Sony Xperia ST21i has Ice Cream Sandwich, should be cheap

A new Sony phone has leaked online, showing off Ice Cream Sandwich and a pocketable 3.2-inch display.

Reportedly codenamed the ST21i (rolls off the tongue and into the heart, doesn't it?), pictures of this diminutive gadget were acquired by Greek site Techblog, which claims to have received an anonymous email with photos and information regarding the upcoming device.

Based on that info, expect the ST21i to offer an 800MHz processor and a 3-megapixel camera. Along the bottom of this chunky-looking phone you get three standard Android touch-sensitive keys.

You might have sussed already that those specs aren't particularly mind-blowing. In fact, this device is showing all the traits of being a budget smart phone, rather than a high-end monster like the Xperia S or the HTC One X.

It's unusual to find a cheap Android phone bearing Ice Cream Sandwich however, and it's encouraging to see the latest, greatest version of Android crammed onto a phone with a screen this tiny.

With a sub-1GHz processor reportedly running under the bonnet, I worry that the phone could prove frustratingly slow. Manufacturers like Samsung have avoided sticking Ice Cream Sandwich on low-end phones like the Galaxy Ace, claiming that the phone's more basic hardware can't handle the software.

Can Sony do better? We'll have to wait and see.

Another concern is the low screen resolution, pegged at 480x320 pixels. A resolution that low will likely mean the ST21i isn't ideal for web browsing, which would be a shame.

Fingers crossed Sony wastes no time in making this phone official so we can have a play with it.

Could a low-powered phone like this do a decent job with Android 4.0? Let me know your predictions in the comments or on our Facebook wall.

Image credit: Techblog