Event Coverage

Sony Mobile Xperia Mayhem - Six New Phones: Ion, Acro S, Go, Neo L, Miro & Tipo (Updated with Video)

By Wong Casandra & Sidney Wong - 21 Jun 2012

The Cool Phones: Xperia Ion, Xperia Acro S & Xperia Go

Sony Mobile Xperia Mayhem 

The last time Sony Mobile made a show of its products was back in February, during the massive annual Mobile World Congress 2012 event. Fast forward to June, six Xperia phones, with estimated Q3 launch dates, have made its debut in Southeast Asia, bringing Sony Mobile's total portfolio to nine within a span of less than a year. If you were to consider the other phones launched earlier under the Sony Ericsson branding, the company has far more smartphones in retail, giving consumers a dizzying variety of choices. But for now, let's focus on the newer Sony Mobile Xperia phones.

Yay! Six more phones, six more choices!

While the phones announced today are missing the transparent band seen on the Xperia S, P, and U, they share many physical similarities with their cousins as you would see later in our article. All phones will come with Android 4.0 out-of-the-box, with the exception of the Xperia Go (Android 2.3 upon launch with ICS update in Q3 after its launch). Without further ado, here's the lowdown on today's Xperia event:

You probably need a discerning eye to tell the differences between the six phones but do let us spoon-feed you just this once. From left to right: Xperia Ion, Xperia Go, Xperia Acro S, Xperia Neo L, Xperia Miro and Xperia Tipo. Phew! 

 

Sony Xperia Ion

The Sony Xperia Ion was first unveiled during CES 2012, alongside its other flagship device, the Xperia S. Like its 4.3-inch cousin, the Ion is outfitted with a huge 4.55-inch HD 720p touchscreen with a 12-megapixel camera (both rear and front-facing cameras can deliver HD recording capabilities). Clearly, the phone is targeted towards those who primarily use their smartphones for watching multimedia and taking photos. The Android 4.0 device comes with a dual-core 1.5GHz processor and 1GB of RAM which will contribute to a sufficiently smooth user experience. However, while it was announced to come with LTE capabilities at CES, it is incompatible with our local 4G networks. As such, the version coming to Singapore is without LTE support.

The Xperia Ion features a 4.55-inch screen with its Mobile Bravia Engine technology which comes with 1280 x 720p resolution. Most of the recent flagship phones like Samsung Galaxy S III and HTC One X also sport similar screen specifications.

Sony Xperia Ion 

  Key highlights of the Sony Xperia Ion

  • Android 4.0
  • 4.55-inch HD Reality display with Mobile BRAVIA Engine / 
    1280 x 720 pixels
  • 1.5GHz dual core-processor
  • 1GB RAM / 16GB Internal memory / microSD expandable up to 32GB
  • 12-megapixel camera / 16x Zoom / Auto-focus
  • 1900mAh battery
  • 110g
  • 133 x 68 x 10.8mm
  • Color option: Black in Singapore
  • Availability: Q3 2012
     

The Xperia Ion is huge but is pretty sleek at just 10.8mm thin. The right side of the phone is crammed with small controls as you can see above, including the volume rocker, the shutter and power on/off buttons.

We are not big fans of its USB/HDMI protective cover's design as it feels a little tacky-looking and is relatively challenging to remove.



Sony Xperia Acro S

4.3-inch HD Reality Display touchscreen aside, the Acro S's main selling point would be in its PlayStation certification and its extra level of durability and protection. The former allows users access to Sony Entertainment Network and PlayStation Network on top of games offered in the stock Google Play app market (just like the Xperia Play smartphone). On the durability front, the Acro S is virtually waterproof and dustproof according to Sony. Quick demos at the launch further sealed this point as photographed below, so those needing a device that is a tad more resistant to nature, looks modern and features a wider range of gaming options - you're definitely in for a treat. Is it a worthy buy? You'll have to wait for our full review of it when the device is available.

Unlike the Xperia Ion, the Xperia Acro S features a three-button layout with back, home and menu touch controls. To access the multi-tasking tab, simply long press the home control in the center.

Sony Xperia Acro S 

  Key highlights of the Sony Xperia Acro S

  • Android 4.0
  • 4.3-inch HD Reality display with Mobile BRAVIA Engine / 
    1280 x 720 pixels
  • 1.5GHz  dual core-processor
  • 1GB RAM / 16GB Internal memory / microSD expandable up to 32GB
  • 12-megapixel camera / 16x Zoom / Auto-focus / f/2.4
  • Playstation-certified
  • 1910mAh battery
  • 147g
  • 126 x 66 x 11.9mm
  • Color options: Black and White in Singapore
  • Availability: Q3 2012
     


To further protect the phone from external elements, the ports on the device are protected with plastic caps. The only complaint? They're quite troublesome to deal with, especially if you often listen to music on-the-go.

The Acro S comes with a non-removable battery which might pose problems if the phone freezes. The microSD and SIM card compartments are lined on the left side of the phone.

The Xperia Acro S is built for extra durability and comes with scratch-resistant mineral glass display with wet finger tracking, IP55 and IP57 Ratings for dust and water resistance. The Xperia Go (featured on the second page) is built likewise for extra resistance against these elements.

 

Sony Xperia Go

While ultra rugged devices such as the Panasonic ToughPad A1 sport bulkier chassis due to their durability requirements, dust and water resistance features, Sony proves that stylish designs are still possible on smaller devices like the Xperia Go (and the Xperia Acro S). In fact, the Sony Xperia Go is one of the most aesthetically-pleasing rugged smartphones we've seen so far with its bright colors and sleek profile of 9.8mm thin. However, do take note that the yellow variant seen below is only available in Indonesia and Malaysia.

Who says rugged phones are ugly? The Sony Xperia Go is one neat-looking Android smartphone with the sleek and stylish signature design of the Xperia family.
 

Sony Xperia Go 

  Key highlights of the Sony Xperia Go

  • Android 2.3 (Upgradable to Android 4.0)
  • 3.5-inch HD Reality display with Mobile BRAVIA Engine / 
    480 x 320 pixels
  • 1GHz  dual core-processor
  • 512MB RAM / 8GB Internal memory / microSD expandable up to 32GB
  • 5-megapixel camera / 16x Zoom / Auto-focus
  • 1305mAh battery
  • 110g
  • 111 x 60.3 x 9.8mm
  • Color options: Black and White in Singapore
  • Availability: Q3 2012


By having the highest level of dust and water resistance (IP67 Rating) in a smartphone, it's only natural that the battery cover seals the internals tightly and away from external elements.

For a more visual overview of the cool phones featured on this page, check out this mini video clip to highlight the key aspects of each device:-

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