Image from Sony
Along with the Apple iPhone, the latest Android smartphones are making their mark on the consumer market. The Android operating system has two things in its favour – one is the amount of customisation possible. The other is the excellent range of apps available from the Android Market. Take a look at online stores to see what Android handsets are on offer in the latest mobiles listings.
One of the latest Android smartphones to enter the market is the Sony Xperia Arc, which will be available from Expansys when it is released. The touchscreen is 4.2 inches; moreover it’s a TFT LCD screen, which offers accurate colour reproduction and is very sharp, with an 854×480 pixel resolution.
The ultra-slim handset has Sony’s Bravia Engine image-processing technology. Sony claims the system offers the best in sharpness, colour, noise and contrast, making it great for viewing downloaded videos. Hardware-wise, the Xperia Arc may not be the most sturdy of the latest mobiles, with its ultra-slim, plastic case but Sony has included a shatterproof cover.
Cameras are becoming an important feature on the latest mobiles and the Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc has a snapper with a whopping 8.1 megapixel processor and its Exmor R CMOS sensor is of a type that is appearing on compact cameras. In addition the camera is complimented with an LED flash. The Xperia Neo, available from Expansys, also boasts an 8-megapixel camera.
HD video is appearing on smartphones not even at the top end of the market and the Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc offers 720p video. What is more, you can even view them on your TV because the handset features a mini-HDMI port. But it doesn’t stop there, the phone, which is to be supplied with an HDMI cable, will allow you to see whatever you’re doing on your phone screen on your TV screen.
In terms of connection, the Xperia Arc has 3G, HDSPA and Wi-Fi on board. It should be speedy, thanks to a Qualcomm Snapdragon 1 GHz processor and it runs the latest version of Android 2.3 (aka Gingerbread) so should be a dab hand at multitasking. The Sony Xperia Arc has AGPS, which should allow you to gain a quicker fix for navigation. Sony has also added the Neoreader barcode scanner and Track ID app.
