The well-known company Sony Ericsson has long been entrenched in the niche of mobile devices. Phones from the company are famous for their stylish design and reliability. At the same time, the cost of the devices attracts the attention of buyers.
About phone
Sony Ericsson LT18i has become an improved copy of the previous model. The developers decided not to abandon the project, but added an overclocked processor to it and the slang changed color. Users rated the modified device on Android. Is this Sony Ericsson really so good?
Contents of delivery
Acquaintance with any device begins with a complete set. The packaging has a standard appearance, on the top there is an image of the model and features of the operating system. There is a sticker that makes it clear that the phone is on Android 4.0 (below - with the possibility of updating). In fact, the version of the system is 2.3.4. Therefore, to get an updated version, you have to work on your own. This is the first drawback that can be written to the account of the creators of Sony Ericsson LT18i. Not every user has the skills to get the coveted Android 4.0, and an experienced owner will not want to bother with the update.
Scope of delivery is standard. The box contains: USB-microUSB, power supply, headphones and an HDMI cable. For the latter, we can say thanks to the company. However, you are unlikely to be able to watch movies on your TV via HDMI - maximum photos and videos.
Design
Appearance Sony Ericsson LT8i is quite good - the company clearly has excellent designers. The front side looks very stylish and elegant. The display occupies almost the entire surface, and at the edges has a border painted in white. If we compare the mobile phone in appearance with its closest competitors, then it is clearly much better. The Sony Ericsson LT18i case is made of good plastic. Of course, under the pleasant design, weak “hardware” may be hidden, but the first impression of the device is a positive one.
The back cover of Sony Ericsson LT18i is presented in three color variations: white, pink or black. Made of frosted plastic. Fingerprints and scratches remain. On white, by the way, not so much. If you squeeze the phone in your hand, a crunch sounds.
The cover can be removed, which is becoming less common today. Underneath is a removable battery. A little higher are the slots for micro-SD and micro-SIM. You can remove them only if there is no battery.
Sensors and Buttons
On the front side of the phone are proximity sensors and lighting. To the right is the speaker. Here he is of high quality, the interlocutor is heard well. Sony Ericsson Arc S was left without a front camera. This will seem to some to be a disadvantage, someone will take it calmly. In any case, she would not be superfluous. Apparently, the developers decided to save money without adding a camera.
The lower part is occupied by mechanical buttons: "Back", "Home" and "Menu". At first, pressing the buttons is inconvenient - you need to get used to their location.
On the left side of the Sony Ericsson LT18i is a standard headphone input. On the right is the volume key, made in the form of a rocker. A little higher is the micro-USB connector and the indicator of missed events. Everyone knows about the company's demanding attitude to the quality of the cameras of its devices. In this Sony Erickson model, they even added a shortcut to it. However, the location was not chosen the best, so using the button is not very convenient.
At the bottom there is a microphone and a handle for attaching the strap. The on / off button is on top. Here it is round and sunk into the body. I must say that the power button somewhat spoils the appearance of the device. Nearby is the HDMI jack, which is hidden by a stub.
On the back there is a camera eye and an LED flash.
Display
It has a conventional LCD matrix. The diagonal of the screen is 4.2 ". Resolution is 480x854 pixels. There is no air gap between the matrix and the glass, which is an additional advantage of the Sony Ericsson LT18i. The display has high sensitivity. It has good natural colors. Not very high brightness, so it’s difficult to see the information on the screen in the sun Despite this, it can be noted that the display fades with rays an order of magnitude smaller than the popular SuperAMOLED.
Viewing angles are another drawback of the device. With a slight deviation of the phone to the side, color distortion occurs. This minus can not be called serious. Viewing angles are not very important for a smartphone, unlike a tablet.
You can rate the screen on a solid four. If you forget about the corners, then you can put a five.
Battery
Sony Ericsson LT18i, the firmware of which is produced through a special program, received a regular lithium-ion battery with a capacity of 1500 mAh. The battery is relatively weak, but the smartphone holds a charge for a long time. With standard use (calls, SMS, surfing the Internet, launching some applications and games), charging is enough for the whole day.
Developers claim standby time up to 460 hours. Talk time - up to seven and a half. You can listen to music on a single charge up to 37 hours.
In practice: in standby mode, the phone worked for a week, twenty hours listening to music with headphones (at maximum volume), five hours of watching video in HD format (with automatic screen brightness).
Communication opportunities
Sony Ericsson LT18i, firmware for which is on the manufacturer’s website, got all the features that are popular today. You can access the Internet through 2G or 3G networks. There is Wi-Fi standard 802.11. Thanks to this, the phone can be turned into an access point. There is Bluetooth for transferring media files. All functions can be customized to your personal needs.
Memory
Phone Sony Ericsson LT18i got 512 MB of RAM. Such a volume can be found in other models of the Xperia line. It may not be enough for some applications and games. Developers, apparently, saved by significantly cutting down on RAM. If you like to play new games, it is better to look at devices with a large amount of RAM.
The internal memory capacity is only 1 GB, while 300 MB is free. This volume is small and the user will have to purchase a memory card. The device supports micro-SD up to 32 GB.
Camera
The device received only one camera at 8 MP, there is an LED flash. Many refuse to purchase the device due to the lack of a front camera. Photos are crisp and vibrant. Not many other companies can boast the same quality cameras. The video is also good. Of particular note is the sound that has received an extensive stereo base.
The maximum resolution of pictures is 3264x2448 pixels. There is a digital increase. Image can be stabilized with built-in functions. Photos can be taken in macro mode. The developers did not forget about such a popular feature as face and smile recognition.
Video can be recorded in HD, that is, in a maximum resolution of 1280x720 pixels. Recording can be done in a variety of formats. Immediately after shooting, you can view the material on your home TV, thanks to HDMI.
Performance
Finally approached the most interesting.
Sony Ericsson LT18i, the price of which is about ten thousand rubles, received a Qualcomm MSM8255 processor operating at a clock frequency of 1 GHz. Interestingly, in the previous model, the developers installed a chipset with the prefix "T", which already received a frequency of 1.4 GHz at the factory. This device can also be dispersed, but it will have to be done manually. Not every user can do this (all the more correctly), so many will have to be content with what they have.
The graphics accelerator is Adreno 205. The device is fast enough. There are no strong lags and brakes. Launch demanding games on such a hardware will fail. Most popular apps are going fine.
In Quadrant Pro, the device showed 1289 points, which is much less than that of the flagships. Antutu Benchmark gave a total rating of 2844.
Software platform
A smartphone is sold with the installed version of Android 2.3.4. It is exclusive and installed on all devices of the line. It is possible to upgrade to version 4.0. Huge changes should not be expected. Outwardly, only some icons will change, as well as new widgets.
The new version released by the manufacturer, enabled the user to take screenshots by standard means. Now just press the power button and select the desired item. Some system errors have also been fixed. The operating system has become more stable and faster. Any user of the device can upgrade to 4.0 today.
Device in operation
In everyday use, the smartphone proved to be the best. There were errors in the programs from the developers, but they are insignificant. Checkboxes are also worth mentioning. Sometimes they were not marked in a different color, and it was difficult to understand whether the item was selected or not. Interestingly, the company was not in a hurry to fix this minor flaw.
Your device may lose Wi-Fi, even when not far from the source.
Otherwise, the device worked stably and quickly.
Conclusion
Sony Ericsson LT18i today is not the best option for acquisition by advanced users. The device has a lot of disadvantages that can scare away a demanding customer. The phone did not receive the front camera, which every Chinese “craft” has today, but many people really need it, for example, for video calls.
Not impressive is the hardware, which hardly launches some programs. You will have to forget about popular games. The internal memory is very small. You can find a cheaper model that boasts 4, or even 8 GB. The same problem with RAM. It is enough only for built-in applications, and the most meager remains for downloaded ones. And if the built-in can be expanded by means of memory cards, then what to do with operational?
The appearance of the device is good, but there are complaints about the mechanical buttons. It is clear that the emphasis was on design, but they were made very small and uncomfortable. I have to get used to it.
If these shortcomings are not taken into account, we can say that the Sony Ericsson LT18i is not much worse than more expensive brands. By design, it bypasses many eminent companies and at the same time has an acceptable cost. If you're looking for an affordable smartphone that's perfect for everyday use, the Sony Ericsson Arc S is a great option.