Sony Ericsson Xperia ray - Review

“One of the smallest and the best smartphones around - but larger hands will feel infinitely less at home”

The screen is vibrant and extremely sharp

We used to think small mobiles were better mobiles. Until smartphones, manufacturers competed on size above all else - to the point that handsets looked like they were designed for hamsters rather than humans. Luckily, this trend has since been reversed, but today’s humongous screens are not to everyone’s taste.

This is probably what led Sony Ericsson to create the Xperia ray. It’s got all the capabilities of a device twice its size, but slips comfortably into tight jeans. It really is a feat of engineering and a wonder to behold. Anyone with the slim digits of a pianist will love everything about it.

But if you’re a burly bloke with fists like King Kong, you might as well stop reading now. The Sony Ericsson Xperia ray, competitively priced under £300 sim-free, is one of the smallest and the best around - but larger hands will feel infinitely less at home on its slender display.

XPERIA Ray(black) £0.00

50 min Unlimited texts

£13.50

Small things bright and beautiful

The outer casing is sturdy, sleek and well designed

Although the Sony Ericsson Xperia ray doesn’t come equipped with the dual-core processor and gigantic display of bulkier smartphones, it’s still a brilliantly quick Android device in its own right. Encased in a smooth aluminium frame, it looks the part and feels more expensive than it is.

Despite being noticeably smaller than most, the 3.3in display is more than big enough for browsing the web, viewing images and streaming video. Enhanced by Sony’s BRAVIA technology, the 480 x854 resolution provides a vibrant and crisp experience to rival even the most macho of screens.

Where the dainty display falls down though is with text input. Writing messages on the stock Xperia ray keyboard can be a very frustrating exercise. A set of svelte and nimble fingers won’t run into trouble, but most of us will prod around making typos left, right and centre.

Troublesome typing

Sony Ericsson’s Xperia ray is powered by the Android 2.3 - also known as “Gingerbread” - mobile operating system, well known for its ease of use and highly customisable interface. With that in mind, you may be surprised to find the intuitive qwerty keyboard is replaced on this handset with an on-screen number pad.

Instead of a full keyboard, you get the nine-digit telephone keypad arrangement, with individual letters accessed by pressing each button up to four times. It makes sense not to have crammed too many keys onto the modest display, but there’s still something quite archaic about it.

Luckily, with a few clicks in the settings menu, the number pad can be ousted by the far more user-friendly qwerty input. However, since it squeezes in at least a dozen extra keys, this won’t be an option for anyone with less dainty digits.

Getting it together

Most of what you’ll find onboard is identical to other Gingerbread handsets, but there are several interesting widgets unique to the Xperia range. One such tool, Timescape, does a great job of integrating your messages, contacts and Facebook updates on the home screen.

You only get a preview of each item, but clicking the notification launches the relevant app and displays the message in full. In some ways you could argue that Timescape’s uses are actually quite limited. It’s really nothing more than a launch pad to open other applications. Then again, if you’re not a fan of Timescape - or any of the widgets on the home screens - you can chop and change them to your heart’s content.

Social media is far more usefully integrated in your contacts, where each person’s Facebook profile is accessible with a single tap. It also displays their birthday and interests, as well as enabling you to leaf through their photos - all without leaving your phonebook.

Sound and vision

The camera is not great in poor light conditions

Predictably, for a phone Sony had a hand in creating, the Xperia ray really comes into its own as an mp3 player. The 4GB microSD card included will hold roughly 1,000 tracks, but for a relatively small cost this could be upgraded to 32GB, rivalling many iPods ofor storage.

The sound is immense too. Sony Ericsson’s use of the xLOUD audio engine means everything from a twinkly ringtone to the latest drum and bass comes over with a clarity and depth often lacking on tiny mobile speakers. As a result call quality is equally impressive, particularly on loudspeaker.

In theory the 8.1 megapixel camera should be superb - and in many ways it is - but unless you’re in broad daylight the feeble LED flash produces grainy disappointment shot after shot. However, in the right conditions, it can’t be faulted and the photo gallery integrates seamlessly.

Power to the people

When it comes to battery life, there are few smartphones that won’t let you down, but the Sony Xperia Ray is an incredibly rare gem equipped with a meaty 1500mAh supply. It comfortably runs with frequent-ish use of its flashiest functions for at least 12 to 16 hours.

By adding power saving widgets to one of the five home screens, you’ve got rapid access to “on/off” buttons that toggle vibration, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and brightness to make your battery last even longer. It still won’t outlive a less sophisticated device, but on endurance it’s the smartphone to beat.

Not for everyone

In a nutshell, the Xperia ray is a top-end smartphone in miniature. In the right pair of hands, it’s an absolute pleasure and it’s hard to miss that extra inch of LCD when exponentially better battery life is the trade-off. Plus, it’s useful to own a phone you can comfortably operate in one hand.

Anyone with a taste for something chunkier should look at the Sony Ericsson Xperia arc, which is essentially the same phone underneath - just with more screen and a little extra padding.

Find your perfect Sony Ericsson Xperia ray

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