Sony Xperia T2 Ultra Dual Smartphone Review

[nextpage title=”Introduction”]

The Sony Xperia T2 Ultra Dual is a smartphone with a six-inch HD (1280 x 720) touchscreen that runs the Android 4.3 “Jelly Bean” operating system, powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 quad-core processor. It has 1 GiB of RAM and 8 GiB storage space, a 13 MP main camera, a 1.1 MP frontal camera, and supports two SIM chips, hence the name “Dual”.

Figure 1 shows the box of the Sony Xperia T2 Ultra Dual. As a hint for the phone itself, it is big but thin.

Figure 1: box

Inside the box, besides the smartphone, we found a wall charger, USB cable, and user manuals.

Figure 2: accessories

Figure 3 reveals the Sony Xperia T2 Ultra Dual. There are no physical buttons in the front, just the camera at its top. The side borders are very thin, and the screen occupies almost all the front of the smartphone.

Figure 3: the Sony Xperia T2 Ultra Dual

[nextpage title=”Overall Look”]

The Sony Xperia T2 Ultra Dual uses a Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 (MSM8928) processor. It has four Cortex-A7 cores, running at 1.4 GHz, and an Adreno 305 GPU. It has 1 GiB of RAM and 8 GiB of internal storage.

The six-inch IPS LCD screen has a resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels.

Figure 4 shows the back side of the device. The back panel is not removable, and you can see the openings for the camera, LED flash, and the speaker.

Figure 4: back side

Figure 5 unveils the right side of the Xperia T2 Ultra Dual, where you will find the earphone connector, the cover for the micro-SIM cards bays, power button, volume adjust buttons, and camera button. In Figure 6, you see the detail of the two trays for the micro-SIM chips.

Figure 5: right side

Figure 6: trays for micro-SIM chips

At the left side of the smartphone, there are the slot for the microSD card (up to 32 GiB) and the USB/power connector.

Figure 7: left side

There are no buttons or connectors at the top and bottom of the smartphone.

Figure 8: top

Figure 9: bottom

[nextpage title=”Using the Xperia T2 Ultra Dual”]

Using the Xperia T2 Ultra Dual smartphone is a very pleasant experience. The huge and clear screen (for a smartphone) makes it excellent for web browsing, watching movies, etc.

While the screen is big, the phone is very thin and light. It is only 0.3” (7.7 mm) thick, and weighs only 6.03 oz (171.8 g), which makes it comfortable to hold. It is also comfortable to talk: unlike the 7-inch “fablets” (like the ASUS Fonepad, which we tested), it is not ridiculous to hold at your ear.

The size of the Sony Xperia T2 Ultra Dual is a problem only if you are used to keeping your smartphone in the pockets of your jeans: a portion of the phone stays out.

The quad core 1.4 GHz CPU was fast and gives an excellent usage experience.

The screen resolution if good for the size of the screen, although a Full HD (1920 x 1080) screen could offer a better experience (obviously, raising the price tag of the device).

The Android 4.3 operating system is easy to use and intuitive. Figure 10 shows the initial screen when you turn the Xperia T2 Ultra Dual on for the first time.

Figure 10: main screen

Pressing the icon with nine dots, you enter the list of applications, shown in Figures 11, 12, and 13. The Xperia T2 Ultra Dual comes with several preinstalled apps and games.

Figure 11: list of applications

Figure 12: list of applications

Figure 13: list of applications

You can install new applications using the Google Play Store, which has thousands of applications and games available.

The smartphone uses a 3000 mAh lithium battery, which easily lasted two days with average browsing and a few calls. According to the manufacturer, it can last up to 1120 hours (46 days) in standby and up to 16 hours of talking time in a GSM network.

The 13 Mpixel main camera is one of the highlights of the Sony Xperia T2 Ultra Dual. You can check the quality of unedited photos taken with the device by clicking here and here.

It can also record videos at Full HD, with video stabilization and HDR.

The front camera (for video chats and “selfies”) has 1.1 Mpixel resolution.

[nextpage title=”Main Specifications”]

The main specifications for the Sony Xperia T2 Ultra Dual include:

• Dimensions: 3.3 x 6.5 x 0.3 inches (83.8 x 165.2 x 7.7 mm)
• Weight: 6.03 ounces (171.8 grams)
• Display: 6.0″, 1280 x 720, IPS touchscreen
• Operating System: Android 4.3 (“Jelly Bean”)
• Main Processor (CPU): Qualcomm MSM8928 Snapdragon 400, 1.4 GHz, four Cortex-A7 cores
• Graphics Processor (GPU): Adreno 305, embedded in the CPU
• RAM: 1 GiB
• Storage: 8 GiB
• Memory Card Slot: Yes, MicroSD
• GPS: Yes
• FM Radio: Yes
• Sensors: Accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass
• SIM slots: Two micro-SIM
• Networks: GSM 850/900/1800/1900 MHz, HSDPA 850/900/1900/2100 MHz
• Wi-Fi: IEEE 802.11b/g/n, dual ban
• Bluetooth:  Yes, 4.0
• Rear camera: 13 Mpixel
• Front camera: 1.1 Mpixel
• Flash: Yes
• Battery talk time: 16 h
• Battery: 3.7 V, 3,000 mAh Li Ion, not removable
• More information: https://www.sonymobile.com
• Average prince in the U.S.*: USD 375.00

* Researched at Amazon.com on the day we published this review.

[nextpage title=”Conclusions”]

The Sony Xperia T2 Ultra Dual is an excellent mid-range smartphone if you want a big screen. Its main problem is exactly its size, because it is too big to fit a regular-sized pants pocket.

Strong Points

• High-quality, big, clear, and bright screen
• Light and slim
• No freezing or slowness
• Many apps available
• Excellent main camera
• Frontal camera for video callings
• Memory card slot
• Only 8 GiB of storage

Weak Points

• Too big to be easily carried around in a jeans pants
• Could have a Full HD screen