Sony Ericsson Xperia ray Review

Introduction:

No matter how you slice it, the Sony Ericsson Xperia ray  is the embodiment of cuteness. It’s stylish, with bikini waistline and shiny black mirrored face, available in various colors, sports the newest version of Android beautified by the Timescape overlay, and has the acclaimed 8MP Exmor R camera sensor.

From the looks of it, only a very few things can ruin this munchkin, chief among which would be an eventual high price tag. Is that the case? Read on our review of the Sony Ericsson Xperia ray where we try to solve this puzzle for you...


Design:

As small touchscreen smartphones go, the Sony Ericsson Xperia ray is almost the perfect size, not getting lost in your palm if you have big hands, and fitting admirably if you are regular. The handset is one of the thinnest smartphones out there, at 0.37” (9.4 mm), and feathery at just 3.53oz (100 g). We also noticed that the Xperia ray is extremely comfortable for one handed operation due to its dimensions - your thumb just reaches everywhere like an anteater's tongue.

The Sony Ericsson Xperia ray is almost the perfect size

You can compare the Sony Ericsson Xperia ray with many other phones using our Size Visualization Tool.

A big part amidst the phone's positives plays the screen, which is 3.3” LCD,  and Sony Ericsson didn't skimp on the level of image detail, gracing the Xperia ray with 480x854 pixels – a pretty high resolution for a screen of this size. Plugging the numbers in a pixel density calculator returned 297ppi, which is just shy of the 300ppi threshold. This threshold became mainstream knowledge when Steve Jobs introduced the 326 ppi Retina Display iPhone 4, and said that above around 300ppi a normal human eye can't detect the individual pixels from 10-12 inches of distance.

Unlike the Xperia arc, the Sony Ericsson Xperia ray’s screen sports rather wide viewing angles, with nary a change in contrast or brightness when looked from extremes. Couple that with above average brightness and visibility outside, plus very good sensitivity, and we can say that the Xperia ray flaunts one of the best little LCD screens we’ve encountered so far.

The 3.3 inches LCD display

This alone makes it a pretty enticing handset, running the latest version of Android - 2.3 Gingerbread, but when you add the 8MP Exmor R camera sensor on the back with LED video light (yep, you can't use it as a flash, it has to be turned on manually), which proved its virtues in the Sony Ericsson Xperia arc, we might have a formidable category contender.

Unlike the Sony Ericsson Xperia arc, the Xperia ray sports a front-facing VGA camera for video chat, but it skips the HDMI port – something had to give. There are also only 300MB of user-available ROM for apps, and a 4GB microSD card is included in the package.

VGA camera for video chat	Home button

The Sony Ericsson Xperia ray is the first to hit retail with the new Xperia line design, which boasts a huge semi-circle in the middle for a physical home button, and two capacitive keys on its flanks. We dare to say it's better than the previous design, which had overly thin buttons arranged in an arc under the display, which took getting used to.

The resulting design looks very stylish – a thin handset with shiny black front, but lighthearted at the same time, with the choice of pink, black, white and gold colors. It is actually one of the few handsets that look even better in person to us than the press shots, which don't do the glossy front justice. It has every chance to grab the hearts of the design-conscious and/or female smartphone lovers, plus it delivers on the functionality front as well. The only thing we disliked is the placement of the microUSB port on the upper left side, which makes using the phone with the cable plugged in a bit uncomfortable.

Right side	Left side	microUSB port
3.5mm jack and power button on the top edge	8MP camera with LED light	Under the battery cover

Apple to Unveil IPhone 5 on October 4

Apple plans to unveil the iPhone 5 on October 4, and sell it in stores a few weeks later.

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The Cupertino, Calif.-based company's CEO Tim Cook will introduce the next iPhone, according toAllThingsD. Analysts speculate the phone may be made available as early as one week after it's revealed.

Steve Jobs may be present at the event, but CEO Tim Cook and his executive team -- Phil Schiller, Scott Forstall and Eddy Cue -- will do all the talking. For Cook, a successful public announcement help the company assert its new leadership to the public.

Another key difference will be the venue for the event. The Moscone Center, where all the previous iPhones have been unveiled, is "booked out" for Oracle on that date.

The iPhone 5 will reportedly have an A5 processor, an 8-megapixel camera capable of 1080p video capture and a larger screen. Apple has not confirmed any specs on the device, and several reports have contradicted each other over the past several weeks.

Some analysts believe Apple will unveil two new devices, one that looks like the iPhone 4 called the iPhone 4S, and another with a completely different design and better hardware called the iPhone 5. Others think there will be just one new device, with minor updates.

Up to this point, Apple has succeeded in keeping everything about its next handset a secret, something that has become its trademark. Now, it's almost time to for the company to tip its cards and reveal its hand, even if it's doing it a little differently than usual.

AT&T's Samsung Galaxy S II is now official-official for October 2nd at $199.99 on-contract

Nearly three weeks after it was officially unveiled, we’re finally getting confirmation on when AT&T’s Samsung Galaxy S II is going to land with the carrier – and it’s coming really soon!

In fact, AT&T tweeted the good news saying that they’ll start selling the long awaited smartphone starting on October 2nd for the customary 2-year on-contract price of $199.99. With the money you’ll be forking over, you’ll essentially be getting the most faithful of the three US variants of the original Samsung Galaxy S II model overseas. Rather than moving up in size like the versions for Sprint and T-Mobile, AT&T’s beauty is instead sticking with a 4.3” Super AMOLED Plus display.

Nevertheless, it’s sure comforting news now that it’s official-official. In the meantime, you might want to circle down the date and start saving some moolah to pick up this monster of a phone. Also, be sure to check out our hands-on look at the handset if you really want to see what you’re getting yourself into with this one.

Rumor: Apple only releasing iPhone 4s this year, no iPhone 5

iPhone rumors are notoriously annoying to sift through because they just never stop. At first, the rumors were that Apple would be releasing an incremental update and not a major redesign, and would likely be called the iPhone 4s. Then we started seeing cases which pointed to a bigger redesign that would likely be called the iPhone 5. Then, the idea was that Apple would release both the iPhone 5 and an iCloud iPhone, which then became a release of an iPhone 5 and an iPhone 4s. Now, an analyst at Wedge wants to bring it all back to the idea that Apple will only release an iPhone 4s. 

Brian Blair, an analyst at Wedge, is now saying that it just doesn't make sense that Apple would release both an iPhone 5 and an iPhone 4s, and it's more likely that the only device that will exist is the iPhone 4s. The idea is based on the rumors that the iPhone 4s would be fitted with the A5 CPU, which would mean the only real difference between the iPhone 4s and iPhone 5 would be the design. Blair doesn't think that would be enough of a difference for Apple to price the 4s significantly lower than an iPhone 5, and doesn't expect that Apple would have 3 different iPhone models on shelves at one time with the iPhone 4 at $49, iPhone 4s at $99 and iPhone 5 at $199. 

We certainly agree with the idea that Apple is unlikely to have 3 different models of iPhone on sale, especially if it is those three devices listed. However, the lineup of an iCloud iPhone, iPhone 4 and iPhone 4s would make sense, especially given the persistent redesign rumors that have been going around, and Apple's desire to push its iCloud service. Of course, all of the speculation will be moot in a couple weeks when we hear the official word from Apple.

An Apple iPad developer spills the beans on Apple's security methods

A developer who was given a pre-release version of the Apple iPad (he claims to have been the sixth person to receive one of Apple's tablets), detailed toBusiness Insider how Apple kept a close track of the tablet. Apple gave him criteria for the use of the iPad including having him use the device in a windowless room with new locks.

Four developers were allowed in the room and Apple took down all their names and social security numbers. The Cupertino based firm then drilled a hole in a table in the room and secured the tablet to it using bicycle chains. Custom built frames were used to disguise the appearance of the iPad and Apple even took pictures of the wood grain in the table. Why? This way if a picture leaked, Apple might be able to trace it back to the four developers.

When working on the app, the four were allowed to plug into the device to code to it, and they could also play around with the touchscreen, but they could not see the form factor of the tablet. As far as spreading the word about the Apple iPad, the developer was told that he could not talk about the project with anyone including the CEO of his company and his wife.

A blurry picture of a disguised Apple iPad

After the introduction of the Apple iPad on January 27, 2010, those working on tablets with prototype hardware had to have the device locked up by Apple every night. Even as late as the day before its launch, some Apple employees noted that they had never seen the product.

Apple's fondness for secrecy is well known. Current employees working on secret projects have to pass through a maze of doors, constantly swiping their security badge and entering a numeric code. Projects deemed secret must be covered with a black cloakwhen they are not being worked on and when the cloak is off, a red-warning light goes on so that everyone knows "to be extra-careful".

As we reported, Apple currently is seeking to add two members to its security team after an Apple iPhone prototype was allegedly lost in a bar for the second consecutive year.

Quicky: AT&T’s Samsung Galaxy S II sign-up page is now live!

Want to grab the Samsung Galaxy S II from AT&T? You still can’t do it, but you can at least sign-up from a dedicated page and be notified when it starts selling. The carrier is obviously pressured by Sprint which got the head start for the device, hence they decided to do something about it. The mentioned page also features basic information about theGalaxy S II which is something you probably already know by now. Yes it’s the same (or at least very similar) smartphone that has been available across Europe for quite some time now…


If you want to buy unlocked Samsung Galaxy S II now, please go to http://www.m2cmobile.com to get it.

Sprint to Sell IPhone 5 in October, With Unlimited Data

Sprint plans to offer the iPhone 5 in mid-October, Bloomberg reports, extending its unlimited data plan to Apple's highly-anticipated device.

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According to Bloomberg, Sprint will sell iPhone 5 to distinguish itself from competitors AT&T and Verizon, citing people familiar with the matter.

Sprint, the only carrier to offer unlimited data plans at $100 per month for voice and data, hopes the iPhone -- paired with its cost-effective plan -- will draw subscribers at a time when it is struggling to compete with larger rivals.

AT&T and Verizon, by contrast, switched to tiered data plans ranging from $15 to $80, on top of a $70 a month voice service.

But Sprint CEO Dan Hesse earlier said he will cancel Sprint's unlimited data offering if it proves too taxing for the network.

"If I have an all-you-can-eat buffet, and the entire New England Patriots football team shows up for dinner, it's going to run me out of business," he said.

Sprint has seen customer and profit losses for 15 consecutive quarters and may drop to a distant last place in the market if AT&T's merger with T-Mobile wins approval.

Meanwhile, Verizon's profits surged after it started selling the iPhone in February, a boost Sprint may also see if it sells Apple's new smartphone this October.

Conan mocks the story of the iPhone 5 stolen in a bar, Apple replies with a video

When you first heard about the iPhone 4, lost in a bar last year, you probably first thought the whole thing was a joke. It turned out it wasn’t. No one knows, what Apple has done to tighten up security, but we could imagine. That’s why when you heard that this year, the same story had reportedly happened again, this time with a prototype of the iPhone 5, you must have been confused. 

How did Apple allow this? Why didn’t they do anything to prevent this? Later, it turned out it there was little evidence for a lost iPhone 5 this time, and the whole story sank in the pit of Apple rumors, but in the meantime Conan seems to have obtained a precious video - one detailing what Cupertino has done over the last year or so, or what will it do, to strike back in case it happens again. Be warned that some crude humor, which could make you cry follows below, so get a napkin and bravely play the video.