Sony Xperia T review

The Sony Xperia T comes loaded with both the stock Android browser and Google's Chrome browser optimised for mobile.

You can access the internet either through the Xperia T's Wi-Fi b/g/n connection or over 3G on your own network provider.

Wi-Fi is quicker than 3G of course, but only marginally so.

Where you'll notice the difference is streaming videos or downloading items such as podcasts.

The Android browser isn't noticeably different from past iterations and offers you a simple, uncluttered internet experience.

You can open different tabs by clicking the tab icon in the top right hand corner, as well as save a particular website to your bookmarks.

Bookmarks can be saved into different folders, giving you an easy way to catalogue your pages and keep things nice and tidy.

One useful feature of the Android browser is the ability to download a page to view later offline.

If, for example, you're on a train or moving through a poor signal area, you can cache the page and come back to it later, even without an active internet connection.

Within the settings menu, you'll also find the option to block pop-ups or share pages via your social network profile.

The Android browser enables you to pinch the screen (or double tap) to zoom in and out and we found that scrolling was smooth and intuitive.

Zoomed text looks good on the 1,280 x 720 screen and swapping between tabs is a simple experience.

A quick press of the tab button displays all the open tabs in a vertical list and even with five or more tabs open, the browsing remained smooth.

Eventually Google's Chrome will replace the ageing Android browser but on the Xperia T at least, you've got the both of them.

The difference is pretty negligible.

Chrome looks nicer, with the famous clean white background and Google's friendly, colourful icons – but in terms of features it offers much the same as its older Android brethren.

There's the option to bookmark and sort pages, as well as open different tabs for multiple browsing.

Chrome's biggest feature is the option to sign in and sync the mobile browser on the Sony Xperia T with your bookmarks, passwords and browsing history already stored on your home PC or laptop.

You can also use the Incognito Tab feature, which has been a staple of the desktop version of Chrome for a while now.

This enables you to visit sites without anything being recorded in your browser history.

Web pages optimised for mobile will automatically appear that way in both the Android browser and in Chrome.

But there is also the option within the browsers' settings to display the full desktop version of the site.

Neither browser supports Flash as standard – so you'll need to download it from the Google Play store first.

It's fair to say that the Android browser was due an upgrade and Chrome is the natural successor.

It's immediately familiar, especially to those using it regularly on a PC and although there are other ways to sync into the Google ecosystem, this is yet another method of keeping all your devices connected.