Introduction

The market for mid-level handsets is exploding, and manufacturers are hurrying to offer even more choice for those on a stricter budget, so the Xperia SP brings a mid-range price with a lot of technology borrowed from its bigger, Xperia Z, brother.

Sony has been busy since the split from Ericsson and has put out an ever-increasing number of Xperia models to try and capture customers at every conceivable price point and specs sheet. The latest is the Sony Xperia SP, a mid-level Android smartphone that sits below the flagship Xperia Z and above the budget Xperia E.

Sony is taking on lesser-known Android handsets such as the Acer Liquid E2, ZTE Blade 3 or LG Optimus G Pro with the Sony Xperia SP's £350/US$490 price point. But one look at the box is enough to tell you that the Japanese company still means business - even though this isn't the flag bearer for the Xperia line.

All of Sony's considerable tech expertise is being brought to bear on the Xperia SP. The packaging proudly bears the logos for Bravia Engine (screen), Exmor RS (camera) and PlayStation (gaming), all of which have found their way into the Sony Xperia SP's 131 x 67 x 10mm (5.14 x 2.64 x 0.39 inch) frame.

The phone itself is a step down from the 5-inch models that have dominated 2013's headlines. The 1280 x 720 pixel screen measures a pocket-friendly 4.6 inches, and the 10mm thin casing is blackened aluminium rather than the glass-slab Sony Xperia Z chassis.

Unfortunately, while other phones such as the HTC One have pushed the screen right to the edge of the case, there's still a noticeable bezel around the Sony Xperia SP's Gorilla Glass display.

Designers Jessie Zhao and Toshihide Umedan apparently started with a simple paper mockup when they began work on the Sony Xperia SP.

To us, it looks similar to last year's Sony Xperia S handset thanks in no small part to the transparent antenna running along the base of the handset.

It's functional as much as aesthetic, lighting up with notifications and incoming calls, as well as pulsating to music and getting stronger when you push up the volume.

While the curved frame is moulded aluminium, the removable back is a black speckled plastic polycarbonate that's smooth to touch and features the Xperia logo right in the centre. It's a more subdued design than the glittering back of the Google Nexus 4 and helps to give the Sony Xperia SP an air of premium quality beyond its price tag.

Our review unit came in black but there's also a choice of red or white to be had. However, the one rather obvious flaw with the build is that the back of the Sony Xperia SP does flex ever so slightly when pushed.

In keeping with Android Jelly Bean's soft key UI, there's no physical home key on the front of the Sony Xperia SP, unlike the Samsung Galaxy S4. The right-hand side of the phone is where you'll find all the physical buttons in the form of a volume rocker, power on/off switch and physical shutter button for the camera.

Forget, for a moment, the praise heaped on the camera-crafting skills of HTC or Samsung. Because the snappers that Sony has been loading onto its Xperia phones in the last couple of years have been some of the best in the market. Honestly, the Japanese company really knows its stuff when it comes to taking pictures.

The 8MP rear-facing camera on the Sony Xperia SP is understandably a few rungs below the Sony Xperia Z or the HTC One, but still manages to be an excellent substitute for an everyday compact camera. Sony uses the newly developed Exmor RS sensor to give the Sony Xperia SP some kick, and there's also a front-facing VGA lens for video chat and the occasional self portrait.

The removable back of the Sony Xperia SP reveals the microSD slot that enables you to swell the memory from the rather pathetic 8GB of native storage up to 32GB with a card. You'll need to as well, because only about 5.5GB of that is actually available to use.

The Sony Xperia SP uses the Android Jelly Bean OS, but Sony has overlaid this with its own TimeScape skin. It's being run by a dual-core 1.7GHz processor with 1GB of RAM and an Adreno 320 graphics chip.

There's obviously a lot of sparkling Japanese technology inside because, well, the Sony Xperia SP is a bit on the heavy side. Not too heavy that you'll worry about holding it to your ear for any length of time, but it doesn't have the lighter-than-it-looks reaction that the iPhone 5 and BlackBerry Z10 both enjoy.

Of course, there are different schools of thought when it comes to smartphone weight, and you might feel that the 155g (5.47oz) Sony Xperia SP actually feels better for having a bit of heft. The smaller chassis does mean the weight is more concentrated than on the larger 5-inch handsets.

Sony's Xperia SP doesn't reinvent the wheel when it comes to smartphone design. It's still a black, rectangular slab and the introduction of a translucent bar doesn't really change that, but it's really not a bad-looking handset. The smaller size means your fingers will curl protectively around it, and the all-black, unblemished front brings it into the BlackBerry Z10 realm of business dress.

Then there's always the price to consider. It's available SIM-free from Sony for £349/US$489.99, and UK customers can pick it up for free on a £21 monthly contract which, all things considered, is pretty damn reasonable.

Of course, you'll want to know how the thing performs - so read on, and be enlightened.

Interface

Like Samsung, Sony doesn't leave Android well enough alone. Using the Xperia SP will be easy for anyone familiar with Google's OS - but looking at it is completely different.

Everything from the font to the icons themselves has been changed thanks to Sony's own TimeScape skin.

Opinions differ on whether Sony's take on Android is a good thing, but we think it's a nice change. Although, a bit of clarification: the skin is actually called User Experience Platform (or UXP NXT) but has been shorthanded to TimeScape after a social networking tool that (until the arrival of the Sony Xperia Z and Socialife) came as part of the package.

The skinny white font is refined and the Sony own-brand widgets and icons have a mature look to them that will be refreshing after time spent with Samsung's colourful, Nintendo-like UI. You get plenty of opportunities to admire Sony's work as well, because there are a fair number of first-party media services that, if we're honest, you won't need. But more on that later.

Although it looks different, the layout of the interface on the Sony Xperia SP is still classic Android. You've got seven home screens to populate with apps and widgets, with four main apps anchored to the bottom of the screen either side of a shortcut to the grid view.

At any point, you can call down the notifications bar by swiping down from the top of the screen, enabling you to tinker with important functions such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or battery settings.

You can sit 16 apps on the 4 x 4 grid of each home page or alternatively group them into folders of four.

Larger widgets, such as Socialife, will take up more space, but the benefit is they can be arranged and customised according to your liking.

From the lock screen, you can access the Walkman and Camera shortcuts for playing music or taking a quick picture, and also swipe down to quickly check the notifications bar. Once you swipe upwards (or enter a pattern or passcode) you're into the interface proper.

We'll be honest: we expected the addition of Sony's skin to hamper the smoothness of navigating the Sony Xperia SP.

In actual fact, it was remarkably smooth - even on usual sticking points like exiting apps back to the home screen.

Much of the credit rests with Google's Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean, which has been drastically improved when it comes to speed and smoothness.

It won't always be the case. After you've been using the Sony Xperia SP for a few months and you've loaded it with apps and software updates, you can certainly expect some lag. It happens with every phone in existence, so savour the buttery smoothness of those first few weeks before the 1GB RAM starts getting strained.

You can customise the home screens with a long-press on your desired space that will bring up the option to add in a widget or app shortcut and change the theme or wallpaper.

Either that, or pinch and draw your fingers together to zoom out. You'll then need to drag to your desired space and release. You can also change the wallpaper this way - either from the pre-selected Xperia choices or a third-party option from the Google Play store.

The three soft touch keys at the very bottom of the screen are your navigation tools. The Back, Home and Recent keys are a staple of Android and will stick with you through menus, apps, media and gaming.

At any point you can find your way back to the home screen or your last step with these keys, and you'll use them hundreds of times a day. Nice to see then that Sony has made them responsive and easy to hit in a hurry.

Because of the size of the Sony Xperia SP, you'll find you can mostly interact with the interface and the physical keys on the right side of the phone with just one hand.

If you swipe upwards from the base of the phone at any point in the OS, you'll be greeted with Google Now - one of Android Jelly Bean's big new additions. It enables you to enter a quick search, and to have relevant internet-based information such as weather or sports scores delivered to your handset.

We don't want to descend into the customary Android vs iOS debate here, but we'd be remiss if we didn't point out that Apple's UI is still easier to use if you're a complete newcomer to smartphone systems.

Your mum, gran or dog will find using the iPhone 5 easier than the Sony Xperia SP at first glance - but if you put some time in you'll see Android has matured into a rich, layered interface with minimal performance issues that offer excellent options for customisation.

Contacts and calling

Why do you want a smartphone? To make calls, of course. Like any new handset, the Sony Xperia SP will store hundreds of numbers, as well as email addresses, birthdays and nicknames.

The main phone app is anchored to the bottom of the home screen by default, and enables you to select your contact book as one of four main functions.

The others are the standard dial pad, favourites and groups. The contact book itself is in your app drawer and is very similar in appearance and function to the majority of smartphone address books already out there.

Names are listed alphabetically and you can quickly scroll through them by swiping up and down.

A large letter appears denoting where you are on the list as you scroll, which helps to narrow down search time through your expansive list of friends and family.

The white background and black text means you get good visibility even outside and in sunlight. If your mates have a Google+ profile then their picture is displayed next to their name.

There's no option to set your own picture for each contact but you can set individual ringtones and an individual colour for the transparent strip to flash when that person calls.

Alternatively, you can sync the Sony Xperia SP with your Facebook profile to get all the relevant contact information - including profile pictures - added to your address book.

Each contact card gives you the option to set multiple numbers and email addresses, as well as link contacts together. You can star them into a shortlist of favourites or add them to groups such as family and co-workers.

You can tap the magnifying glass to search for a contact, and the plus one icon to add a new contact.

It's really pretty intuitive and Sony hasn't done much to change the way it works, so you shouldn't have any problems populating the Sony Xperia SP with numbers to call.

Making calls themselves isn't a problem either. The Sony Xperia SP has a noticeable microphone in the bottom left-hand corner of the handset and the ear speaker is laid into a groove above the screen so call volume isn't a problem.

You can always adjust it with the volume rocker, although this is a little fiddly if you're holding the phone in your right hand, since you'll have to use your thumb to grip and change volume.

Tapping the phone icon brings up the dial pad by default. It takes up roughly half the screen and is the same black-on-white colour scheme as the address book, making it very easy to bring up and use quickly.

As you dial, the phone will automatically bring up matching numbers or equivalent letters, kind of like Google's instant search, in the main window. This acts as another way to find people rather than just going through the address book.

When you get a call yourself, the picture of the caller will be displayed front and centre with two large buttons for either accepting or ignoring. If there's no profile picture assigned, then a large silhouette fills the screen instead.

Quality isn't a problem and we're happy to report there weren't any dropped calls during our time with the Sony Xperia SP. Obviously, you're going to struggle in places with heavy ambient noise, such as beside a busy road or out on a windswept moor, but all in all the clarity of the call - both incoming and outgoing - is very good.

Messaging

Like virtually every other phone on the market, the Sony Xperia SP displays your messages in a running conversation, with different coloured bubbles for each person's messages.

If you've added one, then a profile picture is displayed next to each person's message. You can also tap this to bring up the information from their contact card and call them if necessary.

Start a message by tapping the pencil plus icon in the top-right hand corner and you'll bring up the same sort of message layout we're used to seeing on other phones. The Sony Xperia keyboard takes up the bottom half of the screen, while the main section shows your composition.

There's a small paperclip key that enables you to attach an image or file to the message, as well as dedicated shortcuts at the bottom for attaching a file, picture, doodle or location marker. And, as ever, the Jelly Bean navigation keys remain at the bottom in case you want to exit to the home screen.

Each individual message can be starred, which then adds it to the collection in the Starred folder in the main inbox settings. If you're a serial texter then this is an excellent way to keep particularly cherished messages that would otherwise end up buried in your inbox.

Predictive texting is in place for both the main message input and selecting the addressee. Sony's skin extends to its own keyboard, which on first inspection looks small, but actually functions quite well.

It's a standard QWERTY layout, with an additional button in the bottom-left that calls up the symbols and numbers. Like most Android Jelly Bean handsets, the Sony Xperia SP has an alternative input method called Swype.

Rather than lift your finger away from the screen, you can move your digit across all the letters in the word in one motion, and the predictive text does the rest. It doesn't always work perfectly but, for the most part, it is pretty accurate.

There's also an impressive list of emoticons built into the Sony Xperia SP for you to add to your messages, if that's your thing.

If you need a bit more space, then turning the phone into landscape orientation will automatically stretch out the keys and give you a bit more room for typing.

Of course you don't just need to rely on SMS to message people, and the Sony Xperia SP will enable you to email to your heart's content. The standard Android client enables you to add multiple POP3, IMAP or Exchange Active Sync server accounts in one place, and comes pre-installed on the Sony Xperia SP.

Alternatively, each email service has their own dedicated app available from Google Play, which can then be synced up to deliver emails to you wherever you roam.

Internet

Sony has loaded the Xperia SP with dual band Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n and HSDPA at 42Mbps and HSUPA at 5.8Mbps. If you're out and about and need to tether another device, it can also be used as a Wi-Fi hotspot.

Like other Android smartphones running Ice Cream Sandwich and above, it arrives with a choice of two browsers pre-installed. One of these is the standard Android browser and the other is Google's recognisable Chrome browser, conditioned for mobile.

Essentially, these both work in the same way, both offering you the option of tabbed browsing, bookmarks and the option of viewing mobile versions of websites or their full-fledged desktop counterparts.

One of the benefits of using Chrome is that you can sync it with your desktop Google account and carry over the pages that you bookmarked and marked as favourites. By tapping the three dots in the top right-hand corner you can access options such as auto-fill forms and save passwords.

Next to the settings button is a small box with a number in it, which denotes the tabbed page you currently inhabit. If you tap this, Chrome zooms out and enables you to swipe between, or close, certain tabs.

This is great for multitasking - although it's not often you'll have legions of tabs open at any one time. If you do, you can expect the strain to show on the Sony Xperia SP's 1.7GHz processor. While browsing for the most part was very smooth, the speed fell away as we opened more tabs.

Unfortunately, skipping around a complex, image-heavy web page will result in a fair amount of empty grey space while you wait for the Sony Xperia SP to catch up. This is certainly tolerable for the most part when browsing on a Wi-Fi signal, but expect it to take a bit longer if you're surfing over 3G. There's also a second's delay when switching from portrait to landscape orientation.

Flash isn't enabled on the Sony Xperia SP, which doesn't surprise us. We don't rate this as much of a problem as the web shifts towards HTML 5. It can be annoying if you want to visit older sites that aren't supported, but it's something you'll just have to live with.

If your tastes run to some of the questionable materials available for viewing on the internet, then you'll be glad to know that both the stock Android browser and Google's Chrome have an Incognito mode.

This won't protect you from malware or eyes looking over your shoulder, but it will stop the offending website from being listed in your internet history or leaving cookies on your phone.

Alternatively, if you're proud of the sites you visit and want to boast about it, a quick tap of the Share option will enable you to post the page to a variety of social networks, including Facebook and Google+.

Chrome and Android's stock browser are the two options you're most likely to use, but there are plenty of others, such as Opera or Firefox, available to download from Google Play if you fancy a change.

Camera

We mentioned in the introduction that Sony's camera prowess should be well regarded, and the bundled 8MP rear-facing camera on the Sony Xperia SP is one of the phone's highlights, shooting at 3,264 x 2,448 pixels. It uses Sony's new Exmor RS sensor, which has shifted some of the circuitry behind each photodiode in the sensor to create a slimmer design.

The usual bells and whistles have been added including a scene selection mode, sweep panorama and the ability to add on-the-fly picture effects. The effects are pretty trivial, and will be bested by dedicated camera apps on Google Play, but it's nice to have some choice built in. You can select the likes of Fish-Eye, Kaleidoscope and Nostalgia, among others, to change your usual photo routine.

Other options include geo-tagging and a self timer, as well as the excellent Quick Launch option. This enables you to configure the Sony Xperia SP so that the physical shutter button acts as a launcher for the camera app.

So, if you want to quickly capture what's going on, you don't have to go through the business of unlocking the handset and navigating to the camera app. It was a feature Sony initially introduced back with the Sony Xperia S, and we're glad to see it remains in place here.

The front-facing VGA camera is sufficient, but little more than that. It'll allow for video calling but the image is a little on the grainy side and looked somewhat over-exposed to our eyes.

For the complete novice using the main camera, there's the illuminated Superior Auto setting, which selects optimal settings for 36 different types of scene to give you the best possible picture without the need to faff around with settings. Unfortunately, during our testing this was pretty hit and miss - the SP especially had trouble with motion blur.

Obviously the Sony Xperia SP can't compete with the top-tier of handsets, and a side-by-side comparison with the Ultrapixel-toting HTC One confirms this. But, taking into account its mid-level credentials and price tag, we feel the Sony Xperia SP is punching above its weight when it comes to the camera and can certainly stand in as a replacement for your regular compact.

Click here to see the full resolution image

Click here to see the full resolution image

Click here to see the full resolution image

Click here to see the full resolution image

Click here to see the full resolution image

These settings are a bit gimmicky, and while we don't think the Fish-Eye or Nostalgic settings impress, we quite liked the outcome of the Sketch setting. There are numerous other modes to play with on the Sony Xperia SP, and all your pictures can be edited with apps from the Google Play store.

Click here to see the full resolution image

Click here to see the full resolution image

The Panorama mode is included on most smartphones these days, and we were happy to see the stitching on the Sony Xperia SP was quite accurate - although there is still noticeable blurring of moving targets.

Click here to see the full resolution image

Click here to see the full resolution image

Video

The Sony Xperia SP's 8MP sensor can capture video in Full 1080p HD, even though the Sony Xperia SP's screen resolution is limited to 720p. The camera captures video at 30fps with video stabilisation built in.

The quality and detail in videos shot during the day are both more than suitable for a phone at this price point, although the colours are a little too saturated. Even so, we were happy shooting video in daylight with the Sony Xperia SP.

Unfortunately, shooting video in low light isn't as accomplished, and you can see the grainy pixels reflected in the white surfaces in our sample video. Detail on nearby objects, such as the lamppost, is picked up on, but overall the result is a poor one.

Media

The media credentials of the Sony Xperia SP are bordering on the obsessive.

It's one area where Sony's influence can really be felt as the Japanese company tries to get you to accept its proprietary services instead of the existing delivery system put in place by Android.

It can feel a little like overcrowding, and we doubt that you're going to want to sign up to even more services with Sony when you've already got a Google Play account that can furnish you with all the media you could want.

Delivery systems aside, the actual method of using your media on the Sony Xperia SP is very good, thanks to the excellent Walkman and Movies apps. The Walkman app, in particular, looks gorgeous.

Music

You're greeted with a lavish dashboard that divides up your music into the usual channels: Artists, Albums, Tracks and Playlists.

Then there's also the option of linking Friends' playlists from Facebook and listening specifically to tracks imported from Sony's Music Unlimited store.

There's even a SensMe option that uses GraceNote to subdivide your music into emotional channels. If you're feeling relaxed, energetic or mellow, tap that channel to be greeted with the relevant music.

Once you've selected your track, the layout changes to display the album artwork in the middle of the screen with the name of the track, artist and album at the top.

What's impressive is that the entire colour scheme (including the transparent phone antenna) changes as you move through tracks with different artwork. It's a show for the eyes as well as the ears.

The usual options such as shuffle, repeat and skip are included, as is the option to explore the track in more detail using the internet. Tapping the cross symbol to the right of the track name brings up an array of options, including searching for lyrics on Google and searching for the music video on YouTube.

Sound quality itself is helped with Sony's ClearAudio+ technology that enhances the sound for more clarity. If that's too hands-off then you can also access an equaliser to change the playback yourself.

We found the audio clear and full of volume, albeit with a slight favouring of the treble over the bass - something that can be altered with the bass settings within the equaliser.

Sony's Music Unlimited service offers you yet another way to stream music at the fairly standard price of £10/US$10 a month.

It's worth considering if you don't already own a music subscription to Spotify or Napster, and it can be played on your PC, Mac, iPhone, iPod Touch, PS3 or Sony Bravia TV.

Of much more use is the TrackID feature that comes pre-loaded on the Sony Xperia SP. It operates in exactly the same way as Shazam and enables you to tag songs you hear on the radio, TV or out and about. You're also given the option to instantly buy the song on Music Unlimited.

Videos

When it comes to videos, Sony takes a similar approach, but with a little less flourish than its musical counterpart.

Movies are grouped in large thumbnails that gives you a still of the film, and each is labelled with a title and runtime. There's also a brief synopsis listed underneath the title taken from the GraceNote online archive.

Video is subdivided into Movies and TV Shows, so you can keep Game of Thrones separate from Lord of the Rings.

And, similar to the musical offerings, Sony's Video Unlimited service will enable you to stream or buy films directly onto your device.

Sound and display modes can be altered during playback if you want to change the brightness or adjust the white balance.

There is also the option to switch the Mobile Bravia Engine 2 on or off, which enhances the contrast and clarity of the video.

One neat feature that comes in most Sony Xperia phones these days is the ability to throw your content wirelessly to a DLNA-compatible TVs or stereo.

Given that the Sony Xperia SP doesn't have any kind of HDMI connection, this is the best way of showing your photos or videos on a larger screen quickly and easily.

Sony started including the Throw function with the Sony Tablet S and has kept it in the Sony Xperia SP as another way to differentiate it from the rest of the budget Android army.

This being an Android smartphone, there's also the full range of media options available from Google's own stable.

Google Play movies offers all the same new films and TV shows as Sony's store and will enable you to either rent or buy using your Google credentials.

You'll also find Play Books and Play Magazines that take advantage of the recent expansion of the Google Play store. Other Android basics - such as the Movie Studio editing app and the FM radio - are also included.

Gallery

Pictures are arranged in a thumbnail collage separated by the date they were either captured, imported or downloaded.

A nice touch is that you can pinch the display to make the thumbnails either smaller or larger depending on how you want them displayed.

Alternatively, you can click the tab at the top of the screen to display by album.

The pre-loaded albums include Facebook pictures, camera shots, Picasa and PlayMemories and Globe - which shows your geotagged pictures on a 3D image of the planet.

Just like the Walkman app, Sony has included a SensMe option that enables you to quickly view your photos in a custom slide show.

The Sony Xperia SP will enable you to select your own theme and music and then jump through your pictures in a manner that's a lot more entertaining that just regular swiping.

Sony has obviously put a great deal of thought into the way its Xperia range handles media, and we're glad to see that even though the SP isn't a top-of-the-range model, most of the advanced features have made the cut.

Little touches such as the changing colour scheme and SensMe customisation make the Sony Xperia SP a real gem when it comes to viewing media.

Just be aware that you'll need to expand the 8GB internal memory considerably before importing too much media onto this phone.

Battery life and connectivity

Battery life

There's a Li-on 2,370 mAh battery tucked under the Sony Xperia SP's removable back and, as you might expect with the wide range of features available, it gives out pretty quickly under heavy usage.

Sony must have understood this, because it has included a Battery Stamina Mode that recognises when the display has been switched off (ergo, you're not actively using the phone) and switches off all the non-essential applications. When you hit the power button, it immediately fires everything back up again.

Similarly, Wi-Fi and mobile data traffic - the two biggest draws alongside the display - are disabled when the Stamina mode is engaged. You'll still get incoming calls and text messages but everything else gets put on standby.

This is a useful feature because it has to be said that the Sony Xperia SP does give up rather quickly during general usage, and you'll certainly need to charge it every night. Unfortunately it's the price we pay for walking around with mobile computers in our pockets all day long.

Connectivity

The only physical connectivity you'll find on the Sony Xperia SP is the micro USB/MHL port used for charging and syncing with a PC or external display, and the 3.5mm headphone jack on the top of the chassis.

One of the definite benefits of the Android operating system is the plug-and-play mentality of the connectivity. If you want to swap some music tracks or pictures between your PC and your phone, you can simply plug the Sony Xperia SP in and transfer between folders like any other device.

Bluetooth version 4.0 is included, as is Near-Field Communications (NFC), which immediately makes the Sony Xperia SP compatible with the vast majority of wireless speakers, headsets and game controllers out there.

Sony has plenty of first-party NFC accessories such as the Wireless SRS-BTV5 speaker and the Sony Xperia SmartTags NT2 that work simply by engaging the NFC and touching the Sony Xperia SP to each one. Its one-touch symbol is clearly displayed in the notifications panel on the top of the home screen and on a sticker on the back of the phone's case itself.

It can be used for streaming music or quickly sharing photos and files in a similar way to Android Beam. Of course, in order to get the full experience you're going to have to buy into the Sony ecosystem, so we'll leave that particular decision to you.

Telephony hasn't been left out, and the Sony Xperia SP comes with 4G support. For UK users, this is something that will become an important decision later in the year when the rest of the networks start rolling out 4G tariffs. US users can already benefit from an established choice of 4G plans.

All the connectivity options can be accessed in the Settings menu while some, such as Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, can also be quickly accessed through the notifications bar at the top of the screen.

There's also a dashboard widget included that'll enable you to toggle various settings on or off straight from the home screen.

Maps and apps

Maps

The Sony Xperia SP arrives with Google Maps all ready to go - and this is pretty much the only navigation app you're going to need. It's pretty much the de facto maps app for both Android and iOS smartphones alike, and there are plenty of features to take advantage of.

Turn-by-turn navigation is built in and you can select whether you're driving, walking or taking public transport. As usual, you're given the option to view the map as a satellite image and you can select favourite places as well as see recommendations for pubs and restaurants nearby.

The Sony Xperia SP found its location very quickly when we went out for a stroll, and the general performance of the app was up to scratch when we wanted to zoom in or out.

It slowed down slightly if we had other processes - such as music playback - running at the same time, but ultimately coped as well as any other smartphone at this price point.

Apps

We're fairly certain you'll bypass the Sony Select app gateway and head straight for Google's own burgeoning app store.

Sony Select is a rather sorry affair, although it does factor in Facebook suggestions. Divided into apps, music and games, the interface doesn't look as polished as Google Play, and the selection of apps in itself is pretty minimal.

Google Play's simple interface is very easy to use and is separated into apps, games, movies, music, books and magazines.

Any app you download will automatically be installed and a shortcut generated on some available space on the home screen.

Widgets are also available to select from the Google Play store and will end up in your app drawer for selection later.

While Sony is usually one of the worst manufacturers for including pre-loaded bloatware apps on its phones, the Sony Xperia SP is noticeably free of them. That might be because of the limited 8GB storage, but whatever the reason, it's a blessing.

All you really get in terms of Sony home grown talent is Wisepilot for Sony Xperia - a navigation tool made rather obsolete by Google Maps - and the option to download PlayStation for Xperia.

This gives you access to a Sony-exclusive PlayStation Store for smartphone games. Unfortunately, better games can be found on Google Play and there doesn't appear to be any sign of PlayStation's vast gaming history. Why no Crash Bandicoot or Tomb Raider?

By far the most interesting app available is the Socialife app, which replaces TimeScape as Sony's own social network aggregator. Once you've selected your region and added your account details you can get Twitter and Facebook updates in one place. There's also the option to channel other nuggets of information, such as news headlines and sports scores, into the feed.

The best part of the app is easily the excellent widget that makes flipping through the most recent updates particularly easy. It's great to be able to do this directly from the home screen - but be mindful that the continued connection will drain the battery even quicker.

There's a built-in feature called Smart Sorting that learns your interests by what you click on and changes your news feed subtly to favour your choices.

This is a long shot from HTC's Blinkfeed, but if you can't be bothered to swap regularly between apps to check the latest goings on, then you might find this particularly useful.

Again, the biggest barrier to apps on the Sony Xperia SP is the limited storage options. Large games such as GTA III or The Dark Knight Rises can easily swallow a gigabyte of storage space, and unfortunately the Sony Xperia SP just doesn't have that much to offer.

Hands on gallery

Official gallery

Verdict

Throughout the entire review, we had to keep in mind that the Sony Xperia SP was a mid-level handset costing £350/US$490, which is a good deal less than the top-tier smartphones available today. The very simple reason for this is that it kept threatening to break out of that classification and asked to be judged as a premium device.

The Xperia SP is a very accomplished handset from Sony, and it's with a tinge of sadness that we acknowledge it will probably fail to get the attention it deserves. Brighter lights are shining in the smartphone world these days, and the fact is that last year's superstars such as the Samsung Galaxy S3 and iPhone 4S remain very solid, affordable handsets

If you don't fancy the 5-inch screen size touted by top smartphones such as the Samsung Galaxy S4, Sony Xperia Z or HTC One, then the Sony Xperia SP is a very attractive alternative. There are plenty of people out there who are quite content to have a 4.6-inch device that doesn't require a hand like a baseball glove to keep hold of.

We liked

Top marks go to the Sony Xperia SP's camera. The range of settings and the quality of the images it produces were well beyond what we would expect from a smartphone at this price. It's become an indispensable tool of any modern smartphone, and Sony has concentrated its efforts to make sure this part of the Sony Xperia SP really punches above its weight.

Another positive inclusion is the addition of a microSD slot. It's pretty much a necessity really, and if Sony hadn't included one, it would have made this phone all-but-unpurchasable.

Lastly, we have to give a mention to the Walkman app. The way it looks is far more attractive than the standard Android music player found on other smartphones, and the interactive antenna is gimmicky but endearing. Music is a big part of Sony and the sheer amount of options available for organising, cataloguing and playing music shouldn't go unnoticed here.

We disliked

As we repeatedly mentioned, the 8GB of storage space on the Sony Xperia SP really hampers it. You'll only get 5.5GB of actual usable space, which will quickly fill up with some albums, a couple of movies and a handful of apps.

Luckily, a microSD card won't set you back very much these days, which is a good thing, since you'll need one here, but does preclude downloading massive games to really test the internals.

The battery life also leaves a lot to be desired. Sony appears to have taken note of this with its Stamina software, which goes some way towards addressing the problem. However, if you're going to be away from home or the office for a day, there's no getting around the fact you're going to need to bring a charger with you.

Despite Sony's attempt to dress the Xperia SP up with a good-looking interface, premium design and extra features, this is still a phone with a dual-core 1.7GHz processor.

At times, it shows. If anything, you'll forget this is a mid-level handset and try to overstretch it with tasks, resulting in a bit of lag when surfing the internet or using apps. What we will say, though, is that it handles Android Jelly Bean very well - moving around the OS is a real pleasure on this phone.

Final verdict

Despite noticeable shortcomings with storage space and occasional processor speed, we really came to like the Sony Xperia SP. It's a handset that so desperately wants to be able to sit at the grown-up table even though it's really only a mid-level device.

The excellent camera and range of connectivity that includes NFC and 4G go hand-in-hand with a great design and a screen size that will be just right for someone that doesn't want a high-end 5-inch monster.

If you're on a budget, we'd consider it ahead of last year's high-flyers, and it's certainly better than Sony's previous Xperia T model.

Heavy users will likely get frustrated with the moderate battery and mediocre processor. But if you want to save a bit of money and still own a smartphone that you can show off at parties or around the office, you could do a lot worse than picking up the Sony Xperia SP.

Introduction

With the iPad mini selling for a mighty £269 (US$329, AU$369) despite its small size, it was never going to be long until those responsible for 2012's slew of 10-inch iPad beaters turned their attentions to Apple's newest, smallest pad.

In truth the likes of Archos, Acer and Samsung were almost certainly working on 8-inch tablets well before Apple's launch of the iPad mini - and so-called 'phablet' phone-tablet hybrids aren't much smaller - but it's against the market leader that budget efforts such as the Archos 80 Titanium must be judged.

Announced and previewed way back in January at the CES 2013 trade show, this 8-inch tablet from Archos is just one of the brand's impressively large haul of new 8-to-10-inch tablets, all of which come sporting the Android operating system.

As the name suggests, the Archos 80 Titanium has a metallic back plate that's highly reminiscent of an iPad, as is its all-white bezel.

In fact, a brief glance at this tablet and you'll likely mistake it for an iPad 4, partly because it looks nothing like an iPad mini. The main differences are purely physical; the Archos 80 Titanium isn't as slim, it weighs much more, and the sides of the bezel - when held in portrait stance - are far wider than those on the iPad mini.

It's also well under half the price of the iPad mini, and we'd do well to remember that, despite the omissions on the Archos 80 Titanium.

That said, we must report that you won't find Bluetooth connectivity on this Wi-Fi-only model, while GPS is missing, too. Arguably the lack of Bluetooth is more of a worry, since it rules out pairing with a Bluetooth keyboard.

This makes the Archos 80 Titanium less attractive and credible as even an occasional laptop-killer for word processing.

We've noticed a trend recently of smaller tablets becoming popular as dashboard GPS systems in cars, which is something that the Archos 80 Titanium will have to excuse itself from, too.

That metallic back isn't all it's cracked up to be either. It feels very cold in the hand, which is important at this size since the 8-inch size of the tablet is primarily designed to be held in one hand.

It's not a problem that lasts for too long, though, with the Archos 80 Titanium getting pretty hot after 30 minutes or so of use.

However, we've related these niggles just to make you aware of the Archos 80 Titanium's limitations, and we're confident that for many users - particularly those who simply want a tablet around the house for browsing the web and perhaps some home networking for photos (it's particularly good at the latter) - will be delighted with the Archos 80 Titanium. After all, it's something of a bargain.

Speaking of which, the Archos 80 Titanium comes with either 8GB or 16GB or built-in storage, and is priced at £149.99 (US$169) for the smaller capacity model, putting it up against budget tablets such as the Acer Iconia A1 and Disgo 8400G, and considerably undercutting the 8-inch Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0.

Both the 8GB and 16GB versions of the Archos 80 Titanium contain a microSD card slot for either increasing that storage up to as much as 32GB or transferring music, photos and videos from a smartphone or computer.

The Archos 80 Titanium is one of four models in the Titanium family, and is joined by smaller brother the 7-inch Archos 70 Titanium and bigger brothers the 9.7-inch Archos 97 Titanium and 10.1-inch Archos 101 Titanium.

Other tablets in Archos's new range include the Archos GamePad and Archos ChildPad in the Themed series and the Archos 80 Platinum and brothers in the Elements series, of which the Titanium family are a part.

Features

Measuring 200 x 154 x 9.9mm (7.9 x 6 x 0.38 inches) and weighing 440g (0.97lbs) - compared to the iPad mini's 308g (0.68lbs) or the 213g (0.47lbs) of the Kindle Paperwhite - the Archos 80 Titanium is nevertheless well sized for its duties.

It is heavier to hold in one hand that we'd ideally like, but it's also got that physical presence and top quality, solid build that's very difficult to find in the budget tablet market. In fact, the Archos 80 Titanium is hugely impressive in this department, and it should last for yonks.

Still, nit-pickers will notice that while the iPad mini's bezel is but a few millimetres on its sides, it's 17mm (0.67 inches) on the Archos 80 Titanium. However, elsewhere the Archos 80 Titanium takes a hefty lead over its pricier rival with a plethora of ins and outs that really stretch its capabilities.

Probably the most significant is its microSDHC card slot, which is capable of taking a maximum 32GB card. Now that's a huge amount of extra storage, and it will only cost you an extra £15 ($20) or so.

There's one reason, right there, why some people are wanting to avoid Apple and its uber expensive pricing with lack of expansion, but there are other reasons, too.

Granted, the iPad mini can theoretically be attached to an HD TV, but it's a messy and expensive process compared to on the Archos 80 Titanium, which includes a standard mini HDMI output for such duties.

Both of those key connections are on the top of the Archos 80 Titanium when you hold it in portrait orientation, and they're accompanied by a headphones slot, a reset button, a micro USB slot (there's a cable in the box) and a DC input.

The latter means using the proprietary wall charger supplied in the box, which is a huge shame for travellers who have to stow yet another charger in their ever-increasing day sack. Still, that's also the case with the iPad mini, so we shouldn't be too harsh.

One thing we ought to mention is that despite the Archos 80 Titanium's sleek appearance, the machining of these ins and outs isn't the best; there are tiny gaps around housings and no attempt at covers or recessed designs.

On the left-hand side of the Archos 80 Titanium, still in portrait position, is a volume rocker and something we've not seen on an Android tablet before - a hard-button Home control.

Both are in hard, white plastic, and though the Home button did prove useful at times during our test, it's actually in completely the wrong position for right-handed users, who have to reach over to the other side of the tablet to engage it.

Worse, when the Archos 80 Titanium is in landscape orientation, it's on the bottom.

Where the Archos 80 Titanium compares well to the iPad mini and every other 8-inch tablet we've seen is on screen resolution. While the world waits for an iPad mini Retina or similar, that gadget's 1024 x 768 pixel resolution is standard on its rivals, too, but it's worth briefly considering the maths.

While many smartphones now boast 16:9 screens, even the iPhone 5, the Archos 80 Titanium and all of its rivals have remained with a 4:3 aspect ratio screen.

A capacitive multi-touch LED-backlit LCD screen type, its 4:3 shape isn't perhaps ideal for watching widescreen video, but it is hugely preferable for reading and web browsing, since neither medium has gone widescreen just yet.

The Archos 80 Titanium takes more points from the iPad mini with its processing power. Inside is an ARM Cortex A9 dual-core 1.6GHz processor and 1GB of RAM, which is significantly more powerful than Apple's effort. However, Acer's 8-inch, quad-core Iconia A1 tablet might put the Archos 80 Titanium in its place.

Interface and performance

The Archos 80 Titanium's touchscreen features a slight lag. By that we mean there's a drag of about half a centimetre before the screen catches up, though it doesn't make much difference to usability.

In fact, during our test we were able to launch several apps, have them running simultaneously, and still operate the browser and other functions.

Occasionally we had a freeze-up or an overly long delay, but these were few. As a simple web browsing device, the Archos 80 Titanium has just about enough processing power.

A standard Android 4.1 Jelly Bean experience rules on the Archos 80 Titanium, and though it may not be the very, very latest 4.2 specification, there's little difference in practice.

Here, Google Now is fully integrated - complete with microphone icon in the top-left of the screen - and other Google-made apps such as Gmail, YouTube and Maps are all part of the jigsaw.

Although it doesn't negatively affect usability at this small size, it could be argued that the low resolution of the screen is an issue.

Photos, videos, web pages and books look absolutely fine, though it is possible to see the grid-like pixel structure - and you don't have to look all that closely.

Like some Archos tablets before it, there are restrictions on how long the Archos 80 Titanium can stay awake. As a default it sleeps after barely a minute of inactivity, automatically pausing all downloads and other processes.

It's possible - even recommended - to alter this to 30 minutes, the maximum Archos permits, though it does all point towards the Archos 80 Titanium being built with one serious problem: poor battery longevity.

Battery life and benchmarks

In fact, if there is major worry about this otherwise good value tablet, it's battery life - or its lack of. By running the Nyan cat video from YouTube at full-screen, full brightness for one hour, we took the Archos 80 Titanium from a fully charged battery down to 64%.

We managed to use it on-and-off for almost a complete day on a single charge, though don't count on watching more than a few hours of video in one go.

On our oft-used benchmarks, the Archos 80 Titanium achieved an average of 1,794 on JavaScript benchmark tool SunSpider, while tests on Peacekeeper produced results of 332 for the Chrome browser and 540 for the native browser.

The Archos 80 Titanium earned an average of 11,505 on AnTuTu, which is slightly less than the 12-13,000 that most mid- sized tablets achieve.

Internet

When looking to play on the internet, the choice between the vanilla web browser and Chrome - which is already present on the Archos 80 Titanium as a default - must be made, which is a bit of a drag.

Surely they're from the same design house at Google? It's time the native Android web browser was put to bed, since its presence is unnecessary and potentially fragments and complicates matters.

Web browsing in our tests with both browsers was fast enough, with up to about six tabs dealt with speedily before things started to slow down.

The 4:3 aspect ratio works well for browsing and, in fact, so does the wider-than-the iPad mini bezel. Having something on each side of the Archos 80 Titanium to hold onto without disturbing the touchscreen is, we think, the way to go. Apple might have over-done the slim thing.

Media and apps

Media is where the Archos 80 Titanium behaves less like 'any Android gadget' and begins to deliver an Archos-centric experience.

Part of the Archos Media Center software suite, the Archos 80 Titanium includes both Archos Movies and Archos Music.

Movies

As a platform to play videos, Archos Movies is far superior to the vanilla Android experience, though still not the polished experience it could be.

File format support wasn't as wide as we had expected, with no support for MKV HD files, though tests with AVI, MP4, MOV, WMV and WMV HD files were all successful. The audio within sample AVC HD files we used wasn't supported, though.

There are three ways to watch natively 21:9 video in Archos Video - either as it comes, zoomed in slightly (both of these options put black bars top and bottom) or zoomed in full-screen, which cuts off the edges.

We also noticed that by touching the screen during video playback, only controls associated with the app itself were reachable, with the core Android controls in the bottom left-hand corner appearing only fleetingly, and unpredictably. That hard Home button therefore did prove very useful after all.

The quality of video playback, however, is mostly excellent. Contrast is good, colours are well saturated and HD detail is high, though we did notice a slight emptiness to black areas of the image, along with some blur during fast-moving sequences. The viewing angle was wider than we'd expected during our generally very enjoyable video test.

Music

The Archos Music app is also far better than the vanilla Android experience, although once again the file format support is only mildly impressive.

Lossless FLAC music files are supported, as are MP3 and M4A files, but little else. The presentation of cover art in a carousel, file lists and sorting by album, artist and many other divisions is dynamic and thoroughly impressive.

In both the Archos Music and Archos Video services we managed to stream from an iMac sporting UPnP software.

So it's a shame that both music and movies are hampered somewhat by poor sound. The Archos 80 Titanium's mono speaker, which is housed on the back panel near the bottom - beside a huge Archos logo, the model name, and an HDMI logo - is pretty ropey.

That problem remains with headphones attached, sadly, with thin, weedy and bass-less sound that lacks in the mid-range, too. Sadly, there's no way to change the parameters of audio.

Books

There is no native support on Android tablets for ebooks of any format, though there are myriad app choices on the Google Play Store, such as Ebook Reader or the dedicated Kindle or Kobo apps if you have an account or similarly-branded device.

However, even after we downloaded one of these, we tried emailing a DRM-free ePub file to a Gmail account, but couldn't get the Archos 80 Titanium to open it as an attachment - despite it now having the correct software/apps installed.

It wasn't quite the joined-up experience we'd hoped for, then, though it's likely a problem with Android, rather than Archos.

Apps and games

The Archos 80 Titanium offers full, unrestricted to Google Play, and it's also possible to load up apps from other sources. However, there are a few bonuses and pre-installed apps that Archos has curated.

As well as the likes of Gmail, YouTube, Maps, Google+, Streetview, Google Play Books / Magazines / Music / Movies and Google Calendar, Archos has also proved Archos Music, Archos Video, Archos File manager and Archos System Monitor.

However, the classiest extra is Mobile Systems' OfficeSuite 6, which is a collection of word processing and spreadsheet viewing applications.

Upon first launch, we were taken to a website, then linked to Google Play, where the latest version 7 downloaded for free.

It's nothing special - just a document reader and sharer - but it does come with Brief Me (a free social media dashboard), free news app News Republic and the World of Goo game, worth 65p ($0.99).

Either way, you'll need to upgrade to the Pro version for £9.65 (around $14.50) if you want to partake in some serious word processing and spreadsheet creation and editing.

For test purposes we downloaded Angry Birds and the massive CSR Racing. We found that gameplay was smooth, with no jitters, delays or freeze-ups.

One thing we did notice, though, was that when the Archos 80 Titanium was busy updating apps - something we set it to do without seeking permission first - the stability of the entire operating system was seriously threatened, with frequent app crashes and an inability to get online in Gmail and YouTube. It all returns to normal afterwards, but perhaps it's best not to permit auto-updates.

Camera and video

The camera is where the Archos 80 Titanium really lets itself down, although for a tablet clearly aimed at being used around the house, perhaps it's an area that Archos decided to cut out to achieve a truly rock- bottom price.

Still, it's about as basic as it gets. There's a front- facing camera, which is situated on the top-left when held in portrait orientation, is simple VGA quality and good enough for only the most basic of Skype calls. No problems there, but things aren't much better on the back.

Situated almost directly behind on the rear, the camera here is a mere 2MP quality, and produces pictures imbued with blockiness, softness and dull colours.

It's even worse for video; recording in the MP4 format, the Archos 80 Titanium manages just VGA quality - 640 x 320 pixels - at an astonishingly low nine frames per second, which means wobbly moving pictures.

There's also no flash onboard, which makes taking photographs indoors pointless for more reasons than low resolution. It's the final nail, though it's only likely to be annoying to younger users. After all, what grown man or woman takes pictures with a tablet?

Finally on photography, we do have to report that the Gallery function isn't too smart; despite uploading photos to a Google photo album and attempting to sync with the Archos 80 Titanium, it only downloaded the thumbnails, not the full photos.

Click here to see the full resolution image

Click here to see the full resolution image

Click here to see the full resolution image

Click here to see the full resolution image

Click here to see the full resolution image

Click here to see the full resolution image

Hands on gallery

Verdict

The main rival to the Archos 80 Titanium is the iPad mini, along with Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 - both of which sell for a great deal more.

That's some tough technical competition and if you look at the Titanium's price bracket it's got an equalling tricky challenge with the likes of the Amazon Kindle Fire HD and Google Nexus 7 for company.

We liked

The hard button Home control on the Archos 80 Titanium's side is novel, the overall styling is quite some achievement, and its bountiful connectivity is excellent. It performs all of the core tasks of a tablet efficiently and the build quality is as good as anything on the market.

The mini HDMI-out connection is nice, as is the microSD card expansion slot, while the bundling of the OfficeSuite package and the custom-made Archos Music and Archos Video apps adds to the already scintillating value.

And the price? Well, £150 (US$170) is so low that we're not convinced the Archos 80 Titanium shouldn't be bought in multiples. It certainly earns an extra point on our overall score for its low price alone, especially considering its excellent build quality.

We disliked

Some will detest the 2MP camera and the lack of HD video recording on the tablet, while others will rue the lack of Bluetooth and GPS.

The white-only design won't appeal to all - in fact, it could even restrict the Archos 80 Titanium's mainstream chances and make it a child-centric tablet - and it's much heavier than an iPad mini.

A poor battery and even worse camera will hamper its attractiveness to anyone wanting a tablet on the move, as will the use of a proprietary power cable.

The use of the already past-it Android 4.1 spec might concern some, too, while the occasional freeze-ups and a lack of multitasking during downloads might also annoy.

Final verdict

There are problems, issues, and 'missing' features when you compare the Archos 80 Titanium to an iPad mini, but that costs twice as much.

Besides, despite its lack of GPS, Bluetooth and poor cameras, it does add flexible options like mini HDMI and micro USB connections.

And in many areas the Archos 80 Titanium out-performs its heftily- priced rival to the extent that anyone thinking of purchasing a small tablet should seriously consider whether spending more than this is really necessary.

And that is quite some achievement; bravo to Archos and its great-looking, awesome value 8-inch Titanium tablet.

Introduction

The travel camera segment of the compact camera market is continuing to do well against a general backdrop of declining sales. These cameras can offer significantly more than the average compact camera, especially in terms of zoom capability.

The Canon PowerShot SX280 HS - or Canon SX280 for short - replaces the Canon SX260. There are actually two versions of the same camera, the other being the Canon SX270 which features pretty much all of the same specifications, but lacks the inbuilt Wi-Fi and GPS of its slightly more expensive sibling.

A 12.1 million pixel high-sensitivity (HS) CMOS sensor is joined by the headline feature of a 20x optical zoom lens. Starting at an equivalent (in 35mm terms) of 25mm, the Canon SX280's lens is capable of reaching a fairly impressive 500mm.

ZoomPlus technology boosts that up to 40x, or 1000mm equivalent, and you can even push it further to 80x by combining ZoomPlus with the camera's digital teleconverter, giving a fairly staggering 2000mm reach. Image quality at the 80x equivalent length is likely to suffer, especially because it will be a crop of the full resolution image, but it might be handy occasionally.

At its widest point, the lens's maximum aperture is f/3.5, which although isn't particularly bright compared with some of the premium cameras currently on the market, is average for a camera with such a high zoom ratio.

One of the most interesting features of the Canon SX280 is that it is the first Canon camera, of any kind, to feature the latest Digic 6 processor. Canon often debuts the latest iteration of its processors in its compact cameras before distributing them among the rest of the range.

With an improved processor comes the promise of improved noise performance and video recording capabilities. As such, the Canon SX280 is capable of shooting at 60fps for ultra smooth movie footage.

Compared with Canon's range of IXUS cameras, the upper end of the PowerShot range generally features more advanced options, such as full manual control. The Canon SX280 includes a range of shooting modes, giving you the choice of fully automatic, semi-automatic modes (aperture priority and shutter priority) and fully manual modes. There's no capability for raw format shooting, though.

Along with advanced modes, there's also a range of different modes designed to appeal to beginners, including scene modes, digital filter effect modes and the interesting Hybrid Auto mode. This basically creates a short video clip before you shoot every photo, combining all the clips at the end of each day into a Movie Digest to accompany your shots.

The camera also uses the information it gathers from shooting the movie clip to determine the best settings to use for the still image.

Digital filters, now found on most cameras to appeal to the Instagram crowd, include Fish-eye Effect, Toy Camera Effect and the ubiquitous Miniature Effect.

The Canon SX280 joins the brand's ever expanding number of compact cameras with inbuilt Wi-Fi and GPS. The Wi-Fi functionality is designed to make sharing images quicker and easier. There's a free downloadable app for iOS and Android devices for sharing images between the camera and your smartphone or tablet. As yet, there's no remote control functionality, though.

GPS offers the opportunity to geotag your images with a location, as well as create a log of your journey.

Priced at £259.99 / AU$299.95 / US$329.99, the Canon SX280 HS has a few rivals, with probably the biggest competitor being the Panasonic TZ40, which also features a 20x optical zoom lens and inbuilt Wi-Fi and GPS.

The Nikon Coolpix S9500 is also a competitor, with a 22x optical zoom capability and GPS. Sony's recently announced Cyber-Shot HX50 is also a potential competitor, although this is significantly more expensive and features a 30x optical zoom.

Build quality and handling

For a compact camera packing an impressive 20x optical zoom, the Canon SX280 is impressively slim, and will easily slip into a jeans or coat pocket.

On the front of the camera is a small strip that acts as a finger grip, helping when shooting one-handed - but it looks a little odd, since it doesn't take up much space on the camera.

All of the camera's buttons are arranged along the right-hand side, making them easily accessible with your thumb. On top of the camera, the on/off switch can be found, alongside the shutter release and the zoom switch.

Since you're likely to be using the zoom mechanism fairly frequently, it's nice that this switch feels sturdy and not too flimsy. The zooming action itself is smooth and fluid, enabling you to get from the wide angle of the lens to the telephoto end with ease.

The zoom pauses as it reaches the 40x digital zoom area, making it easy to avoid accidental strays into digital if you don't want to use it. You'll need to release and re-zoom if you want to push the zoom up to the 80x limit, which is a nice touch.

On the back of the camera, at the top-right is a mode dial for quickly switching between the various modes on offer, such as fully automatic, semi-automatic (aperture priority and shutter priority) and fully manual. It's also here that you'll find scene mode, digital filters and the Hybrid Auto mode.

It's pretty useful having this dial, since it saves having to fiddle around in the main menu to get to the shooting mode you want to use. Unlike the Panasonic TZ40, there isn't room here for groups of custom settings, which is a bit of a shame.

There's also the traditional four-way navigational control pad, surrounded by a scrolling dial. This dial is used to set the aperture or shutter speed, depending on the mode that you're shooting in. If you're in fully manual mode, hitting the up directional key enables you to switch between the two. This button doubles up as the exposure compensation button when shooting in other modes.

Other functions accessed via the four-way pad include the focusing modes (macro, normal and manual), flash (on/off) and timer. Pressing the function button in the middle of the pad brings up a sort of quick menu that gives you easy access to commonly used settings, such as white balance, image ratio and sensitivity.

A more extensive menu can be accessed by pressing the dedicated Menu button, but you'll probably find you rarely need to use this.

By default, autofocusing is set to Face AiAF. This gives priority to faces, but can bring up problems if you're trying to focus and recompose on other kinds of subjects.

For the majority of shooting subjects, we'd recommend using Center Frame AF as it makes it easier to focus and recompose. It's a big shame that, unlike the Panasonic TZ40, you can't set different autofocus points yourself, since this would give more flexibility.

One oddity of the camera is that it doesn't show on the screen how different settings will affect the final image once you've changed a setting. For example, while shooting in aperture priority, if you set the exposure compensation to +2, while you are making that change, the screen shows how the resulting image will be exposed.

However, as soon as you exit the exposure compensation dialog box, the picture returns to normal. This can make it tricky to adequately assess the settings you need to use.

Using the Wi-Fi functions of the camera is fairly easy, if not without a few niggles. It is accessed while playing back images, since currently the only functionality is to share images between devices.

The up button on the four-way control pad is used to access Wi-Fi settings, and once you've already set up a device (such as a smartphone) with the camera it is remembered for quicker access.

You can also connect the camera to another Wi-Fi-enabled camera, computers and printers. Sadly there's no way to directly share images via social networking sites and email, like with Samsung's range of smart cameras, which is a shame.

Instead, to share an image while out and about you'd need to connect your phone to the camera, send the picture across, then reconnect your phone to a Wi-Fi/mobile data network and upload the pictures. It's a little bit of a cumbersome task, but it's a nice to have addition if you like that kind of thing.

The GPS functionality is switched on via the Function menu. You can choose to only embed GPS data to each image, or to do this and create a log of your travels. Switch the travel log off if you want to conserve battery, since this also works when the camera is switched off.

Performance

We continue to be impressed by Canon's range of both IXUS and PowerShot cameras, so we had high hopes for the Canon SX280, with its excellent zoom capabilities and number of appealing features.

Happily, we've not been disappointed by the image quality. Colours are bold and punchy, without being overly vibrant. Skies are represented well, as are bright whites. It also copes well with skin tones.

If we zoom into images at 100%, there is evidence of some image smoothing, even at lower sensitivities, but the camera puts in a very similar performance in this respect to what is perhaps its closest competitor, the Panasonic TZ40. Smoothing is not particularly noticeable at these lower ISOs at normal printing and web sizes, so for the average user it's nothing to worry about.

Similarly, closely examining images with areas of high contrast reveals a little purple fringing, which is not uncommon for compact cameras. It's fairly well controlled though, and not particularly noticeable when viewing images at normal sizes.

Although the maximum aperture of the Canon SX280's lens is f/3.5, you can still achieve some pleasing shallow depth of field effects, especially when shooting macro images. With these images, the out of focus areas are rendered very well, with an excellent drop-off in focus and attractive bokeh.

The automatic white balance system does a reasonable job in the majority of conditions to produce accurate colours. Sometimes, however, under artificial lighting the camera will err towards producing slightly warmer images than we would like. To combat this, you can either set a more appropriate white balance setting or create a custom white balance.

General purpose metering, known as evaluative metering, on Canon cameras also does a good job to produce balanced exposures in the majority of conditions. If the scene is particularly high contrast, then the camera does struggle a little, but you can switch to spot or partial metering to attempt to combat this. Alternatively, you can focus and recompose to make the camera take a reading from a different part of the scene.

As probably the standout feature of this camera, it's reasonable to expect a good performance from the optical zoom lens. Images shot at the furthest reach of the telephoto optic are good, with plenty of detail retained.

You can choose to shoot with image stabilisation activated - this is useful if you don't have access to a tripod or steady surface to rest the camera on. It does have a slight effect on the resulting final image quality though, especially when zoomed in at 100%, so it's something to bear in mind. Images shot handheld without image stabilisation are still relatively blur-free, especially in good light.

Happily, the Canon SX280's digital zoom is also a good performer. ZoomPlus boosts the capability up to 40x and manages to retain a good level of quality, and it certainly gives plenty of flexibility.

As you might expect, image quality drops when using the 80x zoom function, and since it's effectively a cropped image, you won't be able to make large prints from any images shot at this (equivalent) focal length. That said, having the ability to shoot at this distance is a nice feature to have, even if it probably won't get used all that often.

The new Digic 6 processor brings with it the promise of improved low light performance. Compared with its predecessor, the Canon SX260 HS, the Canon SX280 did put in a marginally better performance in our labs test for signal to noise ratio.

That said, at higher sensitivities, such as ISO 1600, the results were so close they were hardly separable.

At higher sensitivity settings, such as ISO 1600, the Canon SX280 puts in a good performance for a camera with a sensor this size (1/2.3-inch). Although noise is apparent at this point, it's not too bad, but it's worth pointing out that there is some loss of detail.

By the time you reach even higher sensitivities, such as ISO 3200, there's even more loss of detail and more noise. That said, at normal printing and web sizes, images are more than usable and are certainly better than not being able to get the shot at all.

On the whole, autofocusing speeds are very quick, enabling you to get the shot you need. While using macro focusing the camera sometimes takes a little longer to achieve focus, but it's rare for a false confirmation of focus to appear.

Digital filters included on the Canon SX280 vary from Toy Camera to Miniature and Super Vivid. While there's not the vast range that cameras such as the Olympus XZ-2 offers, it's still worth experimenting with what the camera has to offer.

The Canon SX280's screen is not a particularly high resolution device, and as already mentioned it's not a touchscreen. That said, it doesn't seem to suffer too badly from glare or reflections in all but the very brightest of sunlight, and offers a clear and bright view of the scene being photographed. Images played back appear crisp and vibrant.

Battery life when not using the GPS functionality is reasonable, putting in a few solid hours of shooting time, meaning if you're using it fairly lightly while on holiday it should be fine. It might be worth investing in a spare battery, though, if you think you might be a very heavy user.

Activating the GPS function does drain the battery significantly, and again, if you're hoping to use this while shooting on holiday, a second battery would be a good idea.

Noise and dynamic range

We shoot a specially designed chart in carefully controlled conditions and the resulting images are analysed using DXO Analyzer software to generate the data to produce the graphs below.

A high signal to noise ratio (SNR) indicates a cleaner and better quality image.

For more more details on how to interpret our test data, check out our full explanation of our noise and dynamic range tests.

Here we compare the Canon PowerShot SX280 HS with the Samsung WB850, Canon PowerShot SX260 HS and Panasonic TZ40.

JPEG signal to noise ratio

As we can see from this graph, the Canon SX280's JPEG files show a relatively strong signal to noise ratio, with a greater signal to noise ratio than JPEGs from the Panasonic TZ40 at every sensitivity, and greater than the Canon SX260's images at every sensitivity but ISO 800 and ISO 3200. The Canon SX280's JPEGs show a stronger signal to noise ratio than the Samsung WB850's at ISO 100, but at ISO 200 and above the Samsung's images take the lead.

JPEG dynamic range

JPEG results for dynamic range are more impressive than those for signal to noise ratio, with the Canon SX280's images showing greater dynamic range than the Canon SX260 and Panasonic TZ40's at every sensitivity. They also contain greater dynamic range than the Samsung WB850's JPEGs at every sensitivity but ISO 100 and ISO 400, where the two produce very similar scores.

Image quality and resolution

As part of our image quality testing for the Canon SX280, we've shot our resolution chart.

If you view our crops of the resolution chart's central section at 100% (or Actual Pixels) you will see that, for example, at ISO 80 the Canon SX280 is capable of resolving up to around 20 (line widths per picture height x100) in its highest quality JPEG files.

For a full explanation of what our resolution charts mean, and how to read them, check out our full explanation of our camera testing resolution charts.

Examining images of the chart taken at each sensitivity setting reveals the following resolution scores in line widths per picture height x100:

JPEG

Full ISO 80 image, see the cropped (100%) versions below.

ISO 80, score: 20 (Click here to see the full resolution image)

ISO 100, score: 20 (Click here to see the full resolution image)

ISO 200, score: 20 (Click here to see the full resolution image)

ISO 400, score: 18 (Click here to see the full resolution image)

ISO 800, score: 18 (Click here to see the full resolution image)

ISO 1600, score: 16 (Click here to see the full resolution image)

ISO 3200, score: 12 (Click here to see the full resolution image)

ISO 6400, score: 12 (Click here to see the full resolution image)

Sample images

Click here to see the full resolution image

Colours are represented well straight from the Canon SX280, being bold and vibrant without being overly saturated.

Click here to see the full resolution image

Generally, evaluative metering does a good job of producing well balanced exposures.

Click here to see the full resolution image

The Canon SX280's lens offers a good wide angle of view, giving you plenty of flexibility when capturing different scenes.

Click here to see the full resolution image

With a 20x zoom range on offer, you have a variety of focal lengths to choose from, making this an extremely flexible proposition for travelling photographers.

Click here to see the full resolution image

You can choose to shoot in different aspect ratios. By default, the camera shoots at 4:3, but 1:1 is also available.

Click here to see the full resolution image

For a cinematic look, a shooting ratio of 16:9 is also available.

Click here to see the full resolution image

You might find yourself using some of the digital filters more often than others. Toy Camera was probably our favourite, giving a distinctive vignette and altering the colours of the images.

Click here to see the full resolution image

The 20x zoom capability of the Canon SX280 is its standout feature. Here this scene is shot at the fully wide angle end of the lens.

Click here to see the full resolution image

Here is the 20x optical zoom function at its fullest, which is probably more than enough for most scenarios.

Click here to see the full resolution image

However, should you want to push the camera even further, Zoom Plus enables you to increase this functionality up to 40x.

Click here to see the full resolution image

Even at the full 80x zoom, the Canon SX280 is capable of producing images that are useable at small sizes. This is essentially a crop of the higher resolution images, so large scale printing won't be possible.

Digital filters

Click here to see the full resolution image

Click here to see the full resolution image

Click here to see the full resolution image

Click here to see the full resolution image

Click here to see the full resolution image

Click here to see the full resolution image

Click here to see the full resolution image

Sensitivity and noise images

JPEG

Full ISO 80 image, see the cropped (100%) versions below.

ISO 80 (Click here to see the full resolution image)

ISO 100 (Click here to see the full resolution image)

ISO 200 (Click here to see the full resolution image)

ISO 400 (Click here to see the full resolution image)

ISO 800 (Click here to see the full resolution image)

ISO 1600 (Click here to see the full resolution image)

ISO 3200 (Click here to see the full resolution image)

ISO 6400 (Click here to see the full resolution image)

Verdict

Canon's SX280 is a very appealing proposition for anybody looking for a decent travel compact camera that offers lots of control over different settings, as well as a high zoom ratio and pocket-friendly proportions.

Continuing to impress with both its IXUS and PowerShot range, Canon has another camera in the SX280 that comfortably produces excellent images and is very easy to use.

Its pictures display a good range of colour and plenty of detail, and low light performance is admirable. Keeping the pixel count down to 12.1 million pixels may seem strange in this age where most companies are pushing 16-18 million pixel sensored devices, but we think this relatively low resolution helps with the low light and low noise performance.

That said, this camera is far from perfect, which is a shame. Firstly, there's no touchscreen, which while it arguably helps to keep the cost down, is something that Panasonic has included on its TZ40, which is available for not much more than the Canon SX280's current retail price.

You're also unable to shoot in raw format, or change the autofocus point. While the former point is not uncommon for compact cameras of its ilk, the latter seems like a strange decision for a camera that offers so much manual control elsewhere.

While it's nice to have inbuilt Wi-Fi, it could be much more usefully implemented than it is here. Several companies seem to be struggling with how best to integrate Wi-Fi into cameras, but Samsung seems to be the only company to offer truly useful functionality, such as the ability to upload to Facebook and the like directly from the camera itself.

It's also a shame that you can't remotely control the camera via the downloadable smartphone app, which is something that the Panasonic TZ40 does offer.

We liked

There's plenty to like about the Canon SX280, but its standout feature has to be its excellent 20x optical zoom range accompanied by the well-performing digital zoom capability. Image stabilisation also does an excellent job of keeping images blur-free and making it easy to compose images too.

We disliked

Sadly, there's also plenty to dislike about the Canon SX280. There's still no touchscreen on this range of cameras, and it seems more than a little odd that you can't change the autofocus point. We'd also like to see a slightly better implementation of the Wi-Fi functionality.

Final verdict

A 20x optical zoom offers a great amount of flexibility and matches the TZ40's ratio. It doesn't quite offer the extra-long reach of the Sony HX50, which has a 30x zoom capability, but it's worth noting that this camera is much cheaper than the Sony. Canon's digital zoom (Zoom Plus) is also excellent, offering that bit of extra flexibility if you need it.

Several manufacturers are including digital filters on their cameras, which no doubt appeals to the legions of smartphone photographers used to the likes of Instagram. While the Canon SX280 offers some interesting options, other manufacturers, including Olympus and Panasonic, seem to do this better. It would be great to see Canon including a way of keeping a "normal" version of a shot should you decide that a digital filter was a bad idea further along the line.

Hybrid Auto is a nice feature to use, and we can see it being particularly appealing for "event" photography, such as a family holiday, party or wedding. It's a shame that the Movie Digest function can't also be used with other functions, since it's a fun accompaniment to a day's worth of still shots.

What we have here is an excellent and well performing compact camera that offers lots of flexibility both to beginner users and those looking for something a little more advanced.

It would also be a good camera for anybody looking to learn a little more about photography, since you could start on the fully automatic settings and work your way through the manual options.

On Thursday, Hisense announced it was releasing not one, but two new 7-inch Android tablets designed to appeal to the budget-conscious consumer.

The Sero 7 series was developed as a partnership between Hisense, Wal-mart and Nvidia, and is priced to cut into competitor sales immediately.

While the diminutive devices may be a little late to the game, the Sero 7 Pro could go toe-to-toe with Google's own Nexus 7 in terms of performance and value.

Sero 7 LT

Of the two Sero 7 tablets Hisense is releasing, the $99 LT model is on the lower end in terms of specs and features. Even though it shares the same 7-inch screen size with the Sero 7 Pro, the LT's 1024 x 600 resolution is immediately unimpressive.

There's a definite lack of sharpness, and the more the brightness is turned up, the worse it gets. That wouldn't be so bad if screen brightness wasn't one of Hisense's major selling points.

The Sero 7 LT's skinned Android 4.1: Jelly Bean operating system works exactly as it should, and is as easy and intuitive as expected. Even with a 1.6GHz dual-core processor, the LT doesn't have many other hardware factors to boast about.

The plastic shell does keep the LT feeling light, but definitely feels like a manufacturing cost decision versus a form-factor decision.

Oddly enough, the power and volume buttons on the LT have been placed on the left-hand side, which is the exact opposite of similar Android devices, including the Sero 7 Pro.

Sero 7 Pro

Whatever the Sero 7 LT lacked in "wow," the Sero 7 Pro more than made up for its little brother's shortcomings. Priced at $149, the Pro is a near identical clone to Google's Nexus 7, but costs $50 less.

Both devices share Nvidia's Tegra 3 processor, Android 4.2, a 1280 x 800 screen, and 1GB RAM.

The Nexus 7 does have double the storage (16GB to the Sero 7 Pro's 8GB), but the Pro has a 5MP rear camera, expandable memory via microSD and a miniHDMI output. It certainly wouldn't be outrageous to believe Hisense is actually giving you more for less.

Like the Nexus 7, the Pro features a textured case, which gives it a bit of a rugged feel, but unlike the smooth exterior of the LT, the Pro doesn't feel as cheap as its price suggests.

Both the LT and the Pro feature all the slots and outputs on the top of the device, but the Pro has the added advantage of its microSD slot included a cover (the LT's is completely exposed).

When the Pro and LT are turned off, they are virtually indistinguishable from one another. It isn't until the Sero 7 tablets are woken up that you can spot how much better the resolution is on the Pro's screen.

We thought the LT's screen was unimpressive on its own, but when put right up against the Pro, the glaring resolution gap is astounding. The two models also have slightly different skins slapped onto their respective versions of Android, with the Pro's focused on the marketplaces like Tegrazone and Vudu, and the LT geared towards Google's proprietary apps like Maps and Gmail.

Early Verdict

In our short time with both tablets, it was clear the Pro was where Hisense focused nearly all of its attention. The features and specs you can obtain in the Sero 7 Pro for just $50 more make it the clear winner out of the box.

We couldn't test the limits of either the Sero 7 LT's 4-hour or the Pro's 10-hour battery life, but again, the Pro more than doubles what the LT can do. That's not even counting the Pro's NFC and Bluetooth capabilities, which have become more synonymous with Android devices over the past year.

It'll take a more in-depth look at both tablets before we lay down a final judgment, but at this point, the Sero 7 Pro looks like it could be a definite hit with first-time tablet buyers, or those looking to add another Android device without paying too much.

For the thousands around the world who watched Microsoft's Xbox One reveal event over the Internet and on their Xbox 360 consoles earlier this week, it was about an hour filled with some fresh information on the company's forthcoming console, though it also left them with a lot of questions.

However, while the press attending the event - held in a tent on Microsoft's rainy Redmond, Wash., campus - got the same info and left with many of the same questions, we were also treated to brief tours of some of the Xbox facilities.

Among the rooms we saw were a fabrication shop where engineers 3D-printed dozens of controller models to enable a better ergonomic design for the Xbox One gamepad; a test chamber where dozens of robotic fingers pressed controller buttons repeatedly to measure the peripheral's endurance; and a severely sound-dampened audio room that puts the new Kinect's voice-command recognition through its paces.

Perhaps the most interesting and illuminating - in some ways, literally - section of the tour was a room consisting of a large display, a couch and one of the new Kinect sensors. Here we were able to see for ourselves how much better this new sensor will be over the current model and how it'll improve game play, video chats and overall interaction with the system's interface.

On the face of it

The engineers told us that the new sensor will be able to scan a larger room area, enabling tracking within a virtual box that's nearly twice what the current Kinect can view.

Not only will this provide quality reading of people closer and farther away from the sensor - so those with small living rooms will be able to use it - but also those farther apart laterally, so you don't have to pack everyone into a tight group directly in front of the Kinect.

It will also track up to six people (or "skeletons," as the engineer told us) as opposed to the two the current sensor can monitor.

The Kinect's resolution has also been radically improved. You not only get a 1080p color camera that enables high-quality Skype video chats, but it's a 3D scanning device that is strong enough to discern buttons and folds on a shirt, as well as whether you're moving your fingers, if you're facing the sensor or not, and even your facial expression.

The ability to better track faces means it'll be better at determining each player's identity for signing in the proper profile and offering other personalization.

Raising your IR

Microsoft has even boosted the Kinect's infrared vision, which results in a number of dramatic improvements.

No longer will you have to play in a well and evenly lit room for the sensor to recognize your gestures, and conversely you won't end up with sunshine blooms interfering with the Kinect.

We were shown how it could still track a person's movements in a totally dark room as well as how a bright flashlight beam shone on the person wasn't even viewable by the sensor's IR mode.

On what sounded like a science-fiction-esque promise, we were also told that the new Kinect's IR capabilities would be able to track your heart beat, by detecting the flow of blood under the surface of your face.

While my first thought was the inevitable tabloid headline ("Xbox Console Spots Owner's Heart Attack, Skypes 911"), the engineer stated that it would be extremely useful with exercise software to monitor the user's heartbeat, so it could offer a better workout and keep the person from under or over exertion.

Though the proof will fully come from using the new Kinect in real-world software tests - which we're expecting to try out more at next month's E3 trade show in Los Angeles - we're hopeful that the changes will enable smoother use with the Xbox One, but also enable more people to take advantage of the voice and gesture command functionality.

More importantly, though, we're praying that the Kinect's necessity in the hardware daisy chain won't result in the console raising too many Big Brother concerns.

Most portable hard drives lack glamour. They're tiny workhorses, useful for doing backups and transporting large files and little else. Patriot's Aero goes way beyond those basics, offering WiFi connectivity, tablet compatibility via custom apps and a rechargeable battery.

This versatility may not seem useful at first, but we think that's more due to lack of imagination than lack of utility. A product like this, with the ability to do so much, opens up possibilities you hadn't really thought of before. Its limitations, like limited documentation and a somewhat confusing user interface, though, make it suitable only for those willing to work around the rough edges.

Form Factor and Function

The Patriot Aero is 8.6cm (D) x 13.9cm (W) x 2.44cm (H) and weighs 295 g. That's a bit larger and heavier than some portable drives, but most portable drives don't include a rechargeable battery. The Patriot Aero's lithium-ion battery can deliver up to six hours of continuous streaming. The unit charges with a standard cell phone charger, reducing the number of things you need to bring on a road trip.

What's a rechargeable hard drive good for? For one thing, if you're using it as an external hard drive for your laptop, hard drive access won't drain your laptop's battery. There are a lot of other uses, though, which might not immediately come to mind. For instance, you could use it as a portable media server on a bus or car trip or while camping.

PC Connectivity

Like we said, what sets the Patriot Aero apart is its versatility. As you'd expect, it offers the basic functionality of a portable hard drive. You can connect it to a PC using the standard USB 3.0 or USB 2.0 interface. This USB connectivity, though, is mutually exclusive with its most impressive feature: WiFi connectivity. Unfortunately you can't use these two features simultaneously; enabling one disables the other.

In WiFi mode, it can function as a network file server or as the WiFI hub of a mini network. It's easy to imagine where that might come in handy. For instance, if you have a group of laptops in a hotel room and need to share large files, the Aero would be a perfect impromptu file server.

The Patriot Aero also functions as a bridge to the wider Internet. Acting as a WiFI access point; you connect your computer or tablet to the Patriot's WiFi network. The Aero can connect up to eight devices at the same time. You then connect the Patriot to your WiFi router which is connected to the Internet. The Patriot Aero passes through your Internet traffic to the Internet-connected router. This has some upsides; you can use the patriot to extend your WiFi range, for instance. There are some downsides too, however. We noticed some performance degradation in download speeds using this setup.

There are some serious limitations, though, if you are trying to use this as a network drive. The main one is the lack of Ethernet connectivity. The only way to link it to your network is via WiFi. That's inherently less secure and less fast than an Ethernet connection. But the Patriot Aero is designed mainly for use with mobile devices; that's where it really shines.

Tablet and Mobile Connectivity

What really sets the Aero apart is its ability to connect with tablets and other mobile devices. The company has apps available for iOS, Android, and the Amazon Kindle Fire which let you use the Aero as a file server. This lets you get beyond the tight storage limitations of a portable device. Though this is most useful for streaming high quality video or storing large music collections, but there are many other possible uses. For instance, if you had a large archive of digital books in PDF format, large PowerPoint presentations, or even of photos.

The setup for this is reasonably straightforward if you're used to configuring something like a WiFi router. However, the app interface is spartan and potentially confusing, and the documentation is extremely sparse. Someone unfamiliar with setting up this kind of device is likely to be quite dumbfounded, especially since

The basic process is that the Patriot Aero becomes your WiFi access point. You connect your mobile device to the Patriot and then use the Patriot Connect app (or a web interface if you are connecting via a PC) to configure the Patriot to use your WiFi router to connect to the Internet. This second step isn't necessary, though. You can use the Patriot as a local file server without also connecting to the Internet.

Once connected, we found the file serving functionality to work quite well. The easiest way to watch videos or listen to music from within the Patriot Connect app. However, with a little configuration, you can also use any SAMBA-compatible app to access the files on the hard drive. You can also copy files back and forth from the mobile device to the hard drive.

As we mentioned previously, the requirement that you connect your mobile device to the Patriot and then access the Internet via pass-through causes some degradation in speed. It's also an inelegant solution, since you need to switch your WiFi connections to the Patriot when you want to access files and away from it when you don't, since you won't want to take the performance hit.

We liked

The flexibility of this portable hard drive with WiFi connectivity and a rechargeable battery. We also liked native app support iOS, Android, and Kindle Fire.

We disliked

Confusing user interface and very limited documentation. The WiFi pass-through also causes a sacrifice in speed when connecting to the Internet.

Verdict

As mobile devices start replacing traditional laptops and desktops, it's natural for people to chafe at the limitations on storage. The Patriot Aero provides an excellent, if not quite elegant, solution to this problem. It takes some time to configure and to determine how best to use its many capabilities, but once mastered it opens up a lot of possibilities.

Introduction

The last five years or so for AMD CPUs have been sub-spectacular to say the least. But things are looking up and one of the good news stories very much revolves around the new AMD A4-5000 APU, codenamed Kabini.

More precisely, it's the new Jaguar cores inside this APU that are making waves. That's because they're found in both Microsoft's new Xbox One console and the PlayStation 4 from Sony. Yup, AMD's Jaguar architecture is a very big deal.

So what exactly is it? Our first taste of Jaguar comes in the form of the quad-core AMD A4-5000 APU. It's fitted to what's known as a whitebook laptop. That's basically a non-branded system that exists primarily for the likes of us to assess the new chip and its associated platform (chipset etc) and tell you all about it. So, you can't buy this laptop off the shelf.

As for the A4-5000, it's a variant of what's known as the Kabini APU or Accelerated Processing unit. Thus it has four Jaguar cores and an AMD Radeon HD 8330 integrated graphics core.

The main thing to appreciate about this chip - and one of the things that makes for an intriguing thought in the context of those new games consoles - is that it's very much a mobile processor. In fact, it's pretty much an ultra-mobile processor.

Those Jaguar cores are a replacement for AMD's earlier Bobcat cores and that makes them more a competitor for Intel's ultra-mobile Atom processors than any full-power desktop or laptop CPU. The main difference with Jaguar and thus Kabini being that it's not designed to squeeze into devices as small as smartphones, as the latest low-power Atoms are.

Instead, super thin-and-light laptops and tablets are essentially the limit for Kabini. That's fine by us. There are plenty of alternatives in the smartphone CPU market. What we want from AMD is something to keep Intel honest in its core market and also provide an alternative in the burgeoning market for tablet PCs running the x86 version of Windows 8, including Microsoft's Surface Pro.

It would also be nice if Kabini could help provide a cut price alternative to Intel's sexy but pricey Ultrabooks - you know, systems like the Asus Zenbook Prime UX31A or Acer Aspire S7. And that's exactly what it promises. Time to find out more.

Specifications

Let's get the specs of AMD's reference whitebook sorted and then we can concentrate on that fascinating AMD A4-5000 APU, eh?

It's a thin-an'-slim 13-inch laptop with a 1080p display. Storage-wise, we're talking 320GB of old school magnetic hard drive sadly, so we'll do our best to exclude that from our performance assessments. This chip really wants an SSD.

There's 4GB of RAM, 512MB of it reserved for the A4-5000's integrated graphics, more on which in a moment. As for the battery pack, it's a 3,000mAh unit.

And so to the A4-5000 itself. The fun starts with four AMD Jaguar cores running at 1.5GHz. Jaguar is the follow up to AMD's Bobcat low-power CPU architecture. It's in roughly the same ballpark as Intel's Atom CPU core, but isn't intended for smartphones. The limit in terms of mobile devices is tablets and super slim laptops.

Anywho, AMD has targetted a range of improvements with the transition from Bobcat to Jaguar. Highlights include increased IPC or instructions per clock, increased frequency at any given voltage and more finely grained power management.

As for the graphics part of the equation, AMD is calling the A4-5000's 3D core the AMD Radeon HD 8330. It runs at 496MHz and sports AMD's latest GCN graphics architecture. All told, it packs 128 of AMD's latest graphics shaders.

At this stage, two pressing comparisons hove into view. Firstly, we have the next-gen consoles from Microsoft and Sony, both of which sport precisely the same CPU core and graphics arhcitecture. Then there's Brazos, AMD's Bobcat-based APU and the A4-5000's progenitor.

Intriguingly, both the Xbox One and the PS4 have Jaguar cores running at 1.6GHz, so pretty much the same speed as the AMD A4-5000. Of course, they have twice as many cores, but there's a good chance some of those console cores may be reserved for non-gaming functionality. So in gaming terms, this chip might be almost level pegging with the latest consoles. Quite a thought.

Things aren't nearly as evenly matched on the graphics side where the PS4 has 1,152 graphics shaders, the Xbox One is thought to have 768 shaders and the A4-5000 has just 128 shaders.

As for the match up with Brazos, well, you get double the number of CPU cores and around a 50 per cent up tick in graphics cores plus an upgrade from AMD's older VLIW graphics architecture to the latest GCN graphics spec.

Performance

Cinebench 11: 1.45pts
Battery Eater 05: 235 minutes
3D Mark Ice Storm: 23,718
3D Mark Cloud Gate: 2,226
3D Mark Fire Strike: 231

Much of the subjective experience with this new AMD A4-5000 APU was spoiled by the use of a super sluggish magnetic hard drive in the test whitebook laptop provided by AMD. That's a pity, because it makes it very hard to get a proper feel for what it has to offer as a full-on Windows 8 chip.

But it's not a complete write off. Once applications and benchmarks have loaded, disk performance becomes much less of an issue, so what have we discovered?

Cinebench 11 is a good starting point. A score of 1.45pts is not hugely impressive. That makes the A4-5000 less than half as grunt as a quad-core AMD FX CPU. As for the match up with something like a quad-core Intel Core i7 chip, it's gruesome. The i7 is about six times faster.

It's not an even remotely fair comparison, we grant you, but it puts the A4-5000 in context. A fairer contest is with Intel's Atom. The Intel Atom D2700 dual core model typically scores around 0.75pts, so the AMD A4-5000 has it pretty much licked.

In the graphics department, well, there's really only so much you can do with 128 AMD GCN shaders. Remember, AMD's hottest desktop graphics chip, as found in the AMD Radeon 7970 board, packs 2,048 shaders clocked roughly twice as fast, which works out to a raw performance advantage of 32 times. Yikes.

For the most part, our testing reflects that modest graphics firepower. The more demanding passages in 3DMark are a genuine slide show, with frames taking multiple seconds to update.

This is not a true gaming chip. However, it does have just enough grunt for casual 3D gaming, especially with older titles. Just Don't expect to fire up Crysis 3 and experience free-flowing and fluid fragging. It ain't gonna happen.

More of an unambiguous upside is the A4-5000's battery life. We have to be careful to draw too many conclusions as this is not a retail notebook. But in the context of the modest 3,000mAh battery pack, the AMD A4-5000 looks like it should make for some impressively long lasting systems.

HD video playback is another strong point. CPU decoding of really high bitrate 1080p flash video is executed smoothly, albeit with the CPU cores dangerously close to maximum load. Normal bitrate 1080p video has the cores loaded to about 60 per cent, leaving a healthy amount of headroom.

Verdict

AMD's new A4-5000 is an intriguingly little chip in its own right. But the knowledge that it shares much of its architecture with the Microsoft Xbox One and Sony Playstation 4 really ramps up the intrigue. So what have we learned?

We liked

2D HD video playback is strong. That's a critical metric for a modern mobile chip and arguably more important than gaming, even if the latter is what marketing suits prefer to talk about.

We're encouraged by the A4-5000's battery performance too. Whitebook's such as these are rarely the last work in finely honed power management, so our good experience with this laptop will likely only get even better with final retail systems based on AMD's new APU.

We disliked

Perhaps unsurprisingly, AMD hasn't worked miracles with the new Jaguar CPU core design. Clocked here at 1.5GHz, you're looking at cores with less than one fifth the performance of the best current desktop CPU cores.

For the A4-5000 itself, that's not a major issue. It's not a full-one desktop chip and with four cores, it makes up for modest single-threaded throughput with a decent amount of multi-threading. But make no mistake, this is a low-power processor architecture. It's a long way off the pace of AMD's own full-power laptop processors, much less Intel's.

More generally, the fact that AMD specified this test whitebook with a 5,200rpm magnetic drive rather than a solid state drive obscured the APU's ability as a proper Windows 8 chip. Put another way, we're not completely sure how responsive it will feel configured with an SSD. Our guess is that it will make for a pretty nice Windows 8 chip. It's just a shame AMD didn't see fit to show it in its best light.

The graphics performance of the A4-5000 is similarly non-whelming. Based on AMD's successful and familiar GCN architecture, the limitations are down to the number of functional units AMD has squeezed in.

By today's standards, 128 graphics shaders is a modest count in a gaming context and there's no getting round that.

Final verdict

Despite those limitations, we're generally upbeat about the prospects of the AMD A4-5000 as a laptop and tablet processor. Battery life looks good, 2D video is strong and the CPU cores are likely just good enough.

What this chip reveals about the new games consoles, which share much of its technology, is much more worrying.

Put simply, games developers will desperately need to get to grips with multi-threading if they're to have any hope of getting good performance out of these new Jaguar cores. And even with threading fully optimised, we guestimate based on this chip that the PS4 and Xbox will have roughly half the CPU performance of a good Intel desktop processor. And that's assuming all cores are available to a given application or game. Yikes.

Introduction

As it doesn't have the essential telecommunication features the Canon PowerShot N clearly isn't going to take the place of a phone, but the manufacturer hopes that we will use it in conjunction with one.

Thanks to its manufacturer's camera making know-how and its 1/2.3-inch 12.1MP back-illuminated CMOS sensor and DIGIC 5 processor, the N should be capable of taking better images than the average smartphone.

Furthermore, because its lens has a focal length range equivalent to 28-224mm, it should also prove to be much more versatile than a phone when composing shots. And, if the 8x optical zoom isn't enough for you this can be extended digitally to 16x to produce the equivalent of a 448mm lens.

Although it's not app enabled, the PowerShot N has Wi-Fi technology built-in so that it can be connected to a computer or a smartphone to enable you to share images quickly. There's even a dedicated button that, after initial set-up, can be used to connect to a smartphone or tablet with one touch.

Unfortunately, we haven't been able to test this aspect of the camera yet. But judging by the options in the Wi-Fi section of the menu, it should be pretty straightforward to set up.

For those who want to let the world know where they've been taking photographs, Canon has a free smartphone app that enables location data to be added to images from a smart device.

The PowerShot N is all about creating images quickly and easily, so naturally all the exposure modes are automatic. Program mode provided the most control, with aspects such as exposure compensation and white balance being adjustable. Alternatively, there are some creative shooting options with filter effect such as Fish-eye Effect, Miniature Effect, Soft Focus, Toy Camera Effect and Monochrome.

There's also Creative Shot mode, in which the Canon N produces six versions of an image, one untreated and the rest adjusted in a variety of ways depending upon what the camera makes of the image. The camera looks at aspects such as composition, focus, white balance, gradation and contrast and generates five alternative versions automatically.

It produces a variety of fun effects, with some dramatic crops, extreme colour and brightness and contrast shifts that replicate old film, cross-processed and black and white images. While it's a hit and miss process, it's fun, and it sometimes produces interesting images that will be a hit on Facebook and the like. We noticed that when shooting a couple of people, the camera often produces shots of both people by themselves as well as one with them together.

We have seen the Hybrid Auto mode before, but Canon has made it more easily accessible via the shooting mode menu screen. When this option is selected, the Canon N records four seconds of 720p footage before each shot. The camera uses the information from the clip to determine the best settings to use for the still image.

But the fun part is that the camera merges all the four second clips captured during the day to create a short movie. It should make for amusing viewing when the Canon N is used at parties.

Build and handling

Perhaps the most noticeable thing about Canon N is that it's almost square rather than rectangular. It also has a 2.7-inch tilting LCD screen that is touch sensitive. This capacitive device enables you to take control over key features such as the focus point and trip the shutter with a touch of the screen, and we found that it's nice and responsive.

With the lens collapsed, the Canon N is fairly compact and can be slipped into a jacket pocket, or in some cases a jeans pocket, so it's easy to transport and can be carried everywhere. It's also fairly light yet feels solid and well built, so you'll be happy to take it everywhere that you'd normally take your phone.

There are two rings around the lens. The first is used to zoom from one focal length to another – no great surprises there – but the other is the shutter release, and pushing it up or down trips the shutter. It takes a few moments to get used to it, but it means that the camera can be fired from a range of angles because you can always reach the shutter release.

As most setting selections are made via the touchscreen, there are only three buttons and one switch on the Canon N. One button turns the camera on and off, another switches to playback mode, while the third is the One Touch Wi-Fi button mentioned earlier.

The switch is used to select either the normal shooting mode with access to Program, Auto, Hybrid Auto and the filter effect options or Creative Shot mode. When Creative Shot mode is selected, touching the shutter release or using touch-shutter mode triggers the camera to take a sequence of shots that are then processed to create the six variations mentioned earlier.

Although it has flat sides and will stand upright on a tabletop or similar when the screen is folded home, when this is flipped out for easier viewing from above, the camera becomes unbalanced. This means that you need to hold the camera up to get a shot, so it's not quite as stable.

The Canon N's small size, smooth sides and flip-up screen mean it takes a few moments to work out how to hold it. It can be held up level with the eye or down at waist level. Some may find it easy to hold and use one-handed as the fingers of the right hand curl around the body and onto the lens rings (one of which is the shutter release). But it feels a bit strange with no real grip, and you may find your fingers slipping up behind the screen when it is tilted.

One disappointment with the screen is that it can't be flipped right up above the camera for viewing from in front to help you take self-portraits. Canon UK's David Parry tells us that making screens that flip through 180 degrees or more as strong as Canon wants them to be is difficult – and that means expensive.

Canon has also put large lugs on the left and right of the camera to attach the strap. As a result, the N cannot rest level on a flat surface when shooting portrait orientation images. This is a shame as it seems a logical way of shooting in some low light conditions. The problem could have been avoided if the strap was more like a lanyard and only attached on one side of the camera.

However, we are told that the company is planning on making a feature of the strap, with the possibility of users customising their straps or choosing decorative versions.

Performance

The technology inside the Canon N, including the sensor, has all been used elsewhere in Canon's compact camera range.

This means that the image quality should be respectable and on a par with the results from the manufacturer's other 12MP compact cameras such as the impressive Canon SX50 HS and Canon SX260 HS. These two cameras performed well when we tested them, and this bodes well for the PowerShot N's image quality.

Check out our Image quality and resolution charts, sample images and sensitivity and noise images on the following pages to see how the camera performed.

Early verdict

The Canon N will be available from early April, and is set to retail for around £269 in the UK (around AU$412) and $299.99 in the US.

It isn't intended to take the place of a DSLR or even a phone, but to complement them as a 'take-everywhere' type camera. And features such as the back-illuminated 1/2.3-inch sensor, tilting touchscreen and the ring shutter release should mean that it helps you get better shots than you'd normally get on your phone.

Despite the simplicity of the touchscreen interface and the high build quality, some may find its size and shape makes it a little awkward to hold. This could be a deciding factor for some, but we think there will be others that love it, and for these people it may help put some fun and spontaneity into their photography.

Image quality and resolution

As part of our image quality testing for the Canon N, we've shot our resolution chart.

If you view our crops of the resolution chart's central section at 100% (or Actual Pixels) you will see that, for example, at ISO 80 the Canon N is capable of resolving up to around 22 (line widths per picture height x100) in its highest quality JPEG files.

For a full explanation of what our resolution charts mean, and how to read them, check out our full explanation of our camera testing resolution charts.

Examining images of the chart taken at each sensitivity setting reveals the following resolution scores in line widths per picture height x100:

Full ISO 80 image, see the cropped (100%) versions below.

ISO 80, score: 22 (Click here to see the full resolution image)

ISO 100, score: 20 (Click here to see the full resolution image)

ISO 200, score: 20 (Click here to see the full resolution image)

ISO 400, score: 20 (Click here to see the full resolution image)

ISO 800, score: 14 (Click here to see the full resolution image)

ISO 1600, score: 12 (Click here to see the full resolution image)

ISO 3200, score: 14 (Click here to see the full resolution image)

ISO 6400, score: n/a (Click here to see the full resolution image)

Sample images

Click here to see the full resolution image

The Canon N had no problem focusing on this relatively uniform subject, and it captured plenty of detail across the frame. The colours are also natural.

Click here to see the full resolution image

Click here to see the full resolution image

Click here to see the full resolution image

Click here to see the full resolution image

Click here to see the full resolution image

Click here to see the full resolution image

In Creative shot mode the camera takes a sequence of shots in quick succession and generates six different images of the scene - as shown above. The first image is a 'straight' version while the others have a variety of effects or crops applied.

Click here to see the full resolution image

Click here to see the full resolution image

Click here to see the full resolution image

Click here to see the full resolution image

Click here to see the full resolution image

Click here to see the full resolution image

Another Creative shot mode sequence. The photographer has no control over the effects or crops that are applied.

Sensitivity and noise images

Full ISO 80 image, see the cropped (100%) versions below.

ISO 80 (Click here to see the full resolution image)

ISO 100 (Click here to see the full resolution image)

ISO 200 (Click here to see the full resolution image)

ISO 400 (Click here to see the full resolution image)

ISO 800 (Click here to see the full resolution image)

ISO 1600 (Click here to see the full resolution image)

ISO 3200 (Click here to see the full resolution image)

ISO 6400 (Click here to see the full resolution image)

Introduction

Ricoh had a reputation for producing superb 35mm film compact cameras such as the GR I and GR21 that found favour with enthusiast photographers. However, despite producing high quality images, the company's digital compact cameras such as the Ricoh GR II and Ricoh GR IV haven't really attracted the same attention.

The Ricoh GXR, a compact system camera (CSC) that couples the lens and sensor into a single module that slots into the back, confused the company's fans and consequently also failed to sell in high numbers.

The new Ricoh GR, however, could be about to change all that, because its 16.2 million pixel sensor is an APS-C format device rather than a 1/1.7-inch unit as is found in the Ricoh GR IV.

At around £599 (approximately US$920 / AU$882) the Pentax Ricoh GR's price is also much more attractive than that of the Nikon Coolpix A and the overly complicated Ricoh GXR.

Furthermore, despite the 9x increase in the size of the sensor, the GR isn't a great deal bigger than the GR IV and it fits neatly into the average coat or jacket pocket. It's a similar size to the Nikon Coolpix A and Sigma DP1, and a little smaller than the Fuji X100S.

Features

Like the Nikon Coolpix A, the Ricoh GR's APS-C format 16.2MP CMOS sensor has no anti-aliasing filter, which should enable it to capture sharper details than a comparable sensor with the filter.

Omitting the filter brings the risk of moiré patterning in images with fine repeating patterns of detail, but it hasn't been an issue for the Nikon Coolpix A, Nikon D7100 or Nikon D800E. Even if it is a problem, moiré patterning can be dealt with using image editing software, but the Ricoh GR also has in-camera post-capture moiré reduction available.

Because it's a compact camera the Ricoh GR has a fixed lens, and, like the optics on the other APS-C format compact cameras, it has a fixed focal length. In this case it's a 18.3mm lens, which is equivalent to around 28mm in 35mm terms.

This and its small size makes the GR ideal as a 'walk-around' camera and well suited to shooting street and documentary photographs as well as landscape images when you're out on a hike and want to travel light.

There's also an optional adaptor available to transform the lens into a wider, 21mm optic. At the other end of the scale, an in-camera 35mm crop mode is available.

The lens has a maximum aperture of f/2.8, which means that there's plenty of opportunity to control depth of field.

One of the trade offs that Ricoh has made as a result of the larger sensor is that the lens can't focus quite as close as its predecessor. However, there is a macro mode that enables you to get as close as 10cm to the subject.

One of the problems with previous Ricoh digital compact cameras was their relatively slow responses. Ricoh is hoping that the new processing engine in the GR will address this, and it has a claimed start-up time of approximately one second, a maximum continuous shooting rate of 4fps, shutter release lag of 0.03 seconds and 0.2 second autofocusing.

Build and handling

Built from a sturdy magnesium alloy, the Ricoh GR is billed as the world's smallest and lightest APS-C format camera. It's surprisingly close in size to the Ricoh GR IV.

The front of the camera has a pronounced grip, which has a rubberised texture and gives good purchase, enabling the camera to be held one-handed. The layout of the buttons on the back of the camera also makes changing settings with a thumb quick and easy.

On the top of the Ricoh GR is a mode dial for speedily changing between automatic, semi-automatic and fully manual exposure modes. In a nod to Pentax, which is now owned by Ricoh, there's a TAv (Aperture and Time priority) option in which you set the shutter speed and aperture while the camera selects the sensitivity.

There are also three customisable groups of settings available via the mode dial. Just to the side of the mode dial is a lock button, which stops the dial from being knocked out of place. We found this relatively easy to depress with the finger of the right hand while rotating the dial.

A small dial on the front of the camera at the top of the grip is used for altering aperture or shutter speed, depending on the mode you're shooting in. When shooting in fully manual mode, this dial is used for aperture, while the rocker dial on the back of the camera controls shutter speed.

Exposure compensation is changed quickly using the plus and minus control, which doubles up as the zooming buttons during playback.

Ricoh is aiming the GR at enthusiast photographers, and these users will appreciate that several of the buttons on the back and side of the camera are customisable, giving you quick access to key features.

Changing autofocus point is done by default by tapping the F1 Function button and using the arrow keys to scroll around the scene to the point you want to use. After pressing this button, you can use the zoom control to check critical focus.

There's also an option to enlarge a section of screen around the active AF point to check focus as it is achieved.

On the back of the camera is a high resolution, 1.2 million-dot 3-inch LCD screen. It's not articulating, or touch-sensitive, but it appears to cope reasonably well with direct light, not suffering too badly from glare or reflections. The menu layout is simple and uncomplicated.

Performance

As yet we have only used a pre-production sample of the Ricoh GR. Naturally we are hoping that Ricoh has been able to transfer its image quality capability to the new camera.

Sample images, image quality and resolution and sensitivity and noise images follow on the next pages.

We are told that the sample we used was the final hardware, but the firmware is not final. This could mean that aspects such as the focus time and file write times change before the camera goes on sale.

While we have no complaints about the focusing speed of the Ricoh GR, it focuses relatively quickly with a slight backwards adjustment being visible, the write times with raw and JPEG shooting selected were poor.

We counted around nine or 10 seconds being required between shots. If this continues into the final working sample it could prove very frustrating.

Fortunately, things improved dramatically when we shot JPEG files by themselves, with next to no delay.

Early verdict

We're quite excited about the Ricoh GR. It's very nicely built, has all the control that we want and it can shoot both raw and JPEG files.

Although we have seen prints of a couple of impressive sample images from Ricoh, we will reserve judgement about the image quality until we have shot some pictures. However, Ricoh has a reputation for producing cameras that capture plenty of detail, with a tendency to reveal some noise.

Our only reservation at this point is the file write times. We hope that the production sample will make shooting in raw format, or raw and JPEG format, a realistic proposition. If it does the Ricoh GR could really grab the attention of enthusiast photographers looking for a pocketable alternative to a DSLR.

Given its comparatively low price, we're sure that Nikon and Fuji will be keeping a close eye on Ricoh GR sales.

Image quality and resolution

As part of our image quality testing for the Ricoh GR, we've shot our resolution chart.

If you view our crops of the resolution chart's central section at 100% (or Actual Pixels) you will see that, for example, at ISO 100 the Ricoh GR is capable of resolving up to around 24 (line widths per picture height x100) in its highest quality JPEG files.

For a full explanation of what our resolution charts mean, and how to read them, check out our full explanation of our camera testing resolution charts.

Examining images of the chart taken at each sensitivity setting reveals the following resolution scores in line widths per picture height x100:

JPEG

Full ISO 100 image, see the cropped (100%) versions below.

ISO 100, score: 24 (Click here to see the full resolution image)

ISO 200, score: 24 (Click here to see the full resolution image)

ISO 400, score: 22 (Click here to see the full resolution image)

ISO 800, score: 22 (Click here to see the full resolution image)

ISO 1600, score: 22 (Click here to see the full resolution image)

ISO 3200, score: 22 (Click here to see the full resolution image)

ISO 6400, score: 20 (Click here to see the full resolution image)

ISO 12800, score: 16 (Click here to see the full resolution image)

ISO 25600, score: 10 (Click here to see the full resolution image)

Raw

ISO 100, score: 26 (Click here to see the full resolution image)

ISO 200, score: 26 (Click here to see the full resolution image)

ISO 400, score: 24 (Click here to see the full resolution image)

ISO 800, score: 24 (Click here to see the full resolution image)

ISO 1600, score: 22 (Click here to see the full resolution image)

ISO 3200, score: 22 (Click here to see the full resolution image)

ISO 6400, score: 22 (Click here to see the full resolution image)

ISO 12800, score: 18 (Click here to see the full resolution image)

ISO 25600, score: 12 (Click here to see the full resolution image)

Sample images

Click here to see the full resolution image

The stormy conditions confused the Multi-zone metering system a little here, so this image is a little under-exposed, but there's detail in the brightest parts of the sky.

Click here to see the full resolution image

This is the raw version of the previous JPEG image and it's been brightened by 1EV in Adobe Camera Raw. The amount of detail in the grass is very impressive. It looks more natural at 100% than the JPEG version.

Click here to see the full resolution image

This was shot in low light and through glass (hence the occasional reflection), which gave the AF system a few issues. However, noise is well controlled (the sensitivity was set to ISO 1600) and the automatic white balance system has coped well with the artificial light. The exposure was set to 1/20sec at f/7.1.

Click here to see the full resolution image

Another example of the superb colour and detail delivered by the Ricoh GR.

Click here to see the full resolution image

The Ricoh GR produces some nice monochrome results using the Black and White Effect, but as it's also possible to use the Effects modes when shooting raw files, you can save a full-colour image at the same time.

Click here to see the full resolution image

Shooting with the aperture wide open (f/2.8) enables the background to be thrown out of focus, especially when shooting close-up like this.

Click here to see the full resolution image

The automatic white balance system has retained the warmth in this early evening shot.

Click here to see the full resolution image

Although this scene is quite bright, the camera's Multi-zone metering system hasn't underexposed the image.

Sensitivity and noise images

JPEG

Full ISO 100 image, see the cropped (100%) versions below.

ISO 100 (Click here to see the full resolution image)

ISO 200 (Click here to see the full resolution image)

ISO 400 (Click here to see the full resolution image)

ISO 800 (Click here to see the full resolution image)

ISO 1600 (Click here to see the full resolution image)

ISO 3200 (Click here to see the full resolution image)

ISO 6400 (Click here to see the full resolution image)

ISO 12800 (Click here to see the full resolution image)

ISO 25600 (Click here to see the full resolution image)

Raw

ISO 100 (Click here to see the full resolution image)

ISO 200 (Click here to see the full resolution image)

ISO 400 (Click here to see the full resolution image)

ISO 800 (Click here to see the full resolution image)

ISO 1600 (Click here to see the full resolution image)

ISO 3200 (Click here to see the full resolution image)

ISO 6400 (Click here to see the full resolution image)

ISO 12800 (Click here to see the full resolution image)

ISO 25600 (Click here to see the full resolution image)

Following a full day of presentations, interviews, tours, tech demos and teases of the Xbox One's game-changing potential, the powers that be at Microsoft finally let us get our mitts on the new hardware's controller.

While our time with the gamepad doesn't allow us to tear up the blacktop in Forza 5 or command a SEAL Team canine in Call of Duty: Ghosts, it does provide a peek at a few of the 40-plus improvements that have been made over its predecessor.

Before diving into six separate demos tailored to show off the controller's enhanced rumble tech, Microsoft senior product marketing manager, Navin Kumar, states "precision, comfort, and making gaming more realistic than ever" were the driving forces behind designing the new gamepad.

In terms of precision, Kumar points out that the analog sticks respond to inputs with 25 per cent less force, delivering a far more accurate experience. He also claims its d-pad allows for "crisper inputs, "perfect for "sweeping movements in fighting and sports games."

Feeling the full effect of 'impulse triggers'

While our hands-on time affords little opportunity to test this improved precision and accuracy, it does allow our thumbs and fingers to feel the full effect of what Kumar refers to as "impulse triggers." Like the 360's controller, the Xbox One gamepad features left and right triggers, used for everything from scoring headshots to flooring gas pedals.

However, the One's controller significantly ups the immersion of these interactive experiences thanks to the addition of motors housed in its triggers: in addition to the pair of rumblers located in the hand-grips - as they are in a 360 controller - the One's peripheral adds one each to both triggers.

It tickles... seriously

As demonstrated during our hands-on time, the tech is being used in a number of ways to intensify the immersion factor. With a press of the Y button, we're able to fire up a helicopter's propeller and a sports car's engine. While these interactions would yield near-identical vibrations with a 360 controller, they feel entirely unique through the One's triggers and sticks. By programming four separate motors, two of which now tickle the sensitive finger tips, the peripheral is able to convey astounding nuance and variety in its vibrations.

On top of differentiating between an engine's powerful roar and a chopper's spinning rotors, the quartet of motors allows us to experience how it feels to pop off a few rounds from a hand-cannon and summon a fireball in the palm of our hand. While the former feels much like it does in any contemporary shooter, the latter - thanks to a slow rumbling build-up, leading into a more intense vibration - yields a sense of empowerment we can't wait to unleash the next time we barbeque baddies in an RPG.

Our final two demos, simulating a ticking heart and braking car, are the most impressive. The pumping brakes deliver a realistic halting sensation the likes of which we've never before experienced in a racer, while the heartbeat - delivered by alternating pulse-like vibrations in the two triggers - feels scary-real. In fact, we're guessing the latter effect will significantly up the fright factor in survival horror games; imagine navigating a dark corridor or derelict space station in complete silence, all while the protagonist's racing pulse thumps beneath your fingertips.

Early Verdict

Based on our time behind the Xbox One's controller - whose ergonomic design will feel comfortably familiar to 360 owners - the impulse triggers seem to hold the most promise and potential for putting players that much deeper in the experiences of rearranging zombies' ribcages with melee weapons, roasting trolls with fire balls, and racing across finish lines.

That said, a number of subtler features, such as magnetic sensor-equipped triggers and a battery case that no longer protrudes from the back of the controller, hint at the many ways the next-gen peripheral will provide more precision in your games and comfort in your hands.

Our hands-on time barely scratches the surface of its promised 40-plus improvements, but our satisfied fingers and thumbs are already anticipating what other surprises the Xbox One's gamepad has got hidden beneath its buttons, sticks, and triggers.

Check out the video below for a sneak peek at some of the Xbox One games you'll soon be getting to grips with: