Sony Xperia tipo Review

Introduction:

Sony isn’t as shy to go downmarket with Android as HTC used to be, and the Xperia tipo is a proud proof of that strategy. Codenamed as the Tapioca (we wish they kept the edible name), this is the first truly entry level Android from the Japanese.

The company is said to launch a boatload of sub-$200 Androids like the Xperia tipo in the first half of next year, so it should keep us occupied reviewing them for the foreseeable future. If we take the tipo as evidence for what the entry level onslaught will be, has Sony managed to cram enough specs and wrap them up well not to count just on the brand to sell? Read on our review to find out…

Design:

The Xperia tipo has a waterfall frontal design, with the bottom part of the screen seamlessly cascading into the bezel underneath, where the Xperia logo stays loud and proud. No NXT design with fancy illuminated strips here, but the phone’s chubby physique with tapered edges of the back is very comfortable to hold and operate with one hand.



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

The build quality is good, and the soft touch plastic on the rear adds a bit more premium feeling than the price warrants. The volume rocker on the right is a bit too thin, but with adequate tactile feedback, whereas the power/lock key at the top is thankfully situated on the left, so you just have to stretch your index finger a bit from your usual holding position to reach it.

The three capacitive navigational buttons underneath the display light up in white when you unlock the phone, indicating their place well in the dark. There is also a nice little LED notification dot up right, which glows with different colors depending on whether you have a missed call/message, or the phone is fully charged, for example.



Display:

The 3.2” screen comes is sufficiently bright for outside viewing, and shows good color representation. The meager 320x480 pixels of resolution, eking out 180ppi pixel density, are however normal for its category and price, and you are likely not going to be reading articles on the smallish screen for hours on end anyway.

The only apparent flaw with the screen is the upper vertical viewing angle, where colors and contrast deteriorate rapidly with the slightest tilt of the handset. Also, there is no oleophobic coating, so the screen smudges easily.

Interface and Functionality:

We have Sony’s usual Timescape UI over Android 4.0 ICS on the Xperia tipo, complete with its deep Facebook integration, the Mediascape shortcut in the dock, the Recommender app for music, video and apps, as well as the nice flippable pics&video widget. Sony provides its own connectivity toggle widget, so there are no switches in the pull-down notification bar, like on LG or Samsung handsets.



Typing on that 3.2” screen is pretty hard, especially if you have larger hands, but turning the phone into landscape helps a bit.




Processor and Memory:

The 800MHZ Qualcomm MSM7225A processor with Adreno 200 graphics is the bare minimum we would expect even on an entry level phone these days, yet it actually powers the Xperia tipo in a pretty fluid manner.

The usual hiccups with weaker hardware – slow loading of apps and content indexing – is present on the Xperia tipo, though. There are 512MB of RAM, and 2.9GB of internal storage, of which about 2.5GB are user-available. Thankfully, there is a microSD card slot for storage expansion, too.

	Quadrant Standard	AnTuTu	NenaMark 2
Sony Xperia tipo	1557	2616	15,8
LG Optimus L3	1271	2559	13,2
Sony Xperia U	2266	5419	28,3

Internet and Connectivity:

The ICS browser on the Xperia tipo doesn’t support Adobe Flash, only the Lite 4.0 version that allows you to see ads, but otherwise it performs comparatively well, considering the processing power.

Scrolling, panning around, and text reflow are fluid enough, so that the browser is usable for quick checks what’s going on around the Internets. Zooming is an issue, though, as the phone takes a while to re-render the page after a double-tap.



The handset has up to 7.2Mbps 3G downloads support, and all the basic connectivity options – Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.1, A-GPS and FM Radio with RDS.

Camera:

We didn’t expect the 3MP cam on the back of the Xperia tipo to be anything special, but it kind of shot down even our modest expectations. There are usually much more options in the camera interface of the Xperia phones than we have in the Xperia tipo,, and the samples come along to prove that this is a pretty basic unit.



The shots’ weakest point is the abysmally low level of detail by any standard. There are also white balance issues, casting hues in the outdoor photos at times.


The VGA video that the phone maxes out at is watchable in a small size on your computer screen, but not good for anything else but posting on the social networks if you must, really.

Sony Xperia tipo Sample Video:



Multimedia:

The handset sports the minimalistic Timescape UI music player, which has a spiffy homescreen widget, song categorization and album art, but also supports a number of equalizer presets, and Sony’s xLoud tech that boosts the bass. As usual with Xperia handsets, the speaker is loud and clean, of above average quality even in this entry level Xperia tipo.



As far as video playback goes, standard MPEG-4 clips are the only ones supported out of the box, up to 800x480 definition, so you’d have to grab some other player from the Play Store for DivX/Xvid-encoded footage. If you are longing to watch something on a 3.2” screen, that is.

Call quality:

The earpiece of the Xperia tipo is pretty good, as we could hear the voices from the other end very loud and clear. The microphone is not as good, as there was some distortion in our voices for the other end, but they were still relayed loud enough to be audible well even in a street environment. The loudspeaker is quite strong, too, so you are unlikely to miss a call when the phone is ringing in the next room, or in your purse, for instance.

Battery:

The 1500mAh battery is about the standard capacity for an entry level phone, and is quoted for 4.5 hours of talk in 3G mode, and 30 hours of music playback. The standby times are very good, as the phone can rest in a low-powered state for more than a month this way.

Conclusion:

The Sony Xperia tipo is a very decent foray in the world of entry level Androids. It has the performance and stability of Android Ice Cream Sandwich going for it, as well as a pleasant to hold, and comfortable to operate with one hand chubby chassis with soft touch plastic on the back.

The handset’s basic hardware won’t make it suitable for power users, but it will handle your everyday Android tasks sufficiently, and on top of that it functions very well as a phone, with a loud and clear earpiece, and a potent loudspeaker. A notable downside is the camera quality, which is pretty weak both in terms of pictures, and as the VGA video goes.

Still, the Sony Xperia tipo is in the same price range as the Samsung Galaxy Y, or the LG Optimus L3, and has about the same capabilities, yet sports a better screen resolution and more internal memory. It also has a more distinct design with the “waterfall” effect of the front.

Software version of the reviewed unit: Android 4.0.4, Build 11.0.A.0.16

Sony Xperia tipo Video Review: