The best Sony Ericsson smartphones compared

The smartphone boffins at Sony Ericsson have clearly been working hard, because earlier this year it launched five amazing Google Android smartphones: the Xperia Play, Xperia Arc, Xperia Neo, Xperia X10 and Xperia Pro.

The smartphone range offers something to suit every taste; so whether you’re a gaming addict or a messaging junkie, a snap-happy photographer or simply after a phone that does a little bit of everything, one of Sony Ericsson’s five new smartphones is sure to get you excited.

Sony Ericsson Xperia Play

Who should buy it?: Anyone who loves playing video games and can’t bear to be parted from them while not at home.

Best features?: Gaming - the Xperia Play is also known as the PlayStation Phone because it can play many of the games you’d find on your PlayStation, such as Guitar Hero and Crash Bandicoot.

The smartphone also has slide-out gaming controls and trigger buttons that ensure playing video games while on the bus remains a really immersive experience.

Worst feature?: There’s nothing inherently ‘bad’ about the smartphone, though it’s screen resolution - 854 x 480 pixels - could be improved upon. Some may also be put off by the mediocre 5Mp camera.

XPERIA Play(black) £179.90

0 min 0 texts

£0.00

Compare Sony Ericsson Xperia Play deals.

Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc

Who should buy it?: Anyone looking to replace their digital camera with a smartphone that’s good enough to capture high-quality images.

Best features?: Photography - the Xperia Arc has an 8.1Mp camera featuring “Exmor R” technology, which Sony says will help you capture high-quality stills and movies in all sorts of conditions.

The Arc’s banana-esque body curve also means it’s a slim and svelte smartphone - ideal for fashionistas.

Worst features?: With such a good camera onboard, it’s a shame the camera’s only equipped with a digital zoom instead of an optical one, which produces higher-quality images of subjects in the distance.

Confused about optical and digital zooms? Read our ultimate guide to smartphone photography.

XPERIA Arc(silver) £0.00

50 min Unlimited texts

£15.50

Compare Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc deals.

Sony Ericsson Xperia Neo

Who should buy it?: Someone who wants all the benefits of a smartphone, but without all the fuss and cost sometimes associated with top smartphones such as the iPhone 4.

Best features?: Rather than boasting one headline feature, the Neo offers a solid selection of features that include:

• TV connectivity - Use the phone’s HDMI port to display videos and pictures stored on the phone on your HD-ready TV
• Google Android - The user-friendly software favoured by many smartphone makers, including HTC and LG. Android phones lets you download apps, play games and check Facebook
• Timescape - Sony Ericsson’s own software tool for simplifying management of social networks, calls, text messages and more.

Worst feature?: The Xperia Neo doesn’t really lack anything, it’s more that the quality of the features it does offer don’t match those of a high-end smartphone’s.

XPERIA Neo(black) £0.00

600 min Unlimited texts

£29.00

Compare Sony Ericsson Xperia Neo deals.

Sony Ericsson Xperia X10

Who should buy it?: Anyone with a love for music or videos and who wants to watch them while going about the daily lives.

Best features?: The Xperia X10 has a big 4in HD (720p) touchscreen that’s just crying out for you to enjoy your favourite TV show or film on while on the train to work. The smartphone also has an 8.1Mp camera that, in addition to shooting videos, will automatically “tag” your friends in photos when it recognises their faces.

Worst feature?: The phone only has 1GB of internal memory and can only support slide-in memory cards of up to 16GB, so finding space for films, games, videos and pictures could prove tricky for some.

XPERIA X10(black) £0.00

50 min Unlimited texts

£13.50

Compare Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 deals.

Sony Ericsson Xperia Pro

Who should buy it?: Someone who’d usually buy a Blackberry or who likes touchscreens yet still prefers typing on physical keys.

Best features?: The Xperia Pro’s eye-catching bodywork hides a slide-out Qwerty keypad that should make the phone suitable for someone who’s always writing emails on the move and sending text messages.

The keypad’s also smart. If, for example, you are reading an email and then slide out the keypad then it will jump to the reply screen because it assumes you want to write back.

XPERIA Pro(black) £0.00

600 min Unlimited texts

£26.00

Find your ideal mobile phone deal

---

Compare Phone Plan: PAYG Monthly

Compare Compare contracts costing up to: £5