Experia S

Experia S

When Sony unveiled the Xperia S at CES 2012, many Android fans in the know dreamed that this ultrastylish handset could herald a new beginning for the company's mobile electronics. That's why it was even more exciting when Sony announced that the phone would arrive for sale in America. Also, unlike its watered-down cousin, the Xperia Ion on AT&T, the $559 Xperia S features a tricked-out transparent band wrapping its base plus an upgrade to Android 4.0, something yet to grace the Ion. The phone also connects to Sony's large vault of movies, music, and TV shows so you can enjoy them on the device or in the living room. But if you're expecting a halo product to help bring back the golden days of the Walkman, you're in for a disappointment. 
head-turner, the boxiness of the Xperia S isn't as comfortable to grip as more traditional oval handsets sculpted with rounded curves.
Another distinctive touch yet one not executed well is an illuminated clear bar running along the phone's base. The bar contains three symbols floating within its transparent surface that indicate the main Android functions for Back, Home, and Menu.
Unfortunately, as on its sibling on AT&T, the Xperia Ion, these symbols are not actual buttons. You must tap corresponding dots above each Android icon, which I found find difficult to hit, especially in the dark.

Inside the Xperia's clear bar are icons for Android functions which aren't actual buttons.

(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET)

Measuring 5 inches tall by 2.5 inches wide by 0.4 inch thick and weighing a hefty 5.1 ounces, the Xperia S is a substantial phone. Still, for Android devices these days that boast massive displays, these measurements are par for the course. For example the Samsung Galaxy S3 (5.4 inches by 2.8 inches by 0.35 inch, 4.7 ounces) and Samsung Galaxy Nexus (5.33 inches by 2.67 inches by 0.35 inch, 4.76 ounces) are both of comparable dimensions.
The Xperia S has a large 4.3-inch LCD screen with a 720p HD resolution. Above the display are a 1.3MP front-facing camera and notification light. The left side holds a Micro-USB port covered by a flap. On top are a 3.5mm headphone jack and the power button, which I found tricky to press while holding the phone one-handed. Placed on the back is the phone's 12MP camera with LED flash.

Hidden under a flap is an HDMI port for outputting video to HDTVs.

(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET)

Sitting on the right side is an HDMI port, also under a flap, along with a trim volume rocker. Here too is a dedicated camera button which shutterbugs will appreciate.
Display
Sony is quick to tout the benefits of the Xperia S' screen, calling it a Reality Display. Placed head-to-head with its smartphone competitors, the Xperia's 4.3-inch 720p (1,280x720) LCD screen isn't very impressive. Compared with the HTC One X (AT&T) and Samsung Galaxy Nexus (unlocked), the Xperia S produced images with muted colors, low contrast, and narrow viewing angles. In my view, the Galaxy Nexus, with its 4.65-inch 1,280x720-pixel-resolution Super AMOLED display, showed the best screen performance of the bunch, showcasing saturated colors, deep blacks, and excellent off-angle views. The HTC One X (4.7-inch 1,280x720-pixel Super LCD2) was close behind with bright whites, wide viewing angles, and natural colors.

The Xperia S's screen lacks contrast and displays muted colors.

(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET)

Interface
At launch, the Sony Xperia S initially ran Android 2.3 Gingerbread. Thanks to a recent update, though, the handset now features the more modern Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich operating system. Sure, it isn't the latest Google can offer, namely Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, but the Xperia's fresh infusion of software helps the phone feel new and improved.
In addition to app shortcuts and widgets, you can create and add folders to any of the Xperia's five home screens. Near Field Communication (NFC) is also fully supported by Android 4.0, in a feature from Google called Android Beam, which lets you transfer pictures and other files to compatible phones wirelessly just by bumping them together.
Software and apps
A dual-core 1.5GHz processor coupled with 1GB of RAM drives the Sony Xperia S' Android 4.0 OS. The Xperia also provides the typical Android features such as support for Google services such as Gmail, Maps, Navigation (using the handset's GPS hardware), and Google+ social networking.
Sony also has loaded its own Timescape app, which aggregates updates from your Twitter and Facebook accounts. Proving this device was originally meant for global markets, there's an Xperia Football Downloads app to fulfill your craving for soccer-themed ringtones and wallpapers.
Other interesting software includes a Power Saver app designed to conserve battery life, and NeoReader for scanning bar codes. If you're not satisfied with the Xperia's standard loadout of applications, plenty more are ready for download via the Google Play Android marketplace.

Full Spesifications

General	2G Network	GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
	3G Network	HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100 - LT26i
	SIM	Micro-SIM
	Announced	2012, January
	Status	Available. Released 2012, February
Body	Dimensions	128 x 64 x 10.6 mm (5.04 x 2.52 x 0.42 in)
	Weight	144 g (5.08 oz)
		- Touch-sensitive controls
Display	Type	LED-backlit LCD, capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors
	Size	720 x 1280 pixels, 4.3 inches (~342 ppi pixel density)
	Multitouch	Yes, up to 10 fingers
	Protection	Scratch-resistant glass
		- Sony Mobile BRAVIA Engine
		- Timescape UI
Sound	Alert types	Vibration; MP3 ringtones
	Loudspeaker	Yes
	3.5mm jack	Yes
Memory	Card slot	No
	Internal	32 GB storage, 1 GB RAM
Data	GPRS	Up to 86 kbps
	EDGE	Up to 237 kbps
	Speed	HSDPA, 14.4 Mbps; HSUPA, 5.8 Mbps
	WLAN	Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA, Wi-Fi hotspot
	Bluetooth	Yes, v2.1 with A2DP, EDR
	NFC	Yes
	USB	Yes, microUSB v2.0, USB On-the-go support
Camera	Primary	12 MP, 4000x3000 pixels, autofocus, LED flash, check quality
	Features	Geo-tagging, touch focus, face and smile detection, 3D sweep panorama, image stabilization
	Video	Yes, 1080p@30fps, continuous autofocus, video light, video stabilizer, check quality
	Secondary	Yes, 1.3 MP, 720p@30fps
Features	OS	Android OS, v2.3 (Gingerbread), v4.0.4, planned upgrade to v4.1
	Chipset	Qualcomm MSM8260 Snapdragon
	CPU	Dual-core 1.5 GHz
	GPU	Adreno 220
	Sensors	Accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass
	Messaging	SMS (threaded view), MMS, Email, IM, Push Email
	Browser	HTML5, Adobe Flash
	Radio	Stereo FM radio with RDS
	GPS	Yes, with A-GPS support and GLONASS
	Java	Yes, via Java MIDP emulator
	Colors	White, Black, Silver
		- TV launcher
		- SNS integration
		- HDMI port
		- Active noise cancellation with dedicated mic
		- MP4/H.263/H.264/WMV player
		- MP3/eAAC+/WMA/WAV player
		- TrackID music recognition
		- Google Search, Maps, Gmail,
		YouTube, Calendar, Google Talk
		- Document viewer
		- Voice memo/dial/commands
		- Predictive text input
Battery		Standard battery, Li-Ion 1750 mAh
	Stand-by	Up to 450 h (2G) / Up to 420 h (3G)
	Talk time	Up to 7 h 30 min (2G) / Up to 8 h 30 min (3G)
	Music play	Up to 25 h
Misc	SAR EU	0.78 W/kg (head)
	Price group
Tests	Display	Contrast ratio: 1038:1 (nominal)
	Loudspeaker	Voice 72dB / Noise 61dB / Ring 69dB
	Audio quality	Noise -86.6dB / Crosstalk -86.9dB
	Camera	Photo / Video

Galaxy Note

Galaxy Note

Note: Our original review was of the unlocked, £499.99 ($784) GSM Galaxy Note. We've updated the review to reflect our impressions and tests of the $299 (with contract) AT&T model as well. Check out the Connectivity and Software sections, in particular, to see the biggest differences between the two devices.
There once was a time, commonly referred to as the pre-iPad era, when people questioned if there really was a gap between laptops and smartphones for tablets to fill. The two established device categories seemed to have too many overlaps in functionality to permit a separate product type to exist between them. Today, that question has been answered emphatically by the wildly popular tablet market, but the challenge of trailblazing new form factors remains and has been taken up by Samsung with the 5.3-inch Galaxy Note. Too small to be considered a tablet and too large to be deemed a phone, this new Android device seeks to demonstrate the value of its unconventional size as well as its own credentials.
Samsung has built the Note atop its extremely successful Galaxy S II platform, though much as it did with the Galaxy Nexus, the company has added some significant upgrades. The Galaxy Note has a higher-resolution display, a much larger battery, and a new S Pen stylus, making it more potent and versatile than a simple oversized GSII handset. So it’s bigger, badder, and carries a small stick — does that make it Samsung’s next great mobile device?

Hardware

Is it a tablet or a phone?

Arriving in a white, smartphone-sized box, the Galaxy Note goes to great efforts to convince you that it really is as portable as a phone. It’s not. The bezel around the display is minimal and the 9.65mm thickness is practically the same as on the latest iPhone, but there’s just no way to shrink that 5.3-inch display. Pocketing the Note is an exercise in either frustration or denial. Oh, it will fit inside your pants pocket, but try walking around with it there and you’ll see that fitting inside a space is only half the battle. You’ll need to either take to wearing blazers every time you go out or accept that you won’t be able to comfortably transport the Note somewhere around your body.

Samsung Galaxy Note size comparison

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On the flip side, the thin, bump-free profile of the Note makes it extremely easy to slip into a handbag, backpack or briefcase. If you’re thinking that the same can be said of the slimmer tablets on the market, you’d be right. I don’t consider the Galaxy Note to be much of a portability upgrade over Samsung’s Galaxy Tab 7.7, which was introduced alongside the Note at IFA 2011. That being the case, you probably won’t be surprised to hear that I consider the Note more of a shrunken-down tablet than an outsized phone, in spite of its ability to take calls.

The experience of carrying out a call on the Note is actually surprisingly good. I’d contrast it against the 4.7-inch Titan from HTC, which feels awkward and a bit clunky, whereas Samsung’s tabletphone can be held up and used more comfortably. That doesn’t mean it’s any competition for a regular phone, however: like most smartphones, the Note warms up during a long call, heating half of your face in the process, and there’s the social aspect to consider. Human society has yet to evolve to the point where it can witness a person holding up a massive slate of technology to his ear without attempting to make a bad joke about it.

Galaxy Camera

With a 4.8-inch Super HD Clear LCD touchscreen, the Samsung Galaxy Camera isn't likely to be the smallest compact camera you'll ever see, but it feels very nicely put together and is both responsive and intuitive.
Even better news for many is that the 16 million pixel CMOS sensor inside the camera is a 1/2.3-inch device, the same size as in many compact cameras and considerably bigger than those in the average phone. This should mean that the Samsung Galaxy Camera is capable of recording a respectable level of detail with reasonably well controlled noise.
The sensor is coupled with a 4.1-86.1 mm f/2.8-5.9 lens, which gives the focal length equivalent of a 23-483mm lens in 35mm terms. This makes it a very versatile optic, suitable for shooting wide landscapes or cramped interiors, as well as picking out distant details.
It could make the camera a popular option for travellers, especially those who want to be able to share their images with the rest of the world via the camera's Wi-Fi connectivity.

We were only able to spend a relatively short time playing with it at Samsung's Mobile Unpacking event prior to the opening of IFA 2012, but it was enough to convince us that this is a camera that will attract a lot of interest.
There's little in the way of physical controls on the camera as most operations are carried out via the touchscreen, which is very responsive. On the top, however, there is a shutter release button surrounded by the zoom switch and the power button as well as a pop-up flash. That's it, and as a result the Galaxy Camera has a very clean look.

Opinion

Are photographers finally ready for Wi-Fi?

Those who fear that relying on a screen to make settings selections will mean scrolling through endless menu options can relax - Samsung has done an excellent job with the interface, and we got to grips with it very quickly. It has had plenty of UI design practice with its other Galaxy products, such as the Samsung Galaxy S3 and Samsung Galaxy Note 2 smartphones and Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 tablet.

Exposure modes

As you might expect, there's a selection of shooting options for the inexperienced photographer, but Samsung also included the more advanced Program, Shutter Priority, Aperture Priority and Manual exposure modes for experienced users.

These options are accessed via the Expert option in the Camera menu. Once this is selected, a neat graphic of a lens with a series of rings appears on screen and the sensitivity (ISO), exposure compensation, aperture and shutter speed are adjusted by 'rotating' the rings with a flick of a finger.

In addition to the Auto and Casual mode that are designed for keeping photography very quick and easy, there's a Smart Pro option that enables you to choose the most appropriate scene mode for the shot.
This includes options such as Waterfall Trace, which records moving water as a blur; Blue Sky mode, which ensures blue skies are saturated and not washed out; and a Light Trace mode for shooting car light trails and so on at night. There are also more common options such as a Macro, Panorama, Smart Night and Best Photo mode.

There's also a Voice Control mode that, as the name suggests, enables you to control the camera with your voice by getting it to zoom in and out or take a shot with a voice command. This sounds like a really useful option for self-portraits, but because the Samsung Galaxy Camera's screen is fixed there will be a little bit of guesswork involved with the composition.

Picture management

After the images have been captured, the Galaxy Camera's Smart Content Manager organises them into searchable folders based on time and location.

There are also options to tag faces in the images, rotate pictures and crop shots as well as view them in a slideshow. Images can be selected for view with a tap of the screen and scrolled through with a swipe of two of the finger - just as you would with a smartphone such as the Samsung Galaxy Camera's cousin, the Samsung Galaxy S3.

A Sharing widget is claimed to make light work of uploading shots to all your favourite social media sites, and Auto Cloud Back-up is available for remote storage straight after they are taken.

Early verdict

We haven't been able to use the Samsung Galaxy Camera properly or examine any images yet, but we're pretty excited about it. It has a high-quality feel and although it has lots of options and some pretty advanced controls, it's very easy to use.
The Samsung Galaxy Camera will have a full price of around £399 (around $630) in UK, and will be available from around mid-October.
The 16 million pixel, 1/2.3 inch CMOS sensor should be capable of capturing images that are on a par with other compact cameras and significantly better than those from the average smartphone. However, the lens has a wide zoom range (21x) and it will be interesting to see if this compromises the image quality at all.
We're really looking forward to receiving a full-production sample for our full Samsung Galaxy Camera review. As well as testing the usual photographic aspects, looking at sharpness, dynamic range and the like, we'll try out a few apps and share images via the Wi-Fi connectivity.

Full Specifications

General	2G Network	N/A
	3G Network	HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100
	4G Network	LTE
	SIM	No
	Announced	2012, August
	Status	Coming soon. Exp. release 2012, Q4
Body	Dimensions	128.7 x 70.8 x 19.1 mm (5.07 x 2.79 x 0.75 in)
	Weight	305 g (10.76 oz)
Display	Type	Super Clear LCD capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors
	Size	720 x 1280 pixels, 4.8 inches (~306 ppi pixel density)
	Multitouch	Yes
	Protection	Corning Gorilla Glass 2
		- TouchWiz UI
Sound	Alert types	N/A
	Loudspeaker	Yes
	3.5mm jack	Yes
Memory	Card slot	microSD, up to 32 GB
	Internal	8 GB storage, 1 GB RAM
Data	GPRS	No
	EDGE	No
	Speed	HSDPA, 21 Mbps; HSUPA, 5.76 Mbps; LTE (optional)
	WLAN	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, dual-band, Wi-Fi hotspot
	Bluetooth	Yes, v4.0
	USB	Yes, microUSB v2.0
Camera	Primary	16 MP, autofocus, 21x optical zoom, pop-up Xenon flash, AF light
	Features	Wide-angle 23mm lens, geo-tagging, touch focus, face and smile detection, optical image stabilization
	Video	Yes, 1080p@30fps, 720x480@120fps
	Secondary	No
Features	OS	Android OS, v4.1 (Jelly Bean)
	Chipset	Exynos 4412 Quad
	CPU	Quad-core 1.4 GHz Cortex-A9
	GPU	Mali-400MP
	Sensors	Accelerometer, gyro, compass
	Messaging	SMS(threaded view), MMS, Email, Push Mail, IM, RSS
	Browser	HTML5
	Radio	No
	GPS	Yes, with A-GPS support and GLONASS
	Java	Yes, via Java MIDP emulator
	Colors	Black, White
		- SNS integration
		- Dropbox (50 GB storage)
		- HDMI port
		- MP4/DivX/XviD/WMV/H.264/H.263 player
		- MP3/WAV/eAAC+/AC3/FLAC player
		- Organizer
		- Image/video editor
		- Document editor
		- Voice memo/dial
		- Predictive text input (Swype)
Battery		Standard battery, Li-Ion 1650 mAh