Unveiling Sony Xperia SP Specs Pricing Pros & Cons

Overview of Sony Xperia SP

The Sony Xperia SP was a smartphone released by Sony in 2013, aimed at the mid-range market segment. Despite being discontinued, it still remains a topic of interest due to its design and performance specifications. Below, we delve into its specifics, exploring each aspect of the device in detail and highlighting its lasting impact and performance in its time.

Launch and Availability

The Sony Xperia SP was officially announced in March 2013 and consequently released in April 2013. Unfortunately, as with many devices from that period, it has been discontinued. The phone was initially accessible in key markets worldwide and catered to users looking for a balance between performance and affordability. Priced at about 180 EUR, it was considered good value for the feature set it offered during its launch.

Design and Build

The Sony Xperia SP is crafted with dimensions measuring 130.6 x 67.1 x 10 mm and weighs approximately 155g. The phone sports a minimalist and sleek design, typical of Sony's elegant styling standards. With its body available in Black, White, and Red, it accommodates diverse aesthetic preferences.

Featuring a Micro-SIM slot, the phone’s construction is solid with a premium feel ascribed to the Corning Gorilla Glass protecting its display. It balances compactness and ease of grip, making it convenient for one-handed usage.

Display Features

The device boasts a 4.6-inch TFT display, with a resolution of 720 x 1280 pixels achieving roughly 319 pixels per inch. The screen accounts for approximately 66.6% screen-to-body ratio, offering a clear and vibrant viewing experience especially relevant for media consumption and gaming during its time.

Protection through Corning Gorilla Glass ensures resilience against scratches and casual drops, which was a significant advantage for users concerned about durability.

Performance Specifications

Under the hood, the Xperia SP is powered by a Qualcomm MSM8960T Snapdragon S4 Pro chipset. The Dual-core 1.7 GHz Krait CPU alongside the Adreno 320 GPU together facilitated fluid performance for the majority of apps and light games available during its era.

While equipped with 1GB RAM, which today is quite limited, it was sufficient to run basic applications smoothly. The device originally launched with Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean) and was later upgradable to Android 4.3 (Jelly Bean).

Storage and Memory

The internal storage capacity is 8GB, with around 5.8GB available to the user. Fortunately, the Xperia SP includes a microSDHC slot allowing users to expand storage for accommodating media, applications, and other data. This flexibility was a definite plus for users who required more than the basic storage shared by the operating system and pre-installed applications.

Camera Capabilities

Photography enthusiasts were catered for with an 8 MP rear camera featuring an f/2.4 aperture and Autofocus. Additionally, the inclusion of LED flash and HDR capabilities allowed for better quality photographs in varied lighting conditions. Video recording was supported at 1080p@30fps, which was decent for smartphone standards at the time.

The front VGA camera, however, was quite basic, primarily suitable for video calls rather than high-definition selfies, which wasn't a mainstream demand during the release period of the device.

Battery Life

The Xperia SP comes equipped with a non-removable Li-Ion 2370 mAh battery. This capacity offered ample longevity with standby times up to 635 hours on 2G networks and up to 734 hours on 3G. It allowed for talk times extending up to 10 hours 25 minutes on 2G, or 19 hours on 3G — supporting an active day’s usage easily.

Music enthusiasts could enjoy approximately 39 hours of playback, reinforcing its capabilities as a media consumption device.

Network and Connectivity

The device supports multiple network technologies including GSM, HSPA, and LTE, ensuring a wide range of operability. Users were able to experience high-speed internet with HSPA speeds of 42.2/5.76 Mbps and LTE Cat3 speeds up to 100/50 Mbps.

Other connectivity features comprise Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n with DLNA and hotspot functions, Bluetooth 4.0, and GPS with GLONASS for accurate positioning. NFC support and microUSB 2.0 with MHL TV-out further expanded its versatility for connectivity.

Additional Features and Sensors

The Xperia SP is fitted with sensors, including an accelerometer, a gyro, proximity detectors, and a compass. Such sensors facilitated enhanced user experience through various applications requiring orientation data on the device.

The presence of a 3.5mm jack for audio, paired with stereo FM radio and RDS, provided comprehensive media options for users preferring traditional audio services.

Audio and Multimedia

With a loudspeaker output rated at 66dB for voice, 61dB for noise, and 68dB for ringing, the Xperia SP provided decent sound quality adequate for personal listening and alert functionality.

Meanwhile, audio quality tests yielded noise levels at -86.9dB, with crosstalk at -88.3dB, allowing for clear wireless audio performance emphasizing its multimedia capabilities.

Conclusion: A Retrospective on Sony Xperia SP

Although the Sony Xperia SP has been discontinued, its time in the market illustrated Sony’s ability to bridge cost-effectiveness with reasonable performance. Its design aesthetics, coupled with mid-range feature capabilities, allowed it to resonate well with many users during the 2013 smartphone market era.

The phone succeeded in offering a reliable daily driver for those needing moderate smartphone usage without breaking the bank. As technology has progressed, it remains a nostalgic representation of Sony's adaptive strategies in varying market conditions.