Review: The Xperia Neo, shiny like a Chinese stereo

Looking for a midrange smartphone, want Android, don’t want to shell out iPhone prices? Look no further than the Xperia Neo. Just don’t look at it too closely: Sleek and modern lines, but with chrome accents that wouldn’t look amiss on a 1995 Panasony clock radio. Deeply flawed, but also deeply functional — good value for money, but could be better.

Now that the high end of the smartphone market is pretty much locked in a Galaxy vs iPhone vs Motorola neck-and-neck, the ding-dong battle is to crack the midrange smartphone market. And it’s all Android, here. This has given Sony Ericsson a last gasp attempt to get back in the game after its disastrous Windows Mobile strategy and a string of lacklustre midrange phones. The new Android-based Xperias are pretty nice — affordable (US$500-odd) and good looking, and with all the Androidy goodness you’d expect.

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