Sony Xperia J

Overview

One of the best mid-range Android smartphone

Overview of Sony Xperia J

Judging by the myriad Xperia handset models in the market today, Sony seems to be aggressively going after its target groups within the smartphone market. Thankfully, each model has a unique selling proposition. For instance, Sony Xperia J has “big screen entertainment” as its overarching theme and here is a full review of the handset.

Sony Xperia J Design and Build Quality

The phone packs a 1 GHz Snapdragon S1 processor and has 512 MB of internal memory. A pre-installed GPU ensures unmatched rendering of content in the phone’s 4.0’’ 854 x 480 pixels TFT touchscreen. Xperia J weighs 124 grams and has dimensions of 124.3 x 61.2 x 9.2 mm, making it quite thinner than its key competitors. It is available in four colors: white, black, pink, and gold. The smartphone runs on Android 4.0.4 (Ice Cream Sandwich). The Li-ion 1750 mAh battery runs up to 607 hours in standby mode and 7 hours in talk time, both in 3G.

User Interface and Comfort to Use Sony Xperia J

The smartphone has highlights on the power and volume buttons on the right edge for easy access. The chrome trim as well as the curved back makes it uniquely comfortable in the hand.

Telephony and Phonebook

Phonebook features include caller groups, unlimited entries, multiple numbers per contact, ring ID and picture ID. Voice dialing, voice commands, and voice recording are also available.

Messaging and Emails

Messaging and emailing options include SMS (Threaded View), MMS, IM, email, and push email.

Gallery Photo Viewer and Media Player

The photo viewer supports still image formats such as JPEG, BMP, GIF, PNG and JPG. The media player features an album art cover, music recognition and background playback.

Sony Xperia J Music Player and FM Radio

Supported media files in the music player include MP3, WAV, WMA and eAAC. The gadget has an RDS FM radio with an audio quality of 80.8 dB, both for noise and crosstalk. Nevertheless, the loudspeaker is somewhat feeble.

Sony Xperia J Camera and Image Quality

Sony Xperia J features a 5MP (2592 x 1944) pixels camera, with LED flash and flash. This is not a bad one for personal shots. The downside is that image noise is noticeable when taking shots in weak light.

Video Camera and Video Quality

The 5MP camera captures video with VGA quality of 30fps. The front camera is much of a webcam for video calls. Its 0.3 MP resolution is excessively low.

Sony Xperia J Connectivity Options

Below are the available connectivity options:

• Bluetooth v2.1
• Micro USB port
• Wi-Fi b/g/n and Wi-Fi support
• HSPDA, HSUPA
• GSM/EDGE/GPRS and UMTS support

Organizer and other Utility Tools

Tools include, among others, a calendar, alarm, calculator, notes, and bar code reader and document viewer,

Sony Xperia J Web Browser and Applications

The smartphone utilizes HTML 5 and Adobe Flash browsers. Java is available via MIDP Emulator.

Google Maps and GPS

The smartphone has A-GPS support.

Value for Money

The best price for Xperia J in India is Rs.12,105 on eBay (approx., may vary). Prices in Bangalore, Chennai and Hyderabad range between Rs 15, 500 and Rs. 16,000, which is a decent price for a mid-range handset.

Verdict

The 512 MB working memory gives Sony Xperia J may not sit well with users who are avid on multitasking. However, with Android 4.0.4 and the possibility of upgrading to Android 4.1, the Xperia J is actually a smartphone with a good feel.