Sony Xperia Go Review

Sony Ericsson, now Sony Mobile Communications, has always been in the limelight for introducing new phones. Its phones are considered to be beauty-with-brains, slick, compact, elegant, delicate, and equally powerful. It's all thanks to the Adreno GPU incorporated in most of Sony's Android phones. Sony's Symbian and Java-based handsets are also known for their photo and video quality.

Sony’s Xperia range of Android handsets has a new entrant, and those on a low budget can rejoice. This one has a dual-core processor, which spells performance. We had the Sony Xperia Go ST27i in our lab for a while, and we did perform a few extreme tests on it. Read on and find out how this phone performed.

An IP67 Certified rugged all-weather Android Smartphone

Design and Build
The Xperia Go is an elegant looking handset, which is small, and fits very snug in your palms. The exterior is a smooth powder finish while the display glass is the only glossy surface you see. The powder finish is designed to resist water; so you can the phone outdoors in the rain. But do note, that the Xperia Go is available in two other colors—White and Yellow have a completely glossy shell. The product is IP67-certified, which means it is dustproof and waterproof up to one meter under water for almost 30 minutes at a stretch. The display glass is scratch-resistant and the back panel is watertight.

Every port is shielded by rubber flaps

Every port - the USB, micro SD, SIM card slot and the audio jack - is equipped with watertight rubber flaps to prevent dust, water, and moisture from reaching the circuitry within. This handset was IP67 certified as it is completely rugged and weatherproof. You can use it in any weather, and even underwater.

The rear features a 5MP camera with LED flash

We conducted a casual underwater test to verify the manufacturer’s claims. We submerged the phone in glass of water - we definitely did not test it in a swimming pool, but we would have, if given a chance - after ensuring all the port flaps were closed, and the back panel was safely attached. The phone was switched on before submerging it. It worked well even after being submerged for almost 10 minutes. We even called the phone and were able to receive the call with the caller being heard from inside the glass full of water. We also confirmed that the display was usable even with wet hands under water. We also used the phone in bad weather during a monsoon shower and it did not fail us. The IP67 certification is truly for this phone, and we recommend the Xperia Go for those who want a truly rugged and all-weather handset. The phone is definitely a best choice for frequent travellers, sports enthusiasts, and those who visit places with extreme weather conditions.

We submerged the phone in water to test the certification

In goes the Xperia Go (in a jar of regular drinking water)

We did call the phone and it works......

Moving ahead, we did find a very tiny flaw in the handset. The rear panel does not clamp back very snugly to the frame. After opening the rear panel, you have to nudge a little around all the areas that clamp to the frame. Once you hear a faint click, you are assured that the panel has rested in place. But this can be ignored altogether as no one would actually open the rear panel very often.