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This might be a good time to mention the price: Sony's Xperia Ion is an intriguing phone with many plusses and a number of hard to ignore minuses. And most in the later category are flat out annoying, but the stellar price goes long to make on try to forget and ignore said issues.
We liked
The overall design of the phone is utterly fantastic. It's massive, without being a burden, and is modern by tapping into a retro vibe that's not entirely common.
The processor is not the fastest by today's every increasing standards, yet it does an amazing job of keeping the show going. Unfortunately, the OS is yesterday's news, but there are enough graphical flourishes to ease the pain. At the very least, something better is around the corner, so if one is patient, it's not so bad.
But that wait might be difficult for some, due to the bizarre nature of how apps behave, enough to scare some first-time Android users.
We disliked
When it comes to listening to music, the Ion is top-notch. When it comes to taking pictures and videos… not so much. This might be a good time to consider the reasonable price.
Verdict
In the end, the Xperia Ion proves that Android phones can be different, yet some parts are business as usual, mostly under the hood. Still, it's a handset worthy of one's consideration.