Sony Ericsson Xperia X1 PDF Review Manual
Last year Sony-Ericsson and HTC decided to join forces in an attempt to depose the number 1 spot for sales, held by Apple’s iPhone. The final product, Xperia X1, designed by Sony Ericsson and manufactured by the Taiwanese company, would benefit from the experience of both giant names involved in the project. While HTC already launched on the market a few models that were said to be iPhone rivals (see HTC Touch Diamond), the Sony Ericsson Xperia had higher expectations. Still, something new was needed, as the TouchFLO 3D interface hadn’t been that successful in the fight against iPhone’s UI. As a result, Sony Ericsson came up with something innovative called Xpanel, which enables users to customize the usual boring Windows Mobile interface, also giving quick access to the most used applications and functions of the phone. Either Xperia X1 is a hit or not, only time can tell. We have received a fully-unlocked, black piece of X1, thanks to the guys over at PureMobile, so we are now able to benchmark the device and state our opinions. Announced in February 2008, Sony Ericsson Xperia X1 has been made available only in October 2008. At the moment, the phone can be acquired for the amount of $700 USD, unlocked, and without any plan. There are two available colors on the market: Solid Black and Steel Silver, and you can check the former here.
Design
I wasn’t too surprised to see how Xperia X1 looks like, as I had the privilege to keep one of the samples when visiting Hannover CeBIT Fair back in March 2008. At first glance, the X1 doesn’t look like an ordinary HTC device. In fact, the latest HTC Touch smartphones don’t have any resemblance with the X1. On the other hand, X1 isn’t something that will catch your eye the moment you see it. It seems a standard Pocket PC, bulky and heavy. That impression will change the moment you slide the device and reveal the unusual, curved QWERTY keyboard. The sliding mechanism is much smoother than most of its HTC rivals, while the materials used for manufacture make it look exquisite. Mostly made of metallic compound (back cover) and chromed plastic, Xperia X1 weighs 145g and measures 110.5 x52.6 x 17 mm. If I were to say that Xperia was a good- looking smartphone, then the entire Touch series from HTC is marvelous, and the latter is not quite correct. The only thing I really like is the smoothness of the sliding mechanism and the unusual form of the included QWERTY keyboard.
Other interesting features of the device include 4 LEDs strategically placed on both sides of the smartphone. These alert the user, by flashing in various colors, that he missed a call and received an SMS, or that the battery needs recharging. On the right side of the smartphone one can notice a dedicated camera button and a dual volume key, which can also be used for zooming in/out the camera. Nothing has been included at the bottom of the device, except for an eyelet that can be used to attach a stripe (which doesn’t come in the sales package). The left side of the phone features the miniUSB port, while the top includes a 3.5mm jack port and the power button.
The front part is mostly seized by the huge 3.0-inch display. Above the screen there’s the in-call speaker, framed by an ambient light sensor and the secondary video-call camera. Below the screen there are 2 contextual thin keys, the usual Accept/End calls and another 2 special keys, OK (like Back) and Xpanels. The pattern of the keys reminds of a Draughts game – all of them are triangular, which made my browsing experience a little bit weird at first. The big D-pad in the center is also an optical-pad, but can be used as a standard D-pad in case you don’t like patting it. I found it very responsive and in case you don’t like how it works there’s also the option to set its sensitivity as you see fit.
The back of the phone includes a 3.2-megapixel camera and a small flash above it. The battery cover is made of stainless steel and the camera is protected by a thin transparent plastic against possible drops or scratches. I have also found that the metallic parts of the device are pretty easy to scratch, so I suggest buying a special leather case for it (there’s none in the sales package). The stylus, one of the most important accessories that come with the smartphone, has been placed on the top left. It’s not magnetic or active, so no Notes will open when you pull it out. Sony Ericsson Xperia doesn’t slide completely – only 2/3 of the bottom part will come out. This might give users the impression of sturdiness, but it also led to a whole row of keys missing from the keyboard. The curved form of the keypad seems very comfortable, but the keys aren’t that responsive as you have to press them pretty hard. The keyboard of the X1 only features 4 rows of keys, not the usual 5 rows included in most of the smartphones with QWERTY keyboard (G1, Touch Pro). Still, its backlighting is very good and looks nice when used in dark environments.
Download Sony Ericsson Xperia X1 PDF Review Manual
Related E-Books:
- None Found
March 26, 2010 | Posted in Electronic Manual, Gadget Manual, Sony Ericsson
Comments
Leave a Reply