Sony Ericsson Xperia Ray

“In a nutshell, the attractiveness of our Sony Ericsson Xperia ray turned out to be not only the stylish design, but also the fact that it doesn't cripple functionality compared to the bigger sibling Xperia arc, but rather adds some, like a front-facing camera, and that makes it a very enticing small Android handset. It, however, hovers in a price range that is only about $50 less than the Xperia arc without a contract, so you will be likely to choose it before the larger handset only if you are mesmerized by its compact nature. If you want an even smaller alternative with similar specs, the Xperia mini seems a good bet, but it's not more compact, as the chassis is thicker. Going downmarket for something cheaper, we come across the Samsung Galaxy Ace with its slightly larger screen, but its outer shell is a far cry from the beautiful Xperia ray, and the processor/screen/camera trio is inferior as well. It is, however, roughly $100 less, so the pricing of the Sony Ericsson Xperia ray might really put you in a bind, unless it becomes an impulse purchase.”

“There is virtually nothing we don't love about the Ray. It's compact, light with a mammoth battery that will get you through a whole day on a single charge - as long as you're a little careful. What's more, the screen is gorgeous, with exquisite detail and brilliant colours. Our initial concern about the raised edge of the screen has proven to be a non-issue. We've been using this phone exclusively for several weeks now, and it has never once bothered us. The relative low processing power was never a problem either and as the phone isn't really aimed at power users, we doubt anyone will find it slow. And even people who are used to dual-core phones won't find this one too much of a slouch. When it comes to scoring a phone like this, or any gadget, the best possible critera we can judge it on is how sad we'll be when we have to send it back. And, with the Ray, we're really sad that it's leaving us to go on to another reviewer somewhere else. In the month we've had it, the Ray has performed beautifully and won over our hearts.”

“This device is a surprisingly enjoyable to use device for its size, but the cost might be prohibitive to most Americans used to getting their devices on-contract for the major discount available when a carrier gets ahold of a device. Today you can purchase the XPERIA ray for $359.99 off-contract from NewEgg. For the average consumer internationally, that might be the norm, but here in the USA, I have a funny feeling that not just a whole lot of these handsets will be selling off the shelves.Should Sony Ericsson find a way to hook up with AT&T to get this device’s price down to something like $150 USD, they’ll have a winner on their hands. A tiny device with a fantastically sharp display and a camera that takes excellent video and photos. The processor is only 1GHz single-core, but aside from the most high-powered apps on the market today, you’ll still be able to run everything you like, including HD videos – of course again, the display is tiny, but sharpness is key.”

“Overall I must say this is a stellar phone. It performs great in every single area for what you pay for, except for the smaller screen. I just can’t recommend it unless you have extremely small fingers, a younger person, or are a female wanting a small and compact smartphone. Sony has a great phone here that anyone will love it the size sits ok with them. If the size will not concern you then by all means, buy this phone as it truly is quite nice.”