportage shooting without any remarks. Here are examples of photos taken in various conditions, without processing (clickable). Moreover, unlike the Galaxy S III, where I usually make at least three copies of each frame, there is no need for this here - no defocusing, no movement. 
Well, an example of shooting a video. Performance
The phone works, let's say, at a normal speed. Doesn't seem to be particularly fast, but it doesn't slow down either. Quadrant Pro gives him the lowest parrots, but purely in practice, I didn’t notice much difference here with HTC One X, to which Quadrant gives the highest parrots.
Well, I did not like the work of the Wi-Fi adapter. In conditions of a not too good signal, he often lost this signal when the Galaxy S III and Galaxy Note II held it ironically. Price In Moscow, this smartphone now costs about 14 thousand rubles, that is, $ 453 or 350 €. The Samsung Galaxy S III costs an average of 22 thousand, that is, $ 712 or 550 €. This is a noticeable difference. findings I can't say that I am delighted with this phone. The characteristics of the hardware are quite modest, the built-in memory is practically absent, the buttons are inconvenient, there are all sorts of complaints about the software. Nevertheless, when you look at the price, which is 1.6 times less than the Galaxy S III, you understand that this phone still has its own positive sides. Indeed, a lot depends on the price! If a person does not have the opportunity to buy a phone for $ 712, but is ready to spend $ 450 on a decent smartphone - Sony Xperia Arc S is exactly such a quite decent (for that kind of money) option. If it was sold at a price comparable to Galaxy S III - I I would say that there is nothing to even think about, because the Galaxy S III is noticeably better. However, when this phone is clearly cheaper, but at the same time it has a really good design, good stuffing and has shown itself to be a decent device in operation, this shows that it completely occupies its own niche. Moreover, some software shortcomings can be solved by installing other applications - tea, Android after all, not iOS - and, as practice shows, many get used to crooked buttons.
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