Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc S: Is the Upgrade Worth It?

Coming just a few months after the release of the original Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc, the Sony Ericsoon Xperia Arc S has to work pretty hard to make the upgrade worthwhile. So does it reach new heights or is it destined to plummet from the lofty heights off great expectations?

Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc S Black

Let's find out, shall we?

We don't want to keep you in suspense any longer. The Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc S is an excellent phone, however the upgrades on the orginal Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc are probably too minor to make the upgrade wotth it.  Having said that however, they're probably good enough for the people who bought the original to be a little bit peeved that they don't have the best version of the phone anymore, just months after it was brand new. But it's probably not enough of an improvement for many of the people who have that phone to actually make the upgrade though.

Okay, so what are the differences, and what makes the Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc a good phone to begin with? Well, one of the major improvements is the processor, which has been upgraded from the original 1GHz in the original Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc to 1.4GHz in the S class. Actually though that is not a major upgrade and you won't notice a major difference most of the time. In fact a dual core processor could have been hoped for and that would have kept it in the race for being a contender for the top Android phone throughout 2012.

Indeed the Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc S is one of the flagships of Sony's smart phone range and it is plenty impressive. One of its very best features is the camera which can record 720p HD video and take 8MP stills. What's more its screen is one of the best in the Android range, at 4.2 inches and with a screen resolution of 233 pixels per inch (ppi) which is bested only really by the iPhone 4S (at 330 ppi) it's a major asset. There's plenty of storage space for your pictures and videos as well, with 400MB internal storage being backed up by an 8GB micro SD card.  The only downside of the big screen is that it drains the battery fast, and you might find yourelf having to recharge twice a day with extensive use.

Plus you have access to Sony's Music Unlimited and Video Unlimited libraries which are pretty well stocked so there's plenty to download. The web browser is exceptionally fast and it's Adobe Flash supported too so you can have the full web-browsing experience.

It packs Android 2.3.4, and the xLoud technology makes the external speaker louder (although that can lead to distortions so you might want to turn it off sometimes). Something that could lead to irritation is the comprehensive facebook syncing. If you like connecting everything to your facebook page then it's great, but if you don't it's tough to get all the messaging to stop.

The only other negative really is the case. It looks plenty stylish and it's an unmistakably great design, however it's made out of plastic and feels like it.

Check out the full specs at the Sony website.

Overall

If you already have the original then forking out for the upgrade probably isn't worth it but otherwise this phone is well worth a look, comparing well to other top Andoid phones. So check out Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc S contract deals if you're in the market for a high end Android phone (or Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc S white deals for a variation on the traditional black).