First review of 2012: Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc S

An upgrade to the Arc model released last year, Sony Ericsson’s Xperia Arc S features a faster processor, a bit more storage, and a 3D camera mode borrowed from Sony’s Cybershot cameras.

Features

Smartphone makers experimented with all sorts of screen sizes in 2011, and Sony Ericsson was no different. With the Arc S, the screen hits 4.2 inches and offers the advantage of a better-than-average 480 x 854 resolution.

The screen is, of course, a capacitive touchscreen LCD, backlit by LED and powered by Sony Ericsson’s Bravia video engine for strong colour reproduction.

Under the hood, it’s a familiar scene. A slightly faster version of the chip found in the Sony Ericsson Xperia Neo lives here, with 1.4GHz provided. It’s still the same Adreno 205 graphics underneath – as seen in the Neo – underpinned by Android 2.3.4 Gingerbread and running Sony’s Timescape overlay.

The similarities continue with the camera. Sony Ericsson has opted for an 8 megapixel rear camera for stills, plus there are features commonly found in Sony’s Cybershot line of digicams, including face detection and image stabilisation. Video capture is set at 720p HD. There is no front camera, so video calls are not an option.

Connectivity is on spec with most other Android handsets: GPS, WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, DLNA, and Bluetooth 2.1 with A2DP. Charging the phone is handled through the same port used to move data to and from the handset – microUSB – and unlike the Sony Ericsson’s Xperia Neo, there is no rubber door flap covering the port. Like that model, though, Sony has included a mini HDMI port on the top, this one covered by a door.

While many touchscreen phones are ditching buttons altogether, Sony Ericsson’s Arc S bucks the trend by keeping a few on board. On the front, you’ll find three thin silver buttons for Back, Home, and Menu, as well as a single Home button on the top of the phone, a volume button on the right side and a camera shutter several centimetres below this.