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Although not as coveted as a strong camera or speedy processor, the messaging abilities of a handset are, alongside the phone's calling capabilities, arguably the most important and frequently used aspect. The Sony Xperia Go ensures such functions and features are handled with style and grace.
With a centralised messaging system enabling you to select whether you wish to send a text or email when picking desired recipients, the Sony Xperia Go's messaging abilities are further enhanced by a relatively impressive input option and simple MMS abilities.
The bane of many touchscreen smartphones, the Sony Xperia Go's digitally generated on-screen QWERTY keyboard is, at first use, a very middle of the road affair, not proving hugely intuitive to use and still forcing the occasional accidental button press, thanks to its relatively compact form. The software-based input system, however, is not without its merits.
Where Samsung-branded TouchWiz handsets feature fast, intuitive input methods in the form of the company's Swype system, the Sony Xperia Go features largely the same software, just under a different, more direct but far less recognised name: 'gesture control'.
Extremely accurate and simple to use, Sony's Gesture Control input method is every bit as functional as Samsung's Swype offering, with one additional niggle.
Unlike Swype, the Sony system requires you to physically enter spaces between words, as opposed to auto inputing a space after each finger lift at the end of the current word - a setup that is far more intuitive and appealing.
The keyboard further benefits from the handset being rotated into a more spacious landscape stance.
Building on a strong foundation, as always seems to be the case on Android-powered handsets, multimedia messaging services on the Sony Xperia Go are easy to access and simple to use, with a single tap of the landscape-depicting button that accompanies standard SMS templates enabling you to instantly attach a photo, video or sound recording to outgoing messages.
With a dedicated social networking widget available on the handset's home screens, the Sony Xperia Go handles all desired messaging types with relative ease for a well-rounded and intuitive user experience.
