The Xperia T3 is Sony’s latest phablet, coming to us this summer at a mid-range price and with a 5.3-inch 720p screen. Like all other representatives of its kind, the Sony Xperia T3 aims to offer extra space when it comes to the screen, but not to move into the territory sovereignly held by the tablets. However, if we know that this phablet is 5.3 inches and that the smaller tablets fall to a diagonal of 7 inches, then it is clear that the boundaries between them are being erased, or at least that they have come dangerously close.
The Sony Xperia T3 is in the group of devices with 5+ inches, and there are quite a few of them. I will list only the most famous of them. These are definitely the Samsung Galaxy Note (in multiple versions) and the large Nokia Lumia 1520.
Sony Xperia T3 design
Official figures say the Sony Xperia T3 has 150.7 x 77 x 7 mm. What immediately catches my eye is that the device is quite thin, which doesn’t surprise us when it comes to Sony devices. This is a very pleasant surprise considering that this is a fairly large device. In addition, Sony has managed to reduce the weight to only 148g, which is another plus when it comes to design and construction. It is a real rarity to find such a relationship between dimensions and weight. As a result, the phablet fits nicely in your pocket, and sometimes you even wonder where you left it.
Of course, far from comparing the Xperia T3 with a small classic phone, but the impression that the Xperia T3 leaves when you first meet it is really good. Of course, be aware that not every pocket is spacious enough for one phablet.
When it comes to usability, Sony couldn’t do too much. Not deviating from its distinctive square design, which was followed by a large screen, Sony is a device that is not heavy, but it is bulky, so the fingers of one hand will not be enough. To get to the corners of the screen, they will have to stretch well. This means that you will use two hands most of the time while hanging out with this device.
The Xperia T3 is visually indistinguishable from regular members of the Xperia family. The device has a classic rectangular shape and is produced in white, black, and purple. Metallic sides are always a good way to give your device importance. However, this is only an optical improvement, because the Xperia T3 in terms of build quality cannot be compared to the leading Xperia Z2, which is still a high-end device.
The back is made of soft plastic, but that does not mean that it gives a bad feeling when held. On the contrary. The back surface is firm enough not to move, but at the same time resistant to collecting prints, which is always nice to see.
Sony Xperia T3 screen
The phone has a 5.3-inch screen with a 720p resolution. This is not something spectacular, because we know that a good part of the device now has HD resolution as standard, and with the appearance of the LG G3 Quad HD screen, the technology goes a step further. Still, the picture is far from bad, and the credit for that goes in large part to Sony’s Triluminos technology, which allows for pretty strong and vivid colors. However, the colors do not pass into the domain of artificial ones but stay somewhere around those as they are in nature, and that is great.
Viewing angles are pretty good and this is more important with these devices than with phones, as the assumption is that often the content on the phablets will be viewed by more people. This means that you can gather the company to watch a movie or an interesting video clip.
The screen is solidly resistant to sunlight, so it can be used outdoors without any major problems. When it comes to image quality, it is clear that qHD cannot be the same as HD. Therefore, if you are concerned about exceptional image quality, it is recommended that you consider the Xperia Z Ultra phablet, which brings a better screen in addition to the larger one, and at this moment (beginning of August 2014) it costs less than the Xperia T3.
Sony Xperia T3 specification and performance
With the Android 4.4 KitKat operating system, Xperia T3 is an advanced device. The user interface is well known to anyone who has had experience with Xperia devices before. Sony has also added several new options, such as SmallApp, which allows you to use several applications at once in multitasking mode. Of course, there are also recognizable Sony multimedia applications.
The latest Sony phablet has a 4G connection and only 8GB of internal memory, but luckily you have a MicroSD slot for further expansion. Hidden from the user, below the surface is the Snapdragon 400 – a quad-core processor, which enables decent operation of the device and supports new game titles. Battery life is in line with expectations, given the screen size. So, the whole day of use with one charge. When it comes to video playback, the Xperia T3 can take some 4-6 hours, which is on average.
Sony Xperia T3 camera
The new Xperia has a pretty good camera. Its main trump card is the Exmor sensor which supports a fairly sufficient 8MP. The camera is set to rely on Superior Auto mode, which takes good photos no matter the conditions. The photos are clean, with enough detail, but still not so much that it can be compared to the Xperia Z2.
Other operating modes, such as HDR, are also available to the user. The camera can also record full HD recordings. On the front, there is a 1.1MP auxiliary camera for selfies, and it also has beautification effects that sometimes have the exact opposite effect.
Sony Xperia T3 Conclusion
All in all, the Sony Xperia T3 is a reasonably packaged phablet with a reasonable price. The price, as usual, varies and is often the highest when the device appears, so it is clear that in some future period it will probably go below the limit of 300 euros, which is quite ok.
The device offers everything most users need, including a 4G connection and a very good 8MP camera. At the end of the display, it is a pity that the device does not have a full HD screen, because that would be a rounded phablet. This leaves room for doubts and additional thoughts, especially since one Sony device does not have a certificate for water and dust resistance.