Sony Xperia S review: NXT of kin

Introduction

The Sony Xperia S is the current champion of the NXT series and comes aptly armed with a tack-sharp 720p screen and 12MP worth of stills. It sets a new design trend for the Xperia line and brings massive improvements to it.

Sony Xperia S official photos
The Xperia S comes at a time of change in the Android world with quad-core processors and Ice Cream Sandwich looming on the horizon. The Xperia S is priced below those new-fangled flagships however, and in its range it's quite the fighter.
But while the OS update is just a matter of time, what most other competing phones don't have (and can't get via an update) is the 342ppi pixel density of the 4.3" 720p screen or the 12MP camera. Those things give it a leg up against outgoing flagships and even upcoming upper-midrangers.
The Xperia S is more than just the screen and the camera though. Here's the short version:

Key features

• Quad-band GSM /GPRS/EDGE support
• 3G with 14.4 Mbps HSDPA and 5.76 Mbps HSUPA
• 4.3" 16M-color capacitive LED-backlit LCD touchscreen of 720p resolution (720 x 1280 pixels) with Sony Mobile BRAVIA engine; Scratch-resistant glass
• Android OS v2.3.7 Gingerbread, planned Android 4.0 ICS update
• Dual-core 1.5 GHz Scorpion CPU, 1 GB RAM, Adreno 220 GPU, Qualcomm Snapdragon MSM8260 chipset
• 12 MP autofocus camera with LED flash and geo-tagging, Multi Angle shot
• 1080p video recording @ 30fps with continuous autofocus and stereo sound
• 1.3 MP front-facing camera, 720p video recording
• Wi-Fi b/g/n and DLNA
• GPS with A-GPS, GLONASS
• 32GB built-in storage
• microHDMI port, dedicated TV launcher
• microUSB port (charging) and stereo Bluetooth v2.1
• Standard 3.5 mm audio jack
• Stereo FM radio with RDS
• Voice dialing
• Adobe Flash 11 support
• Deep Facebook integration
• PlayStation Certified, access to the PS Store
• Accelerometer and proximity sensor

Main disadvantages

• The competition will soon have phones with quad-core CPUs...
• ...and Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich out of the box
• Display has sub-par viewing angles
• No microSD card slot
• microSIM only
• Shutter key isn't particularly comfortable

The Sony Xperia S is keen to add extra value in both hardware and software terms. NFC is picking up in popularity and the S comes with two smart tags in the box and extensive app support for them. The microHDMI port is next, which sorts out the need for an extra adaptor, and GLONASS support (on top of GPS) is good news for everyone who needs accurate positioning.
The 32GB of built-in storage is pretty sweet too - the memory is non-expandable, but it's as much as you're likely to get out of a microSD card anyway.

Sony Xperia S live pictures
We've already reviewed the Sony Xperia S hardware, but we'll give it the once-over before heading for the software.

Apple iPad 3 review: Hotter than ever

Introduction

So, the iPad is dead, long live the iPad. That's also part of the deal. The retirement of the first-generation of the Apple tablet is nothing out of the ordinary. There used to be the iPad and the iPad 2. Now, we have the iPad and the iPad 2 is the backup, the second choice.
The new iPad. Here's one for you. You're Apple and you're about to launch your latest product. You want to dispel even the remotest suspicion of recycling old stuff. You want the slightest hint smothered of sequels and their questionable worth. What do you do?

Apple iPad 3rd gen official pictures
Make it nothing like the old one? No, no - you're not paying attention. Pretend you're Apple. The market leader in tablets, the standard-setter in touchscreen, the king of design, the god of marketing.
Yes, it's as simple as a single stroke of divine wisdom. You get rid of the numbers. Next is wrong - new is what everyone cares about. If you're telling people they're getting the ultimate, the last thing you want them to think about is what comes later. Numbers are about the order of appearance, the new iPad is about the order of succession. In the royal sense.

Key features

• 9.7" LED-backlit IPS LCD touchscreen, 2048 x 1536 pixels; scratch-resistant, oleophobic coating
• Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n connectivity, carrier-dependent hotspot support
• Optional LTE connectivity (data only)
• Optional GPS with A-GPS support (for the 3G model only)
• Apple A5X SoC with 1 GHz dual-core ARM Cortex A9 processor
• PowerVR SGX543MP4 quad-core GPU
• 1GB RAM
• iOS 5.1 with iCloud support and activation
• 16/32/64GB of inbuilt storage
• Weight of 652 grams (662 grams for the LTE version)
• Bluetooth 4.0
• 11,560 mAh battery
• Accelerometer, compass and three-axis gyro-sensor
• Compatible with every iPad and iPhone app without any modifications
• The cheapest version costs less than a SIM-free iPhone
• 5MP auto-focus camera
• 1080p video recording at 30fps
• VGA secondary camera capable of FaceTime calls
• Four and five-finger gestures
• 1080p TV-output with the Apple Digital AV Adapter (purchased separately for $39), 720p video streaming
• Supports magnetic cases

Main disadvantages

• iTunes still required for uploading most of the content
• Reflective screen struggles outdoors
• Same CPU as the iPad 2
• Heavier and thicker than the iPad 2
• No Flash support in the web browser
• No standard USB port
• Non replaceable battery
• No stereo loudspeakers
• No GPS receiver in the Wi-Fi version
• No memory card slot
• No Siri
• Can get uncomfortably hot at times
• No charging while in use
• Lack of basic iOS apps - weather, stocks, clock, calculator, voice memos

The three iPads look almost exactly the same but, to be fair to the new iPad, it brings a massive upgrade. The 2048 x 1536 pixel Retina display has four times the resolution of the previous model. The bar is yet again set too high for the competition. And it's a leap worth several generations. Apple did well to make sure the monstrous screen is well covered in terms of graphic processing with some extra GPU cores too and the performance is flawless.
The 5MP camera is an improved version of the one on the iPhone 4 and the video recording is duly upgraded to 1080p. There's Wi-Fi hotspot support too but that's carrier-dependent and our Wi-Fi-only iPad naturally doesn't have it.
The long list of cons shouldn't come as a surprise. Some of them are down to Apple's way of doing things but we'll look closer at the screen outdoor performance and the reported overheating in gaming or video playback.

The iPad live pictures
Siri didn't make the cut this time around and you won't find some basic iOS apps either such as Weather, Stocks, Clock, Calculator and Voice Memos. Let's hope though there won't be blank spaces in our review of the new iPad. Follow us on the next page where we look at what's new in the hardware department.

Sony Xperia S vs. Samsung Galaxy S II: S-hootout

Introduction

Released nearly a year apart, the Sony Xperia S and the Samsung Galaxy S II are not that different - both are flagship droids with dual-core CPUs and 4.3" screens. But the newer Xperia S brings some fine upgrades, like the 12MP camera and the 720p screen.
Still, the Galaxy S II is the outgoing Samsung flagship while the Xperia S is the best and the brightest of Sony's new NXT series and will be for a while longer, so it will have to fight off the onslaught of quad-core droids headed to market.

Processor aside, the Sony Xperia S brings a high-pixel-density 4.3" screen with 720p resolution and Mobile BRAVIA engine. Then there's the 12MP camera with 1080p video recording, a notable advantage as most new recently announced phones use 8MP shooters. There's also excellent connectivity and so on.
The 1.5GHz dual-core CPU and Adreno 220 GPU showed promising performance, beating most dual-cores too. Here's the summary of the pros and cons of going for the Sony Xperia S.

Sony Xperia S over Samsung Galaxy S II:

• 4.3" 720p screen (342ppi) over 4.3" WVGA screen (217ppi)
• 12MP still camera over 8MP
• 1.5GHz Scorpion CPU over 1.2GHz Cortex-A9 CPU
• Standard microHDMI port over MHL port (requires adapter for HDMI out)
• GLONASS support in addition to A-GPS
• All units have NFC over optional support in the S II
• 1750mAh battery over 1650mAh
• 3D sweep panorama and Multi Angle modes

Samsung Galaxy S II over Sony Xperia S:

• SuperAMOLED Plus screen has excellent black levels and better viewing angles
• Expandable storage, 16GB/32GB built-in over 32GB fixed storage
• 8.5mm thick (with some thicker areas) over 10.6mm (with thinner areas)
• Weighs 116g over 144g
• Bluetooth 3.0+HS over Bluetooth 2.1
• 2MP front-facing camera over 1.3MP front-facing camera

Both phones have features that we wish the other had, so there's no clear winner. Also, we'll be doing thorough testing too match the performance in seemingly equal areas (e.g. 1080p video capture) and also if the differences change the end user-experience (1.5GHz CPU vs. 1.2GHz, 1750mAh battery over 1650mAh and so on).
You should already be familiar with the structure of these head to head articles - we'll start off with a general comparison and then dig into the specifics, like screens, cameras, battery life and so on.

Sony Xperia S preview: Game on

Introduction

In staging their grand return, Sony Mobile could've done a lot worse than the Xperia S. The fresh divorcees are back on the market, their new Xperia flagship kindly supplying the bang. And while the HD screen and dual-core processor are not exactly breaking news, there's an extensive set of features to make a geek's heart flutter.

Sony Xperia S official photos
The Sony Xperia S aims for camera excellence with 12MP still photography and 1080p video recording. It has an HD screen and a microHDMI port, not to mention a dedicated TV Launcher that lets you control the phone with your TV remote.
The Xperia S is a high-performance phone too - while quad-core phones will soon hit the shelves, the dual-core 1.5GHz processor and Adreno 220 GPU show good results in early benchmarks.
We'll do a first round of benchmarks later, but let's have a closer look at the specs of the Sony Xperia S first.

Sony Xperia S at a glance:

• General: GSM 850/900/1800/1900 MHz, UMTS 850/900/1900/2100 MHz, 14.4 Mbps HSDPA, 5.76 Mbps HSUPA
• Form factor: Touchscreen bar phone
• Dimensions: 128 x 64 x 10.6 mm, 144 g
• Display: 4.3" 16M-color TFT capacitive touchscreen, 720 x 1280 pixels
• CPU: Qualcomm MSM8260 chipset, dual-core 1.5 GHz Scorpion CPU, Adreno 220 GPU
• OS: Android 2.3 (Gingerbread), planned 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich update
• Memory: 32GB of storage, 1GB of RAM
• Camera: 12 megapixel auto-focus camera with LED flash, face detection and touch focus; 1080p video recording at 30fps; 1.3MP front-facing camera with 720p video recording, sweep multi-angle shots for lenticular print effect
• Connectivity: Wi-Fi b/g/n, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA; Bluetooth 2.1 with A2DP, standard microUSB port, GPS receiver with A-GPS, 3.5mm audio jack, microHDMI port
• Misc: Sony Timescape UI, TV launcher, built-in accelerometer, proximity sensor, Sony Mobile Bravia engine, multi-touch input, scratch-resistant surface, microSIM only

Not quite like the Sony Ericsson Xperia arcs, is it? The Xperia S is better in almost every respect, save for thickness. Still, considering how thick those old 12MP shooters were (especially around the camera), 10.6mm sounds great.
The screen on the Xperia S deserves praise too. The 4.3" BRAVIA LCD of 720p resolution is up there with the best screens on the market. At 342ppi, it's definitely one of the sharpest.

Sony Xperia S live pictures
There's a lot to test on the Sony Xperia S, but we'll only have time to cover only some of the aspects in this preview. Let's not waste any more time and jump straight to the hardware.