Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 Review

Introduction:

Some high-tech cell phone models get the same attention as movie stars and the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 makes for an illustrative example. The device has haunted our news section on a weekly basis since the first time we caught wind of it last summer. Some of you that do not share our excitement about cell phones may wonder why this... and here is the answer:

The Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 is the first Android device of the manufacturer and the operating system itself has been causing quite a stir in the cell phone world in the last year. The handset comes with downright monstrous hardware features and as of today, there is simply no other cell phone based on the same platform to rival the X10 and we hardly need to say anything other than “4-inch screen, 1GHz Snapdragon processor and 8.1-megapixel camera”, although Timescape and Mediascape add a truly unique touch to the interface personalization.

We are beginning our review of the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 in high spirits and with sky-rocketing expectations. Despite the almost irresistible desire to tear the box open the minute we got it in our hands, we took time to notice it does remind of boxes that handsets like the HTC HD2 and HTC Hero come in. In other words: small, white and elongated. This does not come as a surprise really, because the current trend dictates that manufacturers should use the least amount of materials in order to make boxes as ecologically-friendly as possible. So, what´s inside?

-    Sony Ericsson Xperia X10
-    8GB microSD card
-    Headphones
-    Wall charger
-    USB cable (plugs into the charger)
-    User guide

Just like most cell phones these days, the Xperia X10 comes without a carrying pouch. The boxed headset is actually the MH500 that happens to be one of the best pairs that can be found with Sony Ericsson devices these days (we first saw it with the Xperia X2).

Design:

If we have to describe the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 in just one word, it would be “BIG”. In two words – „VERY BIG”. In three... Ok, let´s just not run to extremes here, shall we? It´s only logical the handset is on the bulky side, given the huge, 4-inch display it integrates. Some people would probably be more than happy to live with the massive overall size of the Sony Ericsson X10, but we need to point out this is not a cell phone you can use with one hand. Similarly to the HTC HD2 that is a tad wider actually, you will not be able to reach the farthest parts of the screen with your thumb if holding it in one hand. Fortunately, the back is slightly curved and the X10 fits well in hand. The weight is properly balanced, meaning the cell phone is not overly hefty and discomforting to carry around in your pocket, although you will be aware of its presence at all times.



You can compare the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 with many other phones using our Size Visualization Tool.



Well, we have already found out the 4-inch display equates to a bulky size, but what else does it bring? For one, good image quality, that´s for sure. It features native resolution of 480x854 pixels, but the rather modest, for a device that rolls out in 2010, 65k color support. The screen utilizes TFT technology and its colors are saturated, especially the dominating blue. Still, we cannot say the overall image quality is as impressive as what the Samsung Wave S8500 and its Super AMOLED screen delivers. The display remains usable in direct sunlight, which is great news indeed, but we cannot say it´s something breath-taking really. By the way, the screen comes without oleophobic coating, meaning it can get dirty quite easily.

The capacitive screen sports great sensitivity and is not troublesome to use at all. Still, we need to point out that it doesn’t support multitouch, although this is a software restriction that can be removed later on. There is a small LED indicator above the screen that notifies you of various events – blinks at received messages and glows steadily when you charge the device. UPDATE: Sony Ericsson explained that the lack of multitouch is a hardware issue. This means that you won't be able to get multitouch support by installing additional software.

The hardware buttons on the front side allow you to quickly access the main menu, go to the home screen or get a step back in menus. All told, they are large enough and feature pleasing travel. There are small light indicators in between that help you locate the buttons in the dark. Due to the huge overall size of the handset, you may find it hard to press these with your thumb when holding the X10 in one hand. We didn’t encounter any issues relating to the buttons on either side, i.e. the volume rocker, camera shutter and power on/off keys, but they are relatively rarely used anyway.

The Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 can be charged and connected to a PC via normal microUSB port. It´s located on the top side and is well-hidden under a handy, plastic flap. The 3.5mm jack is right next to it and its presence is probably great news for everyone who dislikes Sony Ericsson earphones.




All told, the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 is a well made cell phone with great build quality. The plastics it´s made from appears proper and robust. The chrome framing is an enjoyable counterpoint and lends color to the overall design. Those of you with keen interest in the exact impression they make will be happy to find out that the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 will indeed attract the attention of people around you... Not noticing the X10 is like failing to see Godzilla crunching a snack at table next to you. It´s just that handsets with such enormous displays are still scarcer than chicken teeth. The fact they are not extremely comfortable to use on a daily basis is... another matter. Perhaps this is why the manufacturer has created the Xperia X10 mini and X10 mini pro.

Interface:

You have probably heard already that the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 will not hit the shelves with the latest Android edition. It is based on version 1.6, while a lot of cell phones are to get updated to edition 2.1 anytime now and get the same software that powers the Google Nexus One. So, is this a big deal really? What would you be missing out on?

Perhaps the most important drawbacks are you will not be able to synchronize your phone with multiple accounts (a feature brought by version 2.0) and you won´t be getting Microsoft Exchange support either. Moreover, eye-candies like Live Wallpapers and a spectacular main menu are rather conspicuous in their absence, especially alongside of the visual delight you are treated to when using the Nexus One. Oddly enough, the voice search in the dedicated Google pane is missing and this happens to be a distinguishing feature of Android 1.6. Finally, the home screens are just... three.



Calm down! Sony Ericsson has fallen over backwards to personalize the interface (called UX that stands for User eXperience). The lack of several accounts might prove to be a sore spot for a lot of people, but everyone using Exchange would be happy to know the Moxier application pack is available (Calendar, Contacts, Mail, Sync, Tasks) and it also allows for push alerts. There wasn’t even a single occasion when we felt we needed more space on the home screen and the credit goes to the pair of multifunctional applications developed by Sony Ericsson especially for the Xperia X10. We are talking about Timescape and Mediascape. Let’s take a closer look at them, since they happen to be the most important aspects of the interface.



Timescape:

Timescape gives you information about what´s going on around you and enables you to take a look at the last things you did using the device. It´s a cross breed between a social networking client and personal diary. We guess this sounds somewhat confusing, so let us explain in detail.

Timescape allows you to see latest information about your Facebook, Twitter, MySpace and VZnet buddies in the form of cards called Splines. The concept is not new and we have already seen it in action in the Happenings widget of MOTOBLUR and the Friend Stream tab available with the latest HTC Sense interface. Moreover, Timescape shows the latest conversations, messages, emails, pictures and audio tracks you´ve carried/received/viewed/listened to. You are allowed to filter content and focus on a single element or remove some of them in overview mode and, for an instance, disable all of them but Facebook and Twitter. The application permits you to simultaneously update your status in all available social networks, which is a nice feature.



When you choose a certain card in Timescape, it gets larger and you are prompted to take one of the following actions:

11)    Press once gain to open the relevant service. If you pick a phone contact, you will get to the dialling screen, choose the card of a received message and you will be able to reply, the Spline of a social service takes you to the corresponding webpage, etc.


2)    Press the Infinity button (yep, the one with the infinity symbol on it) and you will get all the available information about the selected object. Take a look at the two examples below:
-    Choose an audio track (in Timescape) and press Infinity. A screen showing all albums of the band available on the expansion card will pop up. The pages below it enable you to download more music via Sony Ericsson PlayNow or watch videos of the performer uploaded on YouTube. You also have the option to search the Internet via Google on pressing the Web search button.


-    Choose a Twitter or Facebook post and you can link it to a phone contact. In this way you get a screen that unifies all relevant posts the person has published on the social network. If already linked to a contact, the above mentioned screen will show up instead.



All told, the concept behind Timescape is really nice and the application saves you the trouble of handling multiple home screen widgets in order to keep in touch with the latest whereabouts of your online buddies. Moreover, the program is the actual point of access for many functions and provides a wealth of information. You can enter Timescape via a widget that shows the latest event or set the application as a home screen. We don´t really like the latter option, since you are left with only four application shortcuts and they cannot be personalized.


Yes, we do like the whole idea, but it´s not all coming up roses either. We would have liked Timescape better if it allowed for RSS feeds to follow websites. Moreover, a social networking Spline opens the internet page of the corresponding service, even if you happen to have a dedicated application for it. This is acceptable in the particular case of Facebook, because the touch-screen version of the web site is convenient to use, but there are some really great Twitter clients out there. The other issue with Timescape is that it does not provide information on comments and messages you get on the social networks you are registered with, but status updates only. In other words, the application simply does not have the necessary functionality to fully replace dedicated social networking clients.

Mediascape:

This is where you get access to all available multimedia files... and something else as well. The concept is not brand new and exists on Sony Ericsson devices in the form of the famous Flash Menu. It has been developed further and now features extra internet-based services.

A list of recently played files is visualized at the top of the Mediascape screen, while its counterpart at the bottom shows information about the particular media type, i.e. audio, video, pictures, etc. PlayNow gives more details on audio tracks, provided the service is supported in your country. No such option is available for videos, but you can watch them (in shuffle mode as well). The picture gallery enables you to browse your online albums on Facebook and Picasa.


The button “More” provides extra filtering options. Say, you can sort tracks by recently played or added content, favourite songs, relevant genre/artist/playlist/podcast/audio books, etc. Once you select an image or audio track, you gain access to the Infinity button that we have already told you about.



As a whole, we do not have any major complaints relating to Mediascape – this is user-friendly, spectacular unification of the picture gallery, audio and video players. The internet services tend to load the requested information slowly at times, but not to the point of being annoyingly sluggish.

However, we do happen to have a gripe or two regarding the UX interface as a whole. First off, most of the icons and buttons are tiny and therefore, not very easy to press with your finger. And we have to say the 4-inch screen provides ample space indeed. Second, it´s the lagging issue. The handset can get sluggish rather unexpectedly, no matter which part of the interface you are in. For an instance, the software can be running smoothly in Timescape, and it can freeze, while you are in the main menu. Quite strange. This does not happen all the time, but more often than to go unnoticed. The device gets more and more sluggish as you overtax it with various programs and can even freeze in certain applications, which is inexcusable. After all, we are talking about a 1GHz Snapdragon handset here. Third, all the animated transitions are cool, but annoyingly slow. We did enjoy them at first, but in time all we wanted was... just to get to the relevant menu/information as fast as we can instead of having to wait, watching animated images spin around. The problem can get especially irksome in Timescape.

Phone contacts:

The phone book has also been personalized by Sony Ericsson. Perhaps the most easily noticeable alteration is the addition of the alphabet on the right that allows for fast filtering of entries. You also have constant access to a search tab and the option to find contacts based on both parts of the name. Finally, you can update your current status on various social networks directly from the phone book (just like in Timescape).


This not all about the social integration though. Individual entries can be assigned a Facebook or Twitter profile, meaning the online status of the person will be visible in the phone book. This is a really cool function that we saw enabled in the first version of HTC Sense. Unfortunately, in the case of the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10, you have to add the profile information for each contact individually. Sadly, you cannot search in the list of social networking contacts. So, how do you add the Facebook profiles of 250 people? No way! Sony Ericsson needs to work on improving this aspect, because the function is virtually unusable at this time.


The phone contacts themselves can be enriched with various details, like phone numbers, email, chat account, postal address, notes etc.

Organizer:

The options relating to bringing order to your daily grind have had a facelift. The alarms application allows you to choose the appearance of the clock, which will appear, while the handset is trying to wake you up. The calendar is the standard program that comes with Android and allows for visualizing events in daily, weekly, monthly and agenda modes. Adding entries is done in pretty much the standard way and all of them can be set as all-day events, plus they can be assign recurrence pattern. The presence and privacy options are here as well and you can add descriptions for improved clarity.


There is a standard calculator with several complex options, but we were caught off guard by its design. It´s as if the application has been developed for displays with lower resolution, meaning it does not fit the screen, but appears in a window. 



Messaging:

Composing messages remains an overused cell phone function, no matter how high-tech and feature-rich a smartphone may be. We have to admit the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 is somewhat disappointing with this respect.

Messages are visualized in threaded style, which is very convenient indeed. However, we just don’t have a clue why you don’t have access to the landscape QWERTY layout when typing in a text message, while the layout is at your disposal to compose emails. We hope the issue affects our unit only. The portrait layout comes with keys that are a bit thin, so it's not the most comfortable there is. The space bar is tiny and we quite often (and erroneously) pressed the full stop button next to it instead. The landscape QWERTY is much more comfortable, since its buttons are large enough and there is enough room in between keys.


As we have already mentioned, Sony Ericsson have pre-installed applications for Microsoft Exchange servers and they are more than welcome. Setting up and using multiple email accounts is both simple and convenient.

Connectivity:

As you might have guessed already, the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 was born to be connected to the Internet. Using Timescape and Mediascape means you need internet connection almost all the time, so a proper data plan is virtually mandatory. The handset supports HSDPA 10.2Mbit/s and Wi-Fi 802.11b/g.

The default browser of the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 is the standard application of Android and people who have used the HTC Hero or Google Nexus One will certainly find it a bit antiquated. It is snappy and allows for smooth scrolling, but lacks the option for zooming via double taps. You can zoom on page elements in predefined steps using the two screen buttons in the bottom right corner of the screen, although there is no image spanning via multitouch or keeping your finger pressed against the display. The browser does not support Flash, but there is a built-in player to watch YouTube videos.


The salvation, however, lurks around. There are several truly capable browsers at Android Market and the most feature-rich today is Dolphin (although it won´t bring multitouch controls to the X10). Opera Mini 5 beta is a viable option as well, especially if you need to severely slash on traffic.




GPS:

Traditionally, Sony Ericsson provides Wisepilot with all its handsets equipped with GPS and the Xperia X10 is not an exception to the rule. The program is really capable and features voice navigation, but comes with a 30 day trial, meaning you will have to buy it when it´s expired. All told, the application can come in quite handy for European customers. However, using it in the US is more or less pointless, since Google Maps offers free navigation. Google is expected to enable the free navigation feature for the entire world later on, which would probably mean the end of paid navigational programs like Wisepilot. Until this has happened, however, such applications are more than welcome.

Camera:

The Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 is the world´s first Android handset to integrate 8.1-megapixel camera. We have to point out we are truly surprised and pleased at the great number of options its interface offers.

The interface starts up in less than two seconds and you need a second and a half for the camera to focus properly. Saving a snapshot takes about 3 seconds, meaning you won´t be able to take images in quick succession.

The Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 offers contemporary options like face and smile detection and touch focus. It´s interesting to mention there is a function that automatically sets all relevant options depending on the current conditions (something like the Intelligent Shot of the LG Viewty Smart). During our tests, we couldn’t find any noticeable difference between images taken with the mode turned on and off. It´s really cool that you´ve got a number of presets with a real impact on the picture quality. We don´t like the fact that important options like those relating to the camera flash and white balance are inaccessible via the view finder and you have to enter a submenu to change them.


We quite like the option that visualizes miniature versions of the last 5 images/videos at the bottom of the screen. This means that you always know what you´ve snapped last and there is a button that takes you to the gallery right away, located on the side of the handset.

The overall snapshot quality is quite good indeed. Bear in mind that all of our test shots were taken in cloudy weather, which typically has a negative impact on the color representation and increases the amount of image noise. Still, we believe the colors could have been more saturated in order to look more real. Pictures have enough details, especially shots in macro mode. The only aspect we are disappointed at is the quality of pictures taken indoors, due to the extremely weak camera flash that just cannot provide proper lighting. As a whole, the overall quality is better than what all other Android devices to date offer, including the Motorola DROID/MILESTONE and Google Nexus One. The result is comparable to what high-end cameraphones deliver and the only aspect the X10 is not that good at is the accurate color representation in fully automated shooting mode (the multiple options, however, allow you to fix that easily).



The video capture capabilities of the device are quite good as well. You can choose between VGA (640x480) and WVGA (800x480) and the average frame rate count is remains around 30 no matter the resolution you´ve picked. The colors appear slightly thin yet again, but the overall result is satisfactory, especially alongside of other Android-based handsets. The Samsung Omnia HD and Sony Ericsson Vivaz are far, far better and they also offer HD video capture (720p).

Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 video sample at 800x480 pixels resolution
Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 video sample at 640x480 pixels resolution

Multimedia:

We have already told you that Mediascape kicks in when there´s media playback involved. Despite the fact we like the application, we just have to point out that it comes with several omissions in terms of functionality.
 
First, you zoom on pictures in a rather odd way in the gallery. Double tapping the screen gets you into a super close-up mode and you have to use the screen keys to zoom gradually. 


The audio player offers a great number of options for filtering content and accessing additional information (via the Infinity button), but lacks equalizer. This is rather peculiar and displeasing at the least, not to mention it´s quite strange of a manufacturer that equips almost all of its handsets with such an option, no matter the class. You also have audio recognition via TrackID. Fortunately, the audio quality is really good. The boxed headphone set (MH500) has once against proved itself as one of the best that can be found in a cell phone box these days. The sound it produces is clear, loud and with pleasing basses, a truly rare quality with handsets today.


The video player recognizes MPEG4 videos coded in H.264 only and does not support DivX and Xvid, which is a shame really, since the huge screen is extremely suitable for watching videos. Still, the player is a capable application within its limitations and the playback of files with extremely high resolution of 1,280x720 pixels is not a problem at all. The image quality is not stunning, since colors appear slightly thin, but clips play smoothly and without any hang-ups or noticeable artefacts. It´s such a shame that you have to convert videos in order to watch them, not to mention that there is simply no software that adds DivX/Xvid support to Android-based devices today (like Core Player for Symbian and Windows phones).

We just have to tell you the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 allows for sharing of multimedia files via Bluetooth, something that requires additional software with all other Android handsets.

Performance:

We have seen a number of powerful smartphones that offer poor in-call quality, but fortunately, the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 is not one of them. Actually, the X10 is way above average with this respect and as a whole, we rate it 8/10. Our only gripe relates to the slightly muted voices, because they sound less than perfectly realistic, but everything else is great. We didn’t have any problem understanding our callers even on a single occasion, although they claimed they could hear unobtrusive environmental noise when we used the X10 while walking along a busy street.

The manufacturer claims the battery should be able to provide 8 hours of continuous talk time and keep the handset operational for 425 hours in stand-by on 3G networks. In order to achieve such a battery performance, however, you will have to switch off all social networking updates, since they drain the battery fast.


Conclusion:

In terms of hardware, the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 is nothing short of a marvellous device. It´s as easy to notice as taking a look at its specifications and the impression is confirmed when you get it in your hand. The build quality is very good, the screen is huge and features wonderful sensitivity, you get virtually all extra features you might need, including 3G, Wi-Fi and GPS (even navigational software). The 8-megapixe camera is great for taking pictures outdoors and happens to be the best you can find on Android-based handsets today. The video capture capabilities of the device are more than satisfactory as well, even if it does not deliver HD video capture. The in-call and audio playback quality are extremely pleasing as well.

We cannot but congratulate the manufacturer on the concept behind Timescape and Mediascape. The personalization is enjoyable and Sony Ericsson has done great, pre-installing applications to add Microsoft Exchange support and make up for one of the shortcomings of the ageing Android edition. All this contributes to a contemporary smartphone of a very high quality that definitely stands out from the crowd.

Of course, the handset is not without its shortcomings as well, say, lack of landscape QWERTY layout when composing messages, missing audio player equalizer, clumsy browser etc.

Alongside of the HTC Sense, the UX interface is somewhat harder to get used to, but the learning curve is not that steep and you just need to spend some time with it to begin feeling at home. Still, there will be lots of questions like “where is the option for...” and “What happens if I press this...”. One of the issues the manufacturer does need to address is the lagging software. We are pretty sure the severe slowdowns in the operational speed of the device are software-related, because the 1GHz Snapdragon processor is extremely snappy indeed.

What other options do you have? What about the fiercest rivals of the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 today?

-    Google Nexus One – it is based on Android 2.1 and despite the lack of personalized interface, the device offers proper integration of social networks and eye-candies like Live Wallpapers. Its screen is smaller, but utilizes AMOLED technology and delivers impressive image quality. Moreover, the handset supports multitouch.
-    HTC Desire – based on the same hardware and software as the Nexus One, but runs HTC Sense that offers a number of personalization options.
-    HTC HD2 - if Android is not your cup of tea, but you still need a device with huge screen, this is your only option today. The handset runs Windows Mobile 6.5, but comes with all the advantages of HTC Sense.
-    Motorola DROID – even if less spectacular than the above mentioned cell phones (at least in terms of hardware), the device is a solid option with proper functionality. It is based on Android 2.0 (will get updated to version 2.1 soon) and sports a hardware QWERTY keyboard that may prove to be decisive for heavy texters.

The Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 is one of the best Android handsets today, but what it needs to become perfect is software update to the latest version of the operating system and a fix to resolve the several bugs and lagging issue. We hope the manufacturer responds fast in order to make its flagship device even more appealing than it currently is.