An In-Depth Look at the Sony Xperia miro Smartphone
This is a guest post by Al Natanagara who is sharing his personal review on Sony’s amazing smartphone, the Xperia Miro.
On June 13th, Sony announced the upcoming release of its budget-friendly smartphone, the Xperia miro. Aimed more at social networking lovers than video enthusiasts or gamers, the miro nonetheless marks a few advances from previous Xperia offerings and features solid, if not impressive, specs.
The most important improvement is the operating system: Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, making this the first Xperia to offer the improved customization, control, and performance that folks with most other manufacturers’ offerings at this price lack. Speaking of pricing, Sony has not yet released pricing for the miro, and the latest word is that it won’t hit shelves until August.
If you were waiting for a powerhouse smartphone from Sony, you will be disappointed. The Xperia miro is not a flagship model, nor is it a showoff phone for anyone who is not impressed by bold colors and pretty lights (more on this later). But while the miro does not have what it takes to compete with the likes of, say, a Galaxy S3, let’s be fair: It was not created to run with the big dogs. The phone’s specs are plenty good for users who primarily use their phone’s non-phone functions for social networking. Specs include:
- 800MHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor
- 512MB RAM
- 4GB internal memory
- microSD card slot allowing for up to 32GB of storage
- 3.5-inch 320×480 touchscreen, giving it a not-so-impressive 161 pixels per inch
- 5MP/30fps rear camera
- VGA front-facing “chat cam”
- DLNA contactless connectivity for playing your phone content on TV
- Sony’s xLOUD audio technology and backside speaker for clear sound
- 1500mAh battery, which Sony claims will provide “up to six hours” of talk time
Facebook integration is a much-touted part of the miro and is included in the native contacts, image/video gallery, and music player apps. Anyone who is on Facebook more than once daily knows what a boon it is that apps and devices are made increasingly more compatible with major social networking sites. If your phone’s included apps don’t integrate with Facebook or Twitter, and you are one of those who can’t enjoy an experience until it is shared with the world, you know what a pain it is to have to switch apps and perform two clicks and three swipes to update your status with a ten-word review of the tapas the rest of the family is still trying to enjoy (Now put down that phone and finish your dinner!).
As further proof that the Xperia miro is not aimed at gadget geeks who crave every possible feature and frown on frivolity, the phone will be available in four color schemes: black, black and pink, white, and white and gold. Even grandma will look good rocking a miro. Further colorful enhancements include LEDs that flash in different colors for missed calls, new messages, etc. This feature is perfect for monks and library patrons who don’t want to miss when someone “likes” the latest snapshot of their kitty on Facebook.
Adding to the Xperia miro’s appeal, the phone’s size and weight should make it comfortable for marathon chat sessions. At just 3.9 ounces (compared with the Galaxy S3 at 4.7 ounces and the iPhone 4S at 4.8 ounces), it won’t significantly hasten the onset of carpal tunnel syndrome.
While the specs of the Xperia miro may be a disappointment to gadget connoisseurs who have been waiting for Sony to release a powerhouse flagship smartphone, it will be a benefit to anyone on a smaller budget looking for a solid mobile social networking experience. With the Android Ice Cream Sandwich OS, adequate screen resolution, decent processing power, storage expansion options, excellent sound, TV out, a choice of bold colors, a novel notification system using multi-colored LEDs, and Facebook integration, Sony may have a well-targeted winner on its hands.
For full specs on the Sony Xperia miro, visit the official Sony Mobile site.
Al Natanagara is an experienced writer, journalist, and blogger who spends way too much of his non-disposable income on gadgets. He has written on subjects as diverse as STDs, barefoot running, the use of metadata in computer forensics, VoIP, and puppies. He is often told to take his writing assignments more seriously.