Monthly Archives: April 2010

Available from Clove for £457.08

Highlights-

Google Android (version 1.6) Doughnut
‘Rachael’ User Interface
8.1 Megapixel Camera
TimeScape & MediaScape organisation features
WiFi & Bluetooth
4″ Touchscreen Display
1GHz Snapdragon processor

In the box

XPERIA X10
Battery
Stereo portable handsfree
8 GB microSD card
Micro USB cable for charging, synchronisation and file transfer
User documentation

First Impressions

Now this is going to be a tough review following on from the HTC Legend and Desire. Both of those devices offer a user experience which is almost unparalleled in the world of Android and at price points which are significantly below the X10. I have already written about how the Desire is one of the very best smartphones on the market so it will be a steep climb for the X10 to eclipse it, but I still need to look at the X10 and decide if it is worth the extra £70. As more Android powered devices are released, price will come into the fray more and more and I do wonder if we will see a price war start to happen so that the big players can grab a bigger piece of the growing Android market. I have to say though that a 4” screen, 8MP camera and 1Ghz processor could immediately cause some to believe that the extra price is justified on specs alone and it is a compelling argument.

When I took the X10 out of the box there was one of those ‘wow’ moments. It is big, but in a form that disguises the fact well and it feels very good in the hand; not heavy and not thick at all. It is all screen and resembles a large PDA much more than a mobile phone. Think HTC HD2, but with more style and possibly more substance.

The box and accessories are pure Sony Ericsson which could be considered good or bad depending on your view point. SE makes phones which appeal to large swathes of the population for their looks and consumer style, but at times has made feature phones which are appalling in almost every respect. However, SE makes better smartphones than feature phones and the X10 is at the top of its list in terms of specifications and of course price point. This phone looks great from the back, typically SE, and even better from the front. As I said before, it does not look like a phone at all and this may put some off, but it is aimed purely at consumers who want a great camera and a mobile experience which is second to none.

The fact that the camera is rated at 8.1 Megapixels is likely to generate more interest than any other specification on this phone. In an industry where the iPhone 3GS and Desire are on the shelves for people to lust over, this specification sets the X10 apart more than any other. The 4” screen is also appealing, but could work in a negative way because it does make the phone a bit of a beast in terms of footprint.

Anyway, I will stop rambling and talk about my first 30 minutes with the X10. It has something special going on, but it is difficult to say exactly what at the moment. Initial impressions of the stills camera and video playback are stunning. Watching one of the demo videos on this phone produces an experience like nothing I have seen on a phone previously. It is only TFT, but the quality of highly encoded videos is impressive indeed indoors. Stick some decent headphones in and the experience is cinematic, albeit in a mobile style. The Mediascape app adds to the experience and makes selecting media much easier than would normally be expected outside the iPhone world. The speed is exceptional and roughly equivalent to the HTC Desire, but it is running Android 1.6 and not 2.1 so the efficiency enhancements would not be present in this device at present. This suggests that it will fly once it is upgraded to 2.1 which I hear it will be. On the subject of the OS, 1.6 does feel plain in comparison to 2.1 with HTC Sense and all of the other eye candy included, but to most people Android is Android and only dedicated smartphone users will notice a big difference.

On the whole 1.6 is 2.1 with a few enhancements missing, but in my view nothing that should cause you to avoid it purely on this point. It is pure Android through and through and the number of extra apps included by SE is surprising to say the least. I will cover these in part two and that could require a lot of writing. These apps are not superfluous either and thus require a serious look so come back for more on those.

As I sit here with the X10 lying on my desk looking like a slab of ultra modern technology it brings to mind that there is much more choice in the smartphone world that many may currently think. On first impressions alone the X10 is ultra impressive, but then again so have many other devices been over the past few years. However, first impressions do count and I am optimistic that this will prove to be the best thing Sony Ericsson has made in many years. We will know by the end of the week.