Xperia™ ray preview roundup [Video]

Sony Ericsson has announced a number of new handsets today at CommunicAsia, just as we expected them too. The most exciting is the Xperia™ ray which you should think of a smaller version of the Xperia™ arc. It comes with a 3.3-inch display but retains the same 854 x 480 pixel resolution found in the larger 4.2-inch Xperia™ arc. The Xperia™ ray also is clad in an aluminium frame measuring just 9.4mm in thickness. It certainly looks like one of the sexier Android offerings out there.

As the rest of the Xperia™ range, it will come armed with Android Gingerbread 2.3.3 or 2.3.4 and the new Facebook inside Xperia™ functionality. Other features include a 1GHz processor, 512 RAM, 8.1MP Exmor R™ Camera CMOS Sensor, 720p video recording, a Reality display with BRAVIA® Engine and a front facing camera (not found in the Xperia™ arc). It will also include a 1500mAh battery, which should mean impressive battery life. In fact the only main feature the handset doesn’t sport is HDMI output. The phone is set to launch at some point in Q3 in four colours (Black, Gold, White, Pink).

The dilemma of choosing between the Xperia™ arc, Xperia™ Neo and Xperia™ Ray (all with similar feature sets) now just became a lot harder. A number previews of the upcoming 3.3-inch Sony Ericsson Xperia™ ray hit the web over the last few days. We’ve rounded then up for you in one place below along with a number of hands-on videos of the handset. Initial impressions appear to be quite positive at this early stage , with the handset praised for its slim design, uncompromised features, high-resolution display (ppi of 297 / nearly to ppi of 300).

Check out a number of videos below including a hands-on video, GSM Arena and PhoneArena also have some video recording samples to check out too. All of the sites looked like they were playing with a prototype, so we could see even more improvements before its release in the next few month.

Xperia™ Ray Preview Roundup

GSM Arena: “It’s small, as in a sexy little sports car, rather than small to keep the costs down. The Xperia™ ray is hot and it knows it. That puts a lot of pressure on it to do well in the upcoming review. But as far as we’re concerned, the Xperia™ ray is off to a roaring start.”




PhoneArena: “It is easy to say that the Sony Ericsson Xperia ray is a less-capable version of the Xperia arc, but what you actually get is a more compact version without sacrificing much but an HDMI port and a flash. Actually, the fact that the light emitting diode on the back can only be used as a light instead of a flash. Props for the best-in-class resolution on the 3.3” screen, it really made a difference while reading.”




TechRadar: “Overall, we’re really impressed with the Sony Ericsson Xperia Ray -- given we expect it to come in at around £20-£25 per month on contract, the compact dimensions, decent camera and high-res screen could see this become another winning phone for the Japanese-Swedish alliance.”




Pocket-Lint: “That new screen technology is clearly visible with a vibrant 3.3-inch display that is not only crisp, but has an incredible viewing angle (as our pictures show). The “reality display” 854x480 pixel resolution definitely helps add to the phone’s media and browsing experience.”