Six months ago back at CES, Sony managed to surprise us with the introduction of its flagship Android smartphone in the Sony Xperia ion. During the time, we were undoubtedly captivated by its stellar specs sheet that consisted of alarge 4.6” HD display, 4G LTE connectivity, dual-core processor, and a higher than normal 12-megapixel snapper. Looking back at it all, it surely sounded tasty in so many ways, but as time passed with no word regarding its inevitable arrival, our interest in it quickly faded into oblivion – even more when other prestigious smartphones began making their marks.Fortunately for all of us, the Sony Xperia ion didn’t end up becoming vaporware, as the handset was officially tagged with a June 24th release date very recently. Call us jaded, its specs sheet no longer commands our attention, but maybe Sony needed to do something else to rekindle our interest in it once again? Well people, they surely managed to do just that by attaching a competitive $99.99 on-contract price point to it. After seeing the HTC One X and Samsung Galaxy S III snatching the spotlight on AT&T’s lineup, the Sony Xperia ion needs to be on point in many aspects to stand a chance – and that’s in addition to its already stellar pricing!
Design:
Frankly, after seeing the Sony Xperia S and U launching overseas, we’re not all that amazed by the design of the Xperia ion. Rightfully so, it employs the distinctive Xperia design characteristics that have been a staple with series – like its hard lines and curved rear. In comparison to some of its highly esteemed rivals, the Sony Xperia ion is noticeable heavier (5.08 oz) and thicker (0.42”), but then again, it can be attributed to its sturdier choice of materials. Specifically, it casing is mainly comprised out of a brushed metallic material, which strangely gets dirty very easily. Nonetheless, its build quality is very good and seems more equipped in dealing against some punishment better than other plastic devices. All in all, it’s a solid made phone, but lacks the intriguing design styles found with other devices like the HTC One X and Nokia Lumia 900.
Display:
Yet again, we have to admit that we were smitten by its 4.6” HD (720 x 1280) Reality Display with Mobile BRAVIA Engine when our eyes first feasted on it back at CES. Indeed, we’re still attracted to it for the most part, thanks primarily to its sharp details, high pixel density of 323 ppi, neutral color production, and acceptable viewing angles. However, after checking out the displays on the HTC One X and Samsung Galaxy S III, which are somewhat more profound, we’re not as convinced by this one anymore. It’s nice with very few complaints, but we’re not totally bonkers over it at this point. For some odd reason, there’s no automatic brightness option on the phone, which alludes to the fact that it doesn’t pack a light sensor.
Yet again, we have to admit that we were smitten by its 4.6” HD (720 x 1280) Reality Display with Mobile BRAVIA Engine when our eyes first feasted on it back at CES. Indeed, we’re still attracted to it for the most part, thanks primarily to its sharp details, high pixel density of 323 ppi, neutral color production, and acceptable viewing angles. However, after checking out the displays on the HTC One X and Samsung Galaxy S III, which are somewhat more profound, we’re not as convinced by this one anymore. It’s nice with very few complaints, but we’re not totally bonkers over it at this point. For some odd reason, there’s no automatic brightness option on the phone, which alludes to the fact that it doesn’t pack a light sensor.
Although its brightness output produces some pleasant visuals, we're still finding ourselves shielding the display when using it in direct sunlight - plus, it tends to wash out slightly when viewing at subtle angles.
Processor and Memory:
Yes, it’s a dual-core CPU inside of the Xperia ion, but unlike its competition, it’s relying on the older dual-core 1.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S3 processor with 1GB of RAM. Call it madness or whatever, we’re not particularly too bummed by it, mainly because it still manages to perform decently – though, it’s quite obvious that its fluidity isn’t on the same pace as we’ve seen on the Samsung Galaxy S III and HTC One X. Furthermore, its benchmark results reflect its “older” hardware, but then again, we’re not that concerned since it performs sufficiently without becoming unusable at any point.
Out of the box, the handset is graced with a modest 11.24GB of free storage, while another 1.59GB is reserved for apps and other system storage. Lucky for us all, it features expandable memory via its microSD card slot.
Yes, it’s a dual-core CPU inside of the Xperia ion, but unlike its competition, it’s relying on the older dual-core 1.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S3 processor with 1GB of RAM. Call it madness or whatever, we’re not particularly too bummed by it, mainly because it still manages to perform decently – though, it’s quite obvious that its fluidity isn’t on the same pace as we’ve seen on the Samsung Galaxy S III and HTC One X. Furthermore, its benchmark results reflect its “older” hardware, but then again, we’re not that concerned since it performs sufficiently without becoming unusable at any point.
Out of the box, the handset is graced with a modest 11.24GB of free storage, while another 1.59GB is reserved for apps and other system storage. Lucky for us all, it features expandable memory via its microSD card slot.
Camera:
The greatest thing about the 12MP Exmor R sensor on the Xperia ion is how quickly it can be accessed. The camera interface is the same rich in camera functions UI as in the Xperia arc S, down to the 3D Sweep Panorama mode, whose results can only be watched on Sony's 3D HDTVs via the HDMI port. There is also a 3D Sweep Multi Angle panorama mode now, taken directly from the Sony Cybershot camera series, which has a narrower frame range, but can be previewed directly on the phone by tilting the screen left and right for a nice stereoscopic effect.
The greatest thing about the 12MP Exmor R sensor on the Xperia ion is how quickly it can be accessed. The camera interface is the same rich in camera functions UI as in the Xperia arc S, down to the 3D Sweep Panorama mode, whose results can only be watched on Sony's 3D HDTVs via the HDMI port. There is also a 3D Sweep Multi Angle panorama mode now, taken directly from the Sony Cybershot camera series, which has a narrower frame range, but can be previewed directly on the phone by tilting the screen left and right for a nice stereoscopic effect.
Software:
As expected, AT&T makes sure to let everyone know about its presence on the Xperia ion – the crew consists of AT&T Code Scanner, AT&T FamilyMap, AT&T Navigator, AT&T Ready2Go, Live TV, myAT&T, and AT&T Messages. Aside from those carrier apps, we also find Amazon Kindle, OfficeSuite, and YPmobile rounding out the list of third party apps preloaded on the phone. Oh yeah, did we mention that it’s PlayStation certified as well? There’s no separate PlayStation store just yet, but we’re told that it’ll be arriving in the near future to give owners a hub to easily purchase games.
As expected, AT&T makes sure to let everyone know about its presence on the Xperia ion – the crew consists of AT&T Code Scanner, AT&T FamilyMap, AT&T Navigator, AT&T Ready2Go, Live TV, myAT&T, and AT&T Messages. Aside from those carrier apps, we also find Amazon Kindle, OfficeSuite, and YPmobile rounding out the list of third party apps preloaded on the phone. Oh yeah, did we mention that it’s PlayStation certified as well? There’s no separate PlayStation store just yet, but we’re told that it’ll be arriving in the near future to give owners a hub to easily purchase games.
Performance:
We love that voices are clear, distinctive, and quite noise-free on both ends of the line, however, we’re sorely disappointed by the handset’s volume output. Specifically, the earpiece and speakerphone are simply too weak to hear our callers – thus, we’re forced to jam it against our face to listen intently.
During our time testing out the handset, the Sony Xperia ion didn’t drop any calls or fluctuate tremendously with its signal strength. From the looks of it, the ion manages to keep a steady -75 dBm signal strength in high coverage areas.
After using the handset for quite some time, we do notice that it feels a bit toasty in the rear. Compared to some other devices we’ve been checking out of late, its battery life doesn’t seem to be on the same level, as we’re left with less than a single day of normal usage. Obviously, LTE connectivity drains it like no other, but Sony is kind enough to throw in a rapid wall charger with the phone.
Conclusion:
Honestly people, the Sony Xperia ion would’ve been a downright success if it were launched months ago. At the time of its official unveiling, we were astounded by its commanding specs sheet, but seeing that it took an extremely long time coming to market, its appeal has lessened – even more now that we’ve experienced the HTC One X and Samsung Galaxy S III for AT&T.
Still, we can’t help think about its immaculate $99.99 on-contract price point, which is undoubtedly one of its greatest attributes – much like the Nokia Lumia 900. Of course, it offers a ton of value for the money, but as a whole, its lower pricing is consolation for the fact that its rivals have beat it to the punch in terms of release. If pricing is a concern, by all means, we recommend checking out the Sony Xperia ion since it has enough gas in the tank to compete with most of its esteemed rivals. However, if you prefer something more awe-inspiring and comprehensive, we recommend checking out the HTC One X or Samsung Galaxy S III.
We love that voices are clear, distinctive, and quite noise-free on both ends of the line, however, we’re sorely disappointed by the handset’s volume output. Specifically, the earpiece and speakerphone are simply too weak to hear our callers – thus, we’re forced to jam it against our face to listen intently.
During our time testing out the handset, the Sony Xperia ion didn’t drop any calls or fluctuate tremendously with its signal strength. From the looks of it, the ion manages to keep a steady -75 dBm signal strength in high coverage areas.
After using the handset for quite some time, we do notice that it feels a bit toasty in the rear. Compared to some other devices we’ve been checking out of late, its battery life doesn’t seem to be on the same level, as we’re left with less than a single day of normal usage. Obviously, LTE connectivity drains it like no other, but Sony is kind enough to throw in a rapid wall charger with the phone.
Conclusion:
Honestly people, the Sony Xperia ion would’ve been a downright success if it were launched months ago. At the time of its official unveiling, we were astounded by its commanding specs sheet, but seeing that it took an extremely long time coming to market, its appeal has lessened – even more now that we’ve experienced the HTC One X and Samsung Galaxy S III for AT&T.
Still, we can’t help think about its immaculate $99.99 on-contract price point, which is undoubtedly one of its greatest attributes – much like the Nokia Lumia 900. Of course, it offers a ton of value for the money, but as a whole, its lower pricing is consolation for the fact that its rivals have beat it to the punch in terms of release. If pricing is a concern, by all means, we recommend checking out the Sony Xperia ion since it has enough gas in the tank to compete with most of its esteemed rivals. However, if you prefer something more awe-inspiring and comprehensive, we recommend checking out the HTC One X or Samsung Galaxy S III.
1 comment:
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