Pros: Good size screen. Good battery life. Ergonomic design. Excellent sound reproduction.
Cons: Screen reflects in bright light.
Overall: Sony uses the Android operating system that for an Apple user such as myself, is an alien world. Why did an Apple user not get an iPhone that would gel seamlessly into their current electronic environment I hear you ask? Well, I'll assume you asked, I have been a Telstra fixed line customer for nearly thirty years and unlike the majority of the Australian population, I'm in the 2% that've never had any quarrels with them (my experience is that in the main, it's not Telstra). So given this fascinating insight I marched into my local Telstra shop and declared to all, 'Do me a deal!' After the staff held an impromptu meeting so as to discuss as to whether they should call the police or put the hose on me, one young lady ventured forth to serve me. For the princely sum of $59 per month I was to receive $550 worth of calls, unlimited SMS, 1.5GB of data and a Sony Ericsson Neo.
First impressions are that it is bulky, being particularly thick through the body. For me personally, I did not find this a detraction. Out of the box you get all the standard bits and pieces, charger, instruction manual, battery etc. Inserting the battery and getting the phone up and running is not overly challenging, unless of course you're from the 70s and found that programming a VCR was the basis for a Ph.D. The initial charge time was about 2 hours. The charging is not via a normal jack, but by utilizing a micro USB which is fiddly, especially in low light situations (note to Sony: this idea sucks). Charging can be via computer or a wall socket using a neat bit of kit provided. If you turn off the Bluetooth, 3G and the WiFi a full charge can last 36 hours plus. If you want just the phone aspect of this product it's okay. Turning off these functions doesn't impede the sending or receiving of calls and messages.
I utilize most of the functions that a phone like this can offer (excluding Facebook and any other banal social media, having said this the good people at Sony do see their intended market as finding these websites desirable and provide options to integrate with these, such as with the media player) including the top notch camera. The Neo camera has a nice little piece of software called a Bravia engine. This enhances picture and video quality taken with the camera. To view content in all its glory obtain a micro HDMI cable (eBay, Dick Smith) and watch it on a full size TV. It ain't hard.
The various function screens can be navigated via touch and there are some very interesting and useful apps that can be downloaded from the Android market (before you download anything do some research). There are a range of shortcuts, such as reverting the ring to vibrant or silent, through which the orientation of the phone can be done quickly. The key to this is to read the instruction manual which for purposes of convenience is stored in the phone and can be found on the second screen to the right of the home screen. Just touch the 'experience more' option.
Connecting via the USB, downloading something from iTunes or a podcast from a particular site can be a bit tricky but by utilizing a third party app transferring is quick and easy. Research this on the internet. Finding stored or recorded data can sometimes be frustrating but with a bit of practice this can also be mastered. Research this on the internet. If you have an older car such as I, pop down to your local gadget store and invest in a plug-in Bluetooth kit. They're between $30 and $100. By doing this you can hook the phone to run through your in-car sound system. This is really convenient because if a phone call comes in, by utilising this option you avoid upsetting the local gendarmerie, (well I care about concentrating on the road, and yes it is quite possible I'm the only person in Adelaide who does). The added bonus is that you can also play Mp3 and music saved to the player through your car stereo (or in my case the car mono. It's an old car). If you're like me and reside in beautiful Adelaide and want to avoid suicidal tendencies brought on by the world's most backward radio stations, I urge you to consider this small outlay.
A couple of other things to watch out for are the on/off button which is just plain awkward to use and the volume switch which is easy to accidentally activate and could reduce the sound level of the ringer to zero and a cause for not hearing calls or SMSs. Both these function buttons are located on the right-hand side of the phone and are therefore easy to trip unintentionally.
The pluses are the screen is just the right size for reading and the size doesn't reflect the footprint it leaves. It's not uncomfortable to pocket and does not dig into a bloke's leg, or for that matter a ladies hose when they sit down for a pint (I tend to only socialize with beer quaffing ladies, it's cheaper).
The Sony Ericsson Neo is certainly not the most aesthetically pleasing phone nor is it the trendiest on the market but it shortcomings are forgivable if you can get it for the right price and that price is as an inclusion on a plan.
Sony Ericsson Xperia neo is recommended by elkabong
