Those hoping and waiting for the PlayStation Phone will have to wait a little bit longer, but at least Sony Ericsson is stepping up its game. The Android 2.3-powered Xperia arc sports a supeslim arc-shaped design that's just 8.7 mm at its thinnest point and is crafted from "premium materials." We don't know what they are, but they have to feel better than the chintzy plastic Xperia X10.
The arc also looks to go toe-to-toe with Samsung's Super AMOLED and Apple's Retina screens with Sony's Reality Display technology, which is powered by a Mobile Bravia Engine (yes, of Sony TV fame). The 4.2-inch LCD has a resolution of 854 x 480 pixels, boasts over 16 million colors, and is made of scratch-resistant mineral glass with a shatter proof sheet on top.
The Xperia arc also has the potential to be the best camera phone on the market.
Enjoy some luscious photos and get the full specs below.Sony Ericsson is touting that it has integrated its Exmor R mobile sensor and a f/2.4 lens, allowing the arc's 8.1-MP camera to capture exceptionally bright photos and HD video in low light. An HDMI port is on board for easily sharing content with your HDTV. We're really glad that this handset is running Android 2.3, but we wish Sony would have included a Search button. We use that a lot on Google phones.
No word on pricing yet, but Sony Ericsson is promising that the arc (available in Midnight Blue and Misty Silver) will start hitting selected markets during Q1. As soon as we get our mitts on this sleek handset, we'll bring you some hands-on impressions.
Sony Ericsson Xperia arc Features and Specs
| Camera | 8.1 megapixel camera Up to 2.46x smart zoom Aperture f/2.4 Auto focus Face detection Flash/LED Geo tagging Image stabilizer Noise suppression Send to web Smile detection Sony Exmor R™ for mobile CMOS sensor Touch Focus Touch capture Video light Video recording, HD 720p |
| Music | Album art Bluetooth™ stereo (A2DP) Media player Music tones (MP3/AAC) PlayNow™ service* TrackID™ music recognition application * This service may not be available in every market |
| Web | Bookmarks Google™ search NeoReader™ barcode scanner Pan & zoom Web browser (WebKit) |
| Communication | Call list Conference calls Facebook™ application* Sony Ericsson Timescape™ Speakerphone Vibrating alert * This service may not be available in every market |
| Messaging | Conversations Email Microsoft® Exchange ActiveSync® Instant messaging Picture messaging (MMS) Predictive text input Sound recorder Text messaging (SMS) |
| Design | Auto rotate Keyboards (onscreen, QWERTY) Picture wallpaper Reality display Sony Mobile BRAVIA® Engine Touchscreen Wallpaper animation |
| Entertainment * This service may not be available in every market | 3D games Media browser Motion gaming Radio (FM) Video streaming Video viewing YouTube™ * |
| Organiser | Android™ OS Alarm clock Calculator Calendar Document readers Flight mode Infinite button Phone book |
| Connectivity | 3.5 mm audio jack aGPS Bluetooth™ technology Google Maps™ HDMI Modem DLNA USB mass storage USB support Wi-Fi™ Wisepilot™ turn-by-turn navigation * * This service may not be available in every market |
| Google™ services* * These services may not be available in every market | Android Market™ Client Gmail™ Google Calendar™ Google Gallery 3D™ Google Latitude™ Google Maps™ with Street View Google Media Uploader Google Music Player™ Google Phone-top Search Google Search widget Google Sync™ Google Talk™ Google Voice Search Set-up Wizard YouTube™ |
| Screen | Sony Mobile Bravia Engine 16,777,216 colour TFT Capacitive multi-touch 4.2 inches 854 x 480 pixels (FWVGA) Shatter proof sheet on scratch-resistant mineral glass |
| Accessories | In-Box: Sony Ericsson Xperia™ arc Battery (1500mAh) Stereo portable handsfree Micro USB cable for charging, synchronisation and file transfer User documentation |
| Facts 1)2) | Size: 125 x 63 x 8.7 mm Weight: 117 grams Phone memory: Up to 512 MB Memory card support: up to 32 GB Memory card included: microSD™ 8 GB Operating system: Google™ Android 2.3 Processor: 1 GHz Qualcomm |
| Availability and versions | Networks UMTS HSPA 900, 2100 GSM GPRS/EDGE 850, 900, 1800, 1900 UMTS HSPA 800, 850, 1900, 2100 GSM GPRS/EDGE 850, 900, 1800, 1900 |
