Test report
Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc – the big-screen mobile phone
from Peter Wolf, trend scout and journalist, Ringier Ltd.
The device therefore consists almost entirely of a screen, except for 27 mm vertically and 10mm horizontally. Part of the screen-free area is required for the back, home and menu keys (at the bottom), and for the loudspeaker and distance sensor (at the top).
The HDMI port is also located at the top – and this is where the Arc’s greatest strength lies, namely displaying pictures on large screens. This also includes not only videos, but also PDF files, meaning that you can even give presentations using your mobile phone. The output device simply needs to have a HDMI port, as is the case with the latest PC monitors, large televisions and some data projectors. You can really impress your audience by giving a presentation from your mobile phone with ease. That said, you do have to stand quite close to the screen, as the adapter cable supplied is not particularly long. But you can then show anything that you can bring up on the phone’s screen. This includes apps, PDF files (which you should optimise beforehand so that the picture can be established quickly), videos from a memory card or from YouTube, or photos taken with the built-in 8-megapixel camera. Incidentally, the camera has a “Smile Detection” function to ensure that the picture is only taken when the person you are photographing actually smiles.
Aside from its entertainment qualities, however, the Arc is also a business mobile, with which you can synchronise addresses and calendar entries as well as read and compose e mails. The large screen comes in very handy here, too, as it means that the virtual keyboard is more generous in size – especially in landscape mode.
I liked using the Arc to navigate in the car because of its large screen (however, it is best to have a recharger cable with you in this case, so that the device can be powered by the car battery – otherwise you reach your destination and your mobile has no battery power). Browsing and reading with the device is also a pleasure. You can even use it to read magazines if they are in multi-column format, and you don’t mind moving back and forth in the PDF file. Of course, this is not a problem with books, because eReading automatically divides the text into columns according to the selected font size.
The smartphone is also ideal for playing games, as it has a fast processor (for example, the game “Roboto” doesn’t work on every Android mobile, but on this phone, watching the smooth animations and being able to play with no delay is great fun). Oh yes, I almost forgot to mention that it is, of course, also a mobile phone!
Apps, die ich auf dem Xperia Arc gerne nutze
Adobe Reader: For displaying PDF files. (free)
Adobe Photoshop Express: For editing pictures. (free)
Comixology Comics: Thousands of US comics which, thanks to Guided View™ technology, can be read image by image. (free)
Amazon Kindle: Buy and read digital books, now also in German. (free)
Zinio Reader Magazine: Load and read magazines from all over the world in PDF format. (free app, magazines depending on supplier)
Google Reader: Good RSS feed reader. (free)
Roboto (Fenix Fire Entertainment): Platform game with 30 different levels that fully exploits the capabilities of the Arc. (CHF 3.15)
