• Home

Sony Ericsson 
Xperia Arc S

When introduced earlier this year, Sony Ericsson’s Xperia Arc made quite a splash in the market, especially thanks to its thin and slim design and large display. Those were the qualities I fell for as well, and I’ve been an Arc user for many months now.

With the advent of its successor, with the added “S” in the name, the Android smartphone now gets a boost in speed to 1.4GHz and a few added features. Looking at the new Arc S, however, you will not see any physical changes. Inside, the main news comes courtesy of the latest Android version for smartphones 2.3.4 (the original Arc will get this update at some point, Sony Ericsson has said). There’s now a 3D Sweep Panorama

mode, where you hold down the camera button and turn around and the camera automatically takes pictures and stitches them together. To enjoy the 3D effect you will have to look at the panorama on a 3D TV, the Arc S is no help in that regard. The speedboost is not dramatic but noticeable, at least in certain operations. Comparing the Arc and Arc S side by side I can see a clear difference when browsing the web and especially when playing Flash movies.

To be honest, the difference is not dramatic enough to warrant a purchase on its own. In conclusion, the S model doesn’t offer enough that is new to warrant an upgrade if you have the original Arc. But if you’re after one of the most sleek and beautiful Android smartphones in the market right now then look at the Arc S.

• UAE