Top Upcoming Smartphones In 2015

Competition was really ramping up this year, forcing Samsung's operating profit margin to tumble, propping up LG and Sony, and easing the pressure on HTC. The biggest winners, however, were the Chinese companies like Xiaomi, Huawei, Lenovo and Oppo, which managed to churn out excellent value-for-money proposition, paving the way for their handsets not only in China, but attracting some global spotlight, too
Given this trend of increased competition, we can reasonably expect great handsets from the first half of next year as well, when the big phone makers, save for Apple, are traditionally introducing their flagships. From the CES expo in January, to the MWC one in the spring, and everything further, we are awaiting for Sony, Samsung, HTC, Huawei, Xiaomi and more to chip in, that's why we are rounding up five of the best smartphones that can be expected with reasonable certainty based on rumors and leaks in H1. 
While there are a host of smartphone makers in the market with a number of devices aimed at breaking the barrier in technology, this surely isn't the last time we will see hefty innovations being made in the handsets in the sector.
2014 has anyway been a brilliant year in terms of smartphone releases. We have seen the likes of HTC One M8, Samsung Galaxy S5, Sony Xperia Z3 and the Apple-made iPhone 6 hit the ground running. And although it's the end of the year, we are still far away from the smartphone juggernaut offering more handsets.
The coming year is also set to be one of the massive ones in terms of handset releases. We will get to see more new Nexus smartphones and tablets, new Samsung handsets, and obviously a fresh new iPhone. And the list just keeps growing.


Samsung Galaxy S6

The flagship Samsung Galaxy S5 has been on sale for a while now and the firm has seen disappointing sales so it's time to look forward to the Galaxy S6 which is codenamed Project Zero. but the manufacturer still remains the largest phone maker in the world, and the most profitable one after Apple. You can bet that all Samsung execs have taken notice from the S5 underpeformance, and will be coming out in full swing with the S6. Expected to be announced around the MWC expo in the beginning of March, the S6 might feature two versions - one with a dual-edged flexible display, and a standard piece with a 5.2" Quad HD panel, Snapdragon 805/810 processor, high-res camera with OIS, and a brand new design featuring more premium materials for the chassis.

Samsung Galaxy S6 Rumored Key Features

• 5.5 Inch 1440x2560 px display
• Super AMOLED
• Android v5.0 (Lollipop)
• Octa core 2000 MHz processor
• 20 MP Primary Camera
• 5 MP Secondary 
• 3G,
• WiFi,
• NFC 
• 32 GB Internal Memory,
• Expandable up to 128 GB 
• 4 GB RAM 
• 3300 mAh Li-Polymer battery

Samsung Note 5

Everyone always bangs on about Samsung's Galaxy S line-up, but it's the Note series that really impresses. The Note 4 was unveiled at a Samsung Unpacked event prior to September's IFA Trade show (3 September 2014), and right now sits at the top of our fastest smartphone and best phablet charts. Like the new iPhone the Note 5 won't be released until September 2015, but it's going to be well worth the wait.

Last 2 years have been something out of imagination and out of sorts with each and every manufacturing giant coming into the groove. With Samsung and Google showing consistency over the past 2 years, the likes of HTC, Nokia, Motorola and Sony have also chipped in. The top 10 smartphones last year included Samsung Galaxy Note 3, Samsung Galaxy S4, LG G2, Nexus 5, Moto X etc. Among all these, the smartphones from the Korean giant Samsung has been the most talked about. In the last 10 months, talks about Galaxy Note series from Samsung have heated up and the excitement among the tech-geeks have reached another level.

Rumored Key Features

• A 5.9 inch 4K SUPER AMOLED display pumping out 600+ ppi.
• 4GB RAM Internal storage capacity.
• 16GB, 32GB and 64GB which would be further expandable upto 128GB. 
• Aluminium finished edges with an all metallic curved body. 
• Will have the latest Android version which ever be present.
• It will even feature an Octa core processor clocked at 2.9Ghz with a 64 bit architecture which will be the Exynos variant and a Quad Core Snapdragon 808 variant.
• Finger print sensor and retina scanner is more than likely to be included. 
• An 18 Megapixel, 1/3″ sensor camera with f2.0 Aperture and 4K recording capabilities.
• 5 Megapixel wide angle front facing camera for selfies.
• Knox Security mode and Heart rate sensor.
• Super Battery Saver mode along with Wireless Charging
• Stylus S pen and Compatible Gear 4.0.

Apple IPhone 7

The iPhone 6 and 6 Plus were released in September, and in the months leading up to that the rumour mill went mental. Be prepared for more of the same with the iPhone 7, which will launch in September 2015 running iOS 9. As always, we're expecting a faster processor and some upgraded specs, but little change to the design.
Rumored Key Features Expected that the iPhone 7 might have a screen size bigger than that of the iPhone 6 Plus Speculations of having a quad-core A8 processor A 14 megapixel camera is also speculated iPhone 7's memory could be 256GB or even higher a quad-core A8 processor or even higher is expected 4G equipped providing better connectivity A new battery technology is expected to be in the works to provided extended hours of usage

Rumored Key Features 

• Expected that the iPhone 7 might have a screen size bigger than that of the iPhone 6 Plus Speculations of having a quad-core A8 processor
• 14 megapixel camera is also speculated
• iPhone 7's memory could be 256GB or even higher
• Quad-core A8 processor or even higher is expected
• 4G equipped providing better connectivity
• A new battery technology is expected to be in the works to provided extended hours of usage

HTC one M9

We are massive fans of the HTC One M8, and we just can't wait for a better version of the phone. Little is known about the HTC One M9, but you can bet your last pound that there will be one. And that it will be an extremely desirable handset. Based on HTC's previous form, the Android Lollipop-based HTC One M9 won't be here in time for MWC 2015, but we can expect to see it around March.

This might not be the official title, as the speculation is HTC will stray away from the One titling scheme, and yet the phone is expected to be announced in March, at the MWC expo, and be stuffed to the gills with specs. Reports claim it will have a 5.5-inch 2560 x 1440 display, 3GB of RAM, a Snapdragon 805 SoC, and a 3500 mAh battery, which are the expected upgrades. But, the HTC One M9 is also supposed to feature a 16-megapixel camera with optical image stabilization, meaning HTC could well be leaving behind the UltraPixel hardware. Also, given that Apple purchased Beats, HTC had to find a different audio partner,and that new partner could well be Bose. And, HTC may use an aluminum silicon-carbide composite for the body this time. We can't wait.

Rumored Key Features

• 5.2-inch screen with 1440 x 2560 resolution
• 2.5GHz snapdragon 805 processor
• Android 5.0 is believed to be pre-installed
• Unit offering 64GB of native storage One with 128GB of memory available
• Higher MP camera on

Sony Xperia Z4

Sony updates its flagship handsets every six months, so with the Sony Xperia Z3 released in September 2014 we can expect the Sony Xperia Z4 in March at IFA (running 2- to 5 March 2015). The Xperia Z4's specifications have yet to be confirmed (as has the phone itself), although rumour has it that it will be a super-fast Android Lollipop smartphone with an octa-core processor and a Quad HD screen

First things first, as the Xperia Z4 announcement seems to be just around the corner, with the CES expo in Las Vegas commencing in a month or so. There are conflicting rumors on this one - from "Sony will pull out all stops" and intro a monster with 5.4" QHD panel, to an info one insider sent us that says Sony will keep using 1080p display resolution, but up the chipset to Snapdragon 810. As for the camera, all agree that it will be Sony's newest stacked 21 MP model that allows for real-time HDR stills, and has 192-point AF tech for shooting blur-free fast moving objects.

Rumored Key Features 

• 5.2inch 2,560x1,440 QHD display
• Pack a 64-bit quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 Processor, paired with an Adreno 430 GPU
• A whopping 4GB RAM
• Run Google's Android 5.0 Lollipop software

 LG G4

We stand by our statement that the LG G3 is the very best phone you can buy in 2014. Things can only get better with the LG G4. The LG G3 was officially released in the UK at the end of June 2014. The LG G4 should be here around the same time next summer

Not to be outdone by the competition, LG will probably try to usher in its G4 flagship no later than a year after the G3, which pegs it for a May announcement, and a June release. Nothing has been heard about it so far, but an LG exec said breaking the 700ppi barrier is on the menu, plus LG display introduced the display panel with the thinnest bezel recently, so we can expect more innovation from the G4 in the screen department, besides an eventual pixel density increase. We are also looking forward to an even better screen-to-phone-size ratio, and a higher-resolution camera with OIS. Given the release timeframe, a Snapdragon 810 chipset has the biggest chance to go into the G4, too.

Rumored Key Features 

• Octa-core processor features
• LTE-A Cat 6 network capabilities,giving users the ability to access 4G speeds that reach up to 300mbps
• The Nunclun packs four 1.5GHz ARM Cortex-A15 cores for the tough stuff and four 1.2GHz ARM Cortex-A7 cores for the lighter lifting 
• Expected to be anywhere between 15-17/20.7 megapixels

OnePlus Two

The OnePlus One is an amazing phone if you've managed to get hold of one. It's priced from £229 but has the spec to match a £600 smartphone, hence OnePlus marketing it as a 2014 flagship killer. The OnePlus Two will more than likely be a 2015 flagship killer. (If it can work out is supply-and-demand issues in time.) OnePlus is still struggling to meet demand on its OnePlus One phone. Don't expect to see this one (and certainly not get your hands on it) until at least the middle of 2015. And that's if it ever arrives

Rumored Key Features

• OnePlus Two might have a smaller footprint. 
• 5.5-inch JDI 1080 full HD display with 401 pixels per inch
• It runs CyanogenMod 11S based on Android 4.4 
• 13 MP rear-facing camera
• 5 MP front-facing camera
• Uup to 64 GB storage capacity
• Powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor with 2.5 GHz

Microsoft Lumia 1030

It's do or die time for Microsoft's Lumia phone department, as the maker hasn't released a flagship phone for a while, and potential customers were flying away in droves nor knowing what will happen after Microsoft acquires Nokia anyway. The Lumia 930 was released in April, so the rumored first Microsoft Lumia flagship, the 1030, might appear in the spring next year, too. It is expected to sport a 5.5" Quad HD panel, Snapdragon 810 chipset, 3 GB of RAM, and a sweet new PureView camera with the jaw-dropping 50 MP of resolution, not to mention four HAAC mics for excellent surround sound capture.

Rumored Key Features

• 5.8 inch Quad HD display
• Windows 8.2 OS
• Feature a Snapdragon 805 processor
• 3 GB of RAM plus 
• 32 or 64 GB of storage, a microSD card slot
• 41 megapixel Pureview back camera and an 8.7 megapixel front camera 
• 4300 mAh battery and supports wireless charging

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Sony Xperia C : Reviewed

Mid-range smartphones might not attract as much attention as their flagship or high-end counterparts, but there is no denying that in markets like India, they are in massive demand.

Sony's new smartphone, the Xperia C is the company's attempt to win back some of the market share in mid-range segment it has lost over the past few years. The Sony Xperia C is also company's first tryst with a MediaTek processor.

Can the Xperia C with Xperia's signature design, dual-SIM support, and MediaTek quad-core processor deliver where the company's dual-core devices failed in the same segment? We try to find out.

Design/ Build

Sony seems to be following a consistent design strategy across the new Xperia range - the Xperia C boasts Sony's OmniBalance design, first seen in its flagship phone, Xperia Z, but misses out the rear glass panel and aluminium frames. The front and back of the Xperia C have a smooth finish, though the display is fingerprint magnet.

When we said it borrows design cues from its high-end Xperia siblings we weren't kidding, especially the distinctive metal power / lock button which is located half way down the right panel of the Xperia C. The power button protrudes out and was first seen in the Sony Xperia Z, although it's much smaller this time. Further, much like other Xperia handsets, this one also features a volume rocker and dedicated camera button on the right panel, all of which are easy to hit one-handed.

The straight soft touch plastic rear panel does mean that the Sony Xperia C sits comfortably in the hand and offers a good level of grip. The smartphone's rear, unlike the Xperia Z, is removable, hiding the dual-SIM and microSD card slots. Even though the phone has a removable back cover, the battery is notably non-removable.

Opening the back cover of the Xperia C is again not an easy task, and for the first time we opened it, we had to take some help from YouTube user-guide videos, just to ensure we avoided breaking the soft touch plastic rear panel.

The Sony Xperia C is a well balanced smartphone and although it may look chunky at the sides, it comes with dimensions measuring 141.5x74.1x8.8mm. The Sony Xperia C also comes in three colour variants - Black, Purple and White. We received the Black variant for review.

The front of the Xperia C is dominated by the 5-inch display with the standard Android buttons for back, home and recent apps appearing onscreen instead of below it. There is a Sony logo printed on top of the front panel, below the earpiece grill, where it the secondary VGA camera is placed. On the top edge lies the 3.5mm audio jack, while on the left panel is a micro-USB port for charging and transferring data.

The rear panel of the Xperia C houses an 8-megapixel rear camera with LED flash; also on the back is Sony's logo printed on the centre while an Xperia logo can be found at the bottom, just above the speaker grill.

The handset can be used with one hand, and does give a sturdy feel in the hands, better than some Samsung Galaxy phones. All in all, the Sony Xperia C looks decent enough, but is slightly bland in design.

Display

The Sony Xperia C features a 5-inch TFT display with a resolution of 540x960 pixels, and pixel density stands at the mediocre 220ppi. Sony has given a miss to BRAVIA Engine for the display, which is expected since it's a mid-range phone. The Xperia C's 5-inch display is the same in size as that of the Xperia Z's display.

The Xperia C's 540x960 pixels qHD resolution display is pretty standard for a mid-range phone and we had to zoom in to read text on Web pages. The resolution and pixel density of the Xperia C is far lower than some of its competitors in a similar price segment, like the Micromax Canvas Turbo and Spice Pinnacle FHD, which boast of full-HD displays.

The display produced bright whites and vibrant colours; however the Xperia C's TFT display does not produce deep blacks, especially when compared to an AMOLED or IPS display. While the Sony Xperia C renders images and text sharply, we observed that high-resolution images didn't appear to be as sharp on the phone's display, due to its low overall resolution. The viewing angles on the smartphone are not that great, and when you tilt the Xperia C, one can notice colours losing their saturation.

The touch sensitivity of the Sony Xperia C is decent and we did not encounter any issues while using the device.

Sunlight legibility on the Xperia C was good when we used the phone with brightness set to the highest level, though the screen is reflective to some extent.

Camera

In terms of photographic ability, Sony has equipped the Xperia C with an 8-megapixel rear camera, accompanied by an LED flash with Exmor R for mobile image sensor. The rear camera sports features such as 4x digital zoom, HD (1080p) video recording, touch to focus and sweep Panorama. The Xperia C also includes HDR mode for video recording, which has been seen on some high-end Xperia siblings. 

Other features seen on Xperia C's camera app include portrait retouch, self-timer, self-portrait voice guide, smile shutter, focus mode, ISO, exposure value and one can even adjust camera resolution.

The dedicated camera button on the right panel of the Xperia C makes it easier to launch the camera app and click images, without depending on the onscreen app.

We did limited testing of the Sony Xperia C's rear camera in outdoor, dim and indoor environments and found that picture quality was average, though a bit washed out and grainy at edges. 

The shutter speed on the Xperia C is comparatively slow than the other Android smartphones which means this will take pictures in a pinch. The Xperia C's camera disappoints while clicking low-light shots, which had a lot of noise.

The front facing VGA camera is pretty average and can be used for video calls over Skype or self-portrait shots.

Software / Interface

The Sony Xperia C ships with Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean out-of-the-box. It might not be the most up-to-date OS as being seen on Nexus devices, but it's the most popular OS found on mid-range smartphones. We are yet to hear any details about Sony's plans to update the Xperia C.

The Xperia C features Sony's new Xperia UI, seen on other recently launched Xperia devices. Similar to the Xperia Z, the Xperia C also sports the unlocking gesture feature, which resembles motion of fingers through a set of window blinds, and is now the signature unlock gesture support for Xperia handsets. If you don't like it, you could always choose a third party launcher over the default.

The Xperia C also comes with some Android 4.2 Jelly Bean features like the lock-screen widgets. One can choose from calendar, digital clock, Gmail, Google Now, Google+ posts and messaging along with any third-party app downloaded on the device. The widget offers details from the apps and help in performing certain actions even without unlocking the phone. Users can also launch the camera directly from the lock screen by pressing the power button and then swiping the screen on the right.

The Sony Xperia C offers themes from within the settings section, allowing users to change the colour scheme of the device (including menus) along with the home screen and lock screen wallpaper. One can choose to add up to seven homescreens or even reduce the number to one, and the Xperia C also features an option to change the default homescreen. These can be populated with app shortcuts and widgets.

The notification tray of Xperia C adds toggles for sound, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, mobile data and a shortcut to the settings menu. Sony also adds some of its own widgets for social networking service updates, power toggles and more.

Sony's Walkman music player app is decent and also features XLoud feature seen in other mid-range Sony Xperia handsets.

The gallery app, in addition to displaying pictures on phone, also allows users to connect to online services like Facebook and Picasa and view pictures online. The Xperia C's gallery app also includes a built-in photo editor.

For Internet browsing, the Sony Xperia C comes with the Chrome browser, and has given a miss to the stock Android browser. Since Chrome doesn't support Adobe Flash player, the phone is not capable of playing Flash videos, though it plays them after the Flash plug-in is side-loaded.

Sony also offers its own widgets, such as Music Unlimited and its own online stores. Most manufacturers like Samsung and HTC do this - clearly to draw users into their own ecosystems. But, thanks to Android's customisability features, these can be moved or deleted if not required.

The Sony Xperia C features three onscreen buttons at the bottom for back, home and recent apps. There are few apps on the bottom of the screen that are tied up to all the homescreen panels like Sony Music, Sony Liv, menu, messaging app and dialler. However, these options can be changed.

The Sony Xperia C also includes preloaded apps such as McAfee Security, NeoReader (for reading QR codes), Notes app, TrackID (a Shazam-like music recognition app), PlayNow, Smart Connect (lets users set an event when an accessory is connected to the phone), Xperia Link (to share Internet connectivity with Sony devices), Evernote (note taking app), Line and WhatsApp (instant messaging apps), LinkedIn, PicsArt and BIGFLIX. There's also a Socialife News app, which lets users view updates from different social networks under one feed and Sony Select, Sony's app store. Also on board is a free OfficeSuite app for editing and creating Microsoft Office files and documents and the usual array of Google apps.

We were also impressed with Xperia C's keyboard, the 5-inch display offers enough space to type accurately and even with speed

Performance/ Battery Life

The Sony Xperia C is powered by a quad-core 1.2GHz MediaTek 6589  processor coupled with a PowerVR SGX544 GPU, and 1GB of RAM. The processor found on the Xperia C is the same used by a variety of Indian smartphone brands, such as Micromax, Karbonn, Spice and Xolo.

The Xperia C includes 4GB of inbuilt storage, out of which only 1.20GB is user-accessible, but thankfully the Xperia C supports microSD card up to 32GB.

We encountered no lags while switching between homescreens on the Xperia C. In day to day activities, the phone feels smooth enough and you are not really left wanting for more power under the hood.

However, things get a bit choppy while multitasking. The Xperia C did lag when we paused a heavy graphic game like Shadow Gun, and switched for messaging - something that happened multiple times. Despite the device shipping with a quad-core processor and adequate RAM, it disappointed in performance department, where we also noticed certain delays in launching apps and opening mails or even notifications.

On the sound front, the Xperia C comes with the same Walkman music player seen on Xperia Z with an easy to use interface and the sound experience is decent both on the supplied headphones and the inbuilt-speakers. 

The 5-inch qHD display of Xperia C is good for viewing movies and videos. The smartphones was able to play full-HD videos and supported popular video formats like .AVI, .MOV, and .MP4.

Call quality on the Xperia C was fine on both the SIM slots. The Sony Xperia C is a GSM+GSM dual-SIM phone with support for 3G network only one of the slots. Further, the Sony Xperia C offers active standby feature, which implies that if you're on a call on SIM 1 and get another call on SIM 2, you'll be notified of the call and the calling party will get a 'call waiting' message.

The Sony Xperia C ships with a 2390mAh non-removable battery that according to the company can deliver up to 588 hours of standby time, and up to 14 hours of talktime on 2G networks. Based on our testing period the Xperia C delivered impressive battery performance.

We were able to get about 16-18 hours with normal usage on the Xperia C that included Wi-Fi switched on for all time; Internet browsing for about an hour; calls lasting for about an hour; display set on auto-brightness and with the usual notifications for messages, emails, Facebook, Twitter, Line and WhatsApp.

Verdict

The Sony Xperia C comes with a decent 5-inch display, good build quality and decent battery backup.

In addition, Sony's Xperia UI skin on the Xperia C is not as radical as HTC's Sense UI or Samsung's TouchWiz UI, and is simple and easy to use - in this iteration, it is much closer to stock Android than the others. 

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Sony Xperia acro S Review

Just like how oil and water do not mix, it is an unwritten rule that consumer electronics devices and water (alongside all other forms of liquid, of course) are not bosom pals. Having said that, there were water-resistant phones which were released in the past, but most of those tend to be restricted for a Japanese release only. Of course, other brands such as Sonim did offer (and still do as a matter of fact) water-resistant and rugged phones. It is rather encouraging to see that Sony Mobile has rolled out a more universal rugged smartphone in a design that is appealing across the board in the form of the Sony Xperia acro S. Needless to say, the main selling point of the Xperia acro S would be its IP-57 certification that allows it to remain underwater for up to 30 minutes, as long as it is not submerged in depths beyond 1 meter.

Design

Since I live in tropical Malaysia, one of the main considerations that I have during the rainy season is this - do I bring my phone out with me for my morning/evening walks with the dog, or when I go cycling and get involved in other kinds of outdoor activities, especially when the sky is overcast with raging clouds just off the horizon? With the Sony Xperia acro S, there are no two ways about it - the smartphone will come along with me, as it works even when you are pelted with showers from heaven above, and how about carrying that smug look when talking into your phone when you are completely drenched, and others look on in amazement?

I do admit that the Sony Xperia acro S, even though it has been released for quite some time already, is still capable of holding its own against the rest of the competition. Be forewarned, however, that any device that is white in colour would definitely show its age faster than if you were to choose the black variant. Both the 4.3-inch display as well as bezel blends in together in a seamless manner, so much so that everything looks pitch black when the display is not turned on, leading you to want to dance your fingers all over it.

Just like how there is no such thing as a free lunch in this world, the Xperia acro S’ water-resistant capability comes at a price - it is heavier and thicker that the other svelte (albeit more fragile) smartphones in the market, tipping the scales at 147 grams and measuring 12mm thick. Of course, one could attribute that to the 1,910mAh battery to a certain extent, too.

Since it is waterproof, it does not make too much sense to open up the back case in order to gain access to essentials such as a memory card and SIM card. This is why you are able to access both SIM and microSD memory card from the outside. While access to both these areas are lined with rubber via the plastic flaps, which underlines the water-resistance capability of the Xperia acro S, the plastic used in the SIM card tray felt rather flimsy, and I had trouble hitting the power button at a decent success rate, in fact, most of the time I had to hit it twice or three times before it registered.

Sony Mobile has certainly improved their lot ever since they “divorced” from Sony Ericsson, and you can clearly see a shift in design philosophy that trends more towards a miniaturised large screen TV, and the same applies to the Xperia acro S as well. With its 4.3-inch LCD display at 720 x 1280 pixel resolution, it comes with a pixel density of 342ppi (that figure is higher than the iPhone’s vaunted Retina Display) which clearly does away with any notion of pixelation, where even the most minute text remains legible regardless of how much one zooms out. Unfortunately, as everything has a price, the display does have run-of-the-mill viewing angles, although one must commend that the Xperia acro S has an above average outdoor visibility level.

Performance

Other than the water-resistant capability of the Xperia acro S, does it have the kind of processing power underneath the hood to entice you to part with your money? Well, the dual-core 1.5GHz processor does work brilliantly for most tasks, but if you happen to have too many apps running in the background, things tend to slow down a bit. Just to get an idea, when I gave Temple Run a go on the Xperia acro S, there were crucial moments when the game experienced some lag, and because of that, it did not register my latest swipe, sending my quarterback into the ravine when he should have turned left.

The display also works great with wet fingers, and I did approach the tap in my bathroom with some trepidation. After all, what if the Xperia acro S did not work as advertised, and I had to return a “drowned” unit? Thankfully, the planets were all aligned, and the Xperia acro S performed without a hiccup even when it was submerged in a pail of water, and when my fingers were wet, the screen still worked as expected without losing a pace in terms of sensitivity.

With Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich as the operating system of choice right out of the box, the entire user experience was smooth to say the least, although I do look forward to a Jelly Bean update that will deliver the much vaunted Project Butter. Sony Mobile has included their heavily personalized skin on top of the Ice Cream Sandwich experience, which did not feel as though it had intruded on the stock Android’s space, but rather, complemented it. For the average user, it would have been an improvement over previous experiences, and things will hopefully get better from here.

Even with Adreno 220 graphics and 1GB RAM in tow, playing graphically intensive games like Dead Trigger still saw some moments when the game freezes up for a second or two, and that is all right unless you have a horde of zombies right in front of you, and you have no idea as to whether your character is still alive or not after the lag period is over.

It is nice to see Sony throw in 16GB of internal memory, and for the average user, that would mean you might not even need to have a spacious microSD memory card unless you are a heavy multimedia user.

On the other hand, because the Xperia acro S comes with a 12-megapixel shooter at the back that also does Full HD video recording, you might find yourself filling up the 16GB of internal storage at a fast rate, and that would mean having to make use of the microSD memory card slot more often than not. You might even build up a collection of microSD memory cards faster than you you think, if you are a person who loves recording just about all moments in your life.

Battery Life

Since we all use our smartphones differently, the length of time that you need to pop out that charger differs from one user to another. Just to get an idea on the kind of usage that the Xperia acro S received under my hands, I make and receive around 15 minutes’ worth of calls each day, receive a handful of text messages where only a couple or so are worth replying, spend around 10 minutes on WhatsApp on average, get around half hour of Temple Run and Dead Trigger gaming in, while remaining connected to a Wi-Fi network for the better part of the day, relying only on my data cellular connection for approximately 6 hours each day.

As for the display, the brightness setting has been set at 75%, and I do not use the GPS feature at all since there is no need for it. Facebook and Twitter feeds remain dormant since I do not find social networking on a smartphone to deliver the optimal experience. This kind of routine would deplete the Xperia acro S’ battery by the time I retire for the night, translating to approximately 18 hours of juice. It is highly recommended for road warriors to pick up an external battery pack or use an in-vehicle charger whenever possible if you foresee yourself using the smartphone at a more hectic pace than I do.

Conclusion

A great display with multimedia capabilities that have yet to be obsolete even now, being waterproof up to a certain extent (but not one of those rugged handsets that you can toss around without a care in the world, the screen might be scratch-resistant and shatter-proof, but this does not mean it will not crack when all the cards are in place!), and a decent amount of internal memory to get you started off on the right footing with room for expansion are the main points to consider if you want to pick up the Xperia acro S, but do bear in mind that the battery life is something you would want to look out for, especially if you are a heavy user. Then again, it would defeat the purpose of purchasing the Xperia acro S if you do not want to take full advantage of its features, which would in turn give the battery a hammering. It has been out in the market for some time now, but the Xperia acro S can still hold its own against the newer smartphones, placing it one tier below high-end models but still occupying a place above the mid-range ones. Get this if you know you are able to charge your device at the end of each day without fail, otherwise you might want to look for something else that lasts longer on the road.

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