Mobile phone Sony Xperias Lt26I. Characteristics and reviews. Mobile phone Sony Xperias Lt26I: description, specifications, prices Sony Xperias lt 26 i

Fence and gate 12.12.2021

Fence and gate

The Sony smartphone has some pretty good ones. First of all, it is important to note the excellent processor for such a device. The operating system in it is used by the Android series version 2.3. The indicated model costs today in the region of 16 thousand rubles.

Main settings

The Lt26I smartphone has the following characteristics: processor frequency - 1.5 GHz, screen resolution - 1280 by 720 pixels, RAM - 1 GB. The battery capacity of this device is 1750 mAh. I must say that the battery for Sony Xperia S Lt26I loses its capacity over time and must be replaced. The display diagonal of this model reaches as much as 4.3 inches. The processor in the presented device is of the Qualcom series. The camera in the specified sample is used at 12 megapixels. If we talk about the dimensions of the smartphone, then its length is 128 mm, width - 63 mm with a thickness of 11 mm. With the battery, this device weighs only 143 g.

"Iron"

The hardware of the Sony Ericsson Xperia Lt26I device is quite serious. First of all, it should be noted that the thyristor unit in the presented model is quite powerful. At the same time, its throughput is good. This was achieved through the use of traverses. They are installed in the model only of the contact type. High performance in the device is also achieved due to the converter. If you believe the reviews of experts, then it is able to withstand quite large loads.

The Sony Xperia S Lt26I has a high-quality speaker. The selector in this model uses an oscillatory type. System crashes are very rare. The modulator helps a lot in this regard. In the end, it should be mentioned that the microcircuit in the device is used for four channels. Thus, with the conductivity of the signal, she is doing well.

Communication Tools

You can use the Internet in the specified device to communicate. In this case, the toolbars provided for this are quite concise. The user can install a wide variety of browsers on the Sony Xperias Lt26I device. To date, the program "Opera Classic" is considered to be the most popular for communication. If you believe the reviews of consumers, then it is quite comfortable to store bookmarks in it. At the same time, departures from the system occur very rarely. The user is able to save links directly on the main panel.

Bookmarks are transferred in the device quite simply. In this case, the manufacturer provides an extensive menu for this. If we consider standard messages, then there is a predictive input function in the settings. It should also be noted that the language of messages can be selected. Directly sending the text does not take much time. In this case, the processor of the device is not overloaded. The function of inserting the addressee in this model is available, however, it should be noted that the device supports few characters. Renaming bookmarks is pretty easy.

Camera

There are quite a few effects for adjusting images in this camera. Brightness settings can be adjusted through the main menu. In this case, the user has the opportunity to set the maximum. Autofocus options can also be selected. The image quality is directly set through the effects tab.

Light sensitivity in the specified device is regulated by a slider. You can set the video recording volume. The minimum photo resolution is selected through the advanced options tab. in this device, it is not possible to assign. The user is able to adjust the glare through the main menu. Switching directly to the camera is very fast.

Camera Reviews

To date, the camera in the Sony Xperias Lt26I receives a wide variety of reviews. Switching directly to the camcorder is fast. However, saving files can take quite a long time. It should also be borne in mind that the user has the opportunity to adjust the brightness of images. At the same time, you can turn off the sound completely during recording from the advanced settings tab.

The autofocus system in the device works well. The zoom in the model is quite comfortable to use. However, it should be borne in mind that when you change the scale, a certain blurring appears on the video. Darkness in images can be adjusted. Sepia mode is provided in the device. It is possible to set the minimum resolution values through the main parameters tab. When moving, blurring is observed quite rarely. The user has the opportunity to record a video for a maximum of 25 minutes. In normal mode, photos are saved quickly.

media player

The media player in the Sony Xperias Lt26I device is available with advanced features. In this case, creating albums in the device is quite convenient. At the same time, assigning them by genre to the user is quite simple. Video clips are played by the system in various formats. The sound, if necessary, can be selected from the panel or the main menu. The media player control buttons are located at the bottom of the screen.

Search by name is done only through the parameters tab. Additionally, it should be taken into account that the mp4 format is reproduced by the system. Directly rewinding is carried out from the media player panel. Adding new music is done from the gallery and the device's memory card. Unfortunately, there is no possibility to customize the user interface.

Media player reviews

Reviews of this media player are mostly positive and deservedly received. In general, it is quite simple, and even a beginner can easily understand it. The rewind buttons in the media player are in a convenient place. It should also be borne in mind that long melodies hang quite rarely. Directly provided by the manufacturer comfortable. According to consumer reviews, the slider does not jump sharply.

The user has the opportunity to select the "stereo" mode in the presented media player. Additionally, there are advanced options for setting up the playback of video clips. In this case, the main formats are supported. If necessary, you can always download the desired utility. Information on music can be viewed directly only from the album in which it is located. It should also be noted that removing tracks from the list is quite fast.

Firmware

How to flash Sony Xperia S Lt26I? Many people are concerned about this issue, since serious problems can arise with the performance of the device. Sony Xperia S Lt26I firmware is done through the "Recover" program. However, many experts still prefer the "Speedrun" system. When the Sony Xperia Lt26I won't turn on, it can help. Finding it on the Internet is quite difficult, but it is considered more optimized for the specified phone.

Additionally, it is worth noting that the "Recover" program is often not available in the public domain. Fraudsters can provide it with viruses. All this ultimately must be taken into account before flashing the smartphone and trust only trusted sources. Directly to install the program, you only need a USB cable, as well as a personal computer. The operating system on it can be absolutely any. Before starting the installation, many experts recommend fully charging the device. It should also be borne in mind that the model must be checked for viruses. It is quite easy to do this using Doctor Web. Direct installation of system files starts after pressing the "Install" button.

The total installation time of the program on Sony Xperia Lt26I (firmware) takes no more than 25 minutes. At the end of the work, all that remains is to turn off and turn on the phone again. First of all, after starting, it is important to make sure that the system performance is good. To do this, you can open several applications on your phone at once. If slowdowns are observed, then the system will have to be completely restored.

Special abilities

The Sony Xperia S Lt26I mobile phone has quite a lot of special features. The first thing to note is the security program settings. At the same time, the function of voicing passwords in the model is activated by default. It should also be noted that the program constantly monitors active applications. Thus, it is quite easy to monitor system performance. The limit of background processes in this model can be set. Also, the settings allow you to save basic reports on the work. System programs in the device are also monitored. The user can adjust the parameters for checking the device. In this case, a separate tab is used for linking processes.

Organizer features

The organizer of the Sony Xperias Lt26I model consists of a clock and an alarm clock. Setting up a call on it is quite simple. At the same time, the manufacturer provides many melodies by default. The presented device also has a currency converter. The calendar deserves special attention in the device. It is perfect for scheduling business meetings. Taking notes with it is quite easy. It is also important to mention that this model has a timer. At the same time, the stopwatch is installed and able to work in various modes.

Equipment

The complete set of the Sony Xperia S Lt26I phone has the usual. Unfortunately, there is no memory card in it. It should also be noted that the case for the device will have to be purchased separately. Directly the battery for Sony Xperia S Lt26I and instructions are included in the kit. The user will also be able to find a driver for installation in it. To connect to a personal computer, the model cannot do without a cable with a USB connector.

Summarizing

Considering all of the above, it should be said that the presented smartphone is considered quite relevant today and it has many functions. However, it is important to consider that there are many other devices in this price category that are ready to compete with this model.

When Sony finally dumped Ericsson in its mobile phone division, its first flagship model from the new brand was the Sony Xperia LT26I, which was priced at €449 in France, £399 in the UK and $700 in Singapore. With a high-resolution screen and 12-megapixel camera, the smartphone claimed to be the best Android device, but, according to users, the efforts made were not enough.

Design

The first mistake is the design. When the Sony Xperia LT26I phone was first unveiled at CES, users loved its odd styling, but upon closer inspection, they weren't so sure. A clean piece of plastic going under the screen still looks frivolous, but otherwise the model leaves its owners indifferent - it's just an ordinary smartphone.

There is a gap along the entire edge of the back panel, and some ports are covered with plastic plugs, so the phone does not seem like a premium class representative at all, as the manufacturer positions it. Even having a white model doesn't help, as it lacks the harmony of the contrasting matte white plastic lid and the black glass front. The gaps on the white background are even more noticeable, although the black model is also missing something.

The funny thing is that the manufacturer managed to do almost everything right. The Sony XperiaS LT26I's matte finish looks good and feels the same, the back panel is neatly lined up, and the plastic section is nice and clean. The phone lies well in the hand. Despite the 4.3” screen, the device feels manageable, and the soft curve of the lid makes it comfortable enough, though users would have preferred slightly rounded corners.

Controls

There are 3 white icons applied to the plastic section, indicating the location of the touch buttons above, each of which is highlighted by a tiny white dot in the center. But more importantly, they are illuminated from the inside. During a call, message notifications or just when charging, the icons glow. However, these touch buttons, which give the phone's bezel a minimalist look, aren't very practical. Not only does it take time to get used to pressing the dots rather than the labels below them, but even when hitting the right spot, they don't respond very quickly. The user has to repeatedly poke in the same place to get a response.

At the other end of the massive black bezel is a speaker and a 1.3MP camera capable of recording 720p HD video, which is great for video calls.

Connectivity

The gaps at the edges of the back panel are explained by the fact that it is removed, revealing access to the SIM card slot and ... nothing else. Memory expansion via Micro-SD card and removable battery are not provided. The owners of the phone do not understand why, in order to replace the SIM card, Sony needed to make the entire back panel removable. You can also remove a small section that covers the bottom of the phone, but there is nothing there. The manufacturer offers a decent 32 GB of internal memory, but the lack of an expansion slot will scare many away.

On the side surfaces of the phone Sony Xperia LT26I black, you can find much more functionality. On the right is the camera shutter button, volume rocker and Micro-HDMI connector for displaying content on a large TV screen, if you additionally purchase a cable with the appropriate connectors. On the left is a Micro-USB connector and a charging port. Unfortunately, the USB and HDMI ports are covered with bulky plastic shields that are completely impractical - if the smartphone has to be charged every night, why cover this port at all?

Another small omission is the power button and screen lock. It is located on the top end next to the headphone jack, so it is difficult to reach it if you use one hand. More and more phones are smartly putting it on the side where it's easier to reach, making Sony users regret the omission.

Display

Probably the biggest feature of the Sony Xperia S LT26I phone is its HD screen. Its 720 x 1280 pixel resolution was a marked improvement over the then-prevalent 480 x 800 displays, though it didn't quite match the 326 dpi of the iPhone 4S.

There is very strong evidence that more pixels in a smaller area has its limitations, but in this case, there is clearly a noticeable forward movement. Images, videos, games, websites, and more look more realistic, clearer, and simply more enjoyable. More information can be placed on the screen without sacrificing readability. Websites in particular benefit from the extra display width by displaying web pages at full size.

But there is also a small problem: the Sony Xperia LT26I display characteristics are such that a slight tilt to the left or right is enough to reduce color accuracy and contrast. Is it a disaster? No, because the overall quality of the LCD screen is good, the colors are bright and clear, the brightness is high and the blacks are deep. However, some premium phones are a little better in this regard.

Interface

At the beginning of the production of the smartphone, Android 2.3 Gingerbread was installed on it, and then updates to Android 4.0 and 4.1 followed. Also, Sony has slightly changed the interface, providing it with light corporate changes.

The lock page allows you to either unlock your phone or switch between silent and normal modes. Pressing and holding the power button will take a screenshot, turn on airplane mode, or turn off the device.

The home page allows you to go to any of the five desktops and fill them with applications and widgets. The manufacturer offers many widgets, including weather forecast, software, game and movie recommendations, tips and tricks, social media message channel, media player, music and video friends, photo and video browsing, links to Sony Music Unlimited services and Video Unlimited. Most of them seem pointless - it's better to use space more efficiently and put quick switches, a music player, a clock and a Google search bar instead of application shortcuts. However, it is noticeable that widgets have little effect on phone performance. Moving between the pages on which they are installed does not slow down, and shuffling them does not affect 3D animation.

Along the bottom of the Sony Xperia S LT26I black screen, the usual set of icons is complemented by the Media folder, which provides quick access to the gallery, music player, FM radio and camera, Google Play store, messaging programs and telephone connections. Of course, it can be replaced with anything. Sony's app drawer has provided familiar settings that allow you to sort programs alphabetically, by frequency of use, by install date, or in your own order. On the downside, there are none of the notification area settings, nor the quick access to the media player, airplane mode, or Wi-Fi, which are fairly common on other Android smartphones.

Performance

Overall, the performance of the Sony Xperia LT26I is remarkable thanks to the 1.5GHz dual-core Qualcomm MSM8260 Snapdragon processor. According to users who subjected the phone to the usual tests, although it lags behind the Samsung Galaxy Nexus and Apple iPhone 4S, it has a lot to offer. For example, SunSpider 0.9.1 shows a result of 2677 ms versus 2261 ms for the iPhone 4S and 1973 vc for the Galaxy Nexus. The RightWare BrowserMark test scored 63102, compared to 89530 for the iPhone 4S and 99472 for the Galaxy Nexus.

Software

The Sony XperiaS LT26I handles its day-to-day tasks just fine. The smartphone provides clear sound from both ends of the communication line. Messaging is also easy thanks to a great messaging app, a large and responsive touchscreen, and a slightly improved Sony keyboard.

The email experience is in line with what you would expect from the Android platform. The smartphone makes navigating messages quick and easy, and the visually rich HTML emails look great on the large, high-resolution display.

Sony has integrated Facebook, but not Twitter, which is a strange omission. This app is not even preinstalled. The integration allows you to view a contact's interests, photos, and updates on their page. This is quite useful, although nothing revolutionary.

Things are better with web surfing. The gorgeous screen makes surfing the web a lot more fun, with a simple interface and Flash video support.

Multimedia

Multimedia options include a music player, FM radio, and a photo viewer, while installing a third-party video player will allow the phone to play almost any video that looks and sounds great. According to user reviews, 720p mkv files are played without difficulty.

Sony Xperia S LT26I: camera features

It is sad that one of the most important functions of the smartphone was not as good as expected. Shots taken in good light show additional detail compared to 8MP models, but photos come out incredibly grainy with a lot of noise from image compression. According to users, in low light conditions, pictures are very poor - the phone does not cope with setting the correct exposure, and its flash is weaker than usual.

At the same time, the speed of the camera is excellent. The Sony XperiaS LT26I is capable of capturing 6 frames in 10 seconds. The user also benefits from a separate camera button that allows you to quickly launch the corresponding application and take a photo instantly. This makes it easier to take self-portraits or subjects that are hard to see on the screen to press the shutter. In addition, there are excellent panorama and 3D panorama modes (the latter cannot be viewed on the phone) and a decent selection of scenes and modes. However, the quality of the pictures users remain dissatisfied.

Battery life

Fortunately, the situation is much better with the power consumption of the phone. Although the Sony Xperia LT26I battery does not set records with a capacity of 1750 mAh, according to user reviews, it passes the basic test and is able to last without recharging for a day and a half.

Conclusion

With a high-definition screen, a 12-megapixel camera, and a few fancy features, the Sony XperiaS LT26I should have been on par with the best models of its time, but it didn't. The quality of the display and image sensor did not meet the expectations of users. The design, although quite attractive, is nothing surprising. It's just a decent high-end phone, not the sensation it could be.

This year, as in the previous two Sony Ericsson, Sony, to use the words of the classic, "is in a hurry to live and feel in a hurry." Like LG, the company hastily announces and brings new products to the market, trying to get ahead of competitors in technology. On the one hand, such a rush allows the first to sell a smartphone with an HD screen (Galaxy Note does not count), on the other hand, Sony XPERIA S buyers are doomed to receive an update to Android 4.0 later than buyers of HTC One or the new Galaxy SIII, which is still rumored. In any case, XPERIA S has a number of other advantages - good design (especially if you remember how similar the numerous Android smartphones of competitors are to each other, you will never confuse them with this model, and it with other Sony Ericsson models that came out before) , good performance, the ability to experiment with newfangled NFC (only Sony has figured out how to do it conveniently for the user) and an interesting camera with 3D shooting capabilities borrowed from Sony cameras.

The editors thank the online store
for the courtesy of the Sony XPERIA S smartphone for review

This year, as in the previous two Sony Ericsson, Sony, to use the words of the classic, "is in a hurry to live and feel in a hurry." Like LG, the company hastily announces and brings new products to the market, trying to get ahead of competitors in technology. On the one hand, such a rush allows the first to sell a smartphone with an HD screen (Galaxy Note does not count), on the other hand, Sony XPERIA S buyers are doomed to receive an update to Android 4.0 later than buyers of HTC One or the new Galaxy SIII, which is still rumored. In any case, the XPERIA S has a number of other advantages - a good design (especially if you remember how similar the numerous Android smartphones of competitors are to each other, you will never confuse them with this model, and it with other Sony Ericsson models that came out before) , good performance, the ability to experiment with newfangled NFC (only Sony has figured out how to do it conveniently for the user) and an interesting camera with 3D shooting capabilities borrowed from Sony cameras.

Specifications and equipment Sony XPERIA S (LT26i)

So, the main thing that Sony XPERIA S will remember is a 4.3-inch screen with a resolution of 1280x720, a 12-megapixel camera, a 2-core processor with a frequency of 1.5 GHz and NFC support "enhanced" by two smart tags that allow you to perform a chain of operations. But there is no support for memory cards, there is a non-removable battery inside, and there was a place on the case for a microHDMI socket. It is worth remembering that, according to the latest telephone fashion, microSIM cards are used in the device. Today, this is a unique set of characteristics, although everyone has long known that 12 megapixels is less interesting than, for example, a xenon flash, and the lack of expandable memory is completely perceived with hostility by geeks who are extremely important to control everything, despite the fact that that the whole world for a long time did not care about installing a memory card in a phone with 32 gigabytes. It is also worth mentioning the unique possibilities of photography in 3D (including panoramas), but more on that later.

I had a gray shipment that did not include (another reason to buy the original one) an HDMI cable and a couple of NFC tags. Inside the box was a bunch of booklets, a USB cable with an L-shaped plug, a mains plug with a USB jack, and a wired headset with earplugs.

Headset headphones are the most common, but these are plugs with rubber seals that provide sound insulation. In the end, it’s good when the “plugs” that don’t constantly fall out of the ears are included with the phone, and it’s good when Sony is written on them, despite the fact that all electronics have been produced in China for many years.

Frankly speaking, a smartphone for 6,500 hryvnias could use a player control panel on the headset wire, but that's how it is.

Sony Ericsson is written on the fork (there is no need to remake it, in fact, since the car has already been produced). The second inscription "Green Heart" reminds of the environmental direction in the company. It is when save on wire the company is trying to reduce the amount of plastic and all sorts of poorly recyclable materials in order to be less harmful to the environment when the plug falls into disrepair and ends up in a landfill.

The USB cable, as I said, has an unusual L-shaped microUSB plug. Which, given the location of the microUSB socket, can even be called justified - it looks more aesthetically pleasing and less likely to break the wire.

Appearance Sony XPERIA S (LT26i)

In the off state, it is almost impossible to determine the boundaries of the screen - it looks great. Pay attention to three white, barely noticeable dots above the transparent panel - these are touch buttons, we will return to them later.

The back cover is pleasant to the touch thanks to very good quality matte plastic, it looks expensive and looks like a five, although you should understand that it is quite possible to scratch it. And the days of varnished surfaces in phones seem to have sunk into oblivion with the advent of large and easily soiled touch screens.

The curve at the end is reminiscent of the XPERIA X10. Thanks to this, the designers managed to maintain some continuity. At the bottom there is an element that has become rare - a loop for attaching a cord or keychain. The double volume key, despite its already miniature size, was made concave. This improves ergonomics - it becomes more convenient to control the volume by touch, and the designers get another line of ode to them. Well, the hardware button of the camera is a separate special thanks for the fact that Sony remembers its role in the development of electronics and does not go along with Apple.

Behind the cover, which occupies almost the entire rear surface of the phone, only the microSIM card slot is hidden. In my opinion, refusing memory cards and a removable battery, it was necessary to go further and generally make a non-separable case, and place the microSIM slot on the sidewall. It would look even more stylish.

The signature feature of the smartphone is a transparent insert. The last time I saw the use of transparent elements was in the LG GD900. It was still more interesting there, but the topic that is called "didn't go." In this case, the insert does not look like a revolution, but simply a design element used with taste and elegance.

Icons of three touch keys are applied on the transparent panel. All one hundred percent of the people to whom I showed the device tried to click on the icons, although the buttons themselves are located higher (the same three inconspicuous dots). On the one hand, this looks like a violation of all usability principles, on the other hand, you get used to it in five minutes, so you can’t even call it a problem.

Under the camera lens there is a backlight LED, a second speaker and a second microphone designed to cut off external noise during a call.

Rear panel without cover close-up. The white area in the center of the case is an approximate area for contact using NFC tags.

Plugs for HDMI and microUSB are made very tight. They are difficult to knock off and also difficult to put back into place. But they fit perfectly when closed, they sit like a glove.

Video from Sony XPERIA S (LT26i)

The video takes 11 minutes, but in addition to the appearance of the device, it demonstrates the interface (evaluate its speed yourself and draw a conclusion - is it smooth enough for you?) And a pre-installed set of applications.

Sony XPERIA S (LT26i) performance

The results of synthetic performance tests Sony XPERIA S - it's just some kind of balm for the heart. The smartphone overtakes last year's dual-core LG Optimus 2X and comes close to being equal in class Galaxy Note with its 6408 points in AnTuTu. The Vellamo browser benchmark scores 1250, one of the best scores I've ever seen. Ahead are only Asus Transformer Prime and Chinese Xiaomi Mi-One (read "Xiaomi Mi-van"). AnTuTu Tester showed an honest 10-finger multi-touch sensor. It feels like the device works quickly, but animated wallpapers, coupled with a proprietary interface, make scrolling through desktops a little slower than we would like.

Interface and installed applications Sony XPERIA S (LT26i)

The smartphone has five desktops. I did not find a way to somehow reduce or, conversely, increase their number. You can choose from seven theme options that differ in background color. The set of pre-installed widgets is traditionally poor (compared to what Samsung and HTC do), the widgets themselves are called mini-programs.

A set of pre-installed applications takes up almost three full screens. In addition to the standard set of Google applications, there are Facebook, Foursquare, Evernote, WatsApp, Astro file manager, NeoReader QR code reader, McAfee Security antivirus and OfficeSuite office suite. Of our own developments, it is worth noting the LiveWare accessory manager and the Media Remote that works with Sony equipment. There is also a special application for viewing 3D images and panoramas on the screen (it shows files in MPO format as usual JPG). As well as all sorts of whistles like PlayNow, the NFC tag manager and the intriguing XPERIA Football Downloads application.

The XPERIA S uses the new AccuWeather service weather widget (it looks like these guys have managed to sell their services to all smartphone manufacturers without exception, while drawing their own interface for each). I simply did not notice other new interesting widgets compared to XPERIA Arc. There is clearly more work to be done here.

LiveWare Manager allows you to assign one of the three accessories to launch a single application. There are similar applications on Google Play, but most users will not look for them - or they will be too lazy, or (more likely) will not even know about such opportunities. Therefore, the idea is good, deserving of all approval, and fits into the overall strategy of Sony, which manages to stuff its laptops with a bunch of pseudo-useful programs that frankly litter the system. In this case, LiveWare is a useful thing that I actively used. We'll have to look for its analogues for everyday life on other phones.

The Football Downlods app turned out to be a pretentious dummy. It seems that football fans, like children, should enjoy every little thing. In this case, we are talking about a dozen background pictures and ringtones in the form of sound effects that can be heard in the stadium.

But this application can be called useful, but, unfortunately (and here you can’t blame Sony for defending its interests and the interests of brand fans), it can only be used with the company’s audio-video equipment. It would be interesting to try, but, alas, there was no Sony TV at hand.

Camera interface and sample shots Sony XPERIA S (LT26i)

The camera has its own version of the interface, different from what the operating system itself provides. The main differences are the image stabilizer, the ability to select the focus mode (for some reason there is no macro, but there is five-point focusing and focusing by pressing a finger). There is an adjustable (depending on its width) smile recognition mode. You can configure how to press the shutter - a hardware button or touch. And also what to do when you press the camera button in the locked state - start the camera or not, take a picture immediately or wait for other actions of the photographer. Well, and, of course, there are shooting modes in 3D - fortunately, Sony got the hang of it on the 2011 line of cameras and camcorders.

To view 3D images (in 2D, of course) there is a special section in the album. Pictures imitate 3D image shaking (I did not notice the effect of depth at all), and panoramas are shown as a slow scrolling image across the screen from left to right.

Unfortunately, this week brought very little sun, which did not allow us to appreciate the capabilities of the camera in all its glory. On the other hand, when you need to photograph or film something, the weather may not be favorable to you either. In general, the results of photo and video shooting were predictably good, but not ideal. The camera is slightly “yellow”, and loses to the reference camera - for Android, this is the Samsung Galaxy SII / Galaxy Note camera.

You can download pictures in original resolution in the photo gallery on Torba.

An example of recording video in FullHD Sony XPERIA S (LT26i)

The video is provided for pro forma, in order to switch to viewing in FullHD, you need to go to the YouTube website by clicking on the video and select FullHD there. While shooting video, zooming works (using the volume key), but the results of digital zoom are predictably disgusting, it is better not to do this.

Impressions from work

In real conditions Sony XPERIA S shows itself from the best side. He works smartly, consistently makes an excellent impression on others thanks to its transparent insert. It has a nice bright screen with excellent viewing angles. However, I noticed a few of its weaknesses. Firstly, the touch keys are especially inconvenient to use in this device. It's not even that you need to press not on the icons of the keys, but a little higher - you quickly get used to it. Touch keys in places are pressed very badly, you have to press twice or even three times again and again. Secondly, the starting camera does not take a picture so instantly - a couple of seconds pass, and a sharp picture is obtained only if you shoot at a great distance. When macro shooting, the focus simply does not have time to visit. And somehow it so happened that at a short distance I have to shoot much more often. I was also quite upset by the lack of a macro mode. In the sample shots, there is a frame with a branch, where I unsuccessfully went through the focus modes in the hope of catching a swollen bud in focus. Even focusing by touch did not help - the focus was stubbornly not aimed, evaluating the entire area of the frame over and over again. Thirdly, the absence of a normal widget package upsets me personally - the XPERIA S buyer will either have to be content with a meager set of installed widgets, or look for something in the Google store. In fact, only the weather widget can be called useful, which finally began to suit me. The complete uselessness of the DLNA function in practice seemed somewhat strange to me, since everything that the phone could get to (which, by the way, it did an excellent job with) was not played by a regular video player. No, it is clear that Sony, as the owner of a large studio Sony Pictures, cannot approve the use of the DivX codec, but 2012 is in the yard! The problem, of course, is cured by installing a third-party player that plays everything with a bang - gigabyte files, MKV, HD resolution, and so on. But why open access to DLNA, while closing the possibility of playing video from the home network - is unclear. Otherwise, I was very pleased with the device, especially appreciating its incredible fashion charge. Sony has gone above and beyond to create an even more stunning XPERIA S design after the objectively beautiful XPERIA Arc.

In the dry matter

The Sony XPERIA S is a true representative of Sony style. This is a modern (before the release of 4-core competitors, although it will remain fast after their appearance, but the image charge of technological leadership will inevitably fade away) smartphone with an outstanding appearance, a good camera and a built-in 32GB drive. It seems to me that it was created simply to drive geeks into a frenzy with its set of technical characteristics and design. This device is not for those who want to update firmware from morning to evening, change memory cards every 2 hours and go bile from a delay in updating Android to the next inaccessible (and it will always loom on the horizon) version. This is a smartphone for those who want to buy a beautiful and modern thing that can impress others not only with shooting FullHD video and 3D panoramas, but also with its remarkable design and good materials. Therefore, we can safely recommend Sony XPERIA S for purchase. Recommend to anyone who does not suffer from a particularly severe form of techno-annoyance. 4 reasons to buy Sony XPERIA S (LT26i):

good recognizable design and excellent materials;
excellent bright screen with HD resolution;
a decent camera with FullHD video recording and 3D shooting capabilities;
high performance.

4 reasons not to buy Sony XPERIA S (LT26i):

geek factor (you can not pull out the battery, insert a memory card);
the need to wait for an update to Android 4.0;
temporary technological leadership, which will be leveled by competitors in the summer;
poor sensitivity of the touch buttons.

New flagship with new features

However, the Sony Xperia S model itself was announced even earlier, at the beginning of the year, during the CES 2012 exhibition. will remain so for quite a long time - until the autumn for sure.

In the field of mobile device production, Sony now generally has everything unusual and in a new way. It all started with the “rupture” of the Sony Ericsson brand, from which only Sony remained at the beginning of this year. The division of the Japanese company that develops phones and players is now called Sony Mobile - and we hope that soon it will also deal with tablets with readers, which are still under the jurisdiction of the "big" Sony.

Further, the new line or, more precisely, the new NXT series in the Xperia line is the “Next generation”, new generation, as the company itself says about it. Clearly, this is an emphasis on the turning point in the life of the company's mobile division after the breakup: a new brand, a new design, a new policy. From the old one - only the logo: the unshakable circle remains on all devices and does not change a bit.

From global peaks, all this novelty is transferred below - to the devices themselves, their positioning, appearance and even packaging. Sony Xperia S comes in an unusual cardboard box format: flat and wide, it does not look at all like the narrow boxes of Nokia and HTC, for which their new packaging is a copy of the iPhone box.

A flat black box with many opening compartments extends from this package - even though it is cardboard. True, the compartments themselves are not so crowded: a charger with a USB input, a USB-micro-USB cable, an HDMI cable, and a wired stereo headset with in-ear headphones. The package bundle, at first glance, is not rich, however, even here everything “breathes” with novelty - if it does not catch the eye, then the thoughtfulness in the development process is certainly noticeable. It turns out that the new high-power power supply is able to charge the phone’s battery much faster than its predecessors, and this also has a certain turning point: after all, smartphones that have grown in inches and stuffed with gigahertz have long been very short lived, and in terms of batteries and their charging, nothing is global does not change. But with the new charger, literally ten minutes of recharging is enough to extend the conversation on the smartphone for an hour, and this is really an innovation. Not a breakthrough, of course, but the main thing is that the care and effort of the developers to create at least something new is visible, and this little thing is really pleasing.

Characteristics

SoC Qualcomm Snapdragon MSM8260, CPU 1.5 GHz, two cores
GPU Adreno 220
Operating system Android 2.3.7 Gingerbread
4.3" diagonal TN type LCD touchscreen, 720×1280 pixels, capacitive
1 GB RAM, 32 GB Flash (25.8 GB available)
Communication GSM 850/900/1800/1900 MHz, GPRS/EDGE
Communication 3G UMTS HSPA 850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz
Bluetooth v2.1 EDR
Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n, DLNA, Wi-Fi Hotspot
TV Out
GPS, AGPS
FM radio
Camera 12 MP, autofocus, LED flash
Li-ion battery 1750 mAh
Dimensions 128×64×10.6 mm
Weight 144 g

Design

A new design... That's how, it turns out, it takes a little to become completely different from others. And although the new design of the Sony Xperia S (as well as, in fact, the P and U models) has common features with previous Sony Ericsson models, especially in terms of a curved back, however, due to new materials, which the developers themselves call the new generation of soft touch, the devices look completely different. And they certainly do not look like Apple or Samsung products, with which it is customary for users of numerous forums to compare any new product. No, everything here is our own, our own, not copying anyone.

As for the very “new” soft touch, its innovation is not only in less velvety and more similarity with the blued steel of weapons, but also in some protective properties: during the demonstration of the device, the organizers literally draw with a ballpoint pen on its surface, and then effortlessly erase . It looks especially impressive on the white case of the Sony Xperia S. By the way, the new flagship has only two color variations: black and white, and both look equally interesting. Black, as already noted, resembles blued steel, even though plastic. White is certainly more gentle, but the chopped features of the new design do not allow even the white version to be called feminine. It will look quite appropriate in men's hands.

Despite the large screen size - 4.3 inches, the communicator is quite comfortable in the hand. The dimensions are large, but not yet large enough to become a burden for the palm of your hand. The weight of the device is too big for wearing in the breast pocket of a shirt, but it is quite suitable for other clothes, and the quality factor of the assembly of all parts suggests that there is no need to be too careful with it. Of course, you should not put the Sony Xperia S in the back pocket of your jeans, but it would be blasphemy to cover such an externally interesting device.

Most of the front surface area is occupied by a screen covered with a protective glass. Above it is a slot for the earpiece and the eyes of the sensors and the front camera. Here, under the glass, an LED is hidden that notifies of some events - for example, charging the phone. I did not like the speaker slot: it is not covered by any grille, has sharp edges and is unpleasantly rough when in contact with the ear. In addition, dust accumulates in this gap over time. A nice grille would definitely not hurt here. Above the speaker hole is the inscription "Sony" - now alone, without "Ericsson".

The most annoying design feature is under the screen, at the bottom of the case. Here the monolith of the body unexpectedly intersects with a completely transparent strip of plastic, on which pictograms with the designation of buttons are applied. But this is not unpleasant, but the fact that when you click on these icons, nothing happens. The sensors themselves (for goodness sake!) are hidden under tiny, barely noticeable dots above this strip. Many acquaintances who happened to touch the Sony Xperia S for the first time unanimously report erroneous clicks and curse the developers. We also experienced multiple erroneous clicks in the early days of using the device. Then, of course, they got used to it, but the sediment, as they say, remained. By the way, a small fragment of the surface remains below this transparent strip, not covered with a protective glass. This lower part of the body looks like a separate cover and, in fact, it is in another model - the Sony Xperia U. In addition to the main one, three more multi-colored interchangeable covers are expected in the kit.

But in the case of the Sony Xperia S, this is not at all the case: the lower fragment, with the inscription “Xperia” printed on it, is rigidly linked to the rest of the case, and in it, at its lower end, there is even a hole for attaching the strap - convenient, but, unfortunately, a feature rarely used by modern smartphones.

The remaining three faces are scattered with controls and connectors covered with plastic covers: micro-USB on the left, micro-HDMI and a volume rocker on the right, and on top there is a 3.5 mm audio input for headphones. There is also a power button.

But a separate button for activating the camera on the right side pleased: its presence is a rarity for modern Android smartphones. The keys themselves are small, their stroke is short, and the location of all, except for the photo button, is completely inconvenient for a left-hander. For some reason, the power key suddenly “moved” to the very left edge of the upper end, where it can be reached only using the second hand. With “Volume” it’s a little better, but for some reason it was moved to the very middle, where the most severe grip usually takes place. The initiative of the developers in this case turned out to be punishable: everything had already been invented long ago, and it was not worth spoiling your karma once again.

The back plastic cover is remarkable: it is exactly the cover, the size of the entire surface of the smartphone, but only the SIM card slot is hidden under it, and nothing else. The battery here is non-removable, and the slot could be made on the side, like in other smartphones. Why was it necessary to be smart with this cover, weakening the overall rigidity of the structure - it is not clear. By the way, the SIM-card here, in accordance with the new fashion trends, uses the micro format, and this is a wake-up call. This means that the quiet life is over, and users will soon find themselves divided into two camps, whose SIM cards do not fit together. Now no one is sure that he will be able, if necessary, to use a friend's phone or an old spare, gathering dust in a bag. Rearranging a card from your own phone to a tablet is now also not possible for everyone. When moving to near and far abroad, it’s also not a fact that you can immediately buy a micro-SIM on a tray from a local operator - it’s checked. Someday all mobile phones will work with micro-format cards, but this transition process, like the recent process of switching all proprietary connectors to a single micro-USB standard, will be painful for some. The modern SIM was not that big to shrink it even further.

As a result, the overall impression of using the Sony Xperia S was ambiguous: on the one hand, there are solid materials and high-quality assembly, an interesting unhackneyed design and comfortable, well-thought-out dimensions. But, on the other hand, the inconvenient location of the buttons and the dubious usefulness of some innovations do not allow putting a solid five on the new flagship for the exterior.

Screen

The screen in the Sony Xperia S is a conventional TFT TN-matrix, but with an HD resolution of 720 × 1280, physical dimensions of 95 × 54 mm and a diagonal of 4.3 inches. With such a high resolution in the given physical dimensions, the picture turns out to be quite clear and smooth, of course, you won’t notice any graininess - the pixel density in this screen is extremely high. In addition, the picture is further improved using proprietary technology Mobile Bravia Engine, which makes it even more realistic. This technology is software, and it works only while viewing photos and videos. According to the manufacturer, the technology allows you to display the picture in a more natural way for the eye, adding clarity, saturation, contrast and, moreover, removing some of the noise.

The colors on this screen look, of course, more realistic than on acid AMOLEDs, but the picture seems to lack saturation, it looks a little velvety. Perhaps this is because the display lacks brightness, even at the maximum level. By the way, there is no automatic brightness adjustment in the settings, only manual. Outside, the screen is covered with a scratch-resistant protective mineral glass. The screen responds sensitively to the touch of fingers, erroneous clicks were not noticed.

Sound

The sound of the external speaker is not particularly pleased: it is loud, but mostly high frequencies predominate, there is no bass. However, it does not choke at the maximum volume level, remains clean and perfectly fulfills the incoming call notification function - you will not miss a call even on the street. In addition, the sound here is processed using proprietary xLoud technology. This is a technology developed by Sony that does not affect the sound quality in any way, but serves to increase the volume of the main speaker. To ensure that the surface of the table does not interfere with the spread of sound, there is a small protrusion on the back cover that raises the speaker hole above the surface.

But the sound of the media player in the headphones, including the bundled ones, was quite satisfying: the sound is both loud and clear, and low frequencies are present. Sony Xperia S can definitely be used as an audio player, especially since there are a lot of settings here, including an equalizer with ten preset values to choose from (you can also set your own).

Camera

The device has two cameras: front, for video communication, and main, with auto focus and LED backlight. The resolution of the matrix of the front module is 1.3 megapixels, the camera is quite suitable for videoconferencing and for using the screen as a mirror.

The main camera module is more interesting: a 12-megapixel camera (f / 2.4 aperture) is equipped with a Sony Exmor R CMOS matrix and produces pictures of very decent quality. The maximum photo size when shooting with default settings (9 MP, 16:9) is 4000 × 2250, and when switched to shooting mode 4:3, 12 MP - 4000 × 3000. The quality and clarity of photos in original resolution can be assessed by clicking on the thumbnails. An interesting observation: in the first picture, when zoomed in, you can even see the numbers on the car number, which looks tiny against the general background.

Thanks to the possibility of automatic focusing, the text taken from paper or the monitor screen remains perfectly readable.

During the demonstration of the Sony Xperia S, the company's representatives focus on the speed of shooting the camera of the new communicator. Indeed, literally 1.5 seconds pass from pressing a key to taking a picture, even when the screen is locked. That is, with the Sony Xperia S, you do not need to select anything from the menu if you need to take an urgent picture on the go - just take out your phone and hold down the camera button. By the way, in the settings you can change the assignment of this button to the function of turning on the camera without taking a picture, for example.

The module can also shoot video in Full HD resolution (1920 × 1080) and take panoramic pictures. You can evaluate the quality of video shooting using the example of a 10-second video (MP4, 1920 × 1080, 17 MB). An example of a picture is in front of you. The quality and resolution are not great, but overall the feature looks attractive.

Software

The Sony Xperia S runs on the familiar Android 2.3.7 (Gingerbread) operating system, but this model is already promised an update to version 4.0 in the second quarter of this year. It also has its own software shell, which somewhat changes and complements the standard Android interface, but not much. Branded widgets (like the weather) are scattered across the five home screens of the desktop, the general internal list of programs can be sorted by several parameters, and when you first turn on the branded application offers to configure the smartphone.

Another interesting feature: using the Media Remote software application, this smartphone can serve as a remote control for controlling Sony equipment, and this is just part of the ecosystem that the company is creating. During the recent exhibition in Barcelona, the Sony Mobile booth demonstrated the various ways in which Sony smartphones, tablets and TVs interact, turning these bundles into multimedia combines and game consoles. For example, the communicator is equipped with an HDMI port and can be connected to a TV using a cable, turning into a multimedia center. The aforementioned Media Remote program does not need a cable at all, it works via a wireless network and allows you to control other devices connected to this network, such as Sony players or Bravia TVs.

The Sony Xperia S is also PlayStation certified, making it a complete portable game console with the ability to download and play compatible games from the PlayStation Store. Basically, these are games for the first PS One console, adapted for smartphones, or new games specially written for them.

Performance

The hardware platform of the Sony Xperia S (model LT26i) is based on a Qualcomm Snapdragon MSM8260 single-chip system with an ARMv7 architecture CPU that contains two cores operating at a frequency of 1.5 GHz. In addition to the central processor, there is an Adreno 220 graphics coprocessor. All this power is served by 1 GB of RAM. Flash memory on board is 32 GB, and it cannot be expanded with memory cards due to the lack of a slot for them.

In Quadrant Standard, the communicator confidently overtook another HD-screen owner - Samsung Galaxy Nexus, and according to the results of the comprehensive AnTuTu Benchmark, both flagships are almost equal, but Galaxy Nexus is slightly ahead (6260 points against 6146).

In terms of graphics performance in NenaMark2 (v2.2), the Sony Xperia S is again ahead: 37.5 fps versus 24.7 fps for the Samsung Galaxy Nexus.

In terms of battery life, the Sony Xperia S cannot and should not shock with records. If you're lucky, it will last until the middle of the next day, but it's better to charge every evening. This, of course, concerns the normal workload mode, when both the Wi-Fi module is turned on and GPRS is not turned off, plus a few phone calls and SMS, a little surfing the Internet while listening to music. The operating time will be greatly shortened if you use GPS navigation or watch a movie. Continuous listening to music on headphones lasted about 23 hours, and watching a movie in an AVI container at 720p emptied the battery in 5 hours.

Outcome

When compared with competitors - with those models that claim to be flagships today - it should be borne in mind that Sony Xperia S is a flagship new season, which "shot" the first of the new products. Now the smartphone is already available for pre-order in Sony Store branded stores at a price of 24,990 rubles. But the rest of the top new products have not yet reached the counter, so the summary table now contains the flagships of the last season, which will soon be replaced.

	Sony Xperia S	Galaxy Nexus i9250	Samsung Galaxy S II	HTC Titan
Screen (size in inches, matrix type, resolution)	4.3″, LCD TFT TN, 720×1280	4.65″, Super AMOLED HD PenTile, 720×1280	4.3″, Super AMOLED Plus, 480×800	4.7″, S-LCD, 480×800
SoC	Qualcomm Snapdragon MSM8260 @1.5 GHz (2 cores, Scorpion)	TI OMAP 4460 @1.2GHz (2 cores, ARM Cortex-A9)	Samsung Exynos 4210 @1.2GHz (2 cores, ARM Cortex-A9)	Qualcomm Snapdragon MSM8255 @1.5GHz (1 core, Scorpion)
RAM	1 GB	1 GB	1 GB	512 MB
Flash memory	32 GB	16 or 32 GB	16 GB	16 GB
Memory card support	No	No	microSD (up to 32 GB)	No
Operating system	Google Android 2.3 upgraded to 4.0 with custom skin	Google Android 4.0	Google Android 4.0 (update) with Samsung TouchWiz 4.0 skin	Windows Phone 7.5
cameras	rear (12 MP; video - 1920 × 1080), front (1.3 MP)	rear (5 MP; video - 1920 × 1080), front (1.3 MP)	rear (8 MP; video - 1920 × 1080), front (2 MP)	rear (8 MP; video - 1280 × 720), front (1.3 MP)
Dimensions, weight	128.0×64.0×10.6mm, 144g	135.5×67.9×9.47mm, 135g	125.3×66.1×8.49mm, 116g	131.5×70.7×9.9mm, 160g
Price*	24 990	26 990	24 290	22 990

As can be seen from the table, there was no outstanding breakthrough with the release of the Sony Xperia S. Perhaps only in terms of the camera Sony Xperia S can be included in the market leaders, and it's not a fact that Nokia N8 will give up without a fight in the competition for the championship.

Nevertheless, Sony Xperia S is quite worthy of being the flagship. It showed excellent results in synthetic tests, has an interesting unbroken design, high-quality case materials and decent hardware characteristics. Given its "pedigree" and not shocking price even at the time of the start of sales, Sony's new top-end smartphone can count on a serious share of attention from buyers.

08 / 04 / 2012

This year, as in the previous two Sony Ericsson, Sony, to use the words of the classic, "is in a hurry to live and feel in a hurry." Like LG, the company hastily announces and brings new products to the market, trying to get ahead of competitors in technology. On the one hand, such a rush allows the first to sell a smartphone with an HD screen (Galaxy Note does not count), on the other hand, buyers are doomed to receive an update to Android 4.0 later than buyers of HTC One or the new Galaxy SIII, which is still rumored. In any case, it has a number of other advantages - good design (especially if you remember how similar numerous Android smartphones of competitors are to each other, you will never confuse them with this model, and it with other Sony Ericsson models released earlier), good performance, the ability to experiment with the newfangled NFC (only Sony has figured out how to do this conveniently for the user), and an interesting camera with 3D shooting capabilities borrowed from Sony cameras.

Specifications and equipment Sony XPERIA S (LT26i)

So, the main thing that we will remember is a 4.3-inch screen with a resolution of 1280x720, a 12-megapixel camera, a 2-core processor with a frequency of 1.5 GHz and NFC support "enhanced" by two smart tags that allow you to perform a chain of operations. But there is no support for memory cards, there is a non-removable battery inside, and there was a place on the case for a microHDMI socket. It is worth remembering that, according to the latest telephone fashion, microSIM cards are used in the device. Today, this is a unique set of characteristics, although everyone has long known that 12 megapixels is less interesting than, for example, a xenon flash, and the lack of expandable memory is completely perceived with hostility by geeks who it is extremely important to control everything, despite the fact that that the whole world for a long time did not care about installing a memory card in a phone with 32 gigabytes. It is also worth mentioning the unique possibilities of photography in 3D (including panoramas), but more on that later.

Frankly speaking, a smartphone for 6,500 hryvnias could use a player control panel on the headset wire, but that's how it is.

Sony Ericsson is written on the fork (there is no need to remake it, in fact, since the car has already been produced). The second inscription "Green Heart" reminds of the environmental direction in the company. This is when saving on the wire, the company is trying to reduce the amount of plastic and all sorts of poorly recycled materials in order to cause less harm to the environment when the plug falls into disrepair and ends up in a landfill.