Xperia Ray– and elegant smartphone for everyday use from Sony Ericsson
Sony’s Xperia line of smartphones has seen a new interest since they made the switch from Windows Mobile to Android (although that left a lot of WM users angry, as there was no support for the Operating System anymore). Even though the first Android Xperia mobiles had quite a few problems and lacked software updates from Sony, their unique style and powerful hardware made them popular among regular users, as well as some modders that got the full potential out of their phones.
The latest flagship in the Xperia series is the Arc – a gorgeous slim smartphone that had everything a user may demand and looks very, very cool too. It’s no power monster, but who needs a dual core in a fashion item? However, as with most Sony products, the drawback is the cost but thankfully the company thought of that as well, and released the Xperia Ray – a smaller, lighter, cheaper version of the Arc that looks just as good and has the same hardware performance.
Beautiful Real Display and Exmor R Camera
The Ray has Sony written all over its exterior, from the smooth edges and corners to an all glossy finish and the semi-circle that separates the home button from the other two. Right above the touch buttons is the 3.3 inch screen, which has a resolution of 854 by 480 pixels – a unique combination that looks very good, just what you would expect from Sony (they’re famous for doing this on laptops). The contrast and colors are stunning thanks to the Bravia Engine, no wonder Sony calls it a “Reality Display”.
Another distinctive feature that we have already seen on the Xperia Arc is the ultra-sensitive 8.1 Megapixels camera with Exmor R technology, which allows it to take great shots in dark conditions using only the integrated LED flash – a remarkable achievement, I must say. The camera can shoot 720p videos, as well, and the quality is rather good for a smartphone. To go in line with current trends, Sony has also equipped the Ray with a small VGA camera on the front for video calls, although I’m not sure if it’s just a gimmick or people are really using this service (it’s pretty expensive!).