With Sony’s Xperia Ion for AT&T, the only upset that users will have to overcome is that the phone runs on Android’s outdated Gingerbread version. This may end up being a major disqualifying factor for some, but the promise of an upgrade to Ice Cream Sandwich arriving in the next few months and its $99 price tag may help convince you to make the sacrifice.
First impressions of the phone are nothing but good. It’s designed with a sleek black exterior that has smooth edges and a rounded back which makes it easier to hold. A lock/unlock button, volume button, and camera button line the right side of the phone while the left holds only the charging and Micro HDMI jacks. The phone’s headphone jack is located at the top in the center of the phone. Its metal back adds weight to the phone, but makes it feel very sturdy when in use. It is solid black with the exception of the camera lens, flash, and Xperia logo.
On paper, the Ion’s is lacking in its internal specs. It runs off of a Snapdragon S3 dual core processor, rather than the newer S4 version. You’ll be hard pressed to notice a difference however, with the Ion still navigating apps and programs with satisfying speed. It also has 16GB of internal memory with a micro SD card slot for when the extra space is needed. Its camera is 12 MP and took great pictures and the phones 720p resolution screen helps to make sure you can get the full effect of your shots. There is even a 3D panorama mode for the camera, but you need to connect the phone to a 3D capable device in order to actually view the shots with 3D effects.
The Ion gives a solid performance. It is by no means the best smartphone money can buy, but it may be the best deal. If you don’t want to go over the $100 dollar threshold for a phone then look no further then the Ion.
Recent Comments