Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc

Hey, I'm Jessica Dolcourt for cnet.com and this is the Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc. We first got a look at this at CES and I have to say it's still impressive even after all of this time. It's got a really pretty 4.2-inch touchscreen with really rich and vibrant colors. The text renders really clearly and that could be important because it uses Sony's Bravia engine. Now, this phone is Android 2.3 but it does run the Timescape interface on top of that. So, Timescape includes a social networking timeline with this index card metaphor. There are multiple of home screens that just look a little bit different than on other android phones and I also really like the way that Timescape organizes the media apps from the home screen. There's just the shortcut button that pops right up. Also, I like that Timescape lets you sort your apps in four different ways but back to the phone. So, the design is really sleek and sharp. There are these three buttons that actually do inscribe the Arc as the phone was named and that's below the display. So, there is the back, the home, and the menu button. Now, all the buttons are really responsive. It's really nice to use. So, the camera is kind of a show stopper here. Sony Ericsson phones are known for really great cameras and this one did not disappoint. It's an 8.1-megapixel camera and it's got the same image sensor that's used in a lot of other Sony cameras and other devices. So, it is HD also. There's 720p HD video recording. On top of that for media, there is an HDMI-out port so that you can connect it to your TV really easily. Now, this phone is unlocked so the cost is pretty high. It's $599.99. You can get it at Sony retail stores, sony.com, and Best Buy. It's kind of a shame because this is a great phone and I love to see it subsidize by U.S. carriers but if you are in your Best Buy or Sony stores, you should definitely go in and check it out. I'm Jessica Dolcourt and this has been the Unlocked Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc. Read the full review on cnet.com.