Sony Xperia Go review

Connectivity

Due to the need to keep all connection ports covered and waterproof, the Sony Xperia Go causes itself a number of issues when it comes to accessing the micro USB connector required for charging and the 3.5mm jack for audio playback through a pair of headphones.

While it is reassuring that difficulties in accessing the sockets implies they are thoroughly protected against accidental immersions, opening the protective covers requires you to have relatively long fingernails, otherwise their inaccessibility will have you searching for a small object to wedge under the access point.

Furthermore, once opened, these access covers often get in the way of the cables being connected, causing frustration. Plus excessive bending over time looks certain to weaken the protective lids, a move that could spell disaster for the handset's 1m, 30 minute waterproof standards.

Away from physical connectors the Sony Xperia Go offers the now standard collection of mid-range connectivity options as the impressive 3G and Wi-Fi connection methods are paired with Bluetooth 3.0 and 14.4Mbps HSDPA options.

Battery life

Pleasingly, the Sony Xperia Go is a smartphone that is relatively friendly on its battery. Like all modern smartphones the Sony Xperia Go will run its life down speedily if being used to watch movies or extensively play high-end, strenuous app-based games.

But with general levels of day-to-day use the handset can easily combat the one day battery hump and power you through a couple of days without major concern.

With the integrated 1,305mAh lithium-ion battery touting a claimed 460 hours standby time and 5 hour 30 minute talk time, although these ambitions aren't particularly high when compared with a selection of rival devices, they ring true, offering ample ability between charges.

For those often on the move, the Sony Xperia Go's battery can't be removed, meaning replacement power packs can't be carried to switch around during heavy periods of use while away from a charging outlet.

Wrapped securely within the device to avoid unexpected leakages damaging the handset's power supply, Sony's decision to have the Xperia Go's battery fixed is in order to combat an all too frequent cause of smartphone death when taking an unexpected trip to a liquid grave.

As is the trend with the latest Xperia smartphones introduced in the months since Sony parted ways with Ericsson, the Sony Xperia Go comes boxed with a hugely over-engineered plug adaptor.

Thanks to its unnecessary moving parts and plastic construct, this fails to offer any reassurance when being used and frequently gives off the feeling that the all-important lead prong is about to snap off.