First Impressions: Sony Xperia go

Featuring a scratch resistant mineral glass 3.5-inch Reality Display (480×320 pixels, 166ppi) powered by Sony’s Mobile Bravia Engine, the Sony Xperia go offers a unique combination of stylish design and rugged performance.

The device has an Ingress Protection Rating of IP67 which means that it is completely sealed against dust coming into the device and is able to withstand being submerged in liquids up to 1 metre in depth for a period of 30 minutes.

Other specs: 1Ghz dual-core ST-Ericsson NovaThor U8500 Cortex A9 processor with 512MB RAM and 4GB of on board storage. There’s 5MP rear camera with 720p video that despite having a dedicated physical camera buttons, support Sony’s Fast Capture feature allowing users to take a picture from sleep-to-snap in under 2 seconds. Battery capacity is average at 1,305mAh. At launch, the device will run Android 2.3 but its upgradable to 4.0 though Sony has not set a date for when the ICS update will happen.

Sony says that the Xperia Go will be available in Malaysia in Q3 of this year. No word on pricing just yet and if Sony gets the price right, we have a feeling that this device will be a hot seller. Colours available in Malaysia – black, white and yellow.

What do we think
There’s really a lot going for the Xperia go. The Performance from the 1Ghz dual-core NovaThor processor is snappy and the camera takes good pictures and videos too. We like that the device is tough as nails but doesn’t look like a tank. On top of that the build quality is everything you’d expect from a Sony device – solid.

We don’t like that the screen resolution is a measly 480×320 though. With a 3.5-inch screen, that gives pixel density of just 166ppi, which is rather low for today’s standard. Still, we’d recommend the Xperia go for users who are hard on their devices. The kind of people who work outdoors a lot or those who take their phones with them to mountain bike or hike but don’t really want to worry about carrying a fragile device.

With the Xperia go, you don’t have to worry about cases or screen protectors as well. The device takes care of itself so that you can get on with taking pictures or tweeting while you’re roughing it out. We like that we can do this with the Xperia go and the fact that there are not many phones in the market (the only other one is the Motorola Defy XT) that can do what the Xperia go can is a plus too. On top of that you get the sleek design, the great build quality and the snappy performance to ease things along.

If you’re looking for a device that withstand the elements with performance to boot, we highly recommend you give the Xperia go a look.

Lots more stuff on the Sony Xperia go coming up shortly. In the meantime, check out our hands-on video right after the jump.