My Crappy Life | Syed ™

The Galaxy Nexus has direct-to-camera screen unlock and zero shutter delay. The Sony Xperia Ion (and the Xperia S, too) has “fast capture” which let’s you hold down the camera button while the phone is sleeping, instantly enabling the camera and automatically capturing. But which has the quicker camera? We put them head-to-head to find out:



As you can see, the Xperia Ion is the clear winner. Both phones are incredibly quick compared to the competition and 5-seconds or so could mean the difference between capturing a great picture or having it destined for your distant memory. The zero shutter delay is a feature of Android 4.0, so I’m hoping the Xperia Ion will get an update and add this asset to its arsenal. But even without Android 4.0, the Xperia Ion’s 12MP camera has a dangerous combination of power and speed.

I love when companies think of, design, and implement features that have a real and immediate impact on the consumer’s enjoyment and usability of a phone. We spoke with the Product Manager who had a leading hand in the user experience, user interface, and development who said the concept of “dynamic simplicty” was at the heart of Sony’s vision for the Xperia Ion and Xperia S. It seems to be working out very well.

I’m extremely excited about Sony’s acquisition of Sony Ericsson and the Ion and S illustrate why: direct incorporation of top-of-the-line cameras could catapult Sony above several others in the Android crowd. The 12MP camera seen on these new Xperia devices is more than we’ve seen on any American Android to hit the market and while megapixels don’t tell the full story, we know Sony will be bringing their A-game when it comes to sensors and camera quality across the board. While I’m on the topic, I’ve been wanting an Android Phone with Optical Zoom for a LONG time, and I’m thinking/hoping that Sony could be the manufacturer to make that dream come true. Digital cameras and mobile phones have been converging towards one device for several years, but for the most part, phone cameras haven’t been powerful enough to replace the point-and-shoot. For me, optical zoom is one element preventing that, but Sony looks to have a good start on everything else.