The Xperia SP and its Playstation connection

I have been lucky enough to be given the new Xperia SP to test. Its a fantastic little mid ranged phone which has everything a consumer could want for the price. One of its main features is the capability to link up with a Playstation 3 game pad to play games. All you need is an official Playstation 3 game pad, an Xperia SP and a small wire which costs several pounds on Amazon or Ebay.

The wire

The wire is simply a converter which connects in to the Xperias micro USB port, then attaches to the USB wire of the Game pad. The wire itself is about 6-8 inches long and once hooked up to the wire of the game pad comes to about 2-3ft. Upon connecting the pad I went on to the new Playstation Mobile (PSM) store to purchase a few games to see what kind of experience it could offer me. The PSM store is Sony's new and exclusive market which offers a selection of games and several apps. Being quite new, the selection is not huge, but still has something for everyone, ranging from Action, Puzzles and Arcade. 

Puzzle games - Lemmings

  

The look and the feel of the PSM store is fantastic. It really feels like Sony have put a lot of work in to this. Its fast, smooth and responsive and Sony make it incredibly easy to purchase titles. PSM however offers very few free game,  but there are lots of indie game companies in there which are being promoted rather than a lot of the big mainstream titles like you would expect to see on the Play store. This may please or displease consumers, however it should be noted that if your a fan of both then the PSM store is the way to go. Only Sony will offer you both the PSM and Play store on one phone. Not to mention if you include Emulators then you will have access to three difference sources, the mainstream/big titles on the Play store, indie and amateur titles on the PSM store and then classic/retro titles on the Emulators from your collection. Either way the Xperia range really is becoming the first choice mobile phone for gaming, especially when you add the Playstation game pad compatibility. Oh and when I say there is something for everyone on the PSM store, I really mean it. 

Kpop dating game for women

Leg rubbing game


Not only that but there are apps on the store for things such as music makers and online music players. Sadly at the moment there are only three apps to chose from but I look forward to seeing what Sony add to the future. I was disappointed by the fact that the PSM store isn't the same software as the Playstation Store which I have on my Playstation 3. I was hoping that eventually as technology improves in mobile phones that more games on the store would be available on mobile phones, such as Playstation 1 and 2 games, perhaps adding "Xperia" to certain "Vita" games or being able to purchase games on my Playstation then have them available for me to play on my phone also. I assume this is something in the pipe line but not around currently, but hey, its early days and the PSM store is still young. 
PSM only works in landscape mode. It only works on the side with the buttons pointing up which means the wire which connects to the phone on the other side is going underneath. This makes it very awkward for you to place the phone down while playing so you might want to try and find a way of keeping it up right while playing. The game pad is supposed to be able to connect to the phone through bluetooth in a wireless mode according to my phone, which naturally would solve the problem of propping the phone up right while playing. Sadly I came in to problems with pairing the two in practice.  This would have been a fantastic feature because it would have freed up the port to use with Sony's new MHL to HDMI cable which lets you hook your phone up to a HD TV, therefore turning your phone in to a mini games console! Wow!

Error! No syncing up through bluetooth for me

After purchasing three games, Snake, Samurai Beatdown and Lemmings I was disappointed to learn that the game pad once plugged in to the phone only worked with one out the three games. All three games worked incredibly smoothly without a pad yet it was only Snake which decided to let me use it. 

Lemmings - Probably the biggest and most famous of the games on the PSM store.

Snake - Currently the only game on the PSM store which I can get working with the PS3 game pad.

I opened up my emulator to see how the game pad would work in there. I was plesantly surprised to see that the pad worked from the word go. I tried numerous titles such as Street Fighter 2 Turbo, Zombies Ate My Neighbours and Crono Trigger. The pad was incredibly responsive and it was as simple to use as plug in and play. I didnt need to tweek any settings other than turning off the touch screen buttons which blocked my view of the game. I really couldnt be happier with the results in this instance. Sony really need to pull their finger out here as a free bit of software with free games is out performing their PSM store in terms of compatability with their own OFFICIAL hardware. 

Street fighter 2 Turbo works like a charm.

Zombies Ate My Neighbours is fast, responsive and as exiting as the days of playing it on my SNES with the PS3 game pad.

More to follow

My first thoughts on the Xperia SP compared to my Xperia T

It was only a week ago when I thought that the Sony Test Lab was nearly a goner. It has been incredibly quiet and inactive from Sony and we all thought the worst. 

Granted, it isn't saved yet, but I was incredibly pleased to hear that they still needed some input from a couple of us.

Like reviving a corpse with a defibrillator and having it walk around the room like zombie Lincoln, someone from the team at Iris wanted two of us to test the Xperia SP and its capabilities, mainly by syncing it up to a Playstation 3 as a game pad.  Naturally, I jumped at the chance!

I was ever so excited to try the SP because of its new technology such as the Bravia 2 engine, Exmor RS sensor and the Playstation Mobile app.

After a few days of begging and moaning, here I am, the new Xperia SP!

Huzzah!

We all know from my countless and repetitive posts that I get a little obsessed with a certain phone from time to time. A while back it was the Xperia T, then the Xperia Z,  recently it has been the Xperia SP.

The Xperia SP, unlike the other two, is a mid ranged phone. The main reason I loved the sound of this phone was mainly what you get for its price range. Estimates are around £250 it manages to pack in the new Bravia 2 engine, the new Exmor RS sensor with HDR in the camera and a Qualcomm S4 processor, like the Xperia T's, only newer. You cant complain at that. Especially since its spec destroys the Samsung S3 mini in every single aspect for only £50 more.

When I first started reading about this phone the first thing I noticed was the very bland look. The specs were all there but Sony are well known for making very sexy, stylish looking phones (the Xperia Pro, Xperia Arc, The Xperia T etc). It reminded me of a very bulky and square Xperia S. Once I got my hands on it and had a closer look, I found that this phone actually looks more like an Xperia T. Its the same size and has the same matt backing to it, though with the Xperia SP you can actually take off the back and access the battery, HUZZAH PRORESS!

The buttons are more sensibly placed than on the T, and the power button is made of metal, though I have to say because it lacks the Arc shape, it is a little chunkier, the phone feels cheaper because of this. 

Ok, a little cheaper, but considering its a mid ranged phone you can forgive,  but for something which looks so similar, it feels so different. It certainly looks and feels much better than the last mid ranged phone Sony released, the Xperia P. So again, small steps.

I have noticed they have stuck on the flashing strip from the Xperia U. This is a nice little touch, it flashes different colours depending what notification you get. Its great to know if its worth picking up your phone or not when a message comes through, or finding your phone in the dark.  The strip was something introduced by Sony in the last generation of phones but for some reason only the Xperia U got a strip which flashed different colours. The Xperia S and P did not. Either way, nice touch, I love it.

I am not too sure what Sony were thinking when naming this phone. Knowing how top heavy and bloated the company is, I assumed that a Sony big wig came in half way through a meeting, took one look at it, and decided it looked a bit like an Xperia S and P. So they merged the two together to become SP.  Thats it. 

...Well, that's how it feels!

I will spare you the long winded rant on my thoughts on the Xperia alphabetical labelling system and how it makes little sense. This however, comes across as just lazy. The phone looks like the Xperia T without the arc shape, some rearranged buttons, and has the glowing strip and shape of an Xperia U. If anything this should be the Xperia TU or Xperia UT.

What do you think?

I have decided to give the Xperia T and SP a benchmark test to see which one is fastest.  Both phones have very similar processors. Both are the new Qualcomm S4  snapdragon processor. The SP has a 1.7Ghz processor with an Adreno 320 GPU. The Xperia T has a 1.5Ghz Krait processor with an Adreno 225 GPU. Surprisingly the Xperia T out performed the SP by 706 points.

Xperia T - 11497.

 

The Xperia T benchmark test.

  

The Xperia SP benchmark test. Xperia SP -10791.

I have also tested the two phones against each other with the cameras. The two phones are quite different in this respect. The Xperia T has a 13 megapixel camera with the older Xperia R sensor at full HD. The Xperia SP has an 8 megapixel camera with the new Exmor RS sensor with HDR at full HD.

The Xperia T is often used by me on 9-10 megapixel mode as the 13 megapixel setting can only do square photos. The Xperia SP ends up being a 7 megapixel camera once you put it in to photography mode. The Xperia T has the advantage with the higher megapixel count but the SP has the HDR feature and the newer sensor.

Keeping in mind that I haven't had a good chance to compare the cameras, and this was a very basic test, I have found that a lot of the photos do seem to go in favour of the Xperia T. The low megapixel level does miss some good detail. I have found however that the Xperia SP is king when it comes to handling bright light and moving images, something which the Xperia T has often struggled with in the past. Not only are the results slightly better in high light and with moving images but it focuses and handled the photo much faster. This, as far as I am concerned, is down to the HDR feature. 

Still, a lot of this is undermined by the fact that the 7 megapixel camera is losing just that little too much detail than it should.  Its funny, as the 8 megapixel Xperia P's camera was absolutely fine.

Xperia T 

Xperia T photo of bright light.

Xperia SP 

Xperia SP photo of bright light.

So far, in all honesty, the Xperia T is actually the better phone in terms of raw power. This is only a first impression however, and I haven't really had a good chance to compare the screen quality of Bravia vs Bravia2 yet, not to mention some other features. Considering both phones are very similar AND in the same price range currently then I would suggest people go with the Xperia T. It has the style, the feel, a better camera for detail, currently a better performing processor and GPU (even though its spec are more dated).

The Xperia SP isn't completely defeated though, its flashing strip may appeal to certain people. Its camera does have some areas where it would be much preferred to the Xperia T, its certainly more suited for Facebook. The Xperia SP has had some better results with its photos with handles moving images, especially with the HDR function,  low and high light conditions are great too. It also has physical buttons which are much more sensibly placed on the phone.

It comes with Stamina mode too which does make a difference, which is useful as Sony haven't always been king of battery life.

I am going to continue comparing these two phones over the next few weeks, have a bash on the Xperia SP's new syncing with the Playstation 3 and see how I get on.

Xperia T update

My first thoughts on the Xperia T. 

I have had this phone now for about a month now, so I thought id share my thoughts on it, as this for me was one of the most eagerly anticipated phones in a very long time. 

The phone on paper doesn't jump out like its rivals such as the S3, but if you actually read in to what makes a great phone then this is easily the phone of the year.The phone design is very sexy. It reminds me of the old Xperia Arc but just a bit fatter.  

It distributes its weight really well over your hand for good balance and its also got a matt/rubber casing which adds to grip.Its one of the sexiest phone on the market, yet at the same time has a practicality to its design.

The Screen

I was very glad to know that it doesn't have an AMOLED screen, unlike with the Samsung S3. AMOLED has a very saturated look to its colours which ruins the user experience. Personally I prefer things I watch to look like what they are actually supposed to, rather than jazzed up and made to look flashy. AMOLED is also notorious for suffering from the common problem of screen burn.

Sony could have easily gone down this route but instead have gone for using some of their products from their TV department and stuck in the Bravia Engine. Its subtle rather than flashy and smooths over photos and videos to make the experience a little more polished without trying to blow your brains out .It works well for grainy Youtube videos but over all the changes are far to subtle to notice.  

Whitemagic would have been a great addition to this phone but sadly it has been missed out. I had White Magic in my Xperia P and it was absolutely sensational, this is something which I think could have gotten the reviewers noticing this phone a bit more than it did up to its release. 

The Camera

The camera is incredible.

It comes with a TON of features and different modes. Not only do you have the choice to go all the way up to 13 megapixels if you need it, but they have put in the Exmor R sensor which handles the extra noise.

Its also good for low light level photos, but to be honest I notice little difference here. The 13 megapixel setting limits you to taking square photos rather than widescreen so I find myself using the 10 megapixel setting more often. The camera was performing well for the first few weeks but now I have noticed that the camera is now starting to get slower.

I have tried numerous apps to try and empty the phone and make it run smoother, but sadly the cameras start up time is getting longer and longer. It occasionally lags and blurs more often than it did. Its very hard for dads like me who are constantly trying to take a photo of a toddler running around, the camera doesn't stabilize the photos very well at all.

I am also noticing that its sensor is struggling more as time goes on. It takes a while to focus when filming a video (sometimes up to 20 seconds!) and then keeps refocusing during the videos. When playing these videos back it looks terrible. This is probably my biggest criticism of the camera, it completely ruins the recording experience. 

The camera in high light conditions is absolutely fantastic. In both 13 and 10 megapixel modes it is incredibly sharp, but the moment it gets in to a dark/low light room, or in to the evening, then the camera really struggles. The Exmor R sensor does little to handle low light settings and It cannot handle noise well at all, which is a shame as Sony claimed that was one of the strongest points of having the Exmor R sensor. Thankfully I take 90% of my photos in high light conditions so it works for me.  

I am really looking forward to seeing what the Exmor R 2 sensor can do in the Xperia Z!

Internal Storage

The phone only comes with 16gb of internal storage. A lot of people have bad mouthed Sony for this but what they fail to realize is that in my local shop the phone is £150 cheaper than the Samsung S3. People who only use a small amount of information now don't have to pay for huge amounts of memory unless they want too.

You can get a 64gb SD card on Amazon now for £40, that's 80gb and still £110 cheaper than tis rivals.

Enough said. Well done Sony, you've used your brain here! 

Software

This phone does have a lot of Sony software on it.  

I wasnt too keen on it when I first saw a lot of it on my phone but now I use Music Unlimited a lot. Its a cheap and fantastic service. Their music selection is incredible and you have access to all the music in the world (pretty much) at any time. Its great for parties and discovering new music.  Sony have claimed it is their answer to countering the piracy so rife on the internet, will it work? Who knows. Its certainly a very good app. 

They have added the new Playstation store which was MUCH better than I thought it was going to be. They have added everything from PS1 games to completely free games, and the software looks modern and polished. Remember, when you sync this phone up to a wireless PS3 pad and put this in a TV dock you have also got yourself the best gaming phone on the market. 

They have also added a great app for syncing your phone to tablets and the Xperia lounge which gets you in to Sony only competitions and freebies.

Extra Features

The phone also has NFC. Not only that but it has the best selection of NFC accessories on the market. It comes with NFC tags which are a great new way of saving time and making your life easier. We all know that with new smart phones there is so much to do that you spend all your time changing settings here and there depending on where you are. This shortens all that to a simple swipe at a Smart Tag which recognizes the phone and changes you settings depending on what you have set it too.  Not to mention gadgets like the NFC speakers by Sony which not only make life easier but are fantastic at parties. Walk in to a room (with all the music in the world on your phone thanks to Music Unlimited) and tap your phone on the speaker and it will play your playlist. Pow! 

Battery

The phone comes with a standard 1,850 mAh battery. This is a refreshing change from the terrible battery life in the Xperia P. Though the battery doesn't last forever, it does last all day. As long as you charge it every night then you can use it to death! Even by my standards of usage! I am very content with the battery though not overly amazed. For its price its more than good enough.

Conclusion

One of the most important issues I have phone with the mobile phone market lately is how uneducated a lot of reviewers are. Samsungs success basically comes down to releasing phones with as high spec as possible as early as possible. The new S3 comes with a fancy new quadcore processor which most people looking at a spec sheet would tell you that "more cores means its faster", right? WRONG. Big manufactures like ARM are now coming out and congratulating Sony and Nokia for not blindly going down the quadcore route. Mainly because Android and 99% of apps aren't optimized for quadcore phones. People are being fooled in to  paying an extra £150 for a phone for a state of the art processor, like it is going to give you a much better performance. When a lot of benchmark tests are showing that the Xperia T's brand new S4 processor is actually keeping up (and in come cases beating it). 

So there you are. If you want a sleek, stylish phone which handles well in your hand. Takes the best photos out of any Android phone and has the most down to earth screen other than the Retina display, yet at the same times comes with numerous bits of useful software, NFC and a processor which keeps up with the big boys but doenst cost you half a grand then this is the phone for you. Remember a lot of the features on here such as the Playstation store and NFC aren't available for the Iphone yet so it also makes it cutting edge and good to show off.

My first thoughts on the Xperia T (Jan 2013)

After the frantic few months of obsessing over the Xperia T I was lucky enough to get given one by Sony. Thanks fellas!

After studying it so much on forums, reviews, articles and spec sheets, I have finally got my hands on it and have been using it for about a month now.

My over all impression of the phone is that its quite simply a sensational phone. It has it all. Dont get me wrong, this phone does have its faults and hasnt been the run away dream I had expected.

First of all I thought I would talk about the camera. This is one of the strongest features of the phone. A whopping 13 megapixel HD camera with an Exmor R sensor. There have been a lot of reviewers saying that the camera has far to many megapixels and causes a lot of noise. Others have been saying that the Exmor R sensor handles it perfectly so there is no need to worry.

My personal opinion is that the camera is incredible, but I am still somewhat in the middle of this debate. The 13megapixel mode does suffer from a bit of noise, though not as much as some negative reviewers would have you believe. The Exmor R does a fair job at handling it but I am still finding occasionally that it struggles, especially in low light conditions. What a lot of people fair to realise though is that the camera can be changed down to a 10 megapixel level which handles like a dream. There is no doubt that this camera rivals the Iphone 5's camera and certainly pisses all over the rival Android cameras.

There is clearly a time to use the 13megapixels and not. Its all about learning to use it. My personal opinion is that its nice to have the choice, right? The phone also comes with a lot of other cool features which I have been talking about on my Instagram account which I have dedicated to my Xperia T (Sy2pie - add me).

The screen is beautiful too. Its HD with the Bravia engine in it. It does everything you could want from a phone. Especially when it is turned up. The Bravia does an ok job at smoothing over grainy Youtube videos but isnt anything ground breaking. Personally, I would have loved to have seen Bravia 2 like the Xperia V.

I am also very glad that they have still continued to avoid AMOLED screens with their notorious problems with screen burn and over saturated colours. When I look at some of the photos ive taken on the Xperia T (especially in high light conditions) the pictures look beautiful and near identicle to object I have just taken the picture of. I would have liked to have seen the viewing angles improved on this, or perhaps had White Magic which was on my previous phone (the Xperia P). Either way, I am still very happy with it.

The design is very good too.  Its sleek, sexy and stylish. What else would you expect from a Bond phone? I am SO glad they have brought back the Arc shape. It balanced so well in your hand and the matt like backing to the phone feels great too.

The only issue I have with the design is some of the buttons are in silly places, though once you turn the phone on its side you see that the buttons are put there to make the photography experience seem a little more professional. So its a love hate relationship, though I think people who do not use their cameras much will dislike this.

I have also noticed that my phone seems to be going through little phases of popping out my sim card. The Xperia T has a little slot on the side which is covered by a cap. Occasionally this decided it doesnt want to stay closed and gets popped out by my sim card. Its almost like my phone is in a mood with me because it will do it for a few hours nearly none stop for an hour every few weeks. Its very strange. This also leads to my phone turning itself off, very annoying. Some reviewers have said the cap is weak and breaks off easily but as far as I can tell this is very well made and I have had NO signs of it even weakening.

The new S4 qualcomm processor is doing a fantastic job. A lot of people have said that it cannot keep up with quad core phones, yet latest benchmark tests have claimed it out performs some quad core phones because the Android OS isnt optimized for quad core yet. So far, I have noticed little lag. It has occasionally when I have asked unrealistic things from it but otherwise its been a very smooth experience.

I have noticed the occasional issues with Facebook but TBH I think this is down to the Android Facebook app being famous for being total garbage.

The FIX (Facebook Inside Xperia) integration is of Sonys usual high quality. All notifications, events and birthdays are synced to my phone perfectly. If you message me on Facebook, I know about it instantly. I might be kicking myself later for telling you this when I forget your birthday but I really shouldnt have any excuse, as all Facebook birthdays and events are stuck on my Android and Google calendar.

The battery life is much improved on the Xperia P (no kidding, right?). My battery finally lasts all day, even with very heavy Sy usage. Though it is not perfect. The battery does need charging every day and I really cannot afford to be slightly lazy one night and not charge it. If I am not on top of the battery then I will end up suffering for it.

The Playstation Store is brilliant. To be honest it is much better than I thought it was going to be. There is a great selection of games and the quality and feel of the software is really good. I was a little upset to find that you can only sync your PS3 game pad to it when rooted.

NFC seems to work well on it. No issues here.

more to follow

The Xperia T underdog RANT!

Anyone who has read any review on the Xperia T lately has probably seen one of my comments at the bottom obsessing over it.

I have never been this exited about a phone in years. The more I read about it the more I love it.

This phone for me has the whole package and I simply cannot wait to get my grubby little hands on it.

Sadly though, reading a few of these reviews has made me realize how under rated the phone actually is and how uneducated a lot of reviewers can be. Certain mobile phone review sites have been fair but a majority of them have been pretty clueless (I wont point fingers).

Usually this kind of thing doesn't bother me. I still get to own and appreciate the phone for what it is even if everybody else misses out, but sadly Sony have been stricken by a lot of bad luck over the past few years which has lead them to be at a huge disadvantage on the very competitive and cut throat mobile phone and tablet market. 

(http://androidheadlines.com/2011/04/tsunami-causes-delays-for-sonys-xperia-lineup.html) - Tsunami delaying handsets

(http://www.gizmodo.com.au/2012/10/sony-is-halting-xperia-tablet-sales-following-manufacturing-defect/)- Tablet defect

The Xperia T is the first phone in my opinion to have it all. It has the new 1.5GHz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processor, a sensational new 13 megapixel camera with Exmor R technology for good low light results, the sleek and sexy design of the Xperia Arc, the same high quality Bravia screen in HD and access to the new Playstation store on a phone. Not to mention NFC and HDMI input. All these things are something to get exited about for different reasons and I'll explain why and how its being under rated by the online community.

(http://www.techradar.com/reviews/phones/mobile-phones/sony-xperia-t-1093680/review) - In depth review of the Xperia T. 

The processor

The new S4 dual core chip is Qualcomm’s latest and greatest chip which is offering speeds which are keeping up with and beating the HTC and Samsung quad core processors. Sadly in reviews mentioned above we are seeing that reviewers are looking at the spec sheet and simply assuming that because a phone like the Galaxy S3 has more cores in its processor means that its going to be faster.(http://www.gsmarena.com/sony_xperia_tx_t_and_v_benchmarks_are_here_promising_too-news-4722.php) - Xperia T and V benchmark test.(http://www.gadgetsboy.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/2012-09-28-23.54.42.png) - Xperia T benchmark test.

As we all know hardware has to be developed first before software can use the hardware so we are finding that a majority of apps and all OS's aren't ready for quadcore yet and probably wont be for a while (some arent fully ready for dual core either).

(http://www.rcrwireless.com/article/20120209/chips/quad-core-chips-are-here-but-not-the-apps-to-use-them/)

Sadly for Sony most consumers are reading and believing this then going out and buying the phone based on this single idea alone.

Which is a shame as Sony and Nokia have both been applauded by one of the worlds leading  chip manufacturers ARM on not blindly following the quad core craze because...well, there isnt any point yet!

(http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/sony-and-nokia-should-be-applauded-for-dual-core-phones-says-arm-1094870)

The Camera

The new Xperia T's camera is a 13 megapixel juggernaut with the Exmor R sensor which is used to get some great results in low light conditions like night clubs, pubs and the evenings. With the fast photo taking feature the camera can really capture things as they happen. This was a huge issue for me as in the past digital cameras often took too long to really get a good photo during a live action shot. Especially if you have children running around or friends doing something "funny" when drunk.

 Sadly a lot of reviewers dont feel the same about these features and are saying that the more megapixels doesn't always mean its a better camera and are therefore putting it in the same category as other 8 megapixel camera like the Samsung S3. 

What they fail to mention is that its good to have a choice of how many megapixels you want to use depending on the situation, right?  Not to mention that its down to the senor too, where the Exmor R is loaded in to it to help with the extra noise saturation.

For me the camera is one of the most important things in a phone. Its certainly one of the most used and a lot of reviews fail to go beyond the hardware spec sheet and look at what else the camera offers in terms of software.The camera comes equipped with the near instant photo taking, panorama and panorama 3d photos, a good selection of different modes and settings for different situations and Emor R technology. 

(http://www.gadgetsboy.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/2012-10-09-18.49.44.png),

(http://www.gadgetsboy.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/2012-10-09-18.50.19.png) and

(http://www.gadgetsboy.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/2012-10-09-18.50.31.png) - Camera shots of the numerous features and options from the Xperia T camera.

In fact compared to its Android rivals it is by far the best camera phone around. Even outside of Android it only loses to the incredible Pureview Nokia phones.

(http://recombu.com/mobile/news/iphone-5-galaxy-s3-onex-pureview-camera-comparison_M18398.html)

 The design

One of the things I was quite unpleased with the new Xperia range (The Xperia S, P and U) was the design they had abandoned from the previous generation.. The Xperia Arc was the sexiest phone I have ever owned. I am sure you agree with me, right?

(http://st3.gsmarena.com/p2/vv/pics/sonyericsson/sony-ericsson-xperia-x12-arc-all1.jpg)

What I love about the Xperia T is that they have tried to bring that back! Lets all admit right now that phones are much more enjoyable when they look the part. Its just a fact. You can deny it all you want but when you see the sleek sexy design of the Xperia T in its slight arc shape it does look the business. Sadly the general opinion held seems to be that its ugly or unusual looking? Naturally this is down to opinion and taste but it seems to me that a majority of reviewers are actually saying its an ugly phone. Look for yourself and please let me know what you think! (https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-8Dz_PX5alnw/UFtUAs3qpVI/AAAAAAAAP-k/RM1bSDSDGrU/Wk38_21Sept-XperiaT-Post1.jpeg) 

Not only that but there is also a practicality to this design which helps the user keep the phone well balanced in their hand. The Xperia Arc for me was rarely dropped and a pleasure to handle because of the shape and weight distribution. The Xperia T is also made of a slight rubber material which adds to grip and could possibly work as a mild shock absorber if dropped. Sadly you will not hear about any of this in a majority of articles but instead get a load of rubbish about the casing attracting thumb print marks. Is that the best they could come up with, honestly? Its almost like they are trying to find things to put the phone down on.

(http://www.gadgetsboy.co.uk/Smart_Phone-review/sony-xperia-t-review/) - Design and build.  

The most puzzling thing is that I have never met a person who seems to think the phone is ugly, impractical or that attracting thumb prints is a real issue for them. The phone isn't perfect mind. It doesn't allow you to remove the battery and some consider the button placement to be quite poor. Other than this the phone is flawless in my eyes. Especially when you consider how cheap and plastic some of its rivals are.

The Screen 

This is a real hot topic for me at the moment but I am getting really tired of the down play of the LCD Bravia screen. First of all I would like to say that its rivals like AMOLED are ghastly and often show huge saturation in its colours. Grass is often viewed as radioactive and the sky is shown as appearing turquoise. Not only that but screen burn tends to be a common problem with users. Some forum polls are showing high amounts of people who have had a problem with screen burn. 

(http://vr-zone.com/articles/samsung-denies-responsibility-for-galaxy-s3-screen-burn-in/16616.html) - Screen burn

(http://gdgt.com/question/have-you-ever-heard-or-seen-amoled-screen-burn-in-1a5y/)  - More Screen burn

(http://www.pocketables.com/2012/04/dont-put-your-ipad-3-next-to-an-amoled-device.html) - Unnatural and saturated colours

What I love about Bravia TV is that Sony is mixing its brands and showing that they intend to do some cross compatibility. This is something which is going to really benefit Sony in the future as they have their fingers in nearly every commercial technology on the planet. If you plug in your Sony phone to a Bravia TV it will recognize the phone immediately (after all they are brothers!) and the phone will automatically pop up on the TV without having to touch anything. Second, the Bravia screen doesn't over do it. Like I mentioned above the Amoled screen tried too hard and as a result is coming out with some unusual colours. In the source above by Pockettables.com a lot of the people in the comments below and the reviewer have stated that this colour saturation might be ok for viewing menus and graphics but if your looking for a more realistic and normal colour then Amoled is not for you. Especially if you want do use it for something professional like photography or video editing. The Bravia engine takes videos and photos and smooths them out. Its especially useful for Youtube videos as they tend to be lower quality and quite crackley.

Personally (and I like to think you all agree with me) I rather see things as they were intended rather than something trying to be smart, flash and showing you something as it wasn't intended. Despite this we are still finding reviewers prefering Super Amoled screens to Bravia LCD. (http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/02210/s3emb_2210070b.jpg) - Amoled in all its glory.

And last but no means least The Playstation Store!

This is something well over due but Sony have recently redone their whole Playstation store and made it available to their mobile phones. This is something ONLY SONY (and a few HTC models) have access too and nobody else does. Not Apple, not Samsung, nobody. At the moment its in its basic stages but has near unlimited potential to be a real deal breaker. Currently it has a selection of retro games from the PS1 era which can be downloaded on to the phone and played. Thanks to Xperia phones being able to hook up to a HD TV through HDMI cable you can also view these games on the big screen. Not only that but you can sync up the PS3 controller to the phone as use a full game pad. There is NO NEED FOR A GAMES CONSOLE and once there are few more games out for this phone (Maybe from the PS2?) then this phone will be the don of gaming. In fact, it already is now as no phone can do anything like this. 

(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J92oirwd9BQ)

Sadly a lot of reviewers do not seem to appreciate the potential of this and are dismissing it as a minor point. I dont know about you but I am very exited to give this a try. 

HDMI and NFC

As mentioned above the HDMI input and NFC isnt available on all phones (The I phone 5 for example). The HDMI input has already proven its worth in the paragraph above but is also very useful on other phones like the Xperia P and S. Simply plug it in to your TV and your phone screen will appear, its just that easy!

Its already proven quite useful for showing photos to the family when they come over or showing friends how to do something on a phone. Add the Playstation store with this and you already have something to get exited about. 

(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7bWGCcP3_o&list=FLbfMvIFYoeDShSXriFA-RnA&index=1&feature=plpp_video)

The NFC feature is the future. It is going to change the way we share information and pay for things. Sadly the technology is new but in the next year or so we will see more shops and phones use NFC for transaction of money and people are already sharing photos and playlists now. Sadly people buying an Iphone expect to pay that extra cash to be ahead of the curve and will see their phones out of date already from the moment they buy it. 

(http://finance.yahoo.com/news/8-things-the-iphone-5-still-can-t-do.html)

(http://www.nfcworld.com/2012/08/29/317478/sony-unveils-nfc-enabled-xperia-phones-vaio-pcs-and-more/) - Sony is getting quite a name for itself in the NFC world.

The Cost

And finally the Xperia T is cheaper than its rivals like the Iphone 5 and is the same prices as the Samsung S3. The Xperia T coming at just over £400  and the Iphone 5 at around £500. Not only can this phone do more than both but it is also cheaper and more stylish. 

(http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/sony-xperia-t-sim-free-price-announced-in-uk-1096983)

Now I know that a lot of people are probably thinking the Iphone 5 is more expensive but it have much more internal storage. Yes, BUT the Xperia T has micro SD card slot which is something the Iphone 5 lacks. With this simple feature coupled with the great value of the Xperia T basically means that you can get a 64gb micro sim which adds up the total to around 80gb of storage and will still work out cheaper. Not only that but the micro sim makes information easier to share. 

(http://www.amazon.co.uk/SanDisk-Mobile-MicroSDXC-Memory-Adapter/dp/B005LFT40G)

Over all this phone is easily one of the more exiting phones on the market. It pains me to see so many of these features over looked when you consider what they can do and how in some cases there is either only one or two other phones which can do the same or there are simply no other phones on the market which can do anything a Xperia T can. A lot of this even over looks things which the Xperia range can already do best before the Xperia T, such as Facebook integration...

(http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/android-5-0-key-lime-pie-10-things-we-want-to-see-1091500) - Point 3

Beyond the Xperia T

If you love using social networking then Xperia's FIX (Facebook Inside Xperia) is certainly for you. It syncs up your phone to your Facebook account so you are able to do things such as "like" tracks your listening to on your walkman app and they will show up on your Facebook news feed.

It also syncs up every event you have accepted on Facebook to your Android calendar so it can remind you later with alters and show you everything which is happening in your life in one place which makes life much easier. Not to mention that it also adds everyones birthday to your Android calendar too which have proven VERY useful to me in the past.

It also gives you access to your Facebook photo albums through your photo gallery. This makes things much simpler and faster to access when you are showing friends or family. Everything is now in one place. Here is a more in depth review on FIX.

(http://www.xperiablog.net/2011/06/16/facebook-inside-xperia-review/)

Music Unlimited

As I mentioned earlier while talking about the Bravia Display, Sony have got their fingers in nearly every technology pie. One of the biggest things Sony dominate is music and cinema. Sony give you the ability to stream a near unlimited amount of music for as little as £4pm (or £10pm for premium service).

This is a fantastic way of countering a lot of the piracy online which has been so rife within the industry. Instead of paying £10-15 for an album, why not pay a small monthly fee and get access to everything!?

Also through the NFC feature you can tap your phone on a certain speakers and it will play the song through the speakers with your phone. Not a bad party trick! 

Granted there are some issues with Music Unlimited.

It needs some modernization but with a simple software update this could be it. Sony own a huge percentage of music and cinema and could easily clobber Itunes. I have used it here and there and I have been VERY impressed with the music selection. I  have even been able to find songs from some of the loser nobody bands I listen too which nobody has every heard of and even a few tracks from bedroom producer DJ's. More details on my previous review on it here, 

(https://www.facebook.com/notes/simon-tompkins/sony-unlimited/435041476542069)

All and all I have said my piece. I really do feel like this is the phone to get exited about. Like I said at the start, its not just about high numbers on a spec sheet but more about what a phone can actually do. After all, a mobile phone is supposed to make our lives easier.