Sony Ericsson Xperia Neo V Review
Sony has been going strong with its Xperia lineup this year. With over 5-8 models released this year does the company actually have what it takes to restructure the market with the right devices. Sony also Recently announced that it plans to buy-out the stake from Sony Ericsson (The Ericsson share) to call the company Sony mobile. The Neo V is an example of what Sony stands for, lets find out whether it delivers to the sony image or not.
Build Quality and Hardware
The Neo V is exceptionally well built with great overall hardware design, and brilliant paint finish. the device feels like a luxury car parked right in the palm of your hand. A curvaceous back and a glossy paint finish make you feel special that you hold this device. There is no shake or rattle from this device and it delivers a robust experience while you fiddle around with the tactile buttons and great structure.
In terms of Hardware the Neo V has a great set check out the total specs:
| Price | 20,000 /- MRP |
| Frequency | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900; HSDPA 900 / 2100; HSDPA 850 / 1900 / 2100 |
| Phone Style |
Touchscreen |
| OS | Android 2.3.5 |
| Thickness | 13 mm |
| Length | 116 mm |
| Width | 57 mm |
| Weight |
126g |
| Built-in Memory | 1GB ; RAM 512 |
| Additional Memory | microSD up to 32GB |
| High-speed Data | GPRS, HSDPA |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, A-GPS |
| Screen Size | 3.7-inches, 854 x 480 pixels |
| Secondary Screen Size | N/A |
| Screen Colours | 16 million |
| Camera | Yes |
| Camera Resolution | 5 megapixel with upto 16x zooming; Front VGA camera |
| Flash | Yes |
| Ringtones | Polyphonic, MP3, Truetone |
| Music Player | Yes |
| GPS | Gps + aGPS |
| Radio | Yes |
| Speaker | Yes |
| Processor | 1 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon MSM8255 |
| Internet | Yes |
| Browser | HTML |
| Games | Yes |
| Battery | Talk time: Up to 7 hrs on 3G and 6hours 55 minutes on 2G, Standby time up to 430 hrs on 3G and 400 hrs on 2G |
Multimedia, Display and Camera
The device has a brilliant display with a Mobile Bravia engine, which ensures super smooth video playback. The Device however has only a 1GHZ single core processor which is somewhat of a let down for the price bracket. Coming back to the screen which is a 3.7 inch 854 x 480 px display which offers superior ppi for the size of the display, that makes images and videos look good and text look crisp.
Video playback is well supported over almost all available formats and scrubbing through video does not pixellate or mismatch audio. Audio is loud and clear and the device performs well in all aspects of the Multimedia field.
The camera has a 5 MP XMOR R sensor, which makes images look good even in low light. We however found video to be jittery with 720p at 30fps underperforming the label. Images were also decent but poor compared to those from similar camera of competitors. Overall a decent camera with a bunch of effects and software camera shake reduction, which may or may not impress you depending on where you come from (previous device).
Phone Messaging and Internet
The phone quality and network stability were solid, no dropped calls in 2 weeks of testing. 3G however was not as stable as we wanted and kept jumping from H to 3G to E. The sound and volume of it were clear and loud and we were quite impressed with it. Internet can be bothersome on the go when you shift from tower to tower, the phone takes about a minute to reset the data connection. On wifi however there is no problem.
The onboard keyboard is stock and therefore can be replaced easily with many from the marketplace. The typing experience is great thanks to the highly responsive screen.
The Device also supports the Wifi Hotspot feature which allows you to make the device into a portable router. Which is a convenient feature available in most Androids today, the difference here lies that the Neo V does not drain out of its battery like a dripping plastic bag. It sustains power management within the Wifi hotspot mode and offers extended usage.
Battery
The battery life on the Neo V was impressive swell with a longer talk time than mentioned in the spec sheet we were impressed
- 9 Hours on 2G
- 7.5 Hours on 3G
- 8 Hours Wifi Browsing
- 4 hours 3G browsing
- 4 Hours Wifi Hotspot (3 devices connected)
- 24 Hours of Music Playback
- 5 Hours of Video
Conclusion
The device is an expensive representation of devices like the Xperia Mini Pro, but offer a different form factor with slightly different specs. The battery life was immense and we were happy with it. The power management is great and handles most features brilliantly. The sealed Bravia display is a delight for those with love for mobile video and multimedia. The speakers and sound is crisp and loud from all areas and impressive overall. The device is a great phone and a nice looking one at that
We rate it 4/5
Unboxing Video
Review Video
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