Sony's Xperia T2 Ultra joins the phablet war - A look at the specs

Sony has taken everyone by surprise by unveiling two new Android smartphones, **Xperia T2 Utra and Xperia E1** , so soon after CES. Interestingly, the T2 Ultra, successor to the **Xperia T** , adds to the growing list of phablets from major manufacturers that are targetted at emerging markets. It will go up against the likes of the **Gionee Elife E7** , **Nokia Lumia 1320** and **HTC One Max** . Let’s take a closer look at the specifications of the T2 Ultra.   OS – Android 4.3 Just like the recent Xperia brigade, the T2 Ultra also runs on Android 4.3 Jelly Bean. However, unlike the **Z1 Compact** , there is no word on the company’s plans for an Android 4.4 KitKat update for the smartphone. We also expect a layer of Sony’s proprietary custom user interface on top.   Cellular connectivity: LTE and HSPA The T2 Ultra brings support for LTE. Though, we aren’t sure exactly which bands it supports. For those times when 4G is not present, the phone will switch to HSPA. [caption id=“attachment_209223” align=“aligncenter” width=“640”]  Sleek profile[/caption]   Display: 6-inch Triluminos TFT touchscreen with 720p resolution Here’s the big move from its predecessor, as the T2 Ultra sports a 6-inch display. The 720p display resolution for a 6-inch screen could lead to mediocre viewing quality thanks to the rather low pixel density of 244ppi, exactly like the **Lumia 1320** . The company has roped in a multi-touch TFT display along with its proprietary Triluminos technology.   Form factor: Slim at 7.6mm The T2 Ultra is heavier than the other 6-inch devices at 172 grams, however, it has a sleek profile at 7.6mm, which is similar to the **iPhone 5s** . The device measures 165.2 x 83.8 x 7.65 mm, some could find it a slightly bigger to hold. The Xperia T came with a shatter-proof and scratch resistant glass, and we expect the same for the T2 Ultra, but there are no firm details as yet. It doesn’t get the much-vaunted water and dust-proof treatment like the other high-end phones of the Xperia clan.   Wi-Fi The T2 Ultra supports Wi-Fi, and we expect support for b/g/n bands, but there’s no mention of whether it supports the “ac” draft. As with most other current smartphones, Wi-Fi hotspot is also present. Apart from that, the smartphone also comes with DLNA for content sharing.   Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 The Sony Xperia T2 Ultra is expected to be powered by a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor, again similar to the Lumia 1320. Clocked at 1.4GHz, the smartphone will include 1GB of RAM. It isn’t the latest processor, and one shouldn’t expect processing speed like the **Xperia Z1** or Z1 Compact.   Internal storage: 8GB with microSD slot The T2 Ultra comes with 8GB of internal memory. In addition, the smartphone also sports a microSD slot that allows for expansion up to 32GB. The storage space is decent, and should suffice your daily usage.   Camera: 13MP rear snapper, VGA front-facing camera Just like the Xperia T, the T2 Ultra also comes with a 13MP rear snapper with LED flash. However, the company claims to employ the best in class Exmor RS for mobile sensor. One can expect the usual camera features like auto focus, face detection, smile detection, burst mode, geo tagging, and more. The camera can shoot 1080p videos. It also includes a VGA front-facing camera with an Exmor R sensor.   Sensors The Ultra will come with all the usual suspects seen in recent models - accelerometer, gyroscope, proximity sensor and a compass. [caption id=“attachment_209224” align=“aligncenter” width=“640”]  Xperia T2 Ultra[/caption]   GPS: A-GPS, GLONASS Just like most of the mid- to high-range devices in the market today, the smartphone comes with both A-GPS and GLONASS support thrown in. The latter should significantly reduce the location lock time for users.   NFC and Bluetooth 4.0 It supports NFC as well as Bluetooth 4.0 with A2DP support. This should ensure that data transfer while using the T2 Ultra should not be an issue.   Battery Sony has packed in a powerful 3000mAh battery in the T2 Ultra. It promises 24 hours of talk time and 44 days of stand by time, but we can confirm this only after conducting our own battery tests.   The bottom line The Xperia T2 Ultra appears to be a mid-range phablet, and the USP is undoubtedly is its large screen, and the 13MP camera. That itself may not be enough to make it a success. However, if Sony prices it well and undercuts the Lumia 1320, then it could have a winner on its hands.