Sony Xperia SP

Best Price: Starting from Rs.17,941 - Rs.25,990



The Xperia SP is a sister model of the recently reviewed Xperia L. Apart from their size, the two models are quite similar. The Xperia SP features a bigger LC display (4.6-inch diagonal instead of 4.3-inch), a higher resolution (1280x720 pixels instead of 854x480), and a slightly more conservative (as in less curved) plastic / aluminum case. The latter for example lacks the slightly concave rear side of the Xperia L.

However, the inner components do not reflect the conservative look. While the Xperia L is an entry-level device, the Xperia SP is aiming high. With the Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 MSM8960T, the test sample comes with a high-end SoC with a clock rate of 1.7 GHz. The remaining specs are also impressive: a Qualcomm Adreno 320 graphic chip, 1 GB RAM, and 8 GB internal memory. In addition, the smartphone features a seven MP main camera and runs the Android 4.1 Jelly Bean operating system. We scrutinized the black model of the Xperia SP. Sony also offers the Xperia SP with a red or a white case.

Case

Of course, the Xperia SP also comes with the Xperia trademark: a silver power button, in the middle of the right side, which sticks out of the case. The latter features an aluminum frame and convinces with a high-end build quality. The smartphone does neither wrap nor creak from side-to-side twisting. The rubberized rear side ensures a secure grip so it is unlikely to be dropped accidentally.

The light bar at the lower edge is an interesting feature. Depending on app, event, and selected design it glows in different colors. The light effects can be precisely specified in the Android settings.

The reflective 4.6-inch display with 1280x720-pixel resolution is protected by scratch-resistant Corning Gorilla Glass and seamlessly integrated into the case. The webcam above the display only features a low resolution of 640x480 pixels (0.3 MP), while the main camera's resolution of seven MP (max. 3104x2328 pixels) is significantly higher. There is a small, inconspicuous rectangle below the Xperia logo, the NFC sensor. The size of 130.6 x 67.1 x 9.98 mm (~5.14 x 2.64 x 0.39 inches) and the weight of 155 g (~0.34 pounds) are typical for smartphones of this size.

Connectivity

The Sony Xperia SP features a powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 MSM8960T SoC, which is also incorporated in powerful competitors, e.g. Nokia's Lumia 920, Samsung's ATIV S or BlackBerry's Z10. The ARM-based dual-core processor is assisted by a Qualcomm Adreno 320 graphics processor. With this CPU and GPU, the Xperia SP should run smoothly and quickly.

The Xperia SP features 8 GB memory, but this specification should be taken with a pinch of salt. The smartphone firmware for the Android OS and the already preinstalled apps occupy about 3 GB and only 5 GB are free initially. Nevertheless, the storage capacity should suffice in the majority of cases unless you install a lot of apps or a huge amount of pictures or videos. Nevertheless, the smartphone is prepared for such scenarios. You can expand the memory capacity by a further 32 GB using the micro SD slot beneath the rear cover.

Software

Sony pre-installs the Android 4.1 Jelly Bean OS and several apps on the Xperia. Apart from Google Play, the Google Chrome browser and the Sony Walkman app, apps like YouTube, Facebook, Navigation, UKW radio, Google+, and Gmail are available, too.

Communication & GPS

The Xperia SP supports nearly all radio networks including UMTS quint band (850, 900, 1,700, 1,900 and 2,100 MHz) and GSM quad band (850, 900, 1,800, and 1,900 MHz). So, you can use the Sony smartphone nearly everywhere in the world. Thanks to HSPA+ acceleration download rates of up to 42 MBit/s are possible in UMTS networks. In addition, it supports LTE, a fourth generation mobile communications standard, which allows a maximum transfer rate of 100 MBit/s according to the manufacturer. In our test, the Xperia SP delivered a high speech quality during phone calls into the mobile phone as well as fixed networks.

For local data transmission, the smartphone features WLAN 802.11 a/b/g/n and Bluetooth 4.0, which both convinced with a stable send and receive performance. The same is true for the GPS sensor, which allows a fast and precise location and could even detect many satellites indoors. The NFC module allows a contactless transmission of small amounts of data over a very short distance. So, you can use the Xperia SP as digital wallet or virtual ticket. As there are only a few applications so far in Germany, NFC is, at best, a feature for the future.

Cameras & Multimedia

The Xperia SP features two cameras. The 0.3 MP (640x480) webcam on the front side only achieves VGA quality, but is appropriate for video telephony and snapshots. The main camera on the rear side is more apt for photos as it features a maximum resolution of 3104x2328 pixels, i.e. up to seven MP and an LED flash and can record 1080p videos.

The main camera delivers a decent image quality, but it performs worse than our reference camera and several high-end competitors. Overall, photos shot by the Xperia SP are not bad, but the color saturation is too high. As a result, pictures are colorful at the expense of many details. In direct comparison to the competition, they appear too bright. In addition, the images are already slightly noisy if taken in light shade.

Accessories & warranty

Sony offers several accessories for the Xperia SP including a Bluetooth headset (SBH20) and wireless speakers (Smart Mini Music Box). The warranty period of the Xperia is 24 months. Accessories and built-in battery have a warranty of 12 months.

Input Devices & Handling

The display surface protected by Corning Gorilla Glass allows a comfortable, smooth handling. The display supports inputs with up to 10 fingers and reacts precisely to multitouch gestures. Because of the fast SoC, the Xperia SP reacts fast and responsively to commands. A smooth navigation is also possible immediately after booting.

Thanks to the big display, you can easily use the virtual QWERTZ keyboard. In particular, in landscape mode, the display keyboard scores points with conveniently big inter-key gaps. In addition, the keyboard layout is handy as are the additional screens for numbers and special characters.

Display

The 4.6-inch TFT display of the Xperia SP features a resolution of 1280x720 pixels, which is usual for smartphones of this size. For example, the HTC One X has exactly the same display format and the Google Nexus 4's and the LG Optimus G E975's (1280x768 pixels each) is nearly identical. Only the Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini is quite different with a resolution of 960x540 pixels, but 4.3-inch device is also significantly smaller.

The average brightness of 389.3 cd/m² is more than sufficient for outdoor use. Furthermore, we appreciate the very even distribution of brightness of 95%. The brightness of the brightest and the darkest display segment only differs by 20 cd/m² – a very small difference. Most competitors are not that bright, e.g. the Google Nexus 4 (275.3 cd/m², 93%) and the Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini (297.8 cd/m², 81%). In contrast, the HTC One X features a very bright display (448.4 cd/m²) with a very even distribution of brightness of 93%.

The, at best, average black value of 0.6 cd/m² and the modest contrast ratio of 670:1 are disappointing. In practice, black is not absolutely black, but this is hardly noticeable and not a minus point. However, the competitors perform significantly better here. The HTC One X (1225:1) takes the lead and the Google Nexus 4 (1179:1) and the LG Optimus G E975 (1039:1) follow closely. Because of the AMOLED technology, the Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini's contrast cannot be precisely measured.

The color analysis with the CalMAN 5 software and the X-Rite i1Pro 2 colorimeter uncovers weaknesses typical for smartphones. In particular, the blue tones significantly deviate from their ideal values in the sRGB color spectrum. The same is true for brighter gray levels. Overall, the results are fine for a smartphone.

Due to its bright display, the Xperia SP is readily appropriate for outdoor use. As with nearly all other smartphones, the reflective display is disturbing. However, as long as you avoid direct sunlight, you will face little to no restrictions outdoors.

The viewing angles are average at best. The color saturation falls notably at slight horizontal deviations while the brightness increases. The bigger the deviation, the more the colors fade.

Games

The integrated Qualcomm GPU Adreno 320 is more than fast enough for the latest games. The 3D chip can run smoothly all games and does not even struggle with more demanding titles like Shadow Gun: Dead Zone or Zombies vs. Plants. The touchscreen reaction is responsive, fast, and reliable in all games.

Emissions

Temperature

Under maximum load, the temperature of the Sony smartphone increases up to a moderate 42 degrees Celsius (107.6 degrees Fahrenheit), one of the lowest temperature rises in the comparison. The Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini (41 degrees Celsius/ 105.8 degrees Fahrenheit) and the LG Optimus G E975 (41.9 degrees Celsius/ 107.42 degrees Fahrenheit) remain slightly cooler. The HTC One X is literally a very hot smartphone (52.8 degrees Celsius/ 127.04 degrees Fahrenheit).

Speakers

For audio playback, the Xperia SP features a mono speaker with decent sound, which is even not distorted at maximum volume. However, it lacks mid tones and especially the basses. The included in-ear headphones, which can be connected to the smartphone via 3.5 mm jack, significantly improve the audio experience.

Energy Management

Power Consumption

While idle, the Xperia SP requires between 4 Watts and 1.8 Watts and so does not belong to the most frugal devices. This impression is confirmed under load. Here the test sample needs between 3.9 Watts and 5.6 Watts. The LG Optimus G E975 (maximum: 3.7 Watts) and the Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini (3.9 Watts) work significantly more efficiently. Just the opposite is true for the HTC One X (5.8 Watts) and the Google Nexus 4 (6.4 Watts).

Battery Life

With maximum brightness and all Wi-Fi modules activated, the Xperia SP achieves a minimum battery life of 2 hours and 40 minutes. Therewith, the smartphones still belongs to devices with long battery life and is on par with the Google Nexus 4 and the Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini (2 hours 39 minutes each). The battery of the HTC One X is very quickly emptied (1 hour 52 minutes).

The maximum battery life of 14 minutes and 4 minutes (minimum brightness, all Wi-Fi devices apart from WLAN deactivated) is only average. Many competitors including the Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini (19 hours 52 minutes), the LG Optimus G E975 (18 hours 15 minutes) and the HTC One X (17 hours 17 minutes) last significantly longer.

In the especially realistic WLAN test (brightness: 150 cd/m², script loads new web pages every 40 seconds) the Xperia SP achieves 7 hours and 20 minutes. The Google Nexus 4 is on par, the HTC One X achieves even 8 hours and 56 minutes. However, the Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini (12 hours 10 minutes) and the LG Optimus G E975 (11 hours 10 minutes) remain unbeaten.

Main Features: 4.6 inches TFT Capacitive Touchscreen | 8 MP Camera, 0.3 MP front Camera | Android 4.1 Jelly Bean OS | 1.7 GHz Dual core Qualcomm MSM8960T Snapdragon processor, Adreno 320 GPU, 1GB RAM | 8 GB ROM, expandable up to 32GB | 3G, Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Hotspot, Bluetooth, GPRS/EDGE, LTE, NFC, GPS with A-GPS and GLONASS | 2370 mAh BatteryDisplay
The Sony Xperia SP has a 4.6-inches TFT Capacitive touchscreen display with 720x1280 pixels display resolution. The display is scratch resistant and the user interface is powered by the Android 4.1 Jelly Bean operating system.

Configuration

The Sony Xperia SP is powered by a fast operating 1.7 GHz Dual core Qualcomm MSM8960T Snapdragon processor and Adreno 320 GPU and 1GB of RAM. The processor is suitable for fast browsing and smooth multitasking. The device has 8GB ROM that is expandable up to 32GB via micro SD card.

Camera

The Xperia SP houses an 8MP rear camera with autofocus, LED flash and digital zoom. It records videos at 1080 pixels resolution. The device also has a VGA front camera that is suitable for video calling.

Connectivity and Battery

The connectivity options on the Xperia SP include 3G, Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Hotspot, Bluetooth, GPRS/EDGE, LTE, NFC, GPS with A-GPS and GLONASS. The device packs a 2370 mAh battery which will offer up to 10 hours talk time and up to 26 days of standby backup.

Sony Xperia SP Reviews

• High resolution display
• Powerful Configuration
• Great Connectivity options
• Powerful battery backup

• Poor front camera

Verdict: The Sony Xperia SP is a great mid-range device that offers the best of Sony and Android. Packed with features that are hard to discount, the device is set in competition with Nokia Lumia 620, Samsung Galaxy Grand Duos, and BlackBerry Q10 to name a few.