Sony Ericsson Xperia Active Review

As can be seen from the video, we tried underwater shots and video recording and the Active is extremely impressive. The snaps come out clear and sharp and though recording might get a little shaky, due to the ripples in the water, it's of extremely good quality. 

Impressive macro shots

Video playback is supported at 720p at 30fps. Videos are quite clear, though there’s some amount of colour banding, especially if you move the camera from a bright to a dark subject. If you’re intending to use it for outdoor recording as well, the phone captures some pretty good videos. 

Battery Life

The Active comes with a 1200 mAh battery and we had doubts if it could survive the full day with all the power it has packed inside its shell. On normal usage, it lasts about a day, with active Wi-Fi connections and that’s quite impressive. We put it through our customary loop tests and the battery lasted for 2 and a half hour of calling, 2 hours of video, 2 hours of audio and 2 hours of streaming via Wi-Fi, making it a total of 8 and a half hours of rigorous usage. In our video loop test, the phone lasted for 6 hours 20 minutes and the battery life is quite good 

The Active - a powerful rugged smartphone

Verdict

The Xperia Active is priced at Rs. 19,500 (MRP) and the increasing difference between the Rupee and Dollar is taking its toll on the pricing of smartphones as well. We're mentioning this because just a few days back, the market operating price for the phone was around Rs.17,500. The only competition at present to the Sony Ericsson Xperia Active is the Motorola Defy+, which we'll be reviewing shortly, so stay tuned for that.

As far as the ruggedness is concerned, we found the Xperia Active to be top-notch. It stood up to all our tests and braved all the environments and stress tests we put it under. If a rugged phone doesn’t suit your taste for whatever reason, the Sony Ericsson Neo V that we reviewed earlier will make for a cheaper buy, but again, the Neo V caters to a completely different audience. 

The Xperia Active is designed for people who love outdoor activities like cycling, running, gymming, jogging in the rain or even for people who are clumsy. It also caters to the more serious bunch of hikers, surfers, snowboarders or mountain climbers. However, even if you’re not an outdoor person, but are looking for a reason to become one, the Xperia Active is a fantastic option.