Sony Xperia tipo review: Mini just got bigger

A mid-range display

The Sony Xperia tipo comes with an HVGA LCD, measuring 3.2 inches in diagonal. The screen is nothing to write home about. It hasn't got the image-enhancing Bravia engine either: so we are in for some old-school experience here. To be fair though, the competition doesn't really offer much more in this price range.

The screen quality could have been better

The tipo's display has average viewing angles and sunlight legibility. Here go the Xperia tipo results from our traditional display tests. You can find more about the testing routine here.

Contrast ratio

• Nokia 808 PureView
  4.698
• Samsung I9300 Galaxy S III
  3.419
• Samsung Omnia W
  3.301
• Samsung Galaxy S
  3.155
• Nokia N9
  3.069
• Samsung Galaxy Note
  2.970
• HTC One S
  2.901
• Samsung Galaxy S II
  2.832
• Huawei Ascend P1
  2.655
• Nokia Lumia 900
  2.562
• Apple iPhone 4S
  2.269
• HTC One X
  2.158
• Nokia N8
  2.144
• Apple iPhone 4
  2.016
• Sony Ericsson Xperia ray
  1.955
• Sony Xperia U
  1.758
• LG Optimus 4X HD
  1.691
• HTC One V
  1.685
• LG Optimus Vu
  1.680
• LG Optimus 3D
  1.542
• Nokia Asha 302
  1.537
• Nokia Lumia 610
  1.432
• Gigabyte GSmart G1355
  1.361
• HTC Desire C
  1.300
• LG Optimus L7
  1.269
• Meizu MX
  1.221
• Samsung Galaxy Pocket
  1.180
• Sony Xperia tipo
  1.166
• Samsung Galaxy mini 2
  1.114

The Xperia tipo's RGB matrix under a microscope

The Sony Xperia tipo display pixels

Handling the Xperia tipo

The phone allows a good grip and is comfortably pocketable. There are no build quality issues to warn against, though it does take some time to get used to the finish of the battery cover. This is the smallest screen to have on a Sony smartphone, and probably the cheapest - no Bravia engine and such. It's par for the course though, in terms of resolution and size.

Handling the Sony Xperia tipo

The Sony Xperia tipo software overview is coming up.