Sony Xperia go Complete Specs Pricing Pros & Cons Explored

Introduction

The Sony Xperia Go was a mid-range smartphone introduced in 2012, known for its durability and water-resistant features. This review will delve into every aspect of the phone, from its design and build quality to its performance, software capabilities, and overall user experience.

Design and Build Quality

The Sony Xperia Go was crafted with durability in mind. It measures 111 x 60.3 x 9.8 mm and weighs just 110 grams, making it compact and easy to carry. The use of a scratch-resistant glass ensures that the device can endure daily wear and tear without compromising on its aesthetic appeal. One of the key selling points of the Xperia Go was its ruggedness; it boasted an IP67 certification, meaning it was dustproof and water-resistant up to 1 meter for 30 minutes. This made it an appealing choice for users with active lifestyles or those who wanted a reliable phone that could withstand challenging environments.

Display

The Sony Xperia Go features a 3.5-inch LED-backlit LCD display with a resolution of 320 x 480 pixels, offering a pixel density of approximately 165 ppi. While this resolution appears modest by today's standards, it was quite acceptable for a smartphone at the time of its release. The screen provided decent brightness and contrast ratios, which ensured that users could view the display clearly in various lighting conditions, including direct sunlight. The compact size of the display also made the device more manageable for one-handed use, catering to users who preferred smaller phones.

Performance

Underneath the hood, the Xperia Go was powered by a NovaThor U8500 chipset featuring a dual-core 1.0 GHz Cortex-A9 processor. Accompanied by the Mali-400 GPU and 512MB of RAM, this configuration delivered respectable performance for everyday tasks and multimedia usage. While the phone may struggle with more demanding applications, it handled basic functions, such as browsing the web, social media, and casual gaming, with relative ease. The internal storage stands at 8GB, with around 4GB available for user usage, but it can be expanded via a microSDHC card slot, addressing concerns related to storage capacity.

Camera

The Xperia Go comes with a 5MP rear camera capable of autofocus and features an LED flash. It offered several features like panorama and the ability to record videos at 720p@30fps. The camera was designed to cater to users who wanted to capture moments on the go without needing a professional setup. While the quality of photos and videos is far from what current high-end smartphones offer, at its launch, it was sufficient for capturing adequate daylight photos and videos. Unfortunately, the Xperia Go didn’t include a front camera, limiting its capabilities for selfies and video calls.

Battery Life

The device is powered by a non-removable Li-Ion 1305 mAh battery, which might seem small by modern standards but was adequate for the phone’s specifications. It offers a standby time of up to 520 hours on 2G and up to 460 hours on 3G, with a talk time of up to 6 hours and 30 minutes on 2G and 5 hours and 30 minutes on 3G. Music playback was particularly impressive, with a capability of up to 45 hours. This efficiency made the Xperia Go an ideal companion for those who required a phone that could last a whole day without frequent recharging, catering well to users engaged in outdoor activities.

Software

Originally launched with Android 2.3 Gingerbread, the Sony Xperia Go could be upgraded to Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean. This upgrade path extended its relevance in the rapidly evolving tech landscape of the time, offering users access to newer features and improved performance. The user interface was straightforward and intuitive, consistent with the Xperia line of smartphones. While it lacked some of the high-end features found in flagship devices, it provided a stable and smooth user experience for basic smartphone tasks.

Connectivity

Connectivity options in the Xperia Go include Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n with DLNA and hotspot capabilities, Bluetooth 3.0 with A2DP and EDR, GPS/A-GPS, and a stereo FM radio with RDS. The device also features a microUSB 2.0 port with USB On-The-Go support, which was a valuable addition for users needing to access data from external devices directly. While 4G support was absent, the phone supported HSPA speeds of up to 14.4 Mbps, which was adequate for most online activities at the time, including browsing, streaming, and downloading content.

Sound and Multimedia

Multimedia performance was acceptable on the Xperia Go. It included a 3.5mm headphone jack for audio and a loudspeaker for hands-free communication or media playback. The audio experience was enhanced by the built-in support for various audio and video file formats, ensuring compatibility with user-generated or downloaded content. The sound quality was on par with other devices in the same range, and the inclusion of FM Radio added value for users who enjoy listening to broadcast radio on the go.

Sensors and Additional Features

The Xperia Go was equipped with basic sensors such as an accelerometer, proximity sensor, and compass. While not groundbreaking, these sensors contributed to the usability of the device, enabling functionalities like screen auto-rotation and basic navigation applications. The rugged nature of the phone, paired with its resistance to harsh environmental conditions, made it a noteworthy choice for users requiring reliability over time.

Conclusion

The Sony Xperia Go was a commendable effort from Sony to deliver a sturdy and reliable smartphone for users with active lifestyles or those who needed a rugged phone. While not delivering high-end performance, it offered a balanced mix of durability, performance, and utility. Its water and dust resistance, coupled with practical features and an upgradeable Android version, made it a strong contender in its segment. Though it has since been discontinued, the Xperia Go holds a place in the history of smartphones as a device that balanced functionality with resilience.