Sony Ericsson Xperia Active specifications. Mobile phone Sony Ericsson Xperia Active. Information about the type of speakers and audio technologies supported by the device

Appearance Sony Ericsson Xperia Active has created a new segment in the communicator market in Russia - the segment of waterproof and dustproof devices. The IP67 protection class, to which the new product belongs, until recently had only one model with a modern OS on board - Motorola Defy, but it was not officially supplied and is not supplied to Russia, moreover, it has completely different characteristics.

The segment of phones with increased protection from adverse external influences has never been extensive. Of the popular models of the past, only the line of M series devices from Siemens comes to mind. Unfortunately, they are already irretrievably outdated, although, undoubtedly, many of them still serve their owners well.

Taking into account the low popularity and narrow specialization of “protected” smartphone models, it is not surprising that few of the current mobile computer manufacturers wanted to spend the effort to produce such devices. One of them was Sony Ericsson, which, by developing its line of communicators with the Android system, apparently decided to fill all the niches available on the market. We have already seen from this company smaller versions of “standard” models, smaller versions with a keyboard, and even a hybrid communicator - a pocket game console. It's time to get acquainted with the “off-road” communicator.

Scope of delivery and characteristics

There is little information about the device itself on the packaging. But additional accessories are listed in detail and their images are given, including: a case with a wrist strap, a rubber safety strap, a wired stereo headset, a USB cable, charger, rechargeable battery, replaceable black and white back panels, spare headphone tips, documentation. Options from Sony Ericsson Xperia Active is decent - it has almost everything for an active life with a communicator.

The characteristics of the Sony Ericsson Xperia Active (ST17i) communicator are as follows.

• Scorpion processor 1 GHz, Qualcomm MSM8255 Snapdragon chipset with Adreno 205 video core;
• operating room Android system 2.3.4 (Gingerbread);
• TFT display, 3-inch diagonal, 320×480 pixels, capacitive, multitouch, Sony Mobile Bravia Engine;
• RAM 512 MB, flash memory 1 GB (320 MB available);
• Communication GSM 850/900/1800/1900 MHz, GPRS/EDGE;
• Communications 3G UMTS 900/2100 MHz, HSDPA 7.2 MB/s; HSUPA, 5.76 MB/s;
• Bluetooth v2.1;
• WiFi 802.11b/g/n, DLNA, Wi-Fi hotspot;
• GPS, AGPS;
• Slot for microSDHC cards;
• FM radio;
• USB host;
• Position sensor in space;
• Light sensor;
• Magnetometer;
• Camera with a resolution of 5 megapixels and autofocus, 720p video recording;
• Lithium-ion battery with a capacity of 1200 mAh;
• Dimensions 92x55x16.5 mm;
• Weight 110.8 g.

The hardware platform of the new product is identical to its brothers in the 2011 Xperia Mini line, for example, the recently tested Xperia Mini Pro. The communicator contains everything you need for work: calls, messaging, access to the Internet.

• Protection degree IP67;
• Double cover;
• Mineral glass with scratch protection;
• Capacitive display that recognizes the touch of wet fingers.

The IP67 degree of protection means that if handled correctly, the device is protected from dust, and when immersed in water one meter, the ingress of liquid will not cause harm. mobile computer within 30 minutes.

The communicator display is designed to be operated with wet fingers. This feature will undoubtedly be appreciated by many who have tried to use modern communicators whose capacitive screens have become wet in the rain.

Design and appearance

The new product is a candy bar communicator with a very unusual exterior. The first thing that catches your eye is the large metal eyelet that is used to attach the strap. In none of the previously tested communicators did this element of passive safety have such outstanding dimensions. The mount practically does not interfere with working with the communicator if you hold the device in your right hand. Lefties will have a more difficult time, but they will also be able to find a comfortable position for the mobile computer.

Like the previously reviewed Xperia Mini Pro, the new product is distinguished by its small dimensions in length and width, but the thickness is beyond the fashionable trend of thinning communicators. If the “fatness” of the Xperia Mini Pro was due to the presence of a slide-out keyboard, then the reason for the large thickness of the Xperia Active is its moisture- and dust-resistant body. The bulkiness of the communicator does not cause any difficulties when working; only outwardly it seems large and angular, but you quickly get used to it.

All edges of the body of the new product are rounded, there are no sharp corners - their presence would be dangerous both for the most “active” owner and for the device. The most vulnerable part of the communicator - the display - is enclosed in a frame made of durable metal: either aluminum or an alloy based on it. The only pity is that the screen is installed flush with the metal rim; it would be better if it were deeper. By sacrificing some convenience and aesthetics, it would be possible to achieve greater safety when the communicator falls flat on the display. Among other screen safety elements, it is worth noting the presence of a factory protective film.

The plastic body of the communicator is attached to the metal rim. Its upper outer part is made of orange material - the bright color attracts attention and is convenient when searching for a device on the ground. It also makes the device stand out among its peers - it’s not often that you see such a flashy shade in the design of a communicator.

The inner case is made of durable black plastic; the battery compartment cover is attached to it, over which an outer protective casing is placed. The lid fits tightly to the body and is pressed by the casing. The latter comes in different colors; the set includes black and white options: the black one has a soft-touch coating and feels like rubber to the touch.

Disassembling the communicator is a simple task. To detach the outer casing, there is a large gap under the nail on the eyelet of the lace fastening. With a little effort, the cover is removed from the latches, then the internal protection is detached without any problems. You can change the microSD card without disconnecting the battery.

Because various parts of your device need to be exposed to the environment, Xperia Active includes various features to protect them. The camera and flash are protected by plastic covers in the battery compartment cover. It also carries protection for an additional microphone and something resembling a pressure valve. On its inner side there are contacts for various antennas, which, in turn, are located on the outer side of the plastic part. The outer casing contains protection for the main speaker and rubber flaps for external connectors: microUSB and 3.5 mm audio jack for a headset. The telephone speaker and microphone are located on the front, and nothing definite can be said about their protection, since only small holes in the glass are provided for them, but, apparently, they are also protected by membranes.

In addition to the display, front panel There are three communicators touch buttons, ambient light and proximity sensors, as well as an LED informing about the status of the device.

On the left side of the device there is a power control key. On the right: volume and camera control buttons. When examining them, gaps are noticeable between the surrounding case and the keys, but there is definitely additional protection underneath them - otherwise moisture and dust would get straight to the board and display.

The lower end of the communicator's body, as already mentioned, is used to accommodate connectors and fasten the lanyard, while the upper end is not equipped with anything.

There are only two complaints about the design of the new product: the first is a large ear that could be made on top and then it would not interfere when working with the communicator; the second is the display, which is not recessed into the body. Otherwise, the Xperia Active is a well-built mobile computer with an adequate and convenient layout of control elements. You can get used to the unusual appearance and thickness of the device, as well as count on working in all declared extreme modes.

Software and Settings

The communicator runs the Android 2.3.4 operating system. For future owners of this mobile computer, as well as others Sony devices Ericsson released in 2011, the good news is the company's announcement that it will prepare updated firmware for all these devices with Android 4.0 OS. Now it’s worth looking at what software the current firmware has.

As a proprietary shell installed on top of the system, a standard program for Sony Ericsson devices is used - Timescape UI. Despite the fact that it does not shine with special effects, like HTC Sense, for communicators with a small display diagonal it is ideal. In this shell, the most frequently used applications can be placed in four areas in the corners of the screen, which significantly speeds up work with the communicator and takes up very little of the precious display area.

Besides standard programs, such as: phone calls, address book, messages - several applications related to the active life of the communicator owner are grouped in one of the corners of the screen: iMapMyFITNESS+ and WalkMate. The first program takes into account the owner’s movements on foot, running or cycling using a GPS receiver, records tracks and counts calories burned. The second is a pedometer; steps are recorded using the acceleration sensor built into the communicator.

Travelers will also find a digital compass useful - it can be found among the pre-installed applications. Of course, it is easier and simpler to use one of the satellite navigation programs, but the GPS signal, as well as the cellular network, may disappear - then the old navigation device will come in handy. Flashlight is the simple name of another program that, without exaggeration, will be useful to both active owners of the communicator and all other users. The light source can be either the camera's LED flash or the main display.

Among the additional software in Xperia Active, it is worth noting: an application for accessing social Facebook network, Adobe Reader- view PDF files, Office Suite - working with documents Microsoft Office, NeoReader - reading various barcodes. In addition, there are programs for downloading games and other applications, several help applications, a utility for counting traffic, media players and other standard programs.

Camera

The communicator is equipped with a photosensitive matrix with a resolution of 5 megapixels. The camera has an autofocus system, LED flash, and can recognize faces.

The camera is controlled using a separate button on the right side of the communicator body. As in the Xperia Mini Pro, the camera control program interface is organized on the principle of two panels. On the left and right of the display there are lists of settings and thumbnails of images; they can be minimized and free up additional space for cropping. All settings are always at hand - you don’t need to go into the jungle of menus to change them.

The quality of the images is decent, their maximum resolution is 2592x1944 pixels. Video recording is carried out in MPEG-4/H.264 format with a resolution of 720p. You can see examples of videos and photographs.

In addition to regular shooting, with using Xperia Active you can get stereo photographs. To do this, the communicator must be moved horizontally while shooting, and very carefully, maintaining a constant speed and direction. As a result, the resulting image will be saved in MPO format and can be viewed on a device that supports stereo mode. On the device itself, the photo will look like a long panoramic shot.

Wireless interfaces, communications and GPS

Sony Ericsson Xperia Active will provide its owner with a full range of modern information exchange services. In addition to phone calls, the communicator, for example, will be able to transfer photographs received using the built-in camera to the user’s page in social network. In comfortable conditions - with the help Wi-Fi networks, in the field - using one of the data transmission technologies cellular networks: HSPA or EDGE/GPRS.

Technologies supported by Xperia Active include USB host and DLNA. USB host allows you to connect to a communicator various equipment: mouse, keyboard, external drives and USB flash drives. DLNA allows you to share multimedia data with other devices, such as computers or TVs, that are connected to the same network.

The built-in satellite signal receiver of the GPS network will provide the owner of the communicator with precise positioning anywhere in the world, while AGPS technology will help determine the approximate location.

Athletes will be interested in ANT+ technology, which is supported by Xperia Active. The built-in chip of the same name allows you to connect various sensors for measuring speed, distance, and acceleration to a mobile computer. They can be equipped with various items of equipment and vehicles. Supported devices also include heart rate monitors and medical equipment.

All wireless communication modules remain operational under water, as evidenced by an experiment with immersing the communicator to a depth of several tens of centimeters.

Display and sound

Basic parameters Xperia display Active is standard for the mass line of Xperia communicators in 2011. A resolution of 320x480 pixels is optimal for a 3-inch TFT matrix. The capacitive touch display is sensitive even to the touch of wet fingers and supports multiple touches. The backlight brightness is sufficient for most tasks and is adjusted automatically. The screen dims noticeably only in strong ambient light.

The speaker located on the back of the communicator case reproduces sounds even when underwater. Of course, thick water dampens the power of sound waves, but even if you drop the device into a small body of water, you can determine its location simply by calling the phone.

The volume of all speakers is more than sufficient for comfortable use of the device. Two microphones provide high quality communication with the interlocutor. Power of all sound system adjustable using two keys.

The Xperia Active also features proprietary Sony Ericsson technologies to improve the performance of the display and speakers: Sony Mobile Bravia Engine and xLoud, respectively.

The communicator is equipped with a standard wired Sony headset. The control module is equipped with a button and a microphone; headphones cannot be disconnected from it. The sound quality of the headset is good, and the kit includes interchangeable tips of various sizes.

When the headset is connected to the communicator, an FM radio becomes available. The receiver control interface is laconic and convenient; the program itself searches for radio stations and adds them to the list. RDS technology is supported, the signal reception quality is excellent.

Battery life and performance

For that short time that the communicator was in the editorial office, it was only possible to determine basic tests for autonomy. The battery in the Xperia Active has a capacity of 1200 mAh, a processor frequency of 1 GHz, and a screen diagonal of 3 inches. All together this leads to the fact that when reading e-book with a 50% backlight level, the communicator worked for 16.5 hours, music playback with the display turned off lasted for 20 hours, the minimum operating time of the device was 4 hours. This was achieved by setting the maximum backlight, turning on all wireless communication modules, and starting to play a movie.

In general, the Xperia Active's battery life is good. Setting an acceptable backlight level and disabling unnecessary communication modules can significantly extend the life of the device in mobile mode.

The summary table presents the results of testing the performance of the review hero and other communicators who visited the editorial office.

Comparing the Xperia Active with the Xperia Mini Pro, you can see that the hero of the review performed worse than his brother in the product line. Considering the identical hardware components of both devices, the discrepancy in the tests can probably only be attributed to different Android version: 2.3.3 on Xperia Mini Pro and 2.3.4 on Xperia Active.

Both devices demonstrate exorbitant results in graphics subsystem tests, which, however, are easily explained by the low resolution of the communicators' displays. More expensive and powerful devices spend more time calculating the image of their multi-pixel matrices. This fact is confirmed by the Quadrant Standard test, in which the Xperia Active scored 1483 points.

In other respects, the Xperia Active, like the Xperia Mini Pro, lags behind top-end devices such as and. The similar processor frequency determines the coincidence of the results in processor performance tests for all Sony Ericsson devices presented in the table. The same applies to memory operations on communicators.

Conclusions

With the advent of Sony Ericsson Xperia Active, those buyers who need an “all-weather” and “protected” communicator have the opportunity to choose. Although the range of devices is not very wide: Xperia Active and Motorola Defy are better than nothing. Despite the fact that the latter is not officially supplied to Russia, it can be easily purchased in one of the online stores.

The Xperia Active has its advantages in the form of productive hardware, a fresh version of the OS and a convenient shell, a good time battery life. The only downside to the new product is its non-standard design.

Compared to “regular” communicators, such as the Xperia Mini, the Xperia Active looks decent, which is not surprising, given their identical hardware. There is a suspicion that Sony Ericsson deliberately gave the new product such an extravagant appearance so that it would not create serious competition for its other devices.

It's unlikely that the Xperia Active will be the everyday phone of an office worker or anyone else who spends most of their time in comfortable conditions. However, it will become an indispensable assistant for anyone who spends a lot of time in direct contact with the environment, especially one as changeable as in Russia, and must be constantly in touch. Xperia Active can also be an ideal second smartphone for all enthusiasts active recreation, tourism and extreme entertainment. In the end, even if something happens to the communicator, its price will cause less worry than the demise of a much more expensive mobile computer.

Xperia active is one of the last smartphones from the now defunct Sony Ericsson. Now only the Japanese manufacturer is responsible for the development and production of such devices, having bought a 50 percent share of the joint venture from the Swedish partner. Nevertheless, despite the financial failures of Sony Ericsson, last year the company managed to release several memorable models, which include the Xperia active.

The smartphone is aimed at people who are interested in active sports. This is indicated by the “sporty” colors of the case, the accessories included in the kit, the design features, and the set special applications. In addition, the Xperia active case protects the device from dust and moisture. Let's see what features are implemented in one of the most non-standard Sony Ericsson Android smartphones.

Appearance, controls

We rarely talk about a smartphone package, because in most cases the box contains a standard set: the device itself, a USB cable, a charger and headphones, and sometimes a memory card. However, from time to time manufacturers supplement the kit with other accessories. As an example, we can recall. And although the Sony Ericsson Xperia active does not have a key fob and a docking station with built-in speakers, some interesting things can be found here.

So, in addition to the smartphone itself, the box contains an additional white cover, a strap for carrying the device on your hand, and a case that can be attached to your shoulder. The last accessory will be appreciated by those who are used to running: the case is firmly fixed, does not interfere during runs, protects the device from precipitation and allows you to see the screen through a transparent window.

The Xperia active smartphone should not be perceived as a model protected from any adverse influences. The body of the device is not shockproof, and you should be careful with water procedures. Although the device is positioned as waterproof, the manufacturer warns against prolonged “swimming” of the Xperia active. The model simply offers additional protection in emergency situations - the phone will remain operational in the rain, after falling into a puddle or mud.

We did not perform stress tests on the device, but simply held it under running cold water. Quite expectedly, the device withstood this simple experiment without any visible consequences.

Compared to most modern smartphones, the Xperia active model looks very compact, although its thickness is rather large - 16.5 mm. Thanks to the rounded ends, the device fits comfortably in the hand; the large thickness does not affect its ergonomics.

Almost the entire body of the Xperia active is made of fingerprint-resistant plastic. A silver edging is made of metal, turning into an unusually large loop on the bottom edge of the device. The same cord mentioned above for carrying the phone on your hand is threaded into the hole.

The smartphone has few hardware controls: on the left side there is a power button, on the right there is a volume rocker and a camera activation button. The buttons are convenient to use; they protrude 1-2 mm from the body and are characterized by clear clicks.

The audio jack and microUSB port are located on the bottom edge and are closed with sealed rubber plugs. Above the display there is a speaker, proximity and light sensors, and an LED indicator. Contrary to first impressions, the Xperia active does not have front camera, instead Sony Ericsson has built in a second proximity sensor. Below the screen there are three familiar backlit touch buttons: “Back”, “Home” and “Menu”, and even lower is a barely noticeable microphone hole.

The most interesting part of the Xperia active, apart from the strap hole, is the front panel. By default, the smartphone has a black cover with soft touch coating. If desired, it can be replaced with a white matte panel. Both the first and second options provide an effective combination with an orange stripe running along the perimeter of the device.

On the back there is a 5-megapixel camera eye, an LED flash, an additional microphone for noise reduction and a speaker. Removing the cover, we will see little surprise- another rubberized panel that fits tightly to the body and reliably protects the battery, SIM compartment and memory card slot from moisture.

The assembly of the Xperia active is of high quality, without any backlash. Despite the thickness of 16.5 mm, due to its short length, width and weight, the smartphone will fit into almost any pocket. The appearance and materials from which the device is made also leave a positive impression. At least the device is not like most other smartphones and attracts attention.

Display

The Xperia active model is equipped with a 3-inch TFT display with a resolution of 320x480 pixels. Since the screen diagonal is small, it is difficult to notice individual pixels in the image. The picture quality can be assessed as good, especially if you enable the Bravia Engine function - it makes colors more saturated.

You can see the image in the sun, but I would still like to add brightness. But the viewing angles of the display are good both horizontally and vertically. In general, we have before us an ordinary mid-level screen, without any special advantages or disadvantages.

As befits a protected device, its display is scratch-resistant. In addition, the manufacturer pasted a barely noticeable film over the screen.

Interface, functionality

The smartphone works under Android control 2.3 and is equipped with a proprietary interface, well known to those who have experience communicating with Sony Ericsson smart phones. To unlock the screen, you need to slide your finger along the virtual slider from left to right. If you do this from right to left, silent mode will turn on.

The user has access to five desktops on which application shortcuts, widgets and folders can be placed. Browse mode displays the contents of all desktops on one screen.

The most popular programs can be assigned to one of the four corner zones. Each of them contains four icons. This way you can provide quick access to up to 16 applications from any desktop. Programs can also be viewed from the main menu. There you can sort applications alphabetically, frequency of use and installation date; you can also organize your own list.

There are many additional programs installed in the firmware. There is, for example, in addition to the standard one, also a catalog of applications from Sony Ericsson. The TrackID program can determine the name of a track from a short passage, WalkMate counts the number of steps taken, and iMapMyFitness+ takes into account the route traveled and supports GPS and ANT+, which can be used to connect to a heart rate sensor and other specialized devices.

The Timescape program, which aggregates messages from popular social networks, mail and SMS, has not gone away. In addition, there is a flashlight, a QR code reader, Wisepilot navigation service, an office suite, and the ability to play photos or videos on Sony TVs and consoles.

The musical component of the smartphone deserves special mention. Moreover, it’s not so much about the audio player, but about the quality of the sound - it’s loud, rich and “bassy”. The Xperia active model can be used as a replacement player. In addition, unexpectedly they were included in the kit good headphones, which is not typical for most other phones. Perhaps, in terms of the quality of music playback, the device can easily compete with more expensive ones. HTC smartphones, which come with a Beats Audio headset.

Camera

The Xperia active smartphone is equipped with a 5-megapixel camera with the ability to record HD video. In terms of image quality, it is not inferior to photo modules with the same resolution installed in the model Samsung Galaxy. In low-light conditions, noise and problems with sharpness are noticeable, but overall the photos are not bad for a mobile device.

Additional information

General characteristics

Screen

Multimedia capabilities

Connection

Memory and processor

Other functions

Information about the make, model, and alternative names of the specific device, if available.

Design

Information about the dimensions and weight of the device, presented in different units of measurement. Materials used, colors offered, certificates.

SIM card

The SIM card is used in mobile devices to store data that certifies the authenticity of mobile service subscribers.

Mobile networks

A mobile network is a radio system that allows multiple mobile devices to communicate with each other.

Mobile communication technologies and data transfer speeds

Communication between devices on mobile networks is carried out using technologies that provide different data transfer rates.

Operating system

An operating system is a system software that manages and coordinates the operation of hardware components in a device.

SoC (System on Chip)

A system on a chip (SoC) includes all the most important hardware components of a mobile device on a single chip.

Built-in memory

Each mobile device has built-in (non-removable) memory with a fixed capacity.

Memory cards

Memory cards are used in mobile devices to increase the storage capacity for storing data.

Screen

The screen of a mobile device is characterized by its technology, resolution, pixel density, diagonal length, color depth, etc.

Sensors

Different sensors perform different quantitative measurements and convert physical indicators into signals that a mobile device can recognize.

Rear camera

The main camera of a mobile device is usually located on its back panel and may be combined with one or more secondary cameras.

Audio

Information about the type of speakers and audio technologies supported by the device.

Radio

The radio of the mobile device is a built-in FM receiver.

Location determination

Information about the navigation and location technologies supported by your device.

WiFi

Wi-Fi is a technology that provides wireless communication for transmitting data over close distances between various devices.

Bluetooth

Bluetooth is a standard for secure wireless data transfer between various devices of different types over short distances.

USB

USB (Universal Serial Bus) is an industry standard that allows different electronic devices to exchange data.

Headphone jack

This is an audio connector, also called an audio jack. The most widely used standard in mobile devices is the 3.5mm headphone jack.

Connecting devices

Information about other important connection technologies supported by your device.

Browser

A web browser is a software application for accessing and viewing information on the Internet.

Video file formats/codecs

Mobile devices support different video file formats and codecs, which respectively store and encode/decode digital video data.

Battery

Mobile device batteries differ from each other in their capacity and technology. They provide the electrical charge necessary for their functioning.

Today the market is chasing gigabytes and gigahertz, having forgotten about the consumer and his needs: it is much more prestigious today to make a thin phone with bright screen eclipsing its predecessor. But there are also those rare devices that are truly different from others. For example, sports smartphones: such as Sony Ericsson Xperia active.

First test in Russia: super-secure Sony smartphone Ericsson Xperia active

History and philosophy

Extreme sports and lovers of an active lifestyle have always been something that is not very profitable and, accordingly, unpopular with manufacturers. This is understandable - the segment is narrow, few changes can be introduced.

Sony Ericsson Xperia active

Old-timers will probably remember telephones or: the shock-resistant and dust- and water-proof cases of these truly legendary devices were recognized by many in their time. Today, producing such devices is much less profitable than before, and the situation is especially bad with shock resistance. Due to the fact that the most trendy keyboardless smartphones today are much more difficult to protect from the aggressive influence of the external environment, the production of protected models has practically come to naught.

Metal edging gives the body strength and rigidity

Today, such devices are allocated to a separate niche along with “military” laptops - for example, only rugged phones are produced under the Sonim brand, and they cost as much as good smartphone premium segment with a large screen.

However, not everyone is ready to fork out for such a miracle of technology as Sonim. Now all lovers of an active lifestyle have the opportunity to buy modern smartphone on the fashionable Android platform. Sony Ericsson Xperia active is a mid-budget smartphone that is protected from water and dust, and is also equipped with sports functions and is preloaded with a whole range of sports applications.

But – first things first.

Don't hurt kids

Clad in a special case, reliably protected from dust and moisture, in addition, it was equipped with sports accessories.

The Sony Ericsson Xperia active display is not afraid of water and perfectly recognizes touches in any conditions

But at the same time it is compact. Its screen diagonal is 3 inches and dimensions are 92x55x16.5 mm.

This thickness is largely due to the solution to protect against water ingress. In this case we are talking about double back cover: that is, if you want to insert a SIM card, you must first remove the main colored cover, then the additional one, which is not specially attached, but fits tightly due to the rubber gasket along the edges; then you need to remove the battery and insert the SIM card into the deep groove under it. There is also a slot for a micro-SD card.

Sony Ericsson Xperia active's double cover protects against water penetration

The outer cover has quite durable three-layer plugs for the micro-USB and mini-Jack slots, and if these plugs do not fit tightly enough to the body, a warning appears on the screen that in this case water may enter. A very good and thoughtful solution that allows you to avoid unpleasant incidents.

True, you won’t be able to listen to music in the pool - the headphone slot is not waterproof, so it’s better not to experiment.

Oh my screen...

Another manifestation of water resistance is the screen, which can be operated with wet fingers. Say, in the pool or while surfing or kiting.

A large selection of sports applications will allow you to monitor your condition

As we wrote earlier, the diagonal of the Xperia active display is three inches. Display resolution 320x480 pixels. A larger screen would be more difficult to protect, so in this case the SE made a compromise, creating on the one hand a protected, but on the other hand still quite advanced (for rugged smartphones) display.

The smartphone display cannot be called the brightest even with the maximum backlight level

Training with a smartphone reaches a new level of quality

A subjective disadvantage can be considered the location of the buttons under the screen. There are three buttons, as is done in the latest fashion – “Return”, “Home” and “Options”. But “Home” is located exactly below the screen at such a distance that when calling the top menu (when the user swipes his finger from top to bottom), it is very difficult not to touch this button and not call the menu again. Involuntarily, I remember a more successful solution, as we can now see, when the “Home” button was not touch sensitive and was located at the bottom of the screen, although such a comparison is not correct, because devices belong to different categories.

Everything has its good sides

The smartphone's equipment is very rich, for which it gets the maximum rating. In addition to the “body” itself and a 1200 mAh battery, the kit includes a black case with a wrist strap, a durable rubber cord, replaceable back panel covers (black and white, which, together with the orange edging, create a very pleasant color scheme for the smartphone), and also vacuum headphones with clip-on earhooks. The latter was especially surprising, but just right for a sports phone. You run and don’t worry that your headphones will fall out of your ears. Also, this case will not sink even with the phone if it is dropped into water.

Camera settings lack variety

Separate mention must be made about the wrist case. It is quite dense, and, apparently, is intended to be an additional protective element. Through its transparent plastic window you can even try to control the device, which is very difficult, but possible (this is partly implied by the icon on the case itself in the area of ​​the phone's power button; the case itself is not designed to control a smartphone). The cover is attached to the arm using Velcro and is quite difficult to tear off. And between the hand and the phone there is a softening pad. In general, a competent and thoughtful solution: runners, cyclists and swimmers will find it very useful.

Or, for example, you can say good things about the location of the control elements on the body. They are all located on the sides, right under the fingers, if you take it in your left hand. Under the thumb there will be a power button on the left side, under the middle and index fingers there will be a volume control, and the little finger will have the camera power button.

At the bottom there are slots covered with dense three-layer plugs, which we wrote about above, as well as a very powerful eyelet for the cord. We note, however, that shock resistance would actually not hurt, since the plastic case is quite slippery and tends to slip out of your hands.

Software

B installed operating system Android 2.3.4 with a proprietary four-corners shell and the Timescape application. The traditional 4 shortcuts at the bottom are located in the corners of the screen, and they are not only present on each of the five desktops, but they can also be replaced with application icons - if you do not have enough screen space.

The menu contains a standard set of applications

These labels themselves are also not entirely ordinary - more precisely, one of them, the top right one. It serves as a “home” for four applications at once: iMapMyFitness+, WalkMate, a music player and an Android Guide link that leads to the Sony Ericsson website, which presents useful, Sony versions Ericsson, applications and games. Applications can be changed.

The most interesting one is the first one - iMapMyFitness+, which comes from the AppStore and allows you to keep track of the distance you have run, walked or biked using GPS. You can communicate with other athletes, and the language of the program is partly English, partly Russian. The second application, Walkmate, is a hardware-software pedometer that measures how many steps you have taken today. The required healthy minimum, the program believes, is 10 thousand steps a day.

How many steps are there from work to home? A pedometer will give you the answer.

The music player is quite standard and the only thing I would like to note is the xLoud function for artificial increase volume. Other applications may already be familiar to users of the Swedish-Japanese duo's products - TrackID for song recognition; the game Quadrapop, a kind of Tetris; Wisepilot, simple navigation program; NeoReader for reading QR codes and OfficeSuite - an office suite.

I was very pleased that the phone natively supports Swype typing technology using strokes.

Automatic smiles

The five-megapixel camera takes decent pictures both indoors and outdoors. “Passable” does not mean “good”: when zooming in, a strong “oversharpening”, artifacts and a generally dim color scheme are noticeable.

The built-in camera cannot compete in quality with top smartphones

As for the shooting options, there are: scene selection, timer, flash, geotagging, shutter sound selection and the ability to shoot with a touch. The maximum resolution is five megapixels for shooting in 4:3 format and 3 megapixels for 16:9. Actually, that's all: no additional features Xperia active does not offer during normal photography.

Video shooting is much richer in possibilities: there is a choice of white balance, a focus mode, a choice of exposure, and even a stabilizer is offered. It's a shame that there's nothing like that in photo mode. In addition, we note that the camera shoots video in HD standard and can even record underwater.

Test shots of Sony Ericsson Xperia Active

It is impossible not to note the so-called. possibility of “3D shooting”: this is the name given to the improved interface for shooting panoramas, allowing you to view them from several points using special equipment. It is improved in the sense that a bar is shown on the screen to help you hold the camera and guide it in the exact direction.

And finally I’ll write

Technical parameters of the smartphone include a single-chip gigahertz Qualcomm processor Snapdragon and 512 MB of RAM. Considering the small screen and low resolution, this combination is quite justified and sufficient. The battery is 1200 mAh, and it is not enough, since the smartphone can hardly work for a day in active mode. Internal memory phone – 1 GB (320 MB available for the user), but memory cards save the day (up to 32 GB is supported)

The proprietary SE shell will facilitate access to the main functions of the smartphone

Among the interesting possibilities we can note wireless connection using ANT+ technology to “a wide range of health products.” Unfortunately, we did not have such goods in stock, so we were unable to verify this statement. The next interesting thing is the built-in noise reduction technology during conversations.

Also stated Wi-Fi support, Bluetooth, DLNA and GPS with aGPS. Particularly pleasant is the fact that the phone can operate in Wi-Fi router and provide Internet access to an “adult” computer as a modem for a mobile network.

Sportish, practical, gut

The overall impression of the phone is positive. Of course, two minuses - small screen without automatic control brightness, as well as a low-capacity battery, do not allow us to admire this phone and not pay attention to its shortcomings. But it can be given good marks for its rich software content: good apps and a good addition of 4 corners. The packaging and replaceable back panel are also a plus. We can also say that the main function is a smartphone for athletes - Sony Ericsson Xperia active

The official cost of Xperia is 13,990 rubles. This is an adequate price for this set of functions, but those who do not play sports should be warned against purchasing this gadget. For the majority of users, a weak screen and short operating time on a single charge can serve as significant disadvantages that will cause disappointment in this good, in general, but niche device.