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MagyarReview Sony Xperia Acro S Smartphone
For the original German review, see here.
It is like having a déjà-vu experience because the torrent of Xperia models is not ceasing and underpins Sony's apparent confusion strategy. The Japanese electronics manufacturer currently has more smartphone models on the market than various competitors put together - product differentiation 2.0.
The Acro S is a midrange device that sports a Qualcomm Snapdragon from a former generation. The S3 MSM8660 dual-core clocks with 1.5 GHz in the Acro S. Furthermore, the SoC features the Adreno 220 GPU and a working memory of 1 GB. The capacitive TFT touchscreen has a screen diagonal of 4.3 inches (10.9 cm) and a resolution of 1280x720 pixels. According to Sony, it can even be used with wet fingers. The smartphone also features a 12.1 megapixel camera featuring autofocus and an f2.4 shutter rate.
Perhaps Sony hopes to establish itself among customers with special requirements via this model, namely outdoor enthusiasts who want a big screen. The device complies with the IP55 and IP57 codes and features an ANT+ module. So, is the Xperia Acro S an ultra-portable multimedia sport device with robust outdoor features or will it fail this claim?
Case
The casing features a very handy design that matches the outdoor suitability claim. The back is made of matte plastic and looks a lot like HTC's 8X and most other Xperia devices. A highlight has been placed between the display bezel and the back cover, which is also comprised of polycarbonate. A piano-lacquer rim separates both parts of the casing. For the certification according to the IP standards, it is imperative that the interfaces are covered by flaps. Five of these flaps adorn the Acro S. The casing is largely resistant to selective pressure and is very stiff due to its thickness of 11.9 mm (~0.47 inches).
Measuring 126 x 66 x 11.9 mm (~4.96 x 2.60 x 0.47 inches), the Acro S is not quite as long as the Xperia T (129 mm/~5.08 inches) or HTC's One S (130.9 mm/~5.15). However, it is one millimeter wider in both cases and up to 4.1 millimeters (~0.16 inches) thicker. The same is true for its total weight. The Acro S is not a lightweight at 147 grams (~0.32 pounds). The buyer should be aware that a potential outdoor sport device must be both robust and handy. As mentioned earlier, the Acro S is specified according to Ingress Protection Codes. It is protected according to three IP standards. The first digit of the IP code indicates that it is completely protected against touch. The second digit "5" indicates that the device is protected against jets of water from every angle for at least 3 minutes at a pressure of 30 kN/m2. The second IP code digit is again "5" and has the same meaning as in the first IP code. The following digit "7" stands for protection against submersion for a maximum of 30 minutes and a depth of up to 1 meter (~3.3 feet).
Connectivity
The physical controls, i.e. power button and volume rocker, are all gathered on the casing's right. Since Sony is known for its camera modules and great importance is accordingly attached to this point, the Acro S has a dedicated shutter release. The camera mode is immediately activated when it is pressed, regardless which application is being used at that moment.
The interfaces on the Acro S are concealed at first glance. They are all covered by flaps so that water and dust cannot penetrate the device even in extreme situations. A micro SD card can be inserted on the left. This could be a crucial factor for the potential buyer since Sony only offers one model with 16 GB of internal memory, but in three colors. The memory capacity is quickly filled when the smartphone is also to be used as a portable MP3 player. A full-sized SIM card is inserted below this slot. A special interface is also evident on this side in the form of two contacts. It is used for connecting to a docking station, but more about that later. All other ports are located on the top. From left to right, we find a mini HDMI port, 3.5 mm audio jack and micro USB port.
Software
Like Sony's bigger Xperia T (aka Bond phone), Android version 4.0.4 is preinstalled. Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean) is currently available for many of the newest devices and Google has announced Android 4.3 (Key Lime Pie). According to Sony's blog, an update for the Acro S is planned, but only to Android 4.1.
The user is overpowered by innumerable widgets the first time the Acro S is turned on. Sony has stuffed every home screen tab full of interactive tiles and it is easy to find bloatware. Starting with McAfee's Security App over NeoReader up to OfficeSuite, Sony hasn't left anything out. In case Sony's launcher does not appeal to you, Google's Play Store can help - particularly interesting and recommendable for individualists.
Communication & GPS
An aGPS module is of course essential in an outdoor sport device. It already worked indoors in our test. The closer we moved toward a window, the more precise and stable the connection was. We did not notice any unusual interruptions. The ANT+ module is particularly interesting since it, for example, enables the keen athlete to link the smartphone with a heart rate monitor. In addition to standard modules, such as Bluetooth and Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Sony also installs an NFC transmitter (near-field communication).
Cameras & Multimedia
Another core competency of the manufacturer is the camera modules in smartphones. We recall the cell phones from Sony Ericsson with Cybershot technology. In the near future, the highlight of the Xperia range will be released on the market. It is dubbed Xperia Z and features a 13 MP camera ("Sony Exmor RS") and can shoot up to almost 1000 consecutive pictures per minute.
The primary camera in our test device takes snapshots with 12.1 MP and is dubbed "Sony Exmor R". The lens is f2.4 and is to be very light sensitive. The primary camera records videos in Full HD quality and stores them as either .3GPP or .mp4 files.
We were so aghast from the first series of test pictures that we shot another series right away. The result however remained just as bad. The 12.1 MP camera had massive difficulties capturing a reasonable picture in moderate light. The colors look pale; the picture is noisy and looks unfocused. The front-facing camera gives the words "unfocused" and "poor noise behavior" a new meaning. We naturally have tested much worse cameras in smartphones and tablets, but we expected a lot more from the high-res "Sony Exmor R Sensor", particularly with a shutter rate of f2.4. This lens should actually be able to cope with much less light. This point goes to Sony's marketing department and not the Acro S.
Outdoor shoots could rectify the former poor verdict to some extent. Details are depicted clearly and the colors match the reference pictures with exception of a light reddish cast and an overexposed sky.
The camera software can also take panoramic pictures. The representation of the object is usually satisfactory considering that a wide landscape is captured on a single photo within a few seconds.
Accessories
Compared with the packaging of Samsung's ATIV S, the Xperia Acro S is three times as big - a good omen. Besides the device itself, Sony includes a bundle of instructions and warranty cards. But of course there are also somewhat more useful accessories, such as a docking station. This is rare even for current midrange or high-end devices, although the purchase price would certainly permit this. The Acro S is inserted vertically in the docking station and connected via both golden contacts on the left. The device is quickly and conveniently supplied with power this way. It is convenient because the smartphone is simply placed in the dock and the micro SD slot's flap does not have to be opened awkwardly. Regrettably, the docking station's functionality is restricted to a cabled connection with the modular charger. An audio-out (either cabled or wireless) would have increased the station's attractiveness. Besides that, we found an in-ear headset alongside the modular power supply unit in the scope of accessories.
Warranty
The warranty period for Sony's Xperia Acro S is 24 months and 12 months on the accessories from date of purchase.
Input Devices & Controls
The 4.3-inch screen responded to every input accurately in the test. The capacitive TFT screen implements multi-touch gestures swiftly and can be used with up to ten fingers at the same time. We noticed that the three navigation buttons below the actual screen need some getting used to until we could prompt a command without fail. The grid for the inputs seems to be too small. We also tended to constantly tap on the illuminated point below the actual soft key.
Text is entered via the virtual QWERTY keyboard as usual. The preinstalled version is acceptable but better results could be achieved by an additional application from the Play Store. An example would be "SwiftKey 3" here. Like in other smartphones, the keyboard covers the screen by roughly 50% in landscape mode.
Display
The main input is a 4.3-inch (10.9 cm diagonal) TFT screen with an HD resolution of 1280x720 pixels. The pixel density can be calculated with these two specs and is 341 dpi. The touchscreen can be used even with wet fingers, and according to the manufacturer, it features an unbreakable coating on scratch-resistant glass.
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Brightness Distribution: 93 %
Center on Battery: 383 cd/m²
Contrast: 782:1 (Black: 0.49 cd/m²)
Our assessments verify that the screen delivers positive results throughout. The average brightness is 385.6 cd/m² and achieves a maximum rate of 402 cd/m² in the upper left area. The black value is 0.49 cd/m². A rather good rate although AMOLED screens, for example, accomplish much better rates due to their technology. The subjective impression of a homogeneous illumination is confirmed by the percentage rate. With 93%, the Acro S comes very close to the values of the Xperia T (illumination: 95%). A high contrast is needed to depict the maximum possible difference between bright and dark image areas. The TFT screen achieves a rate of 782:1 here. Generally, the screen in the Xperia T reaches marginally better rates in every point, but it also costs more.
This test segment can only be good seeing that the contrast is on a high level, which is additionally supported by an impressive screen brightness. The Acro S is suitable for outdoor use despite the reflective surface common for smartphones. The purpose of an outdoor phone would have to be put in question if the screen is unreadable during outdoor activities. The Acro S achieves the full score in outdoor suitability.
Regrettably, the Acro S does not feature an IPS screen. Consequently the colors fade quickly in acute viewing angles. The legibility of the content can nevertheless be maintained at narrower viewing angles but the user should not expect any miracles from the TFT screen. That can definitely be an advantage in certain situations. After all, the unknown seat neighbor on the train does not have to read every received message.
Performance
The SoC in the Acro S is no longer cutting edge seeing that its release date was in 2010. Nevertheless, the Snapdragon S3 MSM8660 clocks fast enough for almost all applications with a rate of 1.5 GHz. The dual-core is supported by 1 GB of working memory and the Adreno 220 takes care of graphics applications. The SoC was built in a 45 nm manufacturing process and its instruction set is dubbed ARMv7.
Based on older hardware, the Acro S did not do as good a job as the contenders in the performed synthetic benchmarks. Although the dual-core's clock rate is also 1.5 GHz, the 45 nm architecture does not stand a chance against state-of-the-art SoCs. But then again, this outcome should not be seen negatively. The hardware might be slower but it is still has enough power to meet all requirements placed on it. Also, the competition models used for comparison are from the premium sector and cost more.
| Google V8 Ver. 7 - Google V8 Ver. 7 Score (sort by value) | |
| Sony Xperia Acro S | |
| Sony Xperia T | |
| HTC One S | |
| Samsung Galaxy S3 | |
| HTC Windows Phone 8X | |
| Sunspider - 0.9.1 Total Score (sort by value) | |
| Sony Xperia Acro S | |
| Sony Xperia T | |
| HTC One S | |
| Samsung Galaxy S3 | |
| HTC Windows Phone 8X | |
| Browsermark - --- (sort by value) | |
| Sony Xperia Acro S | |
| Sony Xperia T | |
| Samsung Galaxy S3 | |
* ... smaller is better
We ascertained the same results in the browser-based tests. The Acro S always lagged behind the other tested models, partly at a clear distance. The only real comfort that we saw was in Google's V8 Ver.7 where HTC's Windows Phone 8 smartphone scored worse. However, HTC's 8X is much faster and smoother in browser applications than our test device subjectively.
| Geekbench 2 - 32 Bit - Total Score (sort by value) | |
| Sony Xperia Acro S | |
| Sony Xperia T | |
| HTC One S | |
| Samsung Galaxy S3 | |
| GLBenchmark 2.5 | |
| 1920x1080 Egypt HD Offscreen Fixed Time (sort by value) | |
| Sony Xperia Acro S | |
| Sony Xperia T | |
| Samsung Galaxy S3 | |
| Egypt HD Fixed Time (sort by value) | |
| Sony Xperia Acro S | |
| Sony Xperia T | |
| Samsung Galaxy S3 | |
| Basemark ES 2.0 - Taiji Free (sort by value) | |
| Sony Xperia Acro S | |
| Sony Xperia T | |
| HTC One S | |
| Samsung Galaxy S3 | |
| NenaMark2 - --- (sort by value) | |
| Sony Xperia Acro S | |
| Sony Xperia T | |
| HTC One S | |
| Samsung Galaxy S3 | |
The result is no longer as clear when accessing the flash memory in read and write operations. The lead on the competition is barely noticed during read processes and the Acro S has a clear advantage in sequential write operations.
| AndroBench 3-5 | |
| Sequential Write 256KB (sort by value) | |
| Sony Xperia Acro S | |
| Sony Xperia T | |
| Samsung Galaxy S3 | |
| Sequential Read 256KB (sort by value) | |
| Sony Xperia Acro S | |
| Sony Xperia T | |
| Samsung Galaxy S3 | |
We played two Full HD trailers from the internal storage to compare the multimedia capabilities of the Acro S. The data rate of both trailers was 6100 kbit/s. MKV container files could be played without difficulties and stutters or stoppages were not at all noticed.
Consequently, watching a movie in the bathtub is no problem. However, the phone should not be submerged deeper than one meter and, if possible, a whole movie should not be watched under water. According to IP57, the Acro S is only waterproof for 30 minutes.
Games
Experiments with the latest 3D games presented the same results as rendering multimedia contents. None of the tested games were challenging for the test device, not even Need for Speed or GTA III. The Acro S is still suitable for up-to-date games despite the slightly older hardware. Consequently, undemanding 2D games will not be a problem either. Fans of cult games, such as Angry Birds or Cut the Rope, will be absolutely satisfied.
Speech Quality
There is not much to reproach in terms of speech quality. The called parties confirmed that they understood us at a sufficient volume and the spoken word was clear. We can say the same in return.
Energy Management
Power Consumption
A to-date unknown phenomenon for us occurred while measuring the power consumption. We could easily ascertain the disabled and standby power consumption using the Voltcraft VC 940. These ranged from zero to 0.2 Watts. The meter recorded 0.2 Watts in every other scenario as well, regardless whether it was measured during full load or Internet browsing. To exclude a fault of our measuring equipment, we performed tests with other devices in the meantime and found no errors. Consequently, the power consumption of other scenarios could not be ascertained.
| Off / Standby |   0 / 0.2 Watt |
| Idle |  0 / 0 / 0 Watt |
    
| |
Battery Runtime
The runtime tests were not affected by the former problems since we do not use external instruments for this part. We simulated CPU + GPU load via the Stability Test app and waited until the Acro S shut down by itself. This first happened after 3 hours and 29 minutes. Therefore, the Acro S lasts for almost 50 minutes longer than the Xperia T. HTC's One S shuts down 60 minutes earlier. The test device lasted for 10 hours and 15 minutes before it had to be recharged in the practical Wi-Fi Reader test. The competition cannot really counter that. The Galaxy S3 is drained after 8:22 hours and the Xperia T only achieves 7:16 hours in this test. 13 hours and 17 minutes elapsed between two charges with minimum processor load and switched on screen.
Emissions
Speakers
We come to the same conclusion as in 90% of the tested devices for the speakers. The sound output is tinny and this effect intensifies the louder the volume. The speakers also increasingly overdrive, however this first starts at a volume of approximately 80%. The low ranges are quite neglected for construction-related reasons. The necessary volume is simply non-existent in such devices. Sony includes an in-ear headphone to compensate these drawbacks.
Temperature
The temperature profiles of the Xperia T and Xperia Acro S are very similar in load and idle. The Acro S remained fairly cool in the load scenario with an average temperature of 34.8 °C (94.64 °F) on the front. HTC's One S finished this test with roughly 7 °C (44.6 °F) more and even the iPhone 5 exhibited a higher temperature. The temperature drops when the SoC's load is low. However, this temperature decrease is barely noticed. The average temperature on the casing's front drops by 1 °C (33.8 °F). HTC's One S is cooler with an average of 29.9 °C (85.82 °F) in this state.
The verdict for the temperature management of the Acro S is throughout good. The device never heated up exceedingly or impaired working with the phone.
(+) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 38 °C / 100 F, compared to the average of 35 °C / 95 F, ranging from 21.9 to 56 °C for the class Smartphone.
(+) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 37.3 °C / 99 F, compared to the average of 33.8 °C / 93 F
(±) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 33.7 °C / 93 F, compared to the device average of 32.7 °C / 91 F.
Verdict
Sony's Xperia Acro S wants to merge completely different areas. On the one hand, it is to be a multimedia device with all modern features and on the other, it has to fulfill the requirements of an outdoor sport device. The question remains whether an athlete wants to do sports with an almost 150 gram (~0.33 pounds), 4.3-inch smartphone. Looking at things separately, it meets all the requirements because the installed hardware is more than adequate and passed all executed performance tests. The casing is also well manufactured and makes a tough impression. The IP55 and IP57 certification underlines the outdoor suitability and the ANT+ module gives the device the finishing touch in terms of connectivity.
However, the Acro S also provides a lot of room for improvement. Contrasting the touted resolution and shutter rate, the camera is more a marketing ploy than a premium product. The screen supplies decent rates and exhibits a very good brightness. However, the color reproduction is weak and becomes increasingly paler and the contrast weaker the narrower the viewing angle gets.
Perhaps Sony has not thoroughly considered the concept for the Acro S. The device claims to be a universal weapon in the fight against routine and all its demands. The spectrum that the smartphone is to cover is very broad and some conditions are contradictory. To launch a smartphone on the market which is to be a multimedia station with a maximum of robustness, high performance, high connectivity and good looks, using premium materials at the same time, is certainly not an easy endeavor. Sony's Xperia Acro S clearly proves this.
