Sony’s new Xperia T3 smartphone, announced first thing this morning, could change the way we look at mid-range devices. We’re used to them looking like the Moto G, which is a solid, if visually uninteresting device, but Sony has brought its trademark style and flair to the T3. For a start, it’s a massive phone. The Triluminos screen measures 5.3-inches, and it’s surrounded by a stainless steel frame, with a matt-finish rear panel. The oversized power button is there, along with neat buttons and speaker cutouts, and amazingly, the chassis is a mere 7mm thick.
If the Xperia T3 isn’t sounding very mid-range yet, let’s take a look at the spec sheet. The screen may be large, but the resolution is 720p rather than Full HD, and the rear camera has a modest 8-megapixels, instead of the 20-megapixels seen on Sony’s range-toppers. The processor is also a step down from the Snapdragon 801’s we’re used to, and is listed as a Qualcomm 1.4GHz quad-core chip.
Sony has still packed in a few welcome surprises. There’s 4G LTE connectivity, NFC, Android 4.4 KitKat, and a 1.1-megapixel video call camera. The screen uses Sony’s Bravia Engine 2 for sharper pictures with realistic contrast levels, and the camera has the same Exmor RS sensor seen on the best Sony camera phones. Other camera features include an HDR mode, image stabilization, an LED flash, and 1080p video recording.
Storing pictures internally will soon fill up the 8GB of available space, but there is a MicroSD card slot where an additional 32GB can be added, plus the phone has 1GB of RAM. A 2500mAh battery should keep everything up and running for a while, plus Sony has added in its Stamina battery mode for improved power management to help out.
Sony says to expect the Xperia T3 to go on sale globally in July, but hasn’t confirmed whether it’ll be offered by networks in the U.S., or solely though its own online store as a contract-free device. The price will be the deciding factor here, but based on its looks and spec, we think the T3 looks great.
