Xperia Arc - Preorder from Clove for 350 Pounds

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kiwijunglist

2862 posts

Uber Geek

# 77611 18-Feb-2011 21:28

SonyEricsson Xperia Arc - 350 pounds @ Clove

125 x 63 x 8.7-10 mm
4.2" 854x480 LCD
Android 2.3
512mb RAM
8GB MicroSD
1Ghz CPU
8MP Autofocus Camera (Should have very good low light performance)

http://www.gsmarena.com/sony_ericsson_xperia_arc-3619.php

http://www.sonyericsson.com/cws/corporate/products/phoneportfolio/specification/xperiaarc

http://www.clove.co.uk/sony-ericsson-xperia-arc

What do you think? Sounds like a pretty sweet deal for ~$750 if you don't get pinged by customs, it will be the only android with a descent camera lens.

HTPC / Home automation (home assistant) enthusiast.

mrgsm021

731 posts

Ultimate Geek

# 441323 18-Feb-2011 21:48

Very nicely designed, especially the Arc body, but Gingerbread 2.3 but no front facing camera? Not dual core, I will probably go for the SGS II.

kiwijunglist

2862 posts

Uber Geek

# 441348 18-Feb-2011 22:28

for me front facing camera is a gimmick, i've had phones with front facing cameras for ages and never used them, they are only useful for self portrait as no one does video calling. Yes Dual core sounds good, but I can't see myself needing a lot of multitasking and also the SGS II is 550 Pounds vs Arc for 350 pounds, and the arc will have a much better camera.

HTPC / Home automation (home assistant) enthusiast.

NZtechfreak

4649 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

# 441363 18-Feb-2011 22:58

If the camera or aesthetics are the main priorities then the Arc is a good choice (although if video is also important the the SGS2 is better), I think its a stunning handset to look at.

If those things are not paramount then I think its just a shame that its not really current hardware, and its likely to have ferocious anti-Root and custom ROM protection like the X10 had before it... would struggle to recommend it over other companies flagships.

Twitter: @nztechfreak
Blogs: HeadphoNZ.org

Disinfo

72 posts

Master Geek

# 441370 18-Feb-2011 23:20

NZtechfreak: If the camera or aesthetics are the main priorities then the Arc is a good choice (although if video is also important the the SGS2 is better), I think its a stunning handset to look at.

If those things are not paramount then I think its just a shame that its not really current hardware, and its likely to have ferocious anti-Root and custom ROM protection like the X10 had before it... would struggle to recommend it over other companies flagships.

This says all you need to know about Sony-Ericsson and their attitude to Android:

I wouldn't consider one of their devices until they prove they can provide decent support (remember this was their flagship, its not a Cliq XT type situation)

NZtechfreak

4649 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

# 441371 18-Feb-2011 23:32

I feel the same, the experience with X10 has seriously tarnished Sony's Android credibility.

That said there are some early signs they learnt something from all of that however - their portfolio this year will ship with the most up to date version of the OS, and they have dialed back their custom UI, so it should pose less of a barrier to speedy updates.

I hope they can deliver, if they fail to then I think they will irreparably damage their
brand where Android is concerned (which would be a shame, since its their only hope in the smartphone market).

Twitter: @nztechfreak
Blogs: HeadphoNZ.org

kiwijunglist

2862 posts

Uber Geek

# 441381 19-Feb-2011 00:41

i just really want an android with good form factor and camera. As long as it does android froyo or gingerbread without issues then that should be good enough for me for 2 years. Custom rom protection sounds a bit dodge though, i just wish someone would make a kickass camera android phone.

HTPC / Home automation (home assistant) enthusiast.

Disinfo

72 posts

Master Geek

# 441463 19-Feb-2011 12:06

The form factor is really working against it - there simply isn't enough room for a decent sensor and lens setup in there.

kiwijunglist

2862 posts

Uber Geek

# 441469 19-Feb-2011 12:39

It's got the best sensor & lens of all the current android phones, has a larger aperture and the exmor R backlit sensor is supposably really sensitive/good.

http://androinica.com/2011/01/18/xperia-arc-to-finally-deliver-a-decent-mobile-camera-sensor/

HTPC / Home automation (home assistant) enthusiast.

kiwijunglist

2862 posts

Uber Geek

# 441470 19-Feb-2011 12:44

goto http://www.gsmarena.com/piccmp.php3?idType=3&idPhone1=3619&idPhone2=3252&idPhone3=3115

Select Scale to 5MP or scale to 8MP and compare the camera, it almost as good as N8 and is better than iPhone 4 / Galaxy S / Desire HD. Also the photos are taken with pre-production Xperia Arc, so expect the final version to deliver slightly better photos.

HTPC / Home automation (home assistant) enthusiast.