The Review
We haven't had a chance to fully test this product yet, but we've assembled this helpful overview of relevant information on it.
Sony Ericsson's Xperia acro comes with a wide 4.2 inch touch screen display with HD video recording capabilities as well as a high resolution camera.
Sony Ericsson’s Xperia acro has a 4.2 inch multi-touch screen. This smartphone is designed specifically for users in Japan. The extra wide screen display works well with the mobile TV functionality as you watch television on the go. The 8.1 megapixel camera with ‘Exmor R for mobile’ enables the capture of low-noise, high quality images and HD video (720p), even in low light. Pictures and videos can then be shared in HD on a HDTV through a built in HDMI-connector.
Key Features:
-Human Curvature design and form factor
-Mobile TV functionality
-Extra wide 4.2 inch multi-touch Reality Display with Mobile BRAVIA® Engine
-8.1 megapixel camera and HD video recording capability
-1GHz CPU, Adreno 205 GPU
Press Release:
05 May 2011
Combines best-in-class imaging and display technology with features familiar to users in Japan, such as an infrared port for data exchange, mobile wallet, and mobile TV functionality.
May 5, 2011, London, UK – Sony Ericsson today unveiled the Xperia™ acro, a new addition to the Xperia™ range, designed specifically for the needs of users in Japan. The Xperia™ acro builds on the success of the product family with a 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon™ processor, and runs on the latest Android platform – Gingerbread 2.3. Best-in-class imaging and display technology features from Sony – the perfect enabler for its mobile TV functionality.
Bert Nordberg, President, Sony Ericsson said, “We are delighted to be introducing this flagship model to Japan. In this sophisticated market, we are listening to consumers and are happy to adapt our products to fit in with requirements which they believe to be an essential part of the mobile experience. We expect that they will be pleased to have such a uniquely adept premium smartphone and look forward to a new wave of consumers experiencing the world of Xperia™.”
The Xperia™ acro provides an excellent multimedia experience, powered by a Reality Display with Mobile BRAVIA® Engine and presented on an extra wide 4.2” screen. The 8.1 megapixel camera with ‘Exmor R™ for mobile’ enables the capture of low-noise, high quality images and HD video (720p), even in low light. Pictures and videos can then be shared in HD on a HDTV through a built in HDMI-connector.
Legal
1) Facts and features may vary depending on local variant. 2) Operational times are affected by network
preferences, type of SIM card, connected accessories and various activities e.g. playing games. Kit contents and colour options may differ from market to market. The full range of accessories may not be available in every market.
© Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB, 2011
The Liquid Identity logo and Xperia are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB. Sony is a trademark or registered trademark of Sony Corporation. Ericsson is the trademark or registered trademark of Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson. Additional information regarding trademarks may be located on our website at: www.sonyericsson.com/cws/common/legal/disclaimer.
Other product and company names mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners. Any rights not expressly granted herein are reserved. All terms are subject to change without prior notice.
Sony Ericsson celebrates its 10th year as a joint venture between Sony Corporation and Ericsson in October, 2011. Over the years the company has brought together the best communication technologies with superior entertainment user experiences to create its Xperia™ line of the ‘most entertaining smartphones’ in the mobile handset industry. With its global corporate functions in London, Sony Ericsson has sales and marketing operations in all major regions of the world, as well as manufacturing in China, and product development sites in China, Japan, Sweden and Silicon Valley, California. For more information, please visit: www.sonyericsson.com/press.
Digital Trends’ Cell Phone Buying Tips:
Six Steps to Start Your Unlimited Cell Phone Plan Search
- Determine which service providers are available in your area and make a list of the services you want and how much you can afford.
- Check with your current wireless service provider—if you have one—and see what unlimited plans they provide and if one matches up to your needs. If not, then continue to search.
- Compare special offers and plans of the key players of cellphone providers: Verizon Wireless, AT &T, US Cellular, T-Mobile, Sprint, Cricket, and etc.
- If you’re prone to changing cell phone providers, choose a plan with least amount of commitment to avoid expensive cancellation fees.
- Do you actually need true unlimited minutes? Or would you only need unlimited just on weekends or to your most frequently called and received numbers?
- Determine which cell phone service company excels in the areas you need for the price you want, but also look at the provider’s connectivity and coverage ratings. We’ll give you a hint—Sprint may offer a great price and with great unlimited minutes, but Verizon is still takes the cake for coverage and call clarity.
Choosing a carrier
Because most U.S. cell phone carriers heavily subsidize phone purchases in exchange for two-year contracts, and lock the phones to their networks, your choice of cell carrier will have more impact on which type of phone you end up with than any other factor. If you already have carrier and feel satisfied with it, the choice is easy. If not, you’ll need to choose one.
AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint, and Verizon dominate the cell phone market in the States. Speaking in very general terms, AT&T has a reputation for having the hottest phones but somewhat flaky service due to its overloaded towers, Verizon has the best reception but expensive rates, T-Mobile and Sprint offer some of the most affordable plans but have more limited phone selection.
Prepaid carriers like Cricket, Tracfone, and MetroPCS often appear to offer excellent deals, but caveats like poor customer service, limited phone selection and inferior coverage have to be taken into account.
The difference between a smartphone and a feature phone
You could divvy up cellphones into dozens of different categories, but these are the two umbrella groups that matter. Smartphones like the iPhone can serve as personal calendars, e-mail machines, Web browsers, gaming platforms, and a literally unlimited number of other purposes. They’re essentially mini computers. Feature phones are more basic, but they still offer features like cameras, text messaging, and even some limited data connectivity, like checking weather or sports scores. Although smartphones obviously have a lot to offer, they also weigh more, offer less battery life, cost more to buy and run, and can make basic tasks like calling seem more complex. If you plan to buy one, make sure you’ll really take advantage of all the extras.
Notable Features
The list of features to look for in a phone could fill an anthology, so we’ll run down some of the most important ones.
Cameras appear on nearly every phone these days. Although a quality camera can be great for quick snapshots, few phone cameras are ready to replace a trusty point-and-shoot. The few with variable focus far outperform fixed-focus cameras, which you’ll find on the majority.
When considering a display, pay attention to size and brightness, which will both come in handy when trying to read it in difficult conditions like outdoors in the sun. LCD displays are still the most common, but OLED displays have been cropping up lately as well. They use slightly less power and produce extremely vibrant color, but suffer from poor outdoor visibility.
Battery life often gets buried at the end of buyers’ wishlists, only to lead to disappointment when they realize they can barely go a whole day without recharging. Be particularly careful with smartphones, which can get particularly thirsty.
If you plan to use your phone for playing music or watching video, be sure to check for internal and external storage. If the phone has a microSD slot you should be able to add up to 32GB of additional storage.
