Review: Sony Xperia P

The Sony Xperia P is the “middle child” in Sony's NXT range, which caters for the low-, middle- and high-end smartphone user. The handset lacks the storage of the Xperia S, but outdoes the camera offered by baby brother, the Xperia U.

The mid-range smartphone debuts WhiteMagic display technology, which promises to deliver “the brightest viewing experience; whether at the beach or on the ski slopes”.

The first word that came to mind when I picked up the Xperia P was “sturdy”. Unlike its plastic older sibling, the Xperia S, I am pretty sure the full aluminium unibody on the Xperia P design could handle a few knocks, although purposefully throwing it on the ground was not part of this test.

The 10.5mm and 120g Xperia P looks very similar to other members of the Xperia NXT trio, with what has become the characteristic transparent sliver of plastic at the base. Personally, I find this a bit gimmicky design-wise, but at least the icons on this band of plastic actually do something, unlike those featured on the Xperia S. This “transparent element” integrates invisible antenna components and lights up when receiving calls, texts and notifications.

One of my biggest criticisms of the Xperia P is that it is still running on the Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) platform. Although there were promises of an upgrade for the second quarter of 2012, it seems a rather foolish move by Sony to introduce a new handset with an outdated operating system, especially when older handsets have already been upgraded to Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich).

The Xperia P is 3G- and WiFi-compatible and also supports NFC-enabled apps.

My hands are tiny and I found the keypad a little tricky to use - typing is a lot easier when the handset was turned on its side. I'm sure this just takes some time to get used to, but it is frustrating to have to constantly go back to correct typos. The predictive text option is handy. No complaints about call quality, as I was able to hear everything with perfect clarity.

The Xperia P comes with a four-inch Reality Display, powered by Mobile Bravia Engine and WhiteMagic technology. According to Sony, WhiteMagic technology “automatically adjusts the brightness of the screen to the surroundings to conserve battery life”. I tested this “magical” tech out in the Highveld winter sunlight and was pretty impressed.

While those around me where shading their phones so they could see what they were doing, I was able to use the Xperia P with ease. The screen is very responsive, which makes browsing through the various menus easy. Turning the phone on its side results in the perfect option for viewing images and videos.

The Xperia P comes standard with all the social media apps that one would expect on a smartphone. Sony has included the Timescape application, which brings together social network feeds for enthusiastic social media users. Standard Google apps come preinstalled on the handset, giving easy access to Gmail, Google and YouTube. Android Market is also available, which offers free Android app and game downloads.

The Xperia P has a 1GHz dual-core processor, which handles multiple tasks comfortably; however, the 16GB flash internal storage may not be enough for big app users, especially as the handset lacks a slot for a microSD card, and therefore does not offer the option of expandable memory. The interface is easy to use and users can move apps around so those used most frequently appear on the home screen.

The camera, for me, is one of the highlights, and puts the Xperia P on par with other top-end phones currently on the market. The two-stage camera shutter key on the side is perfectly positioned on the phone, as it is reminiscent of a normal point-and-shoot camera. I quite enjoyed the 3D camera, which one can use to take panoramic images. The picture quality feels a little like using Instagram, as even images of the most mundane things look exceptional.

The full HD video recording is also a positive, as it has great image and sound quality.

Fitted with a 1305 mAh battery, the Xperia P performs quite well. With heavy use, the handset lasts for 12 to 14 hours and takes two to three hours to charge. If you are a light user, you should be able to go a few days without charging.

If you are willing to buy a phone, only to have to update it in a few months, then the Xperia P is a decent mid-range option. With a retail price of around R4 999, the Xperia P offers many of the features found on top smartphones but with a price tag that is a little easier on the pocket.