Sony Xperia ion User Reviews

Xianead posted on 20 Mar 2013, 19:28

10

Great phone

Xianead has owned it for less than year before publishing this review

The Xperia Ion is a really great phone, the camera is great, the build quality is great, the display is great even in direct sunlight, it's fast, the only problem is the battery. The phone is great over all, except for the battery. Keep up the good work Sony! :D

Build quality 10/10

Reception 10/10

Call quality 10/10

Internet 10/10

Multimedia 10/10

Camera 10/10

UI speed 10/10

Everyday usage 10/10

Text input 10/10

Display 10/10

Battery 8/10

Pros

• Good build quality
• Great camera
• Has NFC

Cons

• Battery life

Xianead alternatives:

Sony Xperia V

Sony Xperia T

Sony Xperia acro S

spreadsheeticus posted on 19 Feb 2013, 12:13

6

Xperia Ion - Annoying phone after long-term use

spreadsheeticus has owned it for less than year before publishing this review

I have had this phone for 6 months. I cannot endorse this phone as a good choice due to some inherent problems with build quality, camera UI, app switching slowness, and inconsistent battery life. Due to my extensive use of this phone, potential buyers may be interested in reading my individualize review of each item below.

Build quality 7/10 The phone is very durable, and has taken no damage from short drops on concrete. However, the cover at the top of the phone comes off easily. (UI Problem) The screen is extremely sensitive, and the slightest dirt makes use extremely difficult.

Reception 5/10 50/50 - This phone generally has good reception, but there are a few issues. Reception sometimes seems poor, even with 5 bars. Using the analog plug to connect to a stereo can cause the internal speak to stop working. This can only be fixed by reinserting the analog plug a few times.

Call quality 5/10 50/50 - This phone generally has good reception, but there are a few issues. Reception sometimes seems poor, even with 5 bars. Using the analog plug to connect to a stereo can cause the internal speak to stop working. This can only be fixed by reinserting the analog plug a few times.

Internet 9/10 Internet speed on LTE or home wifi is excellent. Occasional slow-downs, but overall very satisfied.

Multimedia 8/10 I find some of the phones built in multimedia applications annoying. Amazon's player is much better.

Camera 3/10 Camera quality is ok whenever the lens is clean. I gave this very low marks due to the sheer number of unnecessary buttons for inadvertently accessing the camera. I do not understand what the developer could have possibly been thinking - but I understand that this phone has been marketed as THE camera phone.

UI speed 3/10 The slightest dirt will make the screen almost unusable. Some pre-installed apps are very slow to respond, and will make app switching difficult.

Everyday usage 7/10 The phone is ok for overall usage. After 6 months of use, I would -almost- rather go back to a Blackberry.

Text input 9/10 The keyboard on this is great except for one problem- an unremovable voice input button is where the comma or period are on most other android phones. In addition, the spacebar is made smaller to accommodate for the voice input button. Aside from this poor design choice, the keys are easy to press, even for somebody with large hands like myself.

Display 9/10

Battery 5/10 Battery life on this phone is completely unpredictable. The battery will sometimes last for several days with some use. Other days, the battery will drain in a few hours with similar use. Data/Voice usage doesn't increase during these times according to my wireless bill, so the likely culprit is some app that has run amok with memory usage. Rebooting the phone sometimes fixes the problem.

Pros

• Great Internet
• Sound quality for media is good
• Text input is decent even for large hands
• Build quality is solid
• Screen and visual quality are crisp and presentable

Cons

• The top cover comes off easily, especially as a pocket phone
• The usb port cover simply fell off the phone
• Reception is not consistent
• Multimedia UI is -ok-, but not expecting much from stock UI
• Camera is good, but too many ways to accidentally enter camera mode on accident
• Frequent slow-downs when switching/closing apps
• Screen is EXTREMELY sensitive, and touch will not work with even the slightest dirt
• Voice input button is not well-placed. Hitting the button accidentally will make you pay for your mistake with slowness
• Battery life is inconsistent and very difficult to control

laurence04 posted on 07 Jan 2013, 09:19

9

Great Phone but limited

laurence04 has owned it for less than month before publishing this review

Hi, I just bought this huge sony mobile and it really look great for the first look but the thing that disappoint me much is the not much responsive button key and its very short battery life. The display is very good and awesome, camera is also quite good but not very much satisfied for a 12megapixel unit.

Build quality 10/10 build perfectly very good and seems to last long.

Reception 5/10 Good signal via wifi but just rate it 5 coz cant connect via internet sim.

Call quality 10/10 very good loud and clear.

Internet 10/10 browsing is pretty fast and cool.

Multimedia 10/10 nice interface and very easy to use.

Camera 9/10 good quality capture and video but not perfect for a 12 megapixel cam.

UI speed 10/10 nice and fast

Everyday usage 8/10 worse battery and won't last a day for heavy user like me.

Text input 10/10 qwerty pad is good and responsive

Display 9/10 fantastic resolution and perfect!just lack auto brightness so just rate it 9.

Battery 5/10 very poor and weak battery, need for daily charging.

Pros

• Display is very crisp and clear
• bravia engine perform very well
• update release and good job for sony

Cons

• battery sucks
• non-removable battery
• micro sim

Sirius65 posted on 15 Oct 2012, 07:31

9

Totally worth it.

Sirius65 has owned it for less than month before publishing this review

The Sony Xperia ion is an excellent device that is worth every penny. The seamless glass front and angular lines make it an imposing monolith of a phone. Turn the phone on, and you'll find the Bravia-powered Reality display staring back at you with crisp colors and contrast. Performance is smooth, with hardly any lagging at all. All in all, it is an awesome phone, and worth some serious consideration.

Build quality 10/10 Solid aluminium and soft touch plastic construction

Reception 9/10 No issues with reception

Call quality 8/10 Speaker can be louder

Internet 10/10 Pleasant browsing experience, very fast

Multimedia 10/10 Very nice Albums and Walkman app

Camera 9/10 Slightly noisy but nice details and colors

UI speed 10/10 Smooth and little difference compared to GSIII and OneX

Everyday usage 10/10

Text input 10/10

Display 10/10 Awesome 720p screen. Colors are punchy and saturated with excellent contrast

Battery 8/10 Slightly lackluster battery life

Pros

• Excellent design
• Solid build quality
• Smooth and refined UI
• Nice 720p screen
• Value for money

Cons

• Slight overcompression in pictures
• Port cover may be irritating

Sirius65 alternatives:

Sony Xperia T

Sony Xperia acro S

Ion_izer1 posted on 01 Oct 2012, 18:12

9

Xperia Ion...xcels

Ion_izer1 has owned it for less than month before publishing this review

Despite the rating of only 8 from this site, I conclude that after constant use since I got it functioning from a FREE upgrade through Best Buy, this is the best android smartphone I have had the pleasure of using. I started out with an HTC Aria, to an LG Optimus to a Dell Streak 5 and finally this Xperia Ion.

Build quality 9/10 Sony had built a quality device here with the use of high grade materials and comfortable ergonomic design.

Reception 10/10 No trouble getting and receiving calls and signal strength has been exceptional.

Call quality 8/10 The earpiece is a bit weak and challenging to hear at times.

Internet 10/10

Multimedia 10/10

Camera 9/10

UI speed 10/10

Everyday usage 10/10

Text input 9/10

Display 9/10

Battery 8/10

Pros

• Upgrade to ICS
• 4G LTE works!
• Unique look and feel compared to other run of the mill android phones.

Cons

• Earpiece is weak
• battery does not quite live up to it's rating

styles23 posted on 25 Aug 2012, 08:54

10

Great phone much better then Samsung S3 and HTC One X

styles23 has owned it for less than month before publishing this review

I have the Samsung S3, HTC One X, and Sony Xperia Ion. I have to say that the Sony Xperia ion is the best phone out of the three. The design is nice and quality build is very strong in comparison to its competitors. The screen is very crisp and bright. I use the screen brightness at only half capacity and can still see screen with out any issues in full sunlight. Response and speed is very good. The camera is by far the best I have seen on any phone.

In all, the Sony Xperia ion is a great phone and I hope the Xperia line will help bring Sony back to the competitive market. I can sure say that with Sony’s new Xperia line it is proving that the competitor’s devices are overrated and overpriced.

Build quality 10/10

Reception 10/10

Call quality 9/10

Internet 10/10

Multimedia 10/10

Camera 10/10

UI speed 10/10

Everyday usage 10/10

Text input 10/10

Display 10/10

Battery 9/10

JBiggs posted on 27 Jun 2012, 15:17

9

Sony Xperia Ion Review 6/27

JBiggs has owned it for less than month before publishing this review

Great design on this device. Very sleek, very sexy. Squared edges lead to some uncomfortable handling, but nothing major. Very Reliable and consistent signal on the Ion. No dropped calls as of yet. Great Clarity on both ends of the phone calls. No complaints here to be had. Best Call quality I have had on a smartphone. 4G LTE is running strong on this device, Fast download speed, fast upload speed. Faster than my wi-fi at work and home. Really enjoying the interface on both the music player and video player on the device. Very sleek and easy to use. Intuitive and speedy navigation of the multimedia. The overlay Sony uses is sleek and attractive. Beyond the looks however, the functionality can get a little choppy. Something as simple as swiping through screens can result in some lag. Keyboard leaves something to be desired in my opinion. Downloaded a 3rd party keyboard within 24 Hrs of using the phone. The Bravia engine on the Ion makes for a very nice High Definiton experience on screen. Loving the Netflix and High Quality youtube videos. Almost enjoy watching the videos on my phone more than when I connect to my HD television. So far, pretty lackluster battery life. Granted Ive been all over my phone since purchase on release date, but only 6 hours before low battery warning? Not impressed. Overall a Very good $g Phone from Sony here. Especially at the price of 99.99. Unfortunately the battery life, mild lagging, and overlay will probably lead me to return and try out the Galaxy...  

Great design on this device. Very sleek, very sexy. Squared edges lead to some uncomfortable handling, but nothing major. Very Reliable and consistent signal on the Ion. No dropped calls as of yet. Great Clarity on both ends of the phone calls. No complaints here to be had. Best Call quality I have had on a smartphone. 4G LTE is running strong on this device, Fast download speed, fast upload speed. Faster than my wi-fi at work and home. Really enjoying the interface on both the music player and video player on the device. Very sleek and easy to use. Intuitive and speedy navigation of the multimedia. The overlay Sony uses is sleek and attractive. Beyond the looks however, the functionality can get a little choppy. Something as simple as swiping through screens can result in some lag. Keyboard leaves something to be desired in my opinion. Downloaded a 3rd party keyboard within 24 Hrs of using the phone. The Bravia engine on the Ion makes for a very nice High Definiton experience on screen. Loving the Netflix and High Quality youtube videos. Almost enjoy watching the videos on my phone more than when I connect to my HD television. So far, pretty lackluster battery life. Granted Ive been all over my phone since purchase on release date, but only 6 hours before low battery warning? Not impressed. Overall a Very good $g Phone from Sony here. Especially at the price of 99.99. Unfortunately the battery life, mild lagging, and overlay will probably lead me to return and try out the Galaxy SIII.

Build quality 8/10 Great design on this device. Very sleek, very sexy. Squared edges lead to some uncomfortable handling, but nothing major.

Reception 9/10 Very Reliable and consistent signal on the Ion. No dropped calls as of yet.

Call quality 10/10 Great Clarity on both ends of the phone calls. No complaints here to be had. Best Call quality I have had on a smartphone.

Internet 9/10 4G LTE is running strong on this device, Fast download speed, fast upload speed. Faster than my wi-fi at work and home.

Multimedia 9/10 Really enjoying the interface on both the music player and video player on the device. Very sleek and easy to use. Intuitive and speedy navigation of the multimedia.

Camera 9/10 Really enjoying the interface on both the music player and video player on the device. Very sleek and easy to use. Intuitive and speedy navigation of the multimedia.

UI speed 8/10

Everyday usage 8/10 The overlay Sony uses is sleek and attractive. Beyond the looks however, the functionality can get a little choppy. Something as simple as swiping through screens can result in some lag.

Text input 8/10 Keyboard leaves something to be desired in my opinion. Downloaded a 3rd party keyboard within 24 Hrs of using the phone.

Display 10/10 The Bravia engine on the Ion makes for a very nice High Definiton experience on screen. Loving the Netflix and High Quality youtube videos. Almost enjoy watching the videos on my phone more than when I connect to my HD television.

Battery 7/10 So far, pretty lackluster battery life. Granted Ive been all over my phone since purchase on release date, but only 6 hours before low battery warning? Not impressed.

Pros

• GREAT Display
• Awesome Camera Quality (video and pictures)
• Great interface when connected to HD TV
• Call Clarity is Immaculate.
• 4G Connectivity is very reliable.

Cons

• Battery Life
• Non-removeable battery
• Sony overlay is nothing special