Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc now available unlocked

Most were expecting Sony Ericsson to announce the famous Xperia Play last January during CES. While the “PlayStation Phone” did not live up to the hype, Sony Ericsson wasn’t short on announcements. One of Sony Ericsson’s most notable devices for 2011 is definitely the Xperia Arc. It’s been popping up everywhere around the world, except the U.S. But the waiting has ended, and this device is finally available for sale stateside via Sony’s online store.
The next details may come as great news to some, but may be a horrible idea to others. The device is only available off-contract (for now), but it is unlocked to use with your GSM carrier of choice. (Not like there are many options). It must be noted this device does come with AT&T’s 3G bands, so it’ll only work on EDGE if used with T-Mobile. With that said, you’ll have to give up $599.99 if you want to be the proud owner of a Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc.

Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc Specifications

• 4.2-inch display, powered by BRAVIA Engine™, 854 x 480 pixels (WVGA)
• Android 2.3 Gingerbread
• 1 GHz Qualcomm® QSD8255 Snapdragon™ processor
• 512 MB RAM
• 1 GB of internal storage / 8 GB microSD card (supports up to 32 GB)
• Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR, Wi-Fi® 802.11b/g/n, and DLNA
• 8.1 megapixel with auto focus, 2x smart zoom, aperture f/2.4, Sony “Exmor R” CMOS sensor, face & smile detection technology, face recognition, flash/LED, geo tagging1, HD video recording (720p), image and video stabilizer, touch focus, red-eye reduction, scene detection, self-timer, touch capture, video light, send to web function (photo and video upload)
• GSM/GPRS/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900, UMTS/HSPA 800 (Band VI)/ 850 (Band V)/1900 (Band II)/2100 (Band I), Wi-Fi® 802.11b/g/n

Despite Sony Ericsson’s disappointing history with the Android platform, they have committed to substantially improving their new devices. That’s something we can see with smartphones like the Xperia Arc and Play. As you’ve probably noticed, the specs aren’t perfect. But they do beat the competition in certain areas. In fact, Sony Ericsson’s devices are now coming with Android 2.3 out of the box, while other manufacturers are still throwing Froyo at us.
One of the most notable features of this device is definitely the camera, as evidenced in the long list of features the camera itself has. Our very own Nick Gray already covered the Xperia Arc’s camera performance, and this is something the device does not fall short on.

Posted in: Sony Ericsson