Sony Xperia ion HSPA - Technical specifications. Sony Xperia ion LTE - Technical specifications Version output for sony ion

As usual, Sony has installed a lot of different software. Here you have the well-known branded client of popular social networks Timescape, and the Track ID music recognizer, and file manager Astro, and office suite OfficeSuite, a barcode scanner, Evernote, and even a Walkman player found a place.

And, of course, Sony Xperia ion boasts an excellent virtual keyboard with all possible ways text input. You can choose from several layout options, and some will like to enter words without lifting their finger from the keyboard - Swype works surprisingly correctly, and with some skill you can learn to write very quickly.

Performance, battery life

Sony Xperia ion is built on the Qualcomm MSM8260 chipset - the Japanese are still wary of quad-core processors, so for now even Sony's flagship models are limited to two processing cores. The hardware platform is completely identical to what could be seen in the Xperia S, so the Xperia ion did not present any surprises.

The results in synthetic tests are at the expected average level, just like most other dual-core platforms. The smartphone's performance is sufficient for all everyday tasks, but there is no escape from the menu that slows down from time to time. In Quadrant, Sony Xperia ion scored 3183 points, and in AnTuTu – 8531.

The smartphone has a storage capacity of only 16 GB, which is half that of the Xperia S. But, unlike its predecessor, the Xperia ion boasts a slot for memory cards, while the previous flagship was content with only built-in storage. In our opinion, this is a big plus.

The battery is non-removable, as you already know, but there are no difficulties in this regard. The battery capacity is quite large - 1900 mAh, but there is nothing outstanding about it. The same Samsung Galaxy SIII, for example, could boast a 2100 mAh battery.

Nothing extraordinary in terms of time battery life Xperia ion did not show. One battery charge lasts from morning until late evening. At the same time, all the functions of the smartphone can be used in a very intensive mode. If you just call, write SMS and check your mail from time to time (disabling push mode), you can get one and a half to two days of work. True, if you really intend to use the device in this mode, you should rather look at something simpler. A fancy Android smartphone like the Xperia ion will be completely useless.

Competitors

Samsung Galaxy S III

Current flagship Samsung model V at the moment can be considered as a competitor to any other top-end device. If we compare directly with the Sony Xperia ion, then we must admit that the Korean smartphone has more powerful hardware and a camera of comparable quality, albeit with a lower sensor resolution.

As usual, Sony has installed a lot of different software. Here you have the well-known branded client of popular social networks Timescape, and the Track ID music recognizer, and the Astro file manager, and the OfficeSuite office suite, and a barcode scanner, and Evernote, and even the Walkman player found a place.

And, of course, Sony Xperia ion boasts an excellent virtual keyboard with all possible text input methods. You can choose from several layout options, and some will like to enter words without lifting their finger from the keyboard - Swype works surprisingly correctly, and with some skill you can learn to write very quickly.

Performance, battery life

Sony Xperia ion is built on the Qualcomm MSM8260 chipset - the Japanese are still wary of quad-core processors, so for now even Sony's flagship models are limited to two processing cores. The hardware platform is completely identical to what could be seen in the Xperia S, so the Xperia ion did not present any surprises.

The results in synthetic tests are at the expected average level, just like most other dual-core platforms. The smartphone's performance is sufficient for all everyday tasks, but there is no escape from the menu that slows down from time to time. In Quadrant, Sony Xperia ion scored 3183 points, and in AnTuTu – 8531.

The smartphone has a storage capacity of only 16 GB, which is half that of the Xperia S. But, unlike its predecessor, the Xperia ion boasts a slot for memory cards, while the previous flagship was content with only built-in storage. In our opinion, this is a big plus.

The battery is non-removable, as you already know, but there are no difficulties in this regard. The battery capacity is quite large - 1900 mAh, but there is nothing outstanding about it. The same Samsung Galaxy SIII, for example, could boast a 2100 mAh battery.

The Xperia ion did not show anything extraordinary in terms of battery life. One battery charge lasts from morning until late evening. At the same time, all the functions of the smartphone can be used in a very intensive mode. If you just call, write SMS and check your mail from time to time (disabling push mode), you can get one and a half to two days of work. True, if you really intend to use the device in this mode, you should rather look at something simpler. A fancy Android smartphone like the Xperia ion will be completely useless.

Competitors

Samsung Galaxy S III

Samsung's current flagship model can currently be considered as a competitor to any other top-end device. If we compare directly with the Sony Xperia ion, then we must admit that the Korean smartphone has more powerful hardware and a camera of comparable quality, albeit with a lower sensor resolution.

Sony initially released the SONY XPERIA ion smartphone in the US market for the local mobile operator AT&T. In the states, the smartphone, as they say, went to the masses and the company decided to release it in other markets, including Russia.

But the following story turned out: the smartphone officially began to be sold in our country only in September, this is a very late date for such a smartphone. At this time, analogues from competitors are already being sold on the market, for example Samsung Galaxy SIII costs 22 thousand. rub., there are excellent smartphones from LG and HTC. The launch price for SONY XPERIA ion was 24 thousand. rub. and the phone went unnoticed, as they say, “it didn’t flood”!

For Sony itself, this means absolutely nothing. This is not a flagship for the company, the SONY XPERIA S remains the flagship for now. If so, then the SONY XPERIA ion is a “plug” between the SONY XPERIA S and the expected new flagship SONY XPERIA TX.

But nevertheless, there is something to tell about SONY XPERIA ion.....

Device Specifications

Manufacturer: Sony

Model: Xperia ion

Year of manufacture: 2012

Opera. system: Android 4.0.4

Battery capacity (mAh): 1900

Dimensions (mm): (width x height x thickness) 68 x 133 x 10.6

Weight (g): 144

Processor type: Qualcomm Snapdragon S3 MSM8260

Clock frequency (MHz): 1500

RAM (MB): 1024

ROM (MB): 2048

Built-in memory (GB): 16

Communications: GSM 1800, GSM 1900, GSM 850, GSM 900, UMTS 1900, UMTS 2100, UMTS 850, UMTS 900

Wi-Fi: 802.11b,g,n

Other: EDGE, GPRS, GPS, HSDPA, HSPA+, HSUPA, NFC, UMTS/WCDMA, GLONASS

Screen size: 4.55

MultiTouch: Yes. 10 touches.

Protective screen coating: Yes, Sony's own glass.

Screen resolution (px): 720 x 1280

Screen type: TFT

Video accelerator: Adreno 220

Rear camera (MP): 12

Autofocus: Yes

Flash: Yes

Front camera (MP): 1.3

Speaker: Mono

Headphone output: 3.5

Other: FM Radio, G-Sensor, Gyroscope, Light Sensor, Proximity Sensor, Digital Compass

Memory cards: microSD, microSDHC, microSDXC

Connectors: microHDMI, microUSB

Features: Sony Exmor R camera sensor, Mobile BRAVIA Engine screen

Packaging, accessories

The smartphone comes in a flat rectangular package. The packaging contains an image of a smartphone and a brief description technical information. The same packaging is available for smartphones: Sony XPERIA U, Sony XPERIA Sola, Sony XPERIA P, Sony XPERIA S.

Equipment:

2. USB cable.

3. Charger.

4. Warranty card.

5. Various documentation.

6. Adapter for microSIM card.

The battery is not removable. As you can see, the equipment is budget. It's strange that the manufacturer didn't include an HDMI cable in the kit.

Appearance, design

By appearance SONY XPERIA ion looks just great. For me personally, this is one of the best designs in the smartphone market. Moderate thickness, sharp corners, pleasant weight, monolithic black body - all this creates the appearance of a fashion model. When the screen is turned off, the entire front part of the smartphone becomes a single whole and looks very impressive. The phone fits perfectly in the hand thanks to the rounded back. In appearance, the smartphone is suitable for both men and women, but the red color is more suitable for the fairer sex.

The smartphone is made of high-quality matte and glossy plastic. The back is almost entirely made of metal with a nice texture (inconspicuous vertical stripes). The top and bottom consist of matte plastic inserts. Glossy plastic runs along the perimeter of the screen. Few fingerprints remain on the screen and back of the smartphone.

The build quality of the SONY XPERIA ion is simply excellent, I would even call it a reference. There is simply nothing to complain about. Everything is done as high quality as possible. Naturally, there is no play, creaking or other defects. The build quality is top notch.

Functional connectors on the device body:

1. At the top end, exactly in the middle, there is a 3.5mm headphone jack.

2. On the right side is the on/off/unlock/lock key for the smartphone. Just below is the volume key. At the very bottom there is a separate button for the camera.

3. There is a microphone hole at the bottom end.

4. On the left side there is an HDMI and USB connector, which in turn are covered by a single plug. It is good when the various connectors on the case are covered with plugs, as this greatly reduces the risk of dust getting into the connector or damaging it.

5. On the front of the smartphone there is: a proximity sensor, a speaker, a front camera lens, LED indicator notifications. At the bottom of the screen there are touch keys: menu, home, back, search. The keys are painted white and are not backlit. The backlight is only available in the form of strips under the keys themselves. Controversial decision. Under the keys is the inscription "XPERIA". There is no automatic brightness control sensor.

6. On the back of the smartphone there is the main camera, flash, second speaker, inscription and logo "XPERIA".

Functional elements

The smartphone has Android version 4.0.4. An update to 4.1 is rumored to be promised before the end of the year. The main menu is built according to the 4x5 formula for three desktops. A shell from Sony called TimeScape is installed, it is one of the best shells. The shell itself has extensive settings. Navigation through the menu occurs smoothly and without any delays.

Support for microSDXC memory cards has been implemented. 64GB card. works great.

As mentioned above, the smartphone has a separate button for using the camera. A picture can be taken both from a locked state and directly when the camera is active. A very convenient feature, you can always take a photo at the right moment. In the camera settings you can turn off the shutter sound, which is good when you need to take a photo in secret, so to speak. The sensor installed in this smartphone is exactly the same as that of the SONY XPERIA S. The 12 megapixel camera allows you to take excellent pictures and even in the evening the pictures are obtained at a good level. I also think that at the moment this is one of the best cameras on a smartphone.

Examples of photos:

The camera allows you to shoot video in the now fashionable format like FullHD at a frequency of 30 fps. The video looks quite high quality on a 42-inch FullHD panel.

Screen. Screen size 4.55 inches. MultiTouch for 10 touches. Screen resolution 1280x720 pixels. Type TFT. Excellent screen for color reproduction (natural colors), great sharpness. In this screen there is no air gap between the screen and the protective glass, which is why the image on the screen looks simply amazing, as if alive, you want to touch it. It's a pleasure to watch the film in HD format. Keep in mind that a protective film is already applied to the screen using the factory method, which will additionally protect the screen from scratches. The screen behaves well in the sun; information is almost always visible. The only thing is the viewing angles are not very large. With a strong deviation, the colors on the screen fade, but this is most likely nitpicking rather than some significant drawback. There is a large margin in brightness, which is very good.

I’ll say a few words about the touch keys: they have some kind of inhibited reaction to touch, sometimes you have to press two or three times for some action to occur. Sometimes this drawback is very annoying when you need to do something quickly.

I really liked the sound in the smartphone. The speaker is moderately loud. There is a sophisticated equalizer with extensive sound settings. The smartphone has a Walkman application, which also hints at the music component of the smartphone. Excellent set of headphones. In general, lovers of high-quality music will be pleased. This smartphone is perfect for the role of an MP3 player.

The smartphone has an HDMI connector, which allows you to display any information on a monitor or TV screen. It is very convenient to view captured photos or videos.

In work, testing

The smartphone is equipped with a Qualcomm Snapdragon S3 MSM8260 processor and an Adreno 220 video accelerator. This is certainly not the best hardware considering the end of 2012, but nevertheless this combination allows you to play modern 3D games quite comfortably. N.O.V.A 3, Dead Trigger, etc. go without problems. When working in 3D, the smartphone heats up noticeably, but this does not affect its operation in any way.

Results in synthetic tests:

There is a full-fledged GPS module. There are no problems with navigation so that there is no point in dwelling on this point in detail. Works with Navitel.

Wi-Fi. This smartphone has problems with Wi-Fi operation. The signal is not very strong, perhaps this is a problem with the metal cover and poor placement of the antenna.

I liked the quality of the transmitted speech. The sound is very clear, without interference or distortion. All thanks to the second microphone, which is responsible for noise suppression.

Possibility implemented fast charging. It takes approximately 45 minutes to fully charge.

Out of the box, the smartphone has support for the following formats: 3GPP, MP4, Matroska, AVI, WebM, so there is no point in installing the player separately.

The smartphone also has an NFC chip. For some reason it was not possible to set up work using this protocol with the Samsung Galaxy SIII....

Battery life

The smartphone has a non-removable 1900mAh battery. The power consumption test results are as follows:

1. Work in “just phone” mode - 92 hours.

2. Play MP3 file. Headphones, maximum volume - 27 hours.

3. Mixed cycle work: games, Internet, video, calls, music - 12 hours.

4. Video playback - 6 hours.

The indicators are quite consistent with the declared battery density. But playing an MP3 file seemed short in time.

Conclusions

The smartphone will be almost perfect. The price is rapidly falling and if you want a smartphone with excellent design, workmanship and camera, then you should definitely look at the SONY XPERIA ion.

Competitors. At the time of writing the review, the cost of SONY XPERIA ion is 21,890 rubles. IN price category up to 22 thousand rubles you can buy: HTC One X, LG P880 4X HD - as you can see, these are solutions for 4 nuclear processors and here the SONY XPERIA ion is simply outright losing to its competitors. And for 20,350 rubles. we actually get Meizu MX M032 with Galaxy SIII filling.

Pros

1. Great appearance.

2. Excellent build quality.

3. Very good camera.

4. Good sound.

5. Resistant to scratches on the body.

Cons

Of the minuses in this smartphone, I would only highlight the not very responsive touch buttons management.

I repeat: an almost perfect smartphone. And one of those that I want to replace my Galaxy SIII with.

For the majority, this model will most likely turn out to be something of a continuation, only with an emphasis on a modified design and increased body size.

Thus, an interesting situation is now emerging when there are three very similar devices from the Sony Xperia line on the market at the same time. These are the Xperia S, Xperia ion and Xperia acro S models. The latter two are very similar in characteristics, but the model tested today does not have protection against moisture and dust.

The main functions of the smartphone are as follows. 4.55-inch HD screen, Android 4.0.4, 1 GB RAM, 16 GB of its own, microSD slot, dual-core 1.5 GHz processor, 12-megapixel camera with autofocus and 1080p video recording, 1910 mAh battery.

Scope of delivery

• Smartphone


• Stereo headset with attachments


• USB cable


• High Power Charger

Design

Sony Xperia ion turned out to be larger than other Sony smartphones. There is a simple explanation for this; it has the largest screen of all the brand's available models. The dimensions of the smartphone body are 133x68x10.8 mm, weight 144 g. The model is stretched upward and quite a bit wider compared to the Xperia acro S, the weight even decreased slightly in comparison.

By its appearance, we can immediately determine that this is a device from Sony. Angular body, straight lines, strict forms - all this hints at key features appearance of this year's product.

There will be two colors available, black and burgundy, it can also be called dark red. Sony has a model Xperia P, in my opinion, it has a similar body color.

Above the screen there is a speaker, a 1.3-megapixel front camera and a proximity sensor. Next to it there is also a light indicator for notification of events of various types; it is illuminated with different lights, highlighting the events.

Below the screen there are touch buttons; a search key has been added to the basic menus and back, which is often found in models created for the American market. The symbols indicating the purpose of the buttons are not backlit. There are illuminated lines under them, but in the dark they do not highlight the icons, so you have to act blindly, from memory. It's not very convenient.

The screen is edged with a black frame with a low edge. This plastic part runs along the entire perimeter of the case, distinguished by semicircular shapes at the top and bottom ends.

On the left, under the combined plug, there are microHDMI and microUSB connectors.

There is a microphone hole at the bottom.

At the top end there is a 3.5mm headphone jack.

On the right is a row of mechanical buttons: a screen lock key, volume control key, and a shooting button. I liked their shape better than that of the Xperia acro S. They are also more comfortable than those of the Xperia S, the lock button located on the side is especially good; you don’t need to stretch your fingers to reach it, everything is thought out better here.

The rear part is almost entirely made of aluminum. There are only small plastic inserts at the top and bottom, as well as on one of the sides. The sloping shape has a positive effect on ergonomics, making the smartphone convenient to use.

The compartments for the SIM card and memory card are located under a removable plastic cover. The smartphone has a regular-sized SIM card.

At the back at the top there is a round cutout for the camera lens, next to it is an LED flash. Slightly below the speaker hole.

Screen

The Sony Xperia ion has a screen diagonal of 4.55 inches, a resolution of 720x1280 pixels, and up to 16 million colors. This is a beautiful picture with clear fonts. The pixel density is high, it is 323 ppi.

The capacitive screen supports 10-point multi-touch and responds well to touch. The smartphone does not have an air gap between the glass and the matrix, which has a positive effect on picture quality.

The proximity sensor turns off the screen when the phone comes close to your face during a call. Thanks to the built-in accelerometer, when you turn the phone on its side, the image on the screen changes orientation from vertical to horizontal. There is no automatic screen brightness setting in the menu, although the sensor itself is present.

The Mobile Bravia Engine function, familiar from this company’s TVs, has been implemented. Its peculiarity is that when this option is activated, the contrast and sharpness of the image increases. The picture is bright, the colors are rich, natural. Using examples of Sony Xperia ion next to Sony Xperia acro S.

The display is covered with tempered glass; it should serve as reliable protection against scratches and abrasions. But just in case, all smartphones will be sold with the factory film attached. She's practically invisible additional protection never hurts. On the street, the data on the display is perfectly readable in the bright sun, which is rare for its class.

Filling

The smartphone runs under operating control Android systems 4.0.4. It is powered by a dual-core Qualcomm MSM8260 processor with a frequency of 1.5 GHz and an Adreno 220 graphics chip. There is 1 GB of RAM, as well as 16 GB of internal memory, and there is a slot for a microSD memory card. This means that everyone can choose the optimal amount of data storage for themselves if they are not satisfied with the size of their own memory.
A pleasant shell, high operating speed, smooth reactions in the menu, all this creates convenient conditions for comfortable use of the smartphone. There is nothing to complain about, everything is fast and good, everyone will be satisfied with the device.

Menu

At the top of the screen there is a service line, which displays the time, battery charge, and signal reception level indicator. Active connections and other data are also displayed there. By clicking on it, you can find out in more detail what programs were downloaded, what messages and letters were received, or what files were received via Bluetooth.

Both preinstalled images or wallpapers from Sony, as well as your favorite pictures, are used as design elements. There are seven different colored menu themes available. In addition, shortcuts and folders are placed on the desktop. For the latter, you can choose one of eight design options and assign it a name. Icons are added by dragging them from the phone menu directly into this area.

There are also widgets here, they can also be added to the desktop. There can be five such screens, their number does not change. At the same time, an interesting function works: you can swipe with two fingers from different angles, all desktops will be reduced and displayed on one screen. The widgets have been improved, for example, a large list of icons is available for making various connections, which is initially hidden in a small rectangle. Weather forecast data is animated and beautifully displayed.

The Application Manager is activated by the Home button. It displays 8 programs and is essentially not a traditional task manager. As you know, Android closes applications on its own, based on the amount of free RAM.

When the screen is locked, the display shows the date and time. To unlock the screen, you need to swipe your finger along from left to right. If you do it the other way around, it turns on silent mode, as indicated by the additional icon. This may display additional information about missed calls, new messages, emails, calendar events, and Facebook notifications. If such notifications seem unnecessary, you can turn them off.

The smartphone menu consists of several work zones, initially there are three. If you install additional applications, then over time there will be more such areas. There are 20 icons on the screen on a translucent background, under which you can see the wallpaper installed on the main screen. Icons can be arranged in a way that is convenient for the user. There is also sorting by several criteria: alphabetically, frequently used, recently installed.

Phone book

The smartphone has a convenient assistant for importing contacts both from the SIM card and from accounts Facebook posts and Google, they are displayed in a single list. Created backup list of numbers onto a memory card, the data can later be restored. Sorting by first and last name works.

When you create a new contact, many fields are created. These are different types telephone numbers, email addresses, means of quick communication (AIM, ICQ, Gtalk, Skype and others), residential addresses and others (nickname, note, Internet call).

The smartphone has a list of letters of the alphabet located on the right side of the screen. If you press your finger on this line and move down or up, a letter will pop up on the screen - a kind of quick search, which helps in cases where the phone has several hundred, or even thousands of contacts. The search works by the first letters of the contact name for both language layouts.

There is a menu of favorite numbers where you can add the most popular contacts. A quick menu is available: you need to click on the place for the icon with the contact photo, after which you can call, send a message via SMS or email, see data on Facebook.

Call log

Straight from phone book there is access to the call log, it is highlighted separate tab. There, a single list contains dialed numbers, received and missed calls; for clarity, they are marked with icons of different colors. By clicking on a line, you can delete a number from the call log, add it to a contact, or perform some other actions. When you select a number from the list, it will display detailed information about the call.

By viewing your call history, you can not only make telephone conversation with the selected subscriber, but also send him an SMS or email from this list, without going to another menu. Dialing is carried out using a convenient virtual keyboard. There is an automatic search for numbers that match the numbers.

Messages

For SMS and MMS there is shared folder, where received messages go. When sending, by adding various objects to the SMS, you can automatically convert it into MMS. Messages are grouped by recipient into a correspondence feed. When dialing a subscriber's number, the phone displays a list of matching numbers in alternating numbers.

While typing, a small field reserved for characters will appear. The longer the message, the more the space allocated for the character set increases. The device can copy, cut and paste text. A convenient cursor is used for navigation, which helps to correct typos and highlight the necessary sections of text. In addition, you can use arrow buttons.

Smart text input is available, where word correction and auto-completion systems help you type text, allowing you to avoid wasting time correcting errors. Possible options words are shown as a separate line above the keyboard. Copying and pasting of fragments is supported. Now Sony has implemented Swype, which simplifies text entry.

E-mail

To work with email, automatic setup starts mailbox(unless it's Gmail, which connects immediately after the email address was entered during the initial activation of the phone). It includes entering basic information (login, password). The phone understands perfectly different encodings, supports downloading attachments (you must insert a memory card, otherwise this function will not work) in familiar formats.

When creating a letter, you can also attach various files from the device memory to it. The function of copying text and automatically checking the mailbox works (the interval is set manually). The device simultaneously runs two applications - Gmail and Email. The only difference is that in the first, mail comes only from the gmail.com server, while the second application works with any mail storages. You can create several accounts for email, and each of them has its own color. This is convenient because you can view mail for each mailbox separately, or display messages from all accounts into one. Sorting mail by date, subject, sender and size works.

Camera

The smartphone uses a 12-megapixel Sony Exmor R module with backlighting, autofocus and LED flash. Today this is the most powerful module among Android smartphones. To launch the camera, use a dedicated key on the side of the smartphone. Hold it down for a few seconds and the shooting mode will start. This can be done from any application, it is not necessary to go to the main menu. I liked the high launch speed of the camera, as well as the very fast saving of pictures.

The most original feature of the device is fast shooting. The smartphone can take a photo in just 1.5 seconds. You need to point the device at the target, hold down the shutter button, and in a moment a photo will be taken. It’s very convenient because you don’t need to unlock the device, wasting precious time. The main thing is to hold the button until the frame appears on the screen, otherwise you may shoot the wrong object.

The interface is designed not only for landscape, but also portrait mode. The screen displays auxiliary icons that make it easier to set up photography modes and conditions. In the upper left corner there is a settings mode, at the bottom the flash is turned off. At the top right is a lever for switching between photos and videos, then there is a shutter button. Even lower is a stack of icons that show thumbnails of recent photos. If you click on it, you can go to the gallery.

Various options are available:

Image capture mode: normal, scene recognition, panorama, 3D panorama, multi-angle view, front camera.

Photo size: 12M (4000x3000), 9M (4000x2250), 2M 4:3 (1632x1224), 2M 16:9 (1920x1080 pixels).

Shooting conditions: normal, portrait, landscape, night photography, night portrait, beach and snow, sports, party, document.

Focusing: single autofocus, multi-autofocus, macro photography, face detection, infinity, touch focusing.

Flash: auto, off, fill, red-eye reduction.

Timer: 2.10 seconds.

Exposure number.

Image stabilizer.

Geotags.

Shutter sound.

Shooting method: screen button, touch shooting, key only.

Quick start: start and remove, start only, turn off.

White Balance: Auto, Indoor Light, Fluorescent, daylight, cloudy.

Measurement: center, middle level, point.

ISO: auto, 100, 200, 400, 800.

Capturing a smile.

The phone takes pictures very well and allows you to take high-quality photos and videos.

Gallery Here you can see photos stored in the smartphone's memory and different images, as well as videos. The gallery works in both vertical and horizontal orientation. They are divided into small groups, sorted by date. There is a separate map that contains images with geotags, as well as a group with different pictures from social networks. At the beginning of each group there is a large miniature, and next to it there are smaller images. The image opens in full screen, scaling works using multi-touch. Files are sent via email, Bluetooth, SMS or posted to Picasa. You can assign images as desktop wallpaper or assign them to a contact. Rotating images and reducing their size are supported. A photo editor is available that helps you add various effects to your existing images. The video is played from the gallery, where a separate folder is allocated for the videos. There's nothing special to say about the phone here. Adreno 220 is not the most powerful accelerator. The smartphone is capable of playing avi videos, but not all of them. Many have no sound or no picture. It is best to use a third-party player, then it will be more convenient to watch high-quality video on this large great screen. Timescape Timescape combines tabs that combine messages from various social networks: Facebook, Twitter, VKontakte. In addition, there is data on phone calls, SMS and MMS, and email. The displayed data can be customized, and unnecessary data can be hidden. The update is also installed: manually or automatically. Additional applications are installed from the market. For example, you can supplement the set with the Foursquare program. Messages are presented in the form of translucent panels on which the name of the sender, the message test itself, and the source from which the message came are written. The list scrolls very quickly, without a hint of delay. In general, the thing is beautiful and interesting, the main drawback is related to the not very beautiful design - if the author of the message has an avatar, then this image will be displayed stretched across the entire width of the transparent panel. Player The player menu has been redesigned. Now it consists of a couple of tabs. The first is dedicated to the song currently playing, and the second contains all the information about the music in the device’s memory. To listen to music, you can select tracks organized by several categories: artist, album, tracks, lists, SenseMe, and favorite tracks. Each group is highlighted in a separate box, under which the number of data is indicated. A search function is available, which is useful for working with large music storage. The information is sorted in alphabetical order; for faster scrolling, you can use the cursor that appears on the screen, as well as the initial letters. I would also like to highlight the SenseMe function, which came from Walkman players. It allows you to choose tracks to suit your mood, which is very convenient. To do this, you will need an application that is installed on your computer and with its help you can analyze your entire media library by entering the necessary data into the file tags. From the list with music, you can add songs to a playlist or send them via MMS, Bluetooth or email, as well as cloud service. A mixing mode is provided. The screen displays the name of the artist, the name of the album and the song being played. In music playback mode, the album cover is displayed (if it was assigned previously), and there are playback control buttons on the screen. You can switch tracks not only by pressing buttons, but also by flipping through album covers. If desired, the song is set as a ringtone, and you can also find additional data about the song using tools from Google, YouTube, or download additional modules through the Play Market. Equalizer settings available. These are the following presets: normal, heavy music, pop, jazz, unique, soul, light, bass boost, treble boost, special. The last profile allows you to set your own parameters for playing music. The xLOUD function allows you to get very loud sound from the speaker. It’s not difficult to notice the difference; this option allows you to hear your phone in any, even very noisy, place. Enable surround sound emulation: concert hall, club, studio. The function of editing data directly on the phone is very interesting and useful. You can take a song, make changes to the tags, correct the title, the smartphone itself will find the cover or offer one of the options. Player control buttons now appear on the lock screen when playing music in the background. Previously, there were very few of them, but now it has become much more convenient to control the player. The kit comes with a headset of very decent quality, this is one of the best headphones, which can now be received with the phone. A set of replaceable rubber nozzles is also included. A separate button helps answer the call and control the player: start-stop, forward-backward functions work. Despite what is said about compatibility with Apple accessories, you won’t be able to get this functionality. The mid frequencies are well developed here, and the lower range is also pleasant. Fans of deep bass can try playing with the equalizer. The sound reserve is not the largest, it is there, but sometimes you have to set the volume to maximum. Radio The smartphone has a radio receiver that has the function automatic search stations, you can switch manually. Also, several dozen frequencies are stored in the phone's memory. You can easily switch between your favorite stations by clicking on small icons that will move between waves. While listening to the radio, you can record a snippet of a song, identify track information using Track ID, and post the information to Facebook. TrackID allows you to identify a melody playing on the radio on your smartphone or somewhere nearby. Not only the song title will be displayed, but also the album title, artist name and cover art. Applications The calendar can be configured to display information for a whole month, week or specific day. You can set the alert type and tone for recorded events and meetings. There is a division of information by storage location, each option has its own color label. The new entry is given a name, period and location. You can specify which calendar it will be synchronized with; you can send invitations to contacts from notebook. The repetition period is set (every day, weekly, monthly, yearly). A reminder will help you not to lose sight of the recording - the alarm will go off in advance. Alarm The smartphone allows you to save several alarms in memory. The repeat can be set either once or every day, only on weekdays or weekly. You can also set specific days. The signal melody is set, you can add a vibration alert to it and text file. The period for re-triggering the signal is set. Displays time in different time zones. There is a stopwatch and a timer. The calculator works in both portrait and landscape orientation. Play Market will be a useful source for installing new applications. There is a convenient search function, as well as dividing programs into categories, which greatly simplifies browsing. You can look at the reviews, evaluate the rating and express your opinion about the software. Each application is equipped brief description and images for greater clarity. Purchased applications are displayed in a separate list, which is convenient: if purchased new phone, you can immediately install those programs that you previously purchased. The application, standard for most modern devices, allows you to view videos and search among them. The application runs in full screen mode. Built-in Office version Suite can work with Word files, Excel, PDF, Power Point. Weather forecast and news are useful every day. The Facebook application will allow you to communicate on the network of the same name directly from your mobile device. Built-in Google Talk chat. The Google+ social client is also installed on the smartphone. You can create notes. You can set a number of actions to be performed when certain accessories are connected. The smartphone works as a remote control for controlling equipment. File browser installed. The flashlight turns on. Barcode reading possible. Built-in Google search. Access to the content store opens. A backup copy of the data is created. Browser Used for internet surfing convenient application. A navigation bar is displayed at the top of the screen, and to the right of it there is a shortcut that allows you to bookmark the page. The phone remembers the most visited pages and has a log of pages viewed. Several windows open, search for words on the page, highlight text, as well as a practical function for changing the screen brightness directly from the browser. Thanks to multi-touch, pages can be easily scaled (they also work virtual keys to change the display size). The font size changes, saving passwords works. Excellent scrolling speed allows you to comfortably use your smartphone to view pages. GPS navigation Used for navigation Google Maps. Traffic jams are displayed, so the application has become fully functional and convenient not only for pedestrians, but also for car owners. There is a function for determining the current location, calculating the route from the starting point to the ending point, and specifying the method of movement: by car, on foot or public transport. The route is laid out on the map, with key places indicated in the form text messages, which are displayed on the screen in the form of a column, you can switch between them: view the route in advance or vice versa, go back and plot another path. Scaling works using multi-touch or virtual buttons. The area data is clearly displayed thanks to the convenient Google Street View option. Connections The smartphone operates in the GSM 850/900/1800/1900 and UMTS 900/1700/2100 bands. There is Bluetooth 2.1 with support for EDR and A2DP, in addition to support for other generally accepted profiles. The Wi-Fi module b\g\n operates at the usual level. The smartphone remembers entered passwords for networks and can automatically connect to them while within their range. The device can work as an access point and serve as a source for accessing the Internet for other devices. Using a microUSB connector allows you to connect your phone to a computer for synchronization and charging the battery. The presence of a microHDMI slot allows you to connect your smartphone to various external sources (TV or monitor) and broadcast media content from the device to them. NFC support allows you to use Smart Tags in conjunction with a smartphone. Opening hours Non-replaceable installed lithium ion battery capacity 1910 mAh. The official operating time data is as follows: up to 10 hours of talk time, up to 400 hours of battery life in standby mode, up to 12 hours of listening to music, up to 3 hours of minutes in video mode. In continuous video playback mode at maximum brightness, the device worked for 4 hours and 4 minutes. Using the widget it is easy to set the energy saving mode. It defines several profiles, each of which varies the number of functions used. Thus, for example, you can immediately reduce the screen brightness or turn off Wi-Fi with one click. There are settings in the menu that allow you to set certain operating parameters when the battery is low. The charge lasts from morning to evening, if you use the Internet, social networks, listen to music, and at the same time make calls. For infrequent use network connections You can extend one charge over a couple of days. But most likely, you will have to charge the phone once a day at least, and maybe twice. Conclusion Sony Xperia ion sells for about 25,000 rubles. “Gray” phones cost 16,500 rubles. The large smartphone is an alternative to the Xperia S, it has a larger screen and an aluminum body with no removable parts, if you do not take into account a small plastic part. Despite its rather large size, the smartphone is easy to use, all the buttons are where they need to be. I would like to praise the smartphone for its screen with honest HD resolution and very good behavior in the sun, something that very few devices have. When it comes to multimedia tasks, the Sony Xperia ion copes equally well with a variety of goals. The high-quality camera pleases with the resulting pictures and videos, and the gallery works quickly. In addition, the model itself is quite fast and reacts without pauses, the interface works smoothly. The advantage of the smartphone is its high-quality music player, although the sounds through the model’s speaker are not very good, they turn out to be slightly rattling. The call can be heard normally, but in noisy environments it may be missed. I liked the model, it’s nice, it has everything you need. Although it would be better if the phone worked longer, active use mode drains the battery quickly, so you have to charge the smartphone twice a day. But this is a common occurrence on many large screen smartphones. A beautiful phone with a high-quality screen in a stylish case and attractive multimedia components is a good addition to model range Sony on the Russian market. Rivalries with similar Sony smartphones cannot be avoided, but the user can choose exactly those qualities that are more important to him between three similar smartphones Xperia line: Xperia S, acro S and ion. © Alexander Pobyvanets, Test laboratory Article publication date: September 25, 2012

Information about the make, model, and alternative names of the specific device, if available.

Design

Information about the dimensions and weight of the device, presented in different units of measurement. Materials used, colors offered, certificates.

SIM card

The SIM card is used in mobile devices to store data that certifies the authenticity of mobile service subscribers.

Mobile networks

A mobile network is a radio system that allows multiple mobile devices to communicate with each other.

Mobile communication technologies and data transfer speeds

Communication between devices on mobile networks is carried out using technologies that provide different data transfer rates.

Operating system

An operating system is a system software that manages and coordinates the operation of hardware components in a device.

SoC (System on Chip)

A system on a chip (SoC) includes all the most important hardware components of a mobile device on one chip.

Built-in memory

Each mobile device has built-in (non-removable) memory with a fixed capacity.

Memory cards

Memory cards are used in mobile devices to increase the storage capacity for storing data.

Screen

The screen of a mobile device is characterized by its technology, resolution, pixel density, diagonal length, color depth, etc.

Sensors

Different sensors perform different quantitative measurements and convert physical indicators into signals that a mobile device can recognize.

Rear camera

The main camera of a mobile device is usually located on its back panel and may be combined with one or more secondary cameras.

Front camera

Smartphones have one or more front cameras of various designs - a pop-up camera, a rotating camera, a cutout or hole in the display, an under-display camera.

Audio

Information about the type of speakers and audio technologies supported by the device.

Radio

The radio of the mobile device is a built-in FM receiver.

Location determination

Information about the navigation and location technologies supported by your device.

WiFi

Wi-Fi is a technology that provides wireless communication for transmitting data over close distances between various devices.

Bluetooth

Bluetooth is a standard for secure wireless data transfer between various devices of different types over short distances.

USB

USB (Universal Serial Bus) is an industry standard that allows different electronic devices to exchange data.

HDMI

HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) is a digital audio/video interface that replaces older analog audio/video standards.

Headphone jack

This is an audio connector, also called an audio jack. The most widely used standard in mobile devices is the 3.5mm headphone jack.

Connecting devices

Information about other important connection technologies supported by your device.

Browser

A web browser is a software application for accessing and viewing information on the Internet.

Video file formats/codecs

Mobile devices support different video file formats and codecs, which respectively store and encode/decode digital video data.

Battery

Mobile device batteries differ from each other in their capacity and technology. They provide the electrical charge necessary for their functioning.