Name: Xperia P
Brand: Sony

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Camera

Playing host to an 8-megapixel camera with autofocus capabilities and an integrated LED flash, on paper the Sony Xperia P's rear-mounted camera is of comparable quality to the leaders of the smartphone scene, including the new quad-core powerhouse that is the Samsung Galaxy S3.

Indoor images shot under artificial lighting are a little disappointing, with poor colour management producing muted snaps that are far from sharp and have an unusually high level of grain, or suffer overcompensation by the flash.

But in natural lighting environments, the Sony Xperia P's camera is a standout performer.

Removing the fuss out of lining up and taking high-quality snaps, the Sony Xperia P boasts automated scene selection technologies to quickly assess situations and better attune its camera's optics and settings to the required needs.

A prime example of this software's worth is when attempting to take macro shots.

Holding the camera just centimetres from the subject, the handset produces stunning results with pin-sharp accuracy, impressive depth of field and strong colour management.

This marks the Sony Xperia P out as one of the most impressive smartphone snappers on the market.

An edge-mounted physical camera button - an alternative to the screen-obscuring touchscreen capture option - is a welcome addition, especially since it's a feature that's missed from many of the Sony Xperia P's competitors.

However, the button's stiffness, which helps prevent against accidental and unwanted presses, makes it difficult to capture quick snaps one-handed.

While the automated scene selector handles most situations thrown at it with ease and grace, photo-savvy users are able to manually alter and select a number of alternate options, with Sweep Panorama and 3D Sweep modes on offer.

Away from the rear-mounted Full HD snapper and around the front, the VGA camera hosts the ability to capture low grade stills.