The Sony Xperia
T2 Ultra is Sony's second attempt after Sony Xperia Z Ultra at wooing consumers
who want an extra large size screen in their smartphones. But unlike the Z
Ultra, T2 is not a flagship product. The goal is to sell a device that is value
for money and not the one that is fastest, best looking and priciest.
After using
the device for a couple of days, we think Sony largely succeeds. The Xperia T2 Ultra is a good product. However,
before we talk about the price and value of T2 Ultra, let's take a look at the
device and its specifications.
Build and design
Xperia T2
Ultra follows the same design that Sony uses in its high-end range of Z
smartphones. It is a sleek, slim and good looking device. The difference
between T2 Ultra and other high-end Sony smartphones is the build material that
is, metal body and a glass back cover. T2 Ultra doesn't have water or dust
resistant body.
T2 Ultra is
just 7.7mm thick and weighs little over 170 grams. For a phablet, these figures
are very impressive. The slim and sleek design makes using T2 Ultra easier even
though it is has big screen.
Display
T2 Ultra has
a 6-inch TFT screen. The resolution is 1280 x 720 pixels though around 80
pixels at the bottom of the screen are taken by virtual buttons - Home,
Multitasking, Back.
The screen
with its 720P resolution is not as sharp as 1080P screens that have become
common on phones that cost around Rs 25,000. But it is something that you will
rarely notice, but if you are reading an ebook or a PDF file you will see
not-so-sharp text.
The touch
response of the screen is fantastic.
The T2 Ultra
screen displays rich and vibrant colours and has very good viewing angles. The
brightness, however, is not adequate.
Software
T2 Ultra comes
with Android 4.3. It uses Sony's custom user interface (UI). Multitasking, app
launcher and installer, even options to customize home screen, are similar to
how they are on the stock Android.
The device
comes with a few third-party apps like McAfee Security and TrackID TV preloaded
on it.
Camera
T2 Ultra has
a 13MP primary camera. It is definitely not in the league of the cameras found
on high-end Xperias or in phones like Galaxy S4, LG2 or even Gionee E7.
The front
camera can shoot images in 1.1MP. It is good enough for video chats.
Performance
T2 Ultra is
powered by Snapdragon 400 quad-core processor. The four cores of the processor
use A7 ARM architecture, which is meant to be used in mainstream devices. The
cores run at 1.4GHz. T2 Ultra has 1GB RAM, 8GB internal storage and support for
a up to 32GB microSD card.
GPS in the
device works very well. The satellite lock is acquired quickly and is
maintained well.
While making
calls with T2 Ultra, we found the call quality to be good. The device has two
sim slots.
Battery life
is the highlight of T2 Ultra. After pairing the device with a 3G connection, we
used it for nearly 20 hours before we had to recharge the phone. For a device
with a big screen, this is fantastic battery life!
Verdict
With an MRP
of Rs 25,990, we feel Xperia T2 Ultra is overpriced. If you are looking for a
big-screen device, T2 Ultra is definitely the best one in its class. It is much
better than HP Slate 6 Voice Tab, even though the HP device is cheaper by a
couple of thousand rupees. But given the performance, hardware and experience
it offers, T2 Ultra is not a value for money device.
T2 Ultra is a
good phablet but it would have been easier for us to recommend if it was
selling for around Rs 21,000 to Rs 22,000. But at a price of around Rs 25,000,
we can recommend it to only those who must have a device with six-inch screen
or users who need great battery life from their phablets.
Key Features
- Expandable Storage Capacity of 32 GB
- Android v4.3 (Jelly Bean) OS
- 6-inch TFT Capacitive Touchscreen
- 1.4 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon MSM8928 Quad Core Processor
- Full HD Recording
- Wi-Fi Enabled
- 1.1 MP Secondary Camera
- 13 MP Primary Camera
