Sony Xperia go

Introduction

The Sony Xperia go is not a phone to keep on a short leash. Not your kind of phone either if you'd say no to a dip in the pool because you are expecting an important call. The Sony Xperia go lets you join the fun. The midrange package that Sony just brought to the market aims to offer plenty of bang for your buck - and a bang of a time.

  
The Sony Xperia go official pictures

The Xperia go is a smartphone that you don't need to constantly look after. The little rugged droid will have you covered in situations very few other phones will put up with, let alone survive. Drop it or sink it, the Xperia go will take it without a flinch. And there's more where that came from. Here's the short version of what the Xperia go is all about.

Key features

• IP67 certified for dust and water resistance, wet-finger tracking
• Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE support
• 3G with 7.2 Mbps HSDPA and 5.76 Mbps HSUPA
• 3.5" 16M-color LED-backlit LCD capacitive touchscreen of HVGA resolution (320 x 480 pixels) at around 165 ppi
• Bravia Mobile engine
• Android OS v2.3 Gingerbread
• Dual-core 1 GHz Cortex-A9 CPU, Mali-400 GPU, NovaThor U8500 chipset
• 512 MB RAM
• 5 MP autofocus camera, single LED flashlight, geotagging, image stabilization, smile detection, touch focus
• 720p video @ 30fps
• Wi-Fi b/g/n, Wi-Fi hotspot functionality and DLNA
• GPS with A-GPS, Wisepilot navigation
• microSD slot (32GB supported, 2GB card included)
• Accelerometer and proximity sensor, notification LED
• Standard 3.5 mm audio jack
• Stereo FM radio with RDS
• TrackID music recognition
• Relevant package of apps
• MicroUSB port (charging) and stereo Bluetooth v2.1
• Adobe Flash support

Main disadvantages

• No ICS out of the box
• Screen resolution a bit low by today's standards
• No arm case and wrist strap in the bundle (ala the Sony Ericsson Xperia active)- available in the Xperia go "Sports Edition"
• No hardware camera shutter key
• No secondary camera, no video calls
• No DivX/XviD video support, 1080p video playback is a no go, too
• No ANT+ support for connection to sports peripherals (unlike the Xperia active)

Now, who said you can only have two out of the three if you're after compact size, rugged build and performance under the same roof. The Sony Xperia go has the brains to go with the toughness and is still compact enough to carry around and slip into any pocket.

To make it even better, Sony has addressed two of the main issues we had with the predecessor - the Xperia active. There's now a capable dual-core chipset under the hood and the screen has grown to the far more usable 3.5". We could have probably used some extra pixels, but the Xperia go sounds like a package that's hard to beat as it is.

 
The Sony Xperia go at HQ

All we need to do now is make sure its real-life performance can cash the checks written by the spec sheet. The unboxing and hardware overview follow right after the break.

Standard retail package

The box that the Sony Xperia go comes in is shaped like the retail packages of its NXT siblings. It holds all the basics, including an AC adapter, a USB cable that you can use with both your computer and the charger, and a single-piece headset.

 
The Sony Xperia go retail package contents

There's also a microSIM to regular SIM adapter supplied, which is a handy tool to have, and perhaps a recognition on Sony's part that they see the Xperia go as a backup handset for outdoor activities. We were disappointed to not find the arm case and wrist strap, which were so thoughtfully provided with the Sony Ericsson Xperia active. If you're lucky enough to find it, there's an Xperia go "Sports Edition", which comes in yellow and the arm case and wrist strap intact.

Build quality and design

Comparisons with the Sony Ericsson Xperia active are inevitable and - as much as we liked the old Sony Ericsson rugged smartphone - we think the Xperia go does well to take a different stylistic approach. In terms of actual size, the Xperia go is taller as it accommodates a bigger screen. It doesn't look as compact and sporty as its predecessor but is way slimmer and will never risk the embarrassment of being underdressed on more formal occasions.

The design of the Sony Xperia go is pretty neat, the subtle chin on the front being its most characteristic feature. We quite like the styling and the slim waistline undoubtedly contributes to that. Playing closely by the NXT series style guide, the Sony Xperia go proves that ruggedness doesn't necessarily result in a face that only a mother can love.

What we are not quite fond of is the choice of finish for the Sony Xperia go's back panel. The plastic used feels almost abrasive to the touch and takes some getting used to. It's unlike anything we've seen before and, sadly, not in a particularly good way. Well, it must be the price that needs to be paid for the extra ruggedness, we guess.

Above the screen is the earpiece, along with the proximity sensor. Unfortunately, there's no front-facing camera here.

The proximity sensor is next to the earpiece

Below the screen, there are three capacitive keys (Back, Home and Menu). You can enable haptics for them. The screen is slightly projecting over the phone's body, providing a tactile reference point. The resulting chin is a lot subtler though than in the Xperia Sola. Just beneath the capacitive keys is the Xperia go microphone pinhole.

The trio of capacitive keys below the screen

The left side only holds the 3.5mm audio jack near its top. It's covered with a protective plastic seal, which you need to keep on to maintain the level of water resistance.

The 3.5mm audio jack

On the right is the covered USB port for charging and transferring files and the volume rocker. There's no camera shutter key here.

  
The microUSB is joined by the volume rocker on the right

The top has nothing but the power key, while on the bottom you'll find just the lanyard eyelet. Normally you'd also find a microphone pinhole in here, but as we mentioned it has been moved to the front panel of the Xperia go.

  
The power key on top • Lanyard eyelet and primary microphone on the bottom

On the back of the Sony Xperia go we find the 5MP camera lens and the LED flash. The secondary microphone for stereo recording and the loudspeaker grille are also nearby.

  
The camera lens, LED flash, secondary mic and speaker grille

Removing the back cover reveals the microSD and SIM card slots. You can't access or replace your battery. The microSD card is hot-swappable, but the SIM card is not - attempting to add or remove a SIM while the phone is on will result in an automatic restart.

   
A peek under the back panel

The battery is a 1305 mAh unit, which is said to provide about 520 hours of 2G stand-by (460 hours in 3G) or up to 6 h 30 min of talk time (5 h 30 min in 3G).

Display

The Sony Xperia go comes with an HVGA LCD, measuring 3.5 inches in diagonal. The screen is nothing to write home about in this day and age. Even mid-range smartphones often offer WVGA resolution nowadays, so the Xperia go is losing some points here.

The screen quality could have been better

The good news is the BRAVIA-powered screen offers decent image quality. It may not be the sharpest around, but its contrast and colors are good enough for the price range. Sadly, Sony is still unable to fix their displays viewing angles and the Xperia go screen quickly starts to lose contrast when you tilt it to the side. It's what you usually see with phones in this budget range though, so we're hardly surprised.

Final words

Sony may've parted ways with Ericsson but they still seem to hang out at some of the places they used to go together. One thing's for sure, the Xperia go won't mind being around the Xperia active, even if it finds itself under the occasional meter of water.

So, it's a phone that's supposed to make a living off the beaten track, but the Xperia go plays it safe by following closely in the Xperia active's footsteps. Sony have given it a bigger screen and two processor cores and that's as solid an upgrade as any. They've done well to change the styling too, in line with the new NXT series design language.

The Xperia go feels less sporty and muscular than its predecessor but we think it's one of the better-looking durable phones you can get. The solid single-color-body with no flashy accents is perhaps a bit too conservative but we don't mind at all. The Xperia go belongs in a backpack but wouldn't be out of place in an office either.

It's a rugged little handset that will appeal to urban and wilderness adventurers alike. Accordingly, it has some relevant apps preinstalled - like a compass and a torch. There're some fitness applications too in a featured homescreen folder but they're not what we would call a decider. All the apps are available on the PlayStore. There's nothing exclusive about them, any Android phone can have them.

The Xperia go doesn't support ANT+ either. ANT+ is the wireless pairing protocol to use mostly with fitness and health-monitoring devices. The technology was favored by Sony Ericsson but not Sony, obviously. This isn't such bad news though, not as bad, at least, as the absence of some value-adding accessories in the box. The Sony Ericsson Xperia active used to ship with a wrist strap and an arm case, which the Xperia go only offers in the "Sports Edition" version.

This should be enough, comparison-wise. One last thing to note though: there's no difference in the level of water and dust resistance between the two generations. Both the Sony Ericsson Xperia active and the Sony Xperia go are IP67 certified and both have wet-finger tracking for that texting in the rain or with sweaty fingers. That's the main reason why we decided not to put the Xperia go in the fish tank. Torture testing was out of the question - and skinny dipping doesn't quite qualify. And it wouldn't have told us anything new.

Anyway, the Sony Xperia go's water resistance hardly needs much further proof, and we think it's built well enough to take a few knocks on top of the usual wear and tear. The important thing here is that, while the IP67 certification for dust and water resistance is a key selling point, the phone sales will not be solely driven by its rugged credentials.

The design is rather mainstream to begin with, which is by no means a bad thing. Then, the microSIM to regular SIM adapter shows good thinking - the Xperia go will probably be in high demand as a back-up device for outings.

Overall, it's a bit of a niche alternative of the Xperia sola and the Xperia U. Both have the exact same chipset, similar design, but better displays. The Xperia U has a cap on the storage but is probably the cheapest dual-core smartphone on the market. Speaking of which, the Xperia Go is more expensive than both the sola and the Xperia U, but not by much.

 
Sony Xperia sola • Sony Xperia U

The Panasonic Eluga DL1 is the only other rugged smartphone powered by a dual-core processor. It's IP57-certified, which is a notch below the Xperia go's level of dust protection with the same degree of water resistance. The Eluga DL1 has a 4.3" OLED screen of qHD resolution and an 8 MP camera, which drive the price up and the phone isn't as readily available as the Xperia go.

Panasonic Eluga DL1

Traditionally well placed in the rugged smartphone market, Motorola have what's currently the cheapest tough phone. The DEFY mini costs about 125 euro and obviously fails to match the Xperia go. The mini has a smaller screen, a measly single-core processor and inferior stills and video. For around 180 euro you could opt for a single-core DEFY+, which boasts a much better 3.7" FWVGA screen and a 5MP camera.

 
Motorola DEFY+ • Motorola Defy Mini XT320

So, the Xperia go has few real rivals: rugged smartphones are gaining popularity but you wouldn't say the niche is too crowded yet. Sony have done well to position themselves on that market and it doesn't look like it has cost them a fortune to build the Xperia go. It can appeal to both urban users who wouldn't mind an extra level of protection against the elements and those who embrace an active, outdoor lifestyle. What they need is a phone that will survive a splash, not make one.