Sony Ericsson Xperia ray preview: First look

Big is in with Android phones but the Xperia ray is eager to prove that petite smartphones have a charm of their own. All the horsepower of the Arc in a body that's a centimeter shorter both ways - think a premium saloon turned into a roadster. The Sony Ericsson Xperia ray has plenty to offer, not the least of which is an 8MP camera with HD video recording and a Bravia Mobile engine powered screen with eye-popping pixel density.

The combo Sony Ericsson have put together includes a 1GHz single core processor, 8MP camera with 720p video and screen expertise borrowed from Sony's TV department. It's the same concoction behind the Arc, the Neo, and the new Mini - now the Xperia ray.
On the face of it, the Sony Ericsson Xperia ray looks like a widescreen version of the Mini, but whereas the Mini is rather chubby at 16mm, the Xperia ray clocks in at 9.4mm (despite the bigger, 1500mAh battery). The camera is an 8MP unit to keep in line with the current crop of high-end droids.
The 3.3" screen of FWVGA resolution has nearly 300ppi pixel density (the Retina display has 326ppi) and we appreciate the mobile incarnation of Bravia.
Here's what the Sony Ericsson Xperia ray has to offer to those who have been on a lookout for a compact smartphone with high-end specs.