Sony Xperia P

Available now
26th February 2012

Following on from the Xperia S, the Sony Xperia P expands Sony's range by heading a little down market, while retaining the attractive and distinctive styling of the rest of Sony's new line-up of smartphones.

The Xperia P has a 4.0" 540 x 960 pixel TFT display, a dual-core 1GHz processor with 1GB of RAM, an 8 megapixel primary camera with HD video recording on the back and an 0.3 megapixel video calling camera on the front, all running Android 2.3 at launch with an upgrade to Android 4.0 promised during Q2 2012. The Xperia P comes with 16GB of internal flash memory (13GB accessible to the user), but no microSD slot.

Because this is a Sony, there are usually some clever features when it comes to displays and cameras. In this case, the display uses a technology that Sony call "WhiteMagic" which is an intelligent brightness control system designed to maximise readability in all lighting conditions, including very bright sunlight. The camera is enhanced with Sony's Exmor R technology which seems to work very well in this type of device.

Of course, this is an Android phone.. so it has everything that every other Android phone does including GPS support, WiFi, 3.5G, Bluetooth and USB connectivity, plus just about every recent operating system add-on from Sony Ericsson going.

The Sony Xperia P measures 122 x 60 x 10.5mm and weighs 120 grams. The 1300 mAh battery is quoted as giving up to 5 hours talktime and 19 days standby time on 3G.

Sony have taken a lead from Motorola in terms of accessories, and the Sony Xperia P can be used with an optional docking station that allows the smartphone to charge, and it also allows USB keyboards and mice to be used, and with the HDMI output in the docking station, it effectively turns the Xperia P into a mini PC.

The Xperia P is an upper midrange phone that can't come to the market too soon, as many retailers have been dropping the older "Sony Ericsson" handsets completely. Sony say that the Xperia P should be available some time during Q2 2012, although no guidance was given on price.