Sony Xperia U
| Manufacturer | Sony Mobile |
|---|---|
| Series | Xperia |
| Compatible networks |
GSM 850, 900, 1800, 1900, HSDPA 900 / 2100 – ST25i HSDPA 850 / 1900 / 2100 – ST25a |
| First released | 15 May 2012 |
| Availability by country | Worldwide |
| Related | Sony Xperia S, Sony xperia P |
| Type | Smartphone |
| Form factor | Bar |
| Dimensions | 112 mm x 54 mm x 12 mm |
| Weight | 110 g |
| Operating system | Android 2.3.7 Upgrade able to Android 4.0 No official Jellybean update. |
| CPU | 1 GHz Dual-core NovaThor ARM Cortex-A9 |
| GPU | Single Core Mali 400 |
| Memory | 512 MB |
| Storage | 8 GB (up to 4 GB available for the user with 50 GB free Cloud storage for life* ) |
| Removable storage | No |
| Battery | 1290 mAh |
| Data inputs | Touch |
| Display |
3.5-inch FWVGA (854 x 480 pixels) (280 ppi) 16,777,216 colour TFT Reality display with Bravia Engine |
| Rear camera | 5 MP, autofocus, LED flash, face and smile detection and geo-tagging |
| Front camera | Yes 0.3 MP, VGA |
| Connectivity | 3.5G, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n with Hotspot, micro-USB v2.0 with USB OTG support, DLNA |
| Other | Sony Entertainment Networks – Music and Video Unlimited* |
| References | http://www.sonymobile.com/gb/products/phones/xperia-u/specifications/ |
The Sony Xperia U is an Android smartphone from Sony. It was launched at the 2012 Mobile World Congress held in Barcelona, and is the second Sony-only branded smartphone after Sony acquired Ericsson's stake in Sony Ericsson in January 2012. The Xperia U has a 3.5-inch (88.9 mm) touch-screen with the mobile BRAVIA engine which optimises the picture, a 1 GHz dual core processor, a 5 mega-pixel rear camera, 512 MB of RAM, and 8 GB of internal storage. The cap at the bottom of the phone is interchangeable and is available in a range of colors (pink, white, yellow and black).
Availability
The handset was introduced in Barcelona on 28 February 2012 before the Mobile World Congress in the United Kingdom in March 2012 and was released worldwide on 15 May 2012.
Hardware
The capacitive touchscreen display measures 3.5 inches with a resolution of 854 x 480 and at 280 PPI(Pixels Per Inch), is tied with the HTC and Samsung for the highest pixel density in any mobile phone released around the price tag. It supports multi-touch up to 4 fingers and features High Definition Reality Display with mobile BRAVIA engine from Sony and is capable of displaying 16,777,216 colours. The camera has 5 megapixels and is capable of recording video at 720p High Definition, it also features a front-facing camera of 0.3 megapixels. The device features a STE Nova Thor U8500 1 GHz dual core processor, 512 MB RAM, Mali-400 GPU, 8 GB internal storage (4 GB user accessible) and a micro-USB connector with USB-OTG supported.
Software
The Xperia U was released with Android 2.3.7 Gingerbread but it has received an update to Android 4.0.4 on 2012-09-28. The Xperia U is fully Facebook integrated and features the Timescape UI by Sony. It is connected to the Sony Entertainment Network, allowing users to access Music & Video Unlimited in some parts of the world. The Sony Xperia U is also DLNA certified. On 17 December 2012, Sony confirmed that the Xperia U will not be updated to Android Jelly Bean 4.1 due to hardware incompatibility. Sony later reported that the Xperia U was not updated due to the lack of RAM. [citation needed].From a press resource it was leaked that Xperia U will not be upgraded to Android Kit Kat 4.4 due to the older Xperia 2012 line The phone cannot be updated from 2.3 Android gingerbread to android 4.0 icecream sandwich through the software updater in the phone so pc is required to update the phone.
Design
Over 95% of the Xperia U front is composed of the display portion, and the back is curved slightly for comfort like on the Xperia S and the Xperia P. It has transparent strip with an illuminated light bar at the bottom, which illuminates when viewing pictures or music by picking up the dominant colour in the picture. It has exchangeable bottom caps below the illuminated strip. The interchangeable bottom cap comes in 4 colours: Pink, Black, White and Yellow.
Reception
Xperia U generally received a positive response from critics with some calling it as a budget version of Xperia P and Xperia S. Critics praised the Xperia U for several features like a dual core processor, high quality Display, and its 5-megapixel camera but criticized it for the lack of external storage and no Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich out of box which is available only as an upgrade. Natasha Lomas of CNET gave the phone 4 out of 5 and wrote "For Android lovers looking for a budget smartphone for dainty snacking on apps and mobile websites, the Xperia U is a worthy contender. It fits the budget and is cheerful, cute as a button and – provided you're not too demanding of it – fleet of foot."
Memory
The Sony Xperia U comes with 8 GB of phone memory, 4 GB of accessible internal storage and from the remaining 4 GB, 2 GB is kept for system memory and 2 GB is kept for applications.
References
External links
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