Sony Ericsson Xperia Ray is a mid-range smartphone that runs on the Android 2.3 Gingerbread platform. It has a 3.3-inch capacitive touch screen and a processor with a frequency of 1 GHz, as well as one of the thinnest frames that can be seen on devices in this class.
Sony Ericsson positions Xperia Ray as a universal inexpensive device for Android. It lacks a large display with Xperia Arc, but it has amazing technical parameters.
Sony Ericsson Xperia Ray - overview and specifications
The smartphone is equipped with an 8-megapixel camera with 720p video option, as well as the Exmor R option for a mobile sensor that works brilliantly when shooting in low light conditions. You will also find that Ray comes with the latest version of the Sony Ericsson Timescape user interface and the Android platform version 2.3 of Gingerbread, which was once considered revolutionary.
A big disadvantage of the device is its 3.3-inch screen. Its small size looks rather strange in the era of such large phones as HTC Titan and Samsung Galaxy Note. At the same time, the screen resolution is fantastic, and any image looks extremely sharp. However, such a display may be somewhat inconvenient to operate, especially for users with thumbs.
Keeping a screen of miniature size, Sony Ericsson developers managed to create a truly pocket-sized gadget. At the same time, it is likely that many potential buyers will ignore it in favor of devices that are more suitable for controlling the fingers of an adult.
If you are not confused by a tiny display, then the Sony Ericsson Xperia Ray is a very good solution. The set of technologies included is simply amazing, and the size of the device is very small, it can easily be placed in any pocket.
OS interface
Like all devices with the name of the Xperia series, Sony Ericsson Xperia Ray runs on Android 2.3 Gingerbread. This is a very good version of the shell from Google, which offers a fantastic level of functionality.
You can run several applications in tandem, download games and applications from the Android Market, synchronize mail, contacts and a calendar with the cloud, use real-time widgets to keep up to date with all the events - from the weather to the updates of your Facebook channel .
The Timescape interface contains predefined widgets for Twitter, Facebook and text messages. This functionality has been updated to version 4.0, offering a number of improvements, including closer integration with Facebook, allowing you to share content from your phone.
Interface innovations
Timescape 4.0 also boasts several new features, notably xLOUD and Bravia. The first option increases the power of the smartphone speaker. This is really convenient if you happen to work in a noisy environment in which it is often impossible to hear the phone ring. However, increasing the volume actually distorts the sound.
Other features in Timescape 4.0 are visual rather than functional - for example, screen animations. It simulates a power outage on an old cathode ray tube television. Fans of retro chic will appreciate this feature.
The appearance of widgets has also undergone a slight visual change. Using the pinch-zoom command, you can display all widgets on one screen. Other changes to Timescape 4.0 are mostly disappointing. Sony Ericsson developers removed the popular Power Management widget.
Screen
The Sony Ericsson Xperia Ray screen provokes a mixed opinion among users. On the plus side, they believe that the LCD screen with LED backlight looks very original, with a resolution of only 480x854 pixels.
On the other hand, this is due to the fact that the screen has a size of 3.3 inches. The image looks crisp mainly because all of these pixels are clogged in a small display, much smaller than the Samsung Galaxy S2 or Google Nexus S.
This is a serious drawback of the device - the thin profile of the screen makes it rather cramped, especially when you use the QWERTY-keyboard option.
Fans of super-sensitive touch screens will be happy to know that Ray has a functional capacitive display. This type of screen does not require pressure to enter information. Multi-touch commands are also possible.
Keyboard
Unusually for an Android phone, the Sony Ericsson Xperia Ray keyboard (which is controversial due to the small screen) is alphanumeric by default. We can safely assume that Sony Ericsson has released such a package bundle due to the small size of the 3.3-inch display.
You can switch to the Qwerty keyboard in the phone’s settings menu, but it will be inconvenient to use it, especially if you have chubby fingers. Installing an alternative keyboard, for example, in Swype mode, avoids the inconvenience associated with the tiny screen size of a smartphone.
Design and appearance
Smartphone Sony Ericsson Xperia Ray is a very attractive smartphone. With a total thickness of 9.4 mm and a weight of only 100 g, this is one of those phones that will fit in any pocket and will not feel like something voluminous.
The device has a mostly plastic case with metal and rubberized areas. Metal gives the enclosure an additional appeal, while plastic provides an ultra-durable surface so that damage from accidental falls is minimized.
Control buttons
As Samsung’s main rival, Sony Ericsson is seriously outperformed in terms of physical buttons. There is no traditional search for Android, but the Back and Menu buttons are touch-sensitive. The only physical button on the front of the device is Home, which has a backlight mode. So, it lights up during charging, as well as at the time of receiving a new message or email.
On the smartphone case there are 2 more physical buttons - power (located at the top of the phone, next to the headphone jack) and a volume control lever (located on the right side at the top). On the opposite side there is a micro-USB charging connector and a data port, which, unfortunately, lacks a cover to prevent dust and dirt from getting inside.
Camera and video recording
The Sony Ericsson Xperia Ray is equipped with an 8 megapixel camera with 720p high definition video recording. There is also a front camera with VGA resolution for video calls. Like the Xperia Neo, Ray boasts an Exmor R option for image sensitivity. This allows you to shoot better in low light conditions, allowing you to get amazing pictures.
The camera also offers LED flash, smile detection and image stabilization. Adding autofocus means that macro and micrographs look great, even in low light conditions. All this will make it possible to make a good photo shoot even in the absence of significant opportunities.
Computing Power and Games
Sony Ericsson Xperia Ray is powered by a single-core 1 GHz processor, a graphics chip, and 512 MB of Adreno RAM. Although these settings are sufficient for basic tasks, the device is not powerful enough to launch the vast majority of new Android applications and games.
Test results show that the Xperia Ray is certainly not at the lowest level when it comes to computing power. Thus, a situation in which the Sony Ericsson Xperia Ray does not turn on for several tasks is unlikely. A wide range of 2D and 3D games run without problems. However, keep in mind that when you play games that require control from the screen, your fingers will obscure most of the display due to its small size.
Internet and applications
The small screen of Xperia Ray may cause some difficulties when using the Internet, however its high resolution and sharp browser can mitigate this problem somewhat. It is also worth noting that the phone supports Adobe Flash, so you can run content with flash content (video and interactive elements in the browser itself).
The phone’s web browser does not offer many features, but it performs its purpose qualitatively.
From an application point of view, Xperia Ray comes preloaded with several exclusive services. Some of them are paid, for example, Play Now.
Others are a little more interesting. The monitoring application can be displayed on the main screen as a widget, it monitors the amount of traffic from and to your phone. You can also set an alarm that will warn you about the balance of the personal account of the SIM card.
Communication and battery life
With support for Wi-Fi 802.11b / g / n, the Xperia Ray is well equipped for any wireless connection. Present DNLA as a standard, which allows you to effortlessly send images and music to compatible devices.
In terms of memory expansion, the Xperia Ray has a micro-SD slot capable of accepting cards with capacities up to 32 GB. A 4 GB card is supplied with the phone.
The music player has not changed much since the Xperia Arc, but it does not matter, because its functionality is very good.
Battery life is average for an Android device. A typical day with regular synchronization of data, web use and games will ensure that you need to charge the 1,500 mAh battery in the evening.
Sony Ericsson Xperia Ray - features and conclusions
Among the devices of a low price category, Sony Ericsson Xperia Ray is a very good option. Android 2.3 provides a pleasant user experience, and the 8 megapixel camera is very good, offering HD video recording and impressive performance in low light conditions.
The only problem is the 3.3-inch screen, which makes accurate data entry not too convenient.