Sony Ericsson Xperia Neo: Another Xperia Innovation

We love it when Sony Ericsson release a new phone to add to their Xperia range of Android phones, so when we heard that the coveted Xperia Arc was expending a younger sibling in the form of the Xperia Neo, we were beside ourselves with anticipation, but with similar specifications to the Arc does the Neo bring any new cards to the table?

Well as we’ve come to expect from the Swedish-Japanese giants the Xperia Neo comes with an excellent camera. At 8.1 megapixels, the same as it’s big brother the Arc, we love the resulting images when using this phone. Of course the quality is superb in daylight conditions, but the Neo is also amazing at capturing night-time images due to it’s LED flash and Exmor R light sensor. To be completely honest, we feel the camera is most likely the best feature of the Xperia Neo and is a strong selling point on its own. As well as the features named above, the shutter key has a handy click to focus feature which is quick to respond when in use. There is also a shutter release on the touchscreen, a handy alternative should you feel it more comfortable.

In addition to the still image capabilities, you can also record video at 720p, a really impressive feature for a mid-range smartphone. Though we’re not overwhelmed by this due to the 1080p HD capabilities of phone’s such as the HTC Sensation, the Xperia Neo doesn’t set out to rival the iPhone 4, so we’re more than pleased with what the video recording features have to offer.

Another nifty little media feature is the ability of watching our favourite TV shows on the BBC iPlayer Android App on our television set via HDMI, which is incredibly handy in light of the absence of the iPlayer on most Freeview boxes.

We don’t really need to say much in terms of aesthetics, the Xperia Neo is an attractive looking handset with a responsive capacitive touchscreen that dominated the anterior view. In order not to wax lyrical about the other specifications of the Neo, that is all we feel we need to say about the exterior of the phone.

Sony Ericsson has included the UI refinements it has been developing for its Xperia phones on the Xperia Neo. Amongst the many features we love includes the ability to create miniature folders on our homescreen, allowing us to store games, utility apps, camera apps and more in specified areas. Of course Sony Ericsson have also felt the need to include many in-phone features for the Facebook database, saving Facebook photos you’re tagged in to your own gallery. So if you’re feeling a tad narcissistic you can view images of yourself on your phone rather than going online. In addition, Facebook friends’ profile information is also synced to the phone in the contacts area of the handset, another nice touch.

We also feel it is important to note that the Xperia Neo is also part of Sony Ericsson’s eco-friendly GreenHeart range. Although this usually means that the phone is on the lower end of the price and specification area, but the Neo is the hands down winner of being the most advanced phone in the GreenHeart range to date, meaning it is an environmentally-friendly high-tech phone.

Unfortunately with every great phone there are bound to be some downsides. As you may have noticed, there’s not much difference between the Neo and the Arc, making the Neo look a bit like an ugly sister to the Arc’s beautifully wide screen and concave waistline, as the Neo is a bit on the plumper side. Fortunately it isn’t a hideous thing, but the Arc definitely does win the beauty contest.

Sometimes we feel that the 3.7 inch touchscreen is on the narrower side, leading to a more cramped experience in comparison to the Arc, and the plastic casing is slightly unfavourable to the fingers. The default virtual QWERTY keyboard isn’t the best-working on the Neo handset, leading to a few typing errors, but you are able to download a more suitable keyboard from the Android Marketplace.

For those who want an inexpensive phone with an excellent camera then the Sony Ericsson Xperia Neo is the best phone for you, proving to be a more high-tech version of the Arc. If you value a bit more style and good looks then stick perhaps it would be better to purchase the Arc, and likewise if you have the Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc it’s probably pointless purchasing the Neo in place of it, as it isn’t that different. If you’re living with an older phone and want something that will double-up as an excellent mobile phone then the Xperia Neo is the phone for you.

With the difficulty of times, it is only appropriate to make sure that you invest on things that are surely worth it. Thus, if you are going to buy the Sony Ericsson Xperia Neo 800, make sure that you choose mobile deals with free laptop to make the most of what you spent.