Sony Ericsson Xperia X1: A Review

The Xperia X1 is a beautiful little phone by Sony Ericsson and after using it for a week, I'm happy to say that it has become one of my favourite mobile phones! Watch the video of me talking about some of the best features of the Xperia X1.



There are so many things about the Xperia X1 that I really like but lets start off with its look. The X1 feels very solid in my hand. Its stainless steel body is very well crafted and it looks sophisticated and distinctive thanks to its Arc slider design that hides its wide-pitch QWERTY keyboard. Slide the screen upwards to reveal the keyboard. The keys on the keyboard may be small but I have no problems typing on it. In fact, I love the keyboard!

One thing that makes the Xperia X1 stands out from other Windows Mobile devices is its X1 panels which are active desktops from which you can access features and content. There are nine different panels to choose from and the best thing is you can download additional panels online. I like the panels a lot because they act as a one touch access points to my favourite mobile experiences. For example, I use the Google panel quite a lot because I like the idea of accessing Google search, maps, Picasa, calender and Gmail quickly.

Other features of the Xperia X1 that I like are its 3.2 megapixel camera with selective focus, Google Maps with GPS and the Opera Mobile Browser. The 3.2 mega pixel camera takes very good photos and video clips. I like its touch focus that allows me to set the desired focus location in the viewfinder by tapping the screen before taking the photo. There are several scene modes, auto and night mode, macro, auto and infinite focus settings and a camera light that I can activate for low light shots.

One program that I've been playing with quite a lot is Google Maps. The Xperia X1 is equipped with an A-GPS receiver that uses satellite signals to calculate my location. Combined it with Google Maps, the Xperia X1 can tell me where my location is and how I can get from point A to point B. There's also the Wayfinder Navigator that can be installed from the included CD. It takes you to your destination using voice guides.

Browsing the internet with the Xperia X1 is a really pleasant experience. There are two browsers in the phone: Internet Explorer and Opera Mobile Browser. Using Opera, surfing the net with the X1 is fast, fun and easy. I like the Pan and Zoom feature. Double clicking the screen zooms into my desired content. And of course the Xperia X1's beautiful and bright 3 inch high resolution screen adds to the web experience. Besides browsing the web, I can also chat using the Live Messenger, subscribe to web feeds and receive emails via direct push technology.



Other good things about the Xperia X1: Good battery life - very good when compared to other Windows Mobile devices, good phone reception and sound quality, programs and OS respond pretty quick, blazing fast 3G performance and surprisingly, the X1 makes a great ebook reader!

Although the Xperia X1 is a very, very good phone, it does have some slight flaws. I had a tough time opening the battery cover. Took me awhile before I "mastered the technique" to open it. Also, I would prefer that the memory card is located at the side of the phone rather than under the battery. I also have a complaint about watching flash videos such as those on YouTube. I use the Opera browser a lot but it doesn't allow me to view Youtube videos. For that, I need to switch to Internet Explorer in order to activate the Streaming Media software.

Previously:
Sony Ericsson Xperia X1 gets unboxed!
Finally got my hands on the Vaio Z and the Xperia X1!
Sony Ericsson Xperia X1 coming soon to Singapore