Lets go through the main features of the handset.
Design and Exterior:
Though the device is expected to be coming with a low price, the look and design of the phone does not deceive you. Though the Xperia SP is finished in plastic, it does not give you the impression of a cheap made one. With a measurement of 130.6×67.1×9.98mm, the Xperia SP keeps its decency, but the sides of the phone is not quite same as we expected. The sides are flat, not narrow. The power button is situated at the right side, at a perfect location, where it can be easily accessed by the thumb or the index finger.
Near to the power key, there lies a now surprise, a dedicated camera shutter button. That means, you will not have to mess with the screen to take a picture. The main attraction of the design is the translucent bar which glows in tune with the image on the screen. It's not a stunning feature though, and most probably you will not notice it half the time. But it can also be used for notifications, and that is definitely an added advantage.
Display:
Sony Xperia SP features a 4.6-inch capacitive touch screen, with the sharpness you would expect from Sony's display technology. It might not be as splendid as the Xperia Z, but when you watch videos on Xperia SP, you will forget that it is a mid ranged phone. That superb is its clarity. There are seven home screens at your disposal. With a screen resolution of 720×1280 pixels and a pixel density of 319 ppi, the display clarity is assured.
CPU and Performance:
Xperia SP is powered by a Dual-core 1.7 GHz CPU with Qualcomm MSM8960T Snapdragon chipset. The processor does a very good job in powering the operating system and increasing the performance rate of the phone.
Operating System:
Xperia SP runs on the platform of Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean) Operating System. Though it is not the best available in the market, it never fails you. The applications like Camera will take one or two seconds to open up, which will remind you that whatever similarities might be there, Xperia SP can never be Xperia Z.
Camera:
As most of other smartphones of this price range, Xperia SP also has twin cameras. The 8MP rear facing camera acts as the primary camera and a VGA front camera too. The 8MP rear camera has an LED Flash, Exmor RS sensor for HDR images and it can record videos with 1080p resolution. The rear primary camera can provide you 3264×2448 pixels images. The camera of Xperia SP has Geo-tagging, touch focus, face and smile detection, image stabilization, HDR and sweep panorama features. There are various effects too, you can choose for your camera.
There seems to be a bug in the camera. The image quality shows only up to 7MP, though the camera is of 8MP. That could be a typo or a bug. Anyway, lets hope that Sony will correct it before the release.
The dedicated camera shutter button allows you to focus your subject with half press and clicking the shot at full press. Doesn't it sound professional?
Internet and Connectivity:
The phone supports 2G, 3G and 4G networks. Xperia SP 's other networking options include GPRS, EDGE, SPEED, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth v4.0 with A2DP, NFC, USB with microUSB v2.0 (MHL) and GPS with A-GPS support and GLONASS
Storage:
Xperia SP has 1 GB RAM, which is good as far as a smartphone of this range is concerned. Out of the 8 GB internal storage, only 5.8 GB will be available for the users. That could be a little disappointing as the external memory can be expanded only up to 32 GB.
Battery:
Xperia SP is powered by a Li-Ion 2370 mAh battery. As per the claims of the company, it will provide you a talk time of 10 h 25 min on 2G network and up to 19 h on 3G network.
Colours:
Xperia SP will be coming in three different colours, Red, White and Black.
Price:
Sony Xperia SP's price is not yet confirmed. But the company has assured that it will be mid ranged. So, we can expect nearly 25,000/- Rupees, as Xperia Z is having nearly 40,000/- Rupees.
Verdict:
Though it does not have the stunning features of Xperia Z, Xperia SP definitely deserves some appreciation. The combination of rich specs and low price makes it a valuable device. This is definitely gonna be the pet of many, who don't want to spend loads of money on other smartphones, which has only a few more features than this.
Pros:
• Low Price
• Good Camera
• Translucent Bar for Displaying Notification
Cons:
• Not Water Resistant
