Sony Xperia U

$0 - $300 Compare Prices

8/10

480 x 854 display
Android
World Phone
Touchscreen
Wi-Fi
Bluetooth
Speakerphone
GPS
FM Radio
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An Android smartphone doesn’t need to have the fastest processor, the largest touchscreen display, or the fastest mobile data speeds in order to be great. It just has to offer the right combination of hardware and software features at a price that won’t break the bank. That’s essentially what the Sony Xperia U is all about. It’s a phone that doesn’t look like much but actually packs quite a punch. As most reviewers have pointed out, it’s one of the best models available with Android in its price range.

While it may look small in comparison with today’s latest flagship smartphones, it actually ships with a high quality color display. It uses a 3.5-inch 480x854 panel that works with a built-in ambient light sensor to automatically adjust the built-in backlighting. Its other hardware features include a 5MP autofocus camera with LED flash, 512MB of RAM, 4GB internal storage, and a dual-core processor clocked at a speedy 1GHz.

As a phone, it comes fitted with support for quad-band GSM/tri-band UMTS networks and HSDPA data. It also has Bluetooth 2.1 with A2DP, GPS with A-GPS, 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi, and microUSB connectivity. And comes with a few nifty extras, too. Most notably, it has a white strip near the bottom below its touchscreen display that lights up to notify users of certain events. For the most part, this LED notification bar is useful, but some users have complained that it can be annoying.

If that doesn’t sound like such a big deal to you, then you’ll find that this phone is very good for the price.

Need to Know: Sony Xperia U

1. High quality touchscreen display. (The Good)

2. Good camera performance. (The Good)

3. Ships with an older version of Android. (The Bad)

4. Built-in LED notification bar may seem like a gimmick. (The Bad)

Prices (Where To Buy)

New Unlocked SE Sony Ericsson Black Xperia U ST25a Android Smartphone from eBay

•Condition: New
•Availability: In Stock
•Contract: No
•Located In: Canada

$249.99

Sony XPERIA U - 8GB - Black (Unlocked) Smartphone (ST25a) from eBay

•Condition: Used
•Availability: In Stock
•Contract: No
•Located In: Canada

$172.19

MINT Sony XPERIA U - 8GB - Black (Unlocked) Smartphone (ST25a) from eBay

•Condition: Used
•Availability: In Stock
•Contract: No
•Located In: Canada

$199.99

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Latest Reviews

Great perfromance for a budget phone with surprisingly stylish and well built

Edward Chester from TrustedReviews (10 months ago)

9/10

The Sony Xperia U isn’t perfect but then what phone is for little over £150? It’s compact yet has a screen large enough for core smartphone duties, it’s fast thanks to a dual-core processor and it’s just plain easy to use. An easy recommendation for anyone looking for a phone on a budget.

Good performance, great hardware design and an above average camera

Dhruv Bhutani from Fone Arena (11 months ago)

The Xperia U handily surpasses its competition but has some shortcomings due to which we can’t give it full marks. The 3.5″ display is particularly small and the 16:9 ratio of the screen makes it hard to type. If you can deal with that, the display quality is top-notch.The design is great and while... More

An Android device that offers solid performance and doesn't break the bank

Aaron Souppouris from The Verge (11 months ago)

7/10

The Sony Xperia U surpasses the similarly-priced competition in many ways. A 3.5-inch screen definitely isn't for everyone — at least at this aspect ratio — but apart from its size it's a premium display. In fact, virtually every area of the phone is endowed with features and finish that belong on... More

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