Sony Xperia P review

Contacts

Although skinned with Sony's latest user interface, Android clearly runs this show, with the Sony Xperia P's contact options a classic representation of the Google software's simplicity, ease of use and no-nonsense core values.

Accessed via a simple tap of the appropriate app icon, the Sony Xperia P's contact options are largely the same as those found on most Android smartphones, with an alphabetical run of those you know.

Offering more comprehensive communications than some, the handset enables you to sync your contacts list with social network accounts such as Facebook to gain auto populated images and additional means of communication.

While creating new contacts is a simple affair via a couple of quick clicks, with a selection of well laid out fields making the process as painless as possible, accessing those you most want to talk to is even easier.

With a home screen-mountable widget, you can pin your most frequently used contacts front and centre for instant access as and when desired.

Calling

Once contacts are created, calling those you know is a simple process, with all stored phone numbers available without the need to go around the houses in some tiresome, time-consuming drive through multiple menus.

Sadly, once connected, the handset's calling abilities don't meet the same high standards.

A less than standout performer, the Sony Xperia P drops points to its competitors with slightly muffled connections resulting in calls that at times appear distant, far from sharp and some way off the HD audio expectations of a market-defining phone.

With so many bells and whistles incorporated on modern smartphones, strong call quality appears to have fallen slightly by the wayside, and although we didn't experience any dropped calls, even in areas of strong, full signal, calls felt weak.

It's an area where Sony could introduce massive improvements for future models.