Sony Xperia Tipo Dual Review – (ST2li2) 800 MHz, a smaller screen with higher price tag

The Sony Xperia Tipo comes in a Dual SIM and a Single SIM version. Here is the review of the Xperia Tipo Dual SIM version.  There is no difference between the two models except for the dual SIM functionality.

The Xperia Tipo is android ICS powered phone with lower specifications. It houses an 800 MHz CPU with Adreno 200 GPU, 512 MB RAM and 2.9 GB internal storage of which 2.2 is available for user and around 752 is allocated for the app storage.

Tipo ST2li2 Design
The handset is smaller in size. If you have used a bigger sized handset you might find it a bit odd. I am using the Micromax A90 and I found it difficult to adapt to a smaller screen of 3.2 inches. The Tipo is even smaller in size as compared with the Micromax A50.

The Dual SIM Xperia Tipo inherits the typical Xperia design curved down at the bottom showcasing the Xperia logo. There are 3 touch sensitive buttons. The display screen is 3.2 inches and no other buttons on the front side.

On the right side there is the volume rocker which I found a bit unresponsive, could be because of the smaller size , might take some time getting used to it. Just next to the volume button is the SIM change dedicated button that will easily help you switch SIM 1 to SIM 2 and vice versa as needed. On the left side there is the micro USB port and on the top a 3.5 mm audio jack and lock / power button.

OS, UI and Memory
The Tipo handset comes loaded with Android 4.0.4 OS along with the Sony Timescape user interface. The OS runs pretty smooth on the 512MB RAM (228MB used and 185MB Free). The internal storage for apps is 752MB and another 2.2 GB is allocated for the internal storage (internal SD). There is a microSD card slot that can further add up storage space of up to 32GB.

Display
The capacitive touchscreen display is 3.2 inches with 480×320 pixels resolution with 262K colours. The touch is responsive and smooth. I have used the A90 handset and getting used to a smaller sized screen may take some time.  The Tipo does support 2 point multi-touch.

Connectivity
There is Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and 3G @ 7.2 Mbps (HSDPA), 5.76 Mbps HSUPA. USB tethering and Wi-Fi hotspot is supported.

Multimedia
The sound quality is very good, even better via headphones. The loudspeaker output is quite loud. You cannot play HD videos and even lower resolution videos do not look so exciting because of a smaller screen. Music lovers will love the TrackID music recognition.

3.2 MP Camera
Camera is fixed focus without any LED flash support. There are many features available but the quality is just average. Videos can be recorded in VGA, QVGA and MMS resolution (Yes, 640 x 480, 30 fps). You can check out some same images taken from Sony Xperia Tipo handset. There is no secondary camera.

For sample images check – http://www.flickr.com/photos/gogirana/sets/72157631617463395/

Gaming
I tried Angry Birds, Temple Run and some more, check out the Gaming video at the end of the article.

Battery
The 1500 mAh battery (Li-ion) with talktime of about 5 hours and standby time of up to 530 hours. It been 12 hours and the battery has dropped just 5 points during the time, I made the review, downloaded 3 games via Wi-Fi and even made few calls.

Sony Xperia Tipo Dual (ST2li2) Review
The handset supports 3G and you can surf the net using 3G via SIM as well as talk on SIM 1 simultaneously. There was no lag, operation was smooth. The only issue was the screen resolution which could have been a little better. The price of Rs. 10,500 is on the higher side being a Sony brand. The battery life and sound quality is really good.

There are two sensors the G-Sensor and proximity sensor. There is no light sensor, so you need to manually adjust the brightness as need for comfort and battery saving. The handset is smaller in size but with a 13 mm thickness. I tried the GPS which worked well and got a lock within 9 seconds.

There are other handsets like Karbonn A7 and Spice Mi-355 with the same specs (800 MHz + Adreno 200 GPU) for a much cheaper price. But for those who believe in the Sony Brand, the Tipo is here, with single or Double SIM options. Do note that the Xperia Tipo (Single / Dual) does not come with a secondary camera.

Xperia Tipo Image Gallery

Sony Xperia Tipo dual unboxing and review video

Games demo on Tipo

VGA video shot using Xperia Tipo

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