14 DAY TRIAL // Malaysian carrier Maxis has just introduced the Xperia arc smartphone in the country.
The device is available for purchase for RM1,749 (about $578) with a 12-month plan, RM1,599 (about $528) with a new 18 months plan or for RM1499 ($495) with a new 24-month plan.
Customers can also acquire the device unlocked, if they pay RM2099 (about $694) upfront.
Those who purchase the Xperia arc from Maxis will also receive several extra accessories worth RM429 (roughly $142), such as the AN-400 Sony Ericsson car charger, Sony Ericsson Hi-Fi Wireless Headset with FM Radio MW600, a screen protector and an HDMI cable.
Maxis has a large portfolio of Android smartphones, including the Nexus S, the HTC Desire Z, the Motorola DEFY and the Huawei Ideos U8150.
As expected, Sony Ericsson has positioned its new Xperia smartphones below Samsung and HTC high-end Android phones in terms of pricing.
Currently, Maxis is selling the Nexus S for RM2499 (about $826) and the HTC Desire Z for RM2299 (about $760), which seems a little steep for what they offer.
Xperia arc is among the slimmest Android smartphones on the market and it features a uniquely curved profile. The device measures 125 x 63 x 8.7 mm and weighs about 117g (battery included).
Its large 4.2-inch LED-backlit LCD capacitive touchscreen with 16 million colors support and 480 x 854 pixels resolution is driven by Sony’s Mobile Bravia engine.
Although dual core CPUs are making the rules nowadays, Xperia arc may seem underpowered with its single 1GHz Qualcomm MSM8255 Snapdragon processor and Adreno 205 GPU (graphical processing unit).
However, the phone is delivered with Android 2.3 on board, which is one of the strong points of the device, along with the unique active noise cancellation technology that features a dedicated mic.
Potential customers can choose from one of the two color schemes available: Midnight Blue or Misty Silver.