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Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc review: Contacts and calling
As with all modern Android phones, Contacts data on the Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc can be pulled in from your Google account and Facebook profile – plus it will import data from a SIM card if you're updating to a smartphone for the first time, or use Exchange data or Sony Ericsson's own standalone sync service.
The individual Contact page is extremely customisable, with users able to add notes, nicknames, instant messaging accounts and much more to each listing – plus it's possible to automatically direct individuals to voice mail, if there's someone you're avoiding.
You're able to sort Contacts in a few useful ways, like choosing to only show those that have phone number data – very helpful when your phone has just pulled the details of 300 people from Facebook.
If you've linked a Facebook account with a Contact, the person's latest status update is also listed beneath their Contact details. It makes paying attention to other people's lives so much easier.
It's also possible to place a shortcut to a person's contact details in an icon spot on the Home screen. It's a very user-friendly system, and Sony Ericsson has done a nice job of making Android's slightly dull text-based presentation look good.
Call quality is very good indeed. Volume through the phone's speaker is loud and quite clear, plus there's a second microphone in the back of the phone to add an element of noise cancellation. Although it was hard to notice any significant difference.
The mobile signal was strong, actually giving us a better connection than our now-aged HTC Desire.
