Sony Xperia sola
Key specs
Critic consensus
“Even in the face of capable competition, the Xperia sola comes across as a solid effort. Its Floating Touch screen might not be the game changer Sony makes it out to be and it lacks the sophistication of its NXT brothers, but the boxy handset isn't without charms of its own. We liked the look and feel of the phone, and the solid build is a point in favor too.Solid connectivity, good screen and a very decent chipset should be well on the shortlist of anyone wanting to get the most bang for their buck. It's now up to Sony to deliver the ICS update in timely manner and keep the Xperia sola ahead of the pack.”
“Sony's Xperia Sola is a respectable mid-tier phone, with a good smattering of features and decent performance. Some that will argue that its 3.7-inch screen is too small for various smartphone tasks and the colour banding issues we've encountered may be a deal-breaker for others. Both impact on multimedia use, as does the handset's limited internal storage and lack of supplied memory card. Though, if you look past these flaws, there is a lot the Sola does well.”
“After putting it through its paces, we can conclude that the Sony Xperia sola is a well-made Android smartphone. If you are looking for a decent mid-range offering that gets you a good amount of bang for the buck, do not hesitate to check it out! We would definitely recommend it over smartphones like the Samsung Galaxy Ace plus or the Motorola MOTOLUXE.”
“Sony had some nice mid-rangers last year and Xperia sola isn't different. The Japanese manufacturer has continued to impress us with a stable and value for money Xperia sola. However, it is important to point out that absence of ICS and front camera surely goes against the smartphone. An Xperia sola with pre-loaded ICS and front camera would have been a no-brainer.”
Watch before you decide
In Depth
Most mid-tier Android smartphones don’t have any real distinguishing characteristics. As a result, the market may look like it’s filled with endless copies of the exact same handset wearing a slightly different outfit. This is fortunately not the case with the Sony Xperia sola, which apart from carrying standard mid-range Android features, also boasts one curious bit of display wizardry: floating touch technology. It enables users to manipulate elements on the touchscreen display without even touching the screen itself. It’s either the future or a lousy gimmick. Either way, it’s nice.
The sola is equipped with a 1GHz dual-core processor and 512MB of RAM. Its spec sheet says it has 8GB of internal storage space but in reality only 5GB of it is available for use. There is however a microSD slot that takes cards up to 32GB. The sola also has several other noteworthy hardware features which include a 5 megapixel auto-focus camera with LED flash, stereo speakers, HSUPA data, 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 3.0 with A2DP, NFC, and microUSB connectivity. It also offers up to 5 hours of talk time in 3G and about 40 hours of non-stop music playback.
It’s clear that the sola has a well-rounded smartphone feature-set. The thing is, most reviews indicate that it might have been a better overall performer if the default operating system had been Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich instead of Gingerbread. With that said, it’s still not a bad choice if what you’re after is getting bang for your buck.
Need to Know: Sony Xperia sola
1. Equipped with speedy dual-core processor. (The Good)
2. Boasts a unique new feature called floating touch technology. (The Good)
3. Android 2.3 Gingerbread is the default OS instead of a later version of Android. (The Bad)
4. Comes with a limited amount of on-board RAM and internal storage space. (The Bad)
What people actually want to know
When was the Sony Xperia sola released?
The Sony Xperia sola was released on May 7, 2012.
How long does the battery last on the Sony Xperia sola?
The Sony Xperia sola has a 1,320 mAh battery.
Does the Sony Xperia sola have a headphone jack?
Yes, the Sony Xperia sola has a 3.5mm headphone jack.
Where can I get support for the Sony Xperia sola?
Visit Sony's official support page for warranty info, repairs, and troubleshooting.
Where can I download the Sony Xperia sola manual?
You can view and download the Sony Xperia sola manual on our dedicated manual page.
Questions & answers
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