Sony Xperia Z review: first look

Tuesday, January 8th, 2013

If you’re sick of all phones looking the same, then Sony’s Xperia Z – the first phone from Sony’s design team, as opposed to Sony Ericsson’s – is well worth a look, a feel and the occasional coo of appreciation.

The first thing you’ll notice may well be the colour, with Sony opting for a striking purple design to accompany the standard black and white. (more…)

Smartphone crapware: worse than laptops?

Monday, August 22nd, 2011

A couple of years ago I holed myself up in the PC Pro Labs with some new laptops to see what impact their pre-installed software — known as crapware, bloatware and shovelware — had on performance.

The results proved shocking but, when it comes down to it, that software is pretty easy to deal with – it’s just a matter of uninstalling everything and, if you’re really particular, running an app like CCleaner to get your Registry back to its fighting weight.

Not so with smartphones. On Friday, I eased the Sony Ericsson Xperia Mini Pro from its box, turned it on, and was greeted with a message urging me to set up McAfee WaveSecure before I’d even set up the phone with my Google account. (more…)

Is HTC losing its magic touch?

Thursday, June 9th, 2011

Android had an inauspicious start in life but, when Google’s open source OS began to gather steam, HTC was first onto the bandwagon with a series of superb phones.

Handsets like the Magic and the Hero – which was my first smartphone – were followed up by phones like the Desire and the Legend, with the former providing the slickest Android experience we’d yet seen and the latter boasting some of HTC’s most experimental design.

However, HTC’s firm grip on the Android scene has been shaken by an influx of eager competitors as Android itself has risen to prominence. Samsung has led the charge with its Galaxy S and Galaxy S II handsets, but other manufacturers have also made waves: we’re fans of Sony Ericsson’s Xperia Arc and Play, and the LG Optimus 2X. Motorola’s Atrix is also garnering plenty of attention.

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