GADGET GIZMO SPECIAL......................... Review Sony Xperia T3

GADGET GIZMO SPECIAL Review Sony Xperia T3

Price: Rs 27,990

Rating: 3/5

Specs: 5.3-inch (1280 x 720pixels) IPS LCD, 1.4Ghz Snapdragon 400 quad core, 1GB RAM, 8GB storage + micro SD (up to 32GB), 8MP rear + 1.1MP front cam, 2,500mAh battery, 148 grams

Pros: Smart and slim unibody design, adequate performance for basic needs & multimedia

Cons: Matte finish back cover attracts smudges, too large for one-handed use, not water/dust proof, expensive considering the specs

Many Sony Xperia phones tend to look similar and that's not a bad thing. The coolness and desirability of flagship phones like the Z1 and Z2 tends to rub off on the cheaper smartphones - but you can only carry it so far. The new Xperia T3 is a solid phone in its own right, but is priced way too high for what it offers. What it does have going for it is design - at just 7mm thick, this is one of the slimmest phones with a 5.3-inch display. The non-removable matte black back panel is easy to grip and the mirror finish edges add a touch of class. A single flap on the side conceals the micro SIM and micro SD slots. It's also impressively light for such a large device. 

It has the typical Xperia power button, a volume rocker and dedicated camera shutter button. The interface is typical Xperia with all the software goodies thrown in as well - Walkman, TrackID, Xperia Lounge and Smart Connect. The camera takes good quality photos (slightly noisy indoors, but par for the course) and HD video. It even has multiple modes like AR effect, sweep panorama and timeshift burst built in. We saw no issues with call quality and the battery should last about a day for most users.

Importantly, this device is not waterproof, which is a shame because that would have justified the price. Given the kind of hardware and performance, our conclusion is that this is a phone that should be priced around the Rs 12-14K mark. You can get similar specifications (albeit a smaller screen) in the Moto G for Rs 10,500. However, if you have about Rs28K to spend, you have some excellent phones to choose from, notably the Google Nexus 5, Motorola Moto X, Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Neo and the Nokia Lumia 925.

For a limited time, Sony is offering a SmartBand SWR10 and premium case (collectively worth Rs 8,000) along with the Xperia T3.

By Hitesh Raj Bhagat, ET 140807