CES 2011: Sony Ericsson debuts Xperia arc phone with extra-sharp display

Sony Ericsson's Xperia line hasn't made much of a dent in the U.S. market, and the company's first attempt as an Android phone, the Sony Xperia X10, delivered an underwhelming performance in our Ratings (available to subscribers). But its latest model, the Xperia arc, which it debuted at CES 2011, seems like a much more compelling offering.

Measuring 125 by 63 by 8.7 mm, the phone has a strikingly sharp 4.2-inch multi-touch screen, which Sony Ericsson has dubbed Reality. It's powered by the Bravia Engine. My first impression was that it looked dramatically better—at least at a trade-show demo—than many phone displays we've seen before.

The phone's other exceptional feature is its 8-megapixel camera, which has an Exmor R CMOS sensor with an f/2.4 lens that helps the camera capture images in low-light conditions. The camera comes loaded with features you'd expect to find only on a full-fledged point-and-shoot, including face detection, geotagging, image stabilization, noise suppression, smile detection, and touch focus and capture.

The video camera features an image stabilizer and can capture videos at 720P. The camera's LED flash also doubles as a video recording light. The phone's built in HDMI-connector lets you display its content on an HDTV.

When it becomes available during the first quarter of 2011, the Xperia arc will have the latest version of the Android operating system (version 2.3). No price or carrier has been announced.

—Mike Gikas

—Carol Mangis