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). 

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Complete review on Samsung Galaxy S

The Samsung galaxy s had become very popular after it was introduced in the market. This is a great looking phone with great features. Almost all the features of a smart phone are present in this phone at a reasonable price.

Design specification: The dimensions are 122.4 x 64.2 x 9.9 mm and it weighs 119 grams. The screen is 4 inches from corner to corner, 480 x 800 pixels.

The capacitive touch screen is truly very sensitive; no touch pen is required to operate the touch. The screen is well protected by Corning Gorilla Glass, resisting scratches. There is a metallic frame around the phone to protect the screen further and the hard plastic cover gives it more durability. 1500 mAh battery, standby up to 750 h (2G) / up to 576 h (3G) and talk time up to 13 h 30 min (2G) / up to 6 h 30 min (3G). The primary camera is 5 MP, 2592 x 1944 pixels, autofocus and the secondary is VGA. The video quality is superb. 8 GB/16GB storage, 512 MB RAM, 2GB ROM and the external storage can be expandable up to 32 GB. The dotted design at the back of the phone makes it look good. The volume control button, lock key, the camera button, and the ports for charging and headphone pin is designed conveniently which makes getting used to the phone very easy.

Common features:
Android operating system makes multitasking very easy. Sensors like Accelerometer, proximity, compass are present. SMS (threaded view), MMS, Email, Push Mail, IM, RSS are available. Fm radio, java, GPS system and it comes with black and white color. There is also a TV installer present is this phone along with document editor (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and PDF). Internet options are made very friendly in this phone Google Search, Maps, Gmail, YouTube, Calendar, Google Talk, Picasa integration. This phone was made keeping in mind both 2g and 3g networks. Most of the video file can be played and the quality is really great. Wi-Fi and Bluetooth: both the functions are very speedy. There are infinite numbers of apps that are present and can be installed and used for various purposes. All the features that one can possibly imagine in a smart phone are present in the Galaxy S. Apps are most attractive features of smart phones. There are several hundred apps which can be installed and used for many purposes including gaming to business purposes. Playing games in the Samsung galaxy s is very amusing because of the favorable operating system and speed and internal memory of the phone.

Impressive things:
The outlook is absolutely fantastic. This slim and glassy appearance is great to attract people. Multitasking and speed of this phone is remarkable. The phone can maintain good speed running 4-5 apps simultaneously. Though 119 grams is not a lite weight for a phone, considering the size, shape and contents of this phone this weight is light. The functions are easy to understand, user friendly to perform comparing to other smart phones. The touch is super sensitive and very comfortable to use. AMOLED screens are advanced technology in the field of display technology that drives each pixel separately. This phone takes net browsing, social interacting, and using several modern communicating medium to a whole new level like- TV, live radio etc. Samsung Galaxy S is difficult to mess it up while flashing the firmware. The pin of the headphone sticks tightly into the 3.5mm headphone jack. The micro USB socket for charging and data transfer is hidden behind a sliding door which protects the port form dust and abrasion.

Negative sides:
The most negative side of this phone is that it doesn’t have a flash. Without flash camera today is good for nothing. Taking good pictures at night is not possible without flash. The phone has to be kept very still to get a good picture especially, in the night mood which normally becomes very difficult to do so. The three buttons on the bottom – two are touch sensitive and one is a physical button, such combination seems rather odd. The firmware (Android 2.2.1 Froyo) seems faulty. For a phone the device seems a little large. People who are fond of taking good pictures will certainly not be interested in this phone. Without flash it is impossible to take pictures at night. The camera might be 5 mp and the picture quality is also good but due to the lack of flash it is useless to large range of customers.

Smart phones are all about browsing the internet, multi-tasking, and using more and more apps. The Samsung Galaxy S provides all the features of a good smart phone. If someone is looking for a phone that will not only let him communicate but also help to make their life more comfortable and better performing, the Samsung Galaxy S would be the perfect choice. You can have the piece within the lowest possible cost if you check the Samsung Galaxy S Deals.

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Battle of the Touchscreens: LG Viewty Snap GM360 V Samsung Monte

Back in 2010, LG and Samsung each brought out a touchscreen phone directed towards the youth market. These were not Android phones but they did come with their own custom widgets which allowed the user to access sites such as Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. The question is though, which one is better? The LG Viewty Snap GM360 or the Samsung Monte?

LG Viewty Snap GM360

LG Viewty Snap GM360

The best feature of this phone is its camera. If you are looking to decide between these two phones and the most important thing to you is the camera then you should go for the LG Viewty Snap. It has a 5 mega pixel camera (which is still good in 2012) and various controls for it, such as autofocus and white balance. Plus you've got a single flash for dark or night scenes. On the other hand, the Samsung Monte camera is not too shabby itself at 3.2 Mega Pixels, but it doesn't have quite the same quality or the amount of control.

However most people are going to be interested in more than just the camera. And the social networking features are good too, as is the music player. The sound quality is good, and the headphones that are supplied are effective too. So, for a youth-oriented phone, it seems to be hitting all of the bases, right?

Well, not quite because it's missing a couple of pretty essential things these days. The user-interface isn't great, it would take some time to get used to, but that is forgiveable in the final assessment. What is not going to be forgiveable for a lot of people is the fact that there is no GPS, wi-fi or 3G capability on this phone. So you have to be content with the slow, 2G Edge connection.

Other than that, it's got a nice design, it's easy to hold in your palm, it has good crisp call quality and it's inexpensive.Check out the full specs on the LG website.

But let's see if the Samsung Monte can improve on any of that.

Samsung Monte S5620

Samsung Monte

In this review we're considering the Samsung Monte S5620 (full specs from Samsung here) and Samsung Monte Slider E2250 (full specs from Samsung here) together because they are very similar fundamentally. Which one you prefer will come down to whether you prefer a sliding phone or not.

So, how does it compare to the LG Viewty Snap? Well, we've already noted that the camera is not quite as good. Other than that though, the Samsung Monte wins in just about every area. The user interface is easier and more intuitive, it has a wider array of widgets to choose from and you can download more from Samsung (although they are a little large, cluttering the screen), it has a nice slender design and it is sensitive to the touch.

Samsung Monte E2550

If these were the only things that we were considering then it would be pretty even though, and the LG Viewty Snap might beat the Samsung Monte on the basis of the superior camera. If the camera is what is most important to you, then perhaps it does.

However the Samsung Monte has fully functional wi-fi, 3G and GPS making it far superior for web-based applications. Which of course is pretty important when it comes to things like Twitter and Facebook so it's pretty crucial for a social-networking phone.

Conclusion

If you're looking for a cheap touchscreen phone and getting good pictures is the most important thing for you then definitely check out LG Viewty Snap GM360 deals (or LG Viewty Snap GM360 purple or LG Viewty Snap GM360 pink). However if you're more interested in the social-networking side and want to have fast internet access then it's got to be either the Samsung Monte S5620 or Samsung Monte SliderE2550 contract deals.

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