Gadgets & Electronics: Cloud

Sharp stills. Video epics. Get creative with the Xperia neo Android touch phone.

Crisp pictures and shining movie memories are just one smartphone away. With an 8.1 megapixel camera and HD quality video, the Xperia neo touch phone lets you capture every precious moment and view them over and over again on a razor sharp display. Want to share pics with your friends? They're closer than ever with Facebook inside Xperia.

Available colours: Blue Gradient , Silver , Red

Size: 116.0 × 57.0 × 13.0 mm / 4.6 × 2.2 × 0.5 inches

Weight: 126.0 g / 4.4 oz

Screen: 3.7" 16,777,216 colour TFT / 854x480 pixels

Platform: Android 2.3

Memory: Internal phone storage: 1GB (up to 320MB free)
RAM: 512MB
Memory card slot: microSD™, up to 32GB

Actual free memory may vary due to phone pre-configuration

Fast email access. Anytime, everywhere

The 3.7” touchscreen provides great email readability. View and share Microsoft Excel, Word and other attachments. And the onscreen QWERTY keypad makes typing easy. One inbox for work and another for your private email? Set up multiple email accounts. Stay in sync and search the Corporate Directory (GAL) thanks to Microsoft® Exchange ActiveSync® support. Keep in touch with your mates through Gmail™, Web mail or HTML email. The setup widget gets you started in no time.

Calendar clarity

Stay on top of your agenda. Set reminders. Accept or decline invitations – and check who will attend the meeting you organised yourself. Xperia™ neo has all you need to juggle your busy days. Got more than one email account? Merge your calendars into one view. Or keep work and private separate, if that’s the way you like it. And to find your way to a meeting venue you’ve never visited before, just tap Google Maps™

Your contacts in your Android powered touch phone

Exchange ActiveSync® and Gmail contacts. Facebook™ friends. Have them all in one place. Use the search function to find a contact in a snap. Facebook™ updates, IM status, text messages: they’re all available in your phonebook. If your contact’s address is entered into your Xperia™ neo Android powered touch phone, you’ll have no trouble finding the way. Integration with Google Maps is seamless. And to keep it all safe, sync your contacts with Google Cloud or Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync®.

Fast and full Internet

Instant access to your favourite websites via 3G or WiFi, thanks to the super-fast Google browser. Adobe Flash support completes the computer-like experience and lets you enjoy stunning audio and video playback. Switch between multiple windows. Zoom in and out on the multi-touch display with the Pinch/Zoom function. Want to browse the web in another way? Download the web browser of your choice from Android Market™.

Great connectivity with an HD phone

Vanishingly small SIM cards. Cable tangles. Frustrated? Don't be. Connect the easy way. Tether your laptop to your Xperia™ neo and use your phone as a WiFi hotspot to access your company network via your 3G connection. Cut costs with voice calls over the web with an SIP account (VOIP). Overnight business trip? Plug in your Xperia™ neo HD phone to your hotel room TV via HDMI and enjoy images and video. Sit back and navigate the phone menu with the TV’s remote control (TV must be CEC compatible).

Get the apps you need - and multitask

Wake-up call in Brussels. Afternoon meeting in Haag. And then an early morning takeoff for Hong Kong. Wherever your business takes you, Google Maps helps you find the way. And your Xperia™ neo phone has plenty of other Google Mobile Services too. Speak your search queries using Google Voice Search. Choose a phone number and keep it for good with Google Voice. Or choose from the over 200,000 apps on Android Market™. Want to listen to music while doing your emails or browsing the web? Multitask and switch between different apps – without time lag.

The intuitive Xperia™ user interface

Business life can be hectic. The easy-to-use Xperia™ neo interface is the perfect stress relief. Drag and drop shortcuts, gather them in folders and customise the five homescreens as you please. There are handy widgets for everything – news, weather forecasts, exchange rates. Just take your pick. Enjoy entertainment as you go – or turn off data roaming to control costs. And to save power, switch off WiFi, Bluetooth™ or GPS in a single touch whenever not needed.

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Key Features

Android 2.2
UI optimised for Facebook
5-megapixel camera
4GB microSD card
3.5in 360x480 pixel screen

Design
The INQ Cloud Touch is a cute little handset, there's no doubt about that. Covered in a rounded plastic chassis that comes in red and white, the phone feels a little light in the hand, but nothing too bad. The design ethos is clearly cheerful and chirpy, and the smooth edges and large front icons certainly help facilitate that.

The front of the phone houses three touch-sensitive buttons (Menu, Home and Back), although there's no front-facing camera to speak of. But it's on the sides that INQ has decided to place its innovative keys, and we're big fans.

On the top left-hand side, a flush key sits with a small 'i' icon on - this is the info key that delivers pertinent information when pressed from any point in the phone. It's a nice touch, and easy to use no matter how you're holding the phone; plus it has a smooth pressing action.

The top of the INQ Cloud Touch has the microUSB slot (uncovered), 3.5mm headphone jack and power/lock key. We always like to see a cap for our charger slot (after the horrific breakfast jam tragedy of 2009) and the power button is a little hard to hit as it's part of the curved chassis. It's not terrible, but it does feel a little small.

The volume rocker switch is on the top right-hand side of the phone, and is easy to operate, although as it's flush it can be hard to hit in the pocket. Below it lives the media key, which is another nifty bit of innovation.
Pressing it will open up the Spotify player, giving you easy access to your music or the full Spotify experience (depending on whether you're a Premium user or not). The INQ Cloud Touch is the first phone to bring an offline Spotify experience (ie you don't need to pay £9.99 a month to use the app), and it's good to see access is hardwired to the phone.

The rear of the Cloud Touch looks similarly cutesy - the camera sensor has a plastic ring around it to look oversized, next to a speaker grille with the same dimensions to offer an experience that looks ever so slightly like a face. Weird, but kind of cool if you like Hello Kitty merchandise.

Overall, the INQ Cloud Touch feels nice in the hand - it sits well and the 3.5-inch screen, with WVGA resolution, looks clear and is easy to reach. It doesn't pack a weighty, premium feel, but it does have a lot of style and will appeal to many looking for a cheaper phone.