Sony Xperia J Pro Reviews

Sony's Xperia J is available for a current RRP of 239 Euros (~$323). It is sold for even less in known internet shops. The potential buyer should keep in mind that it will not include the latest hardware and that compromises have to be made for such a "low" price. The 512 MB working memory is quite tight for multi-tasking and the SoC's 1 GHz often finds its limits. This is particularly noticed in multimedia applications. The Xperia J is absolutely overexerted when rendering high-definition movies and only moderate fun evolves in up-to-date 3D games. The camera shoots acceptable pictures in relation to the price. However, it cannot at all replace a digital camera. If these fields of use are irrelevant, the buyer will get a smartphone featuring a solid build and good feel. The screen exhibits high viewing angle stability and features good color reproduction alongside a high average brightness and brilliant contrast. The battery lasts for a very long time in moderate use and clearly stands out from the runtimes of the compared models. With Android 4.0.4, Sony configures the smartphone with an up-to-date operating system and also holds out the prospect of an update to Android 4.1. The buyer will get an everyday suitable and solid smartphone if clear restrictions in performance and multimedia can be accepted.

So while the high-res screen helps the Xperia J stand-out among rivals in its price bracket, the compromises involved are a bit hard to swallow. Sure, not everyone is a power user and needs multi-core CPUs or HD video recording, but we'd prefer to spend a few bucks more than live with the lag any day of the week. This is not so much criticism to the Xperia J itself, as for the whole class of devices in its price range currently. Those find themselves way too close to the NovaThor dual-cores to be worth the savings they incur. You are better off either going even lower and saving some significant cash (even if you will be making even more compromises) or reaching for the shelf just above this one and get a properly powered smartphone.