Hands on: Sony Xperia V review

A water-resistant, 4G capable smartphone

The Sony Xperia V enters into the new range of handsets from the Japanese firm, nestling in between the Xperia T and Xperia J.

The Xperia V looks very similar to the Xperia T, with a slightly smaller, 4.3-inch 720p HD display, thinker 10.7mm chassis and tipping the scales at a lighter 120g.

You'll find a 1.5Ghz dual-core processor powering Ice Cream Sandwichinside the Xperia V, which is the same as the T, but Sony has also managed to squeeze in 4G LTE connectivity, allowing you to take advantage of super speedy network connections.

The arched back harking back to the late Xperia Arc Sony Ericsson handsets is clad in rubber, allowing for a comfortable and secure hold, and the Xperia V feels solid and well built – overall a design we're fond of.

Interestingly for a water and dust proof handset, you can take the back off the Xperia V, giving you access to the full-size SIM card slot and removable battery – there's no obvious signs of watertight-ness around the back cover and we managed to peel it off easily, making us question if we'd trust taking this phone for a dip.

However our mind was put slightly at rest, as another Xperia V handset was getting a regular shower on the Sony booth – confirming its IPx5/7 certificate credentials, the highest level of water resistance currently on a phone.

There's just a couple of buttons on the right side of the Xperia V, a volume rocker switch above the power/lock key – an unusual layout as the lock key is usually on top, which meant we found ourselves hitting volume up when trying to lock the phone.

A covered microUSB and 3.5mm headphone jack can be found on the left and top respectively, helping to keep the water out, and we found the covers were easy to remove and clip back in.

Although the Xperia V is packing the same power as the Xperia T, Ice Cream Sandwich doesn't feel quite as nippy on this 4G, waterproof handset.

The Sony Xperia V isn't slow, it just lacks the finesse of its bigger brother, and that puts a slight dampener on things.

Apps take that extra half a second to load, which is noticeable if you've just been using a quicker phone, and the camera app loads up in a couple of seconds.

The Xperia V is blessed with the same 13MP sensor as the T, and this allows you to snap high quality photos, with a range of effects and scene modes to choose from, plus auto-focus, 16x digital zoom and an LED flash to aid your photo taking escapades.

There's a second or so delay from pressing the shutter to the phone snapping a pic and making itself ready for the next, but we didn't find it to be a particular problem.

For those of you who like a physical shutter button then you're out of luck with the Xperia V, as an on-screen trigger is your only option.

The 4.3-inch screen sports Sony's Mobile Bravia Engine 2 technology, which increases the quality on the 720p display, making movie watching a pleasing experience.

We did notice that colours appeared a little washed out at times, but this didn't detract from the overall performance of the Xperia V during video playback.

Sony's Walkman and Music Unlimited apps are also present on the Xperia V, giving you access to an attractive and easy to use audio player and music streaming service.

If you fancy bit of gaming on the go then you'll be pleased to learn that the Sony Xperia V comes PlayStation certified – allowing you to play past console titles on your mobile phone.

As far as typing goes you are greeted by the standard Android keyboard in messaging, social networking and emailing applications, but Sony does offer a personalisation wizard, allowing you to fine tune the board to your preferred settings on the Xperia V.

The simple step by step guide meant we dramatically improved the keyboard for our style of typing within a minute and it's a nice feature from Sony, which we wish more manufacturers would consider, or even Google itself.

Sony is talking a lot about connected devices and the Xperia V comes packing NFC technology, which will be able to talk to other NFC devices, including speaker docks and headphones.

Obviously 4G is known to be a bit of a drain on battery life, but the Xperia V comes with a decently sized 1,750mAh battery, which should see you through the day – but we'll put that to the test during our in-depth Sony Xperia V review.

The Sony Xperia V will be available in selected markets during the fourth quarter this year, although an exact release date and price are yet to be announced.

TechRadar understands that there are currently no plans to bring the Sony Xperia V to the UK, but it's likely to make an appearance in the US.

Early verdict

The Sony Xperia V is a respectable mid- to high-end smartphone and as long as the 4G connectivity doesn't drain the battery and the water resistance tag doesn't let us down in our full review, it looks set to be a strong contender in the LTE market.

It may not produce the buttery smooth user experience that some of its rivals offer, but the upcoming Jelly Bean update should improve that aspect, and as long as the handset is priced correctly, the attractive design and large range of media content should make the Xperia V an enticing product.

Sony Xperia U review

Sony's small Android smartphone offers a dual-core processor and plenty of charm

The Sony Xperia U sits at the cheaper end of Sony's range of Android smartphones, using similar styling to the much larger Xperia S and the slightly larger Xperia P and Xperia Miro, setting it apart from Sony's rounder phones, including the rugged Sony Xperia Go and budget Xperia Tipo.

The Sony Xperia U is the smallest of the three handsets, offering a 3.5-inch TFT display inside the same angular, black case as the Xperia S and Xperia P, and an odd transparent plastic strip acting as part design feature, part information panel and part silly light-up novelty.

Prices are relatively modest for a modern smartphone that says "Sony" on it, with the Xperia U popping up for £189 in the UK, or $340 in the US, SIM-free. But can you really get the style of the Xperia S on a budget?

It's pretty close. The Sony Xperia U is small and solid, offering much the same in balance and build quality as last year's excellent Sony Xperia Ray, with Sony putting three capacitive touch buttons beneath the display, indicated by tiny silvery dots.

There's an explanatory icon embedded in the transparent strip, telling Android newcomers these buttons are, from left to right, Back, Home and Menu.

The touch areas are big and very sensitive to presses, meaning it's easy to use the phone without thinking too much about your actions or having to aim your button stabs.

The smaller 3.5-inch display makes the Sony Xperia U fit the hand well, so one-handed use is possible with ease, too.

Above the screen sits the front-facing VGA camera, which can be toggled and selected within the camera app, producing low-res images that emerge from the camera at 640 x 480 resolution.

There's also a proximity sensor up here so the phone knows if you're holding it to your head and can dim the screen accordingly.

The sides are black with rather flimsy and plasticky buttons, with the 3.5mm headphone jack up top and the USB connector top left.

The right-hand side of the Sony Xperia U is where the party starts, because this edge houses the power button, which is nice and easy to find at the top right, along with the volume up/down rocker in the middle, then the camera button bottom-right.

The chunky power button's easy to find and the physical camera shutter button is always a useful thing to have, especially since the latter brings up the camera app when held down for a second or two, even when the phone's in standby.

The camera button is quite flat and well recessed into the Sony Xperia U's case, meaning you have to press it pretty hard to make it focus and register. We tended to end up using the on-screen button to take shots instead, because it's just easier.

And there's your big, exciting design feature - the strip lights up. In more than one colour. It's quite cool, especially when viewing photos in the gallery, because the Sony Xperia U detects the most prominent colour in the shot, then alters the colour of this strip accordingly.

It's hard to take a photo of. The strip's much brighter and more colourful to the human eye, more so in the dark.

And if you're even more colour obsessed, the black plastic beneath the see-through strip can be unclipped and replaced with something brighter. White. Or Pink. Or yellow. Which is great, if you're a child.

Removing the back is a rather hard and worrying experience. You have to press it down and push it up, which means squeezing the phone quite tight and putting a lot of pressure on the display.

We were quite worried we'd end up breaking the display from the pressure. But we didn't. We should probably stop worrying so much.

Buying Guide

Best Android phone

Inside the Sony Xperia U sits a full-size SIM card slot, although there's no SD support in here, so you're stuck with the relatively tight 4GB of accessible storage space Sony has put in here.

That's a bit of a shame, but at least the battery is replaceable, which will earn the Sony Xperia U some brownie points in this age of sealed, non-accessible phones, such as the iPhone.

All of this comes together to give the Sony Xperia U a quality, well-made feel, that apes the design of the high-end Sony Xperia S well.

It feels tough and durable, the display and buttons are sensitive, while the smaller 3.5-inch screen is bright and clear, so much so that it could be considered a worthy replacement for many bigger, more costly Android models.

Thanks to Three for sending us the phone

LG Optimus 4X HD review

Can LG's first quad-core phone offer anything different?

LG desperately needs a reboot at the sharp end of the smartphone market - can its slim quad-core offering, in the shape of the much-vaunted Optimus 4X HD, step up to the plate?

We got a few promises from LG in the form of offerings like last year'sOptimus 3D – but that just felt a bit gimmicky. LG needs to pull something out of the bag if it wants to muscle in on an arena now dominated by Samsung, HTC, Sony and Motorola.

On paper the Optimus 4X HD appears to have it all. Thin and light, a True HD-IPS screen, all the connectivity options you could ever hope for, NFC, 8MP HD camera, Ice Cream Sandwich and a Quad-Core processor.

And had this been early 2012, then this would have blown the competition out of the water. But a few months (and a Galaxy S3 / One X release) later, it doesn't feel that revolutionary. Especially when you look at the price.

SIM free and offline, you'll pay around £430 ($670). On a contract, expect a two year deal at around £26 ($40) a month to get this handset for free. Price wise, it's mildly cheaper than Samsung's flagship Galaxy S3 but is on a direct collision course for your vote with something like HTC's current baby, the One X.

As far as the dimensions go, this is a handset that should fit comfortably in the palm if you've got decent sized pincers. It's very square to look at and instantly makes us think of the Samsung Galaxy S2.

In fact, aside from the lack of a physical home button and the inclusion of an LG logo, you could quite easily get the two confused at first glance. It's only marginally bigger at 132.4 x 68.1 x 8.9mm, and heavier at 133g.

The beauty of no home button is that LG has made the screen a little bit longer (it uses the soft keys that Google much prefers but some manufacturers eschew). We did have issues occasionally when holding it with one hand as reaching down to the bottom of the screen with a thumb led to it feeling like we may drop it.

But there is a great decorative metal trim around the sides which we found gave us something to hold onto. And another warning – it is an absolute fingerprint magnet.

Want to know which quad-core beast is the fastest? Check out our test of the 4X alongside a Samsung Galaxy S3 and HTC One X:

Round the sides, there's little to remark on: a volume rocker up left, a power/standby button and headphone jack up top and the charging port down below. We do have to give special mention to the rear panel where you'll find the camera and LED flash.

LG has really done something special here and given it a brushed, hard plastic feel which really does make it feel a premium device. It's actually the same as the back found on the LG Prada 3 and that, combined with that metal trim, gives it a feeling of quality.

As far as the screen goes, it's fairly good. Yes, the resolution is spot on – it's a True HD-IPS LCD capacitive job. And yes, LG does make amazing TVs so we expected something good. The resolution is 720x1280 (312ppi density) spread over a 4.7-inch screen. But there's a slight problem with it.

Recent handsets have had the screens moved really high up against the glass protecting them from the elements. So, on a handset like the Samsung Galaxy S3, Sony Xperia S or HTC One X, you get a really vivid, sharp, almost-too-perfect display.

But on the Optimus 4X HD, there is a huge gap between the screen and the glass. So much so that we think we could see the gap when we held the phone at an angle. And that means that some of the amazing clarity is lost in the ether.

It also meant that occasionally, taps didn't register and left us wondering if this was actually a resistive display like those we used to use. Not so often it annoyed us, but often enough to evoke a sigh and a grunt.

We also felt a little let down by the lack of a notification LED. They are a bit marmite. But there is something handy about being able to glance at your phone without touching it to see if anything needs your attention.

Third party apps like NoLED are all well and good – but they're no substitute for the real thing.

Hands on: Nokia Lumia 620 review

There's a new baby in the Lumia family

The Nokia Lumia 620 is the newest and smallest member of the Finnish firm's Windows Phone 8 line up, sporting a colourful curved chassis and relatively attractive price tag.

Expected to land early next year, the UK price has yet to be announced but we do know the Lumia 620 will cost €190 on the continent, meaning we could be looking at around £155 SIM-free – or free on contracts starting at around £15 per month.

At that price the Nokia Lumia 620 would be going up against the likes of theOrange San Diego, Sony Xperia J, HTC Desire C and Sony Xperia Miro.

Following on from the Nokia Lumia 820 and Lumia 920, the Lumia 620 comes in a range of colours, seven to be exact – although Nokia was keen to stress there's no guarantee every colour will reach every market.

There's the choice of cyan, magenta, yellow, black or white – all shades we've seen on two bigger Lumia handsets – as well as two new options, lime green and orange.

All covers are interchangeable, so if you fancy sporting a different look each than that's totally possible – however physically taking the cover off the Lumia 620 isn't so easy.

As we found with the Lumia 820, the plastic shell is a tricky one to remove, with no obvious starting point and a technique which needed to be explained to us – get your nail under the cover at the top of the handset and push the camera lens.

The cases themselves are more substantial than the flimsy plastic backs you find on some handsets, and feel like they could withstand bumps and knocks, which gives the Lumia 620 a reassuringly sturdy feel.

It's not the lightest smartphone weighing in at 127g, but that's not a bad thing as the Lumia 620 is substantial in the hand, without being as overbearing as the super-sized Lumia 920.

The unibody shell has a glossy plastic finish, meaning the Nokia Lumia 620 doesn't provide the level of grip you get from those phones sporting a rubberised coating, but at 115.4 x 61.1 x 11mm you won't be struggling to hold onto it in one hand.

The three buttons down the right hand side on the 620 are the only physical buttons on the handset, and match the layout on the 820 and 920.

At the top is a volume rocker, followed by a power/lock key in the middle and a camera shutter button at the bottom – all of which we were easily able to hit with either our thumb or fingers, depending on the hand the phone was in.

The Lumia 620 packs a 1GHz dual-core processor and 512MB of RAM which runs Windows Phone 8 without issue.

You get the full experience on the Lumia 620, with the smooth flow on menus and the ability to resize, move and delete live tiles as simple as it is on any handset.

Moving around the handset we didn't experience any slow down or lag, however the units we got hands on with didn't have microSIMs inserted, nor were they connected to a Wi-Fi network, so we were unable to test any web browsing on IE 10, emailing or syncing activities.

Everything looks pretty darn good, and even though 3.8-inch (800x480) display isn't HD live tiles and text appears crisp and sharp and we look forward to taking videos and games for a spin in our full review.

As we've alluded to already Wi-Fi is on board, as is Bluetooth, A-GPS, a microUSB port, microSD card slot and NFC technology, although the wireless charging feature found on the Lumia 820 and 920 is missing from the Lumia 620 – you can't have everything at this price point.

The memory card slot is a useful addition as it can supports microSD cards up to 64GB in size, which will nicely complement the 8GB of internal storage inside the Lumia 620 – although we're told the usable storage is closer to 6GB.

Hit the camera shutter button on the right of the handset, or select the camera icon in the app list and the Lumia 620 loads up the camera in a second or so, allowing you to get snapping with the 5MP camera on the rear of the handset.

There's a single LED flash and the camera is also capable of capturing 720p video (not bad for a sub-£200 device) plus there's a front facing VGA camera for Skype calls and vanity checks.

Nokia is keen to stress that the Lumia 620 comes with all the fancy camera add-ons that you find on its more powerful handsets, including Smart Shoot, Cinemagraph and Nokia City Lens.

Nokia reckons you'll be able to wean 330 hours of standby and 9.9 hours of talktime out of the 1,300mAh battery inside the Lumia 620, although we'll only know if that is true once we've put the handset through our in-depth review process.

Early Verdict

The early signs for the Nokia Lumia 620 appear to be positive and as long as the price point keeps inline with the European price, Windows Phone 8 could become an attractive option at the budget end of the market.

In short the 620 is pretty much a smaller Lumia 820, minus the wireless charging, slightly more powerful innards and larger display – which is a good sign as the 820 managed to garner 4 out of 5 in our full review.

We'll reserve proper judgement though until we've had time to experience all the features on the Lumia 620 and see if the slower processor and smaller amount of RAM cause any issues.

Sony Xperia J review

Can the Sony Ericsson inspired J jump in and make a splash?

The Sony Xperia J is the smaller and cheaper brother to James Bond'sXperia T, but don't expect to find this handset mingling with scantily clad women - the Xperia J is far more reserved, less flamboyant, happier to stay out of the limelight and just get on with life without frenzied car chases through the French Riviera.

There's a less flamboyant price as well, with the Sony Xperia J setting you back a manageable £175 (around $275/AU$265) SIM-free, or you can have it for free on contracts starting at as little as £13 per month on a two year deal.

With that price the Xperia J is left fighting against the Orange San Diego,HTC Desire C, BlackBerry Curve 9320 and the slightly cheaper Sony Xperia Miro.

Looks wise the Sony Xperia J is very similar to the Xperia T, with both handsets taking design cues from the popular Sony Ericsson Xperia Arcand Xperia Arc S.

The iconic arched back of the Xperia J is the strongest nod to the past Sony Ericsson handsets, and provides a unique design which we found pleasing to the eye.

This also means that the Sony Xperia J sits nicely in the palm, and at 124g we reckon it's pretty spot on in terms of weight, with a perfect balance in the hand and its slender 124.3 x 61.2 x 9.2 mm chassis is certainly not overbearing.

It's a sturdy handset, with a good build quality, and while the rear plastic case is a little on the thin side, it's easy enough to remove, unlike the one found on the Nokia Lumia 820.

On the front you're greeted by a 4-inch display which is relatively bright, but at 480x854 isn't too sharp, especially when you consider the San Diego has a 600x1024 offering.

That's not to say it's a poor screen and Android 4.0.4 Ice Cream Sandwichlooks perfectly acceptable, with a single-core 1GHz processor and 512MB running the show.

Below the display is a bezel housing back, home and menu keys, with Sony not opting for on-screen controls, nor replacing the menu button with the multi-tasking function Google recommends.

There's also a front facing, VGA camera above the display while on the left there's a microUSB port for charging and connecting the Xperia J to a computer.

It's not a location we're fond of, as a charging port at the base of a handset makes it much easier to use when plugged in.

On the right there's a power/lock key at the top, with a volume rocker switch below. We found the power/lock key too small and difficult to press, making it a chore to do the simple task of locking the Xperia J, or waking the screen.

Up top there's just a centralised 3.5mm jack, which according to Nokia and its Lumia 920 makes it easier to slip a phone into your pocket when headphones are plugged in.

Round the back of the Xperia J, the curved rear cover sports a slightly rubberised finish, and while it's not quite as grippy as the Desire C, we didn't feel like we were prone to dropping the handset.

You get a 5MP rear camera flanked by a single LED flash in the top left corner, while at the base there's a speaker grill.

Hit the power/lock key and a ambient light will radiate out from the silver strip of bezel on the base of the Xperia J – these lighting touches are popular with Sony (and previously Sony Ericsson), and we can trace them all the way back to the w850i with its pulsating orange menu button.

The Sony Xperia J is an attractive, solid and well appointed handset set at a reasonable price which is sure to tempt some.