Sony Ericsson Xperia mini Review

Introduction:

Ultra-compact smartphones may not be as popular as their large-screened counterparts, but that doesn't mean there isn't a nice, cosy place in the market for them, be it a bit smaller. At least, that's what Sony Ericsson tries to convince us in, by unleashing the successor of its last year super-mini, the Xperia X10 mini. The new model is identically named, except for the dropped “X10” part.

But how has the Sony Ericsson Xperia mini changed, in order to cater to this year's user requirements? Well, we guess the manufacturer has made the right moves by upping the screen size a bit, to 3”, as well as installing a faster, 1GHz processor. Is this enough to make the Xperia mini a worthy challenger in the mid-range Android space? Let us explore that!

In the box you'll find:

• Sony Ericsson Xperia mini
• Wall charger with detachable microUSB cable
• MH410 GreenHeart handsfree
• 2GB microSD card
• Additional back cover in different color
• Lots of papers

Design:

This is where the Sony Ericsson Xperia mini should shine. The handset is designed to be stylish and compact, and it's safe to say that the goal has been achieved. We have the all-black variant, but there are also all-white, as well as black with a blue or pink back cover for a fresher styling. While we found the Xperia mini pro (the QWERTY-enabled variant of the mini) a bit chubby, the Xperia mini's measures render it slightly more tolerable to wear in a pocket. In addition, it is the perfectly-sized handset to be carried in a handbag, given its very compact dimensions.



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

Sony Ericsson has done a remarkable job with upgrading the Xperia mini so that it fits today's standards. The display is up from 2.55” QVGA to the much more bearable 3” of HVGA goodness, all the while keeping the dimensions of the device in tact. The display itself is pretty decent in terms of colors and viewing angles. Unfortunately, the ambient light sensor cannot be turned off, so you definitely lack some flexibility in terms of brightness. Outdoors, you'll have to shield your device with your hand, in order to get a readable view. Thankfully, the HVGA resolution plays well with this screen size, and thus the Sony Ericsson Xperia mini delivers fine details, although not Retina Display-quality.

The screen is also blessed with Sony's Mobile Bravia Engine for enhanced photos and videos, which is something we do appreciate. Finally, while the 3 inches of screen real estate are good enough for simple everyday tasks like checking the mail, hardcore smartphone users will have to look elsewhere and find a bigger option.

The buttons around the device are well made for the most part. We particularly like the home, volume, and power keys, while the camera shutter's first step is a bit softer than what we like. The context menu and back keys are touch-sensitive, and may cause you some headaches due to possible accidental presses.

Overall, we can say that Sony Ericsson has done a terrific job in creating an overly compact, yet usable handset. The screen of the Xperia mini is now big enough for comfortable execution of everyday tasks,  while, at the same time, the phone is kept small and attractive.

Interface and Functionality:

Sony Ericsson is one of the manufacturers that seem firmly committed to customizing their Android experiences, and its Xperia mini is just another proof of this. We first saw that specific UI customization in the original Xperia X10 mini, but since then, the company has decided to update and enhance the software, in order to make it suitable for handsets with larger screens as well. And we really appreciate that! What we see now, about a year later, is a much more playful and polished UI, which may lack the depth and immense personalization potential of HTC Sense, but is really well-drawn and manages to bring a really unique feel to Android. From the kinky widget overview mode, to the cool lock animation – it is such little details that make the phone very fun to use.


Back in its early Android days, Sony Ericsson was notorious for its ultra-slow software updates. Now, the company claims to have learned from its own mistakes, saying that it realizes the importance of keeping a smartphone as up-to-date as possible. This promise is kept for now, with the Sony Ericsson Xperia mini running Gingerbread right from the start. This, combined with the single-core 1GHz Snapdragon processor guarantees a very fluid and responsive experience. Thankfully, we didn't encounter any serious lagging. The handset kept its cool even in more resource-hungry apps.

All of this doesn't mean that the manufacturer has cut the number of proprietary services. Timescape, for example, is still here, and more functional than ever, as you can now install plug-ins from Android Market, that add additional services that you can follow through the program, like Gmail or Foursquare.


Due to the small screen, typing on the portrait on-screen keyboard is not among the best of experiences. Even if you have some more “athletic” fingers, typing is not comfortable. It is possible, but it will be slow, and accidental mistakes will play on your nerves. That's why we would recommend sticking to the landscape QWERTY, which isn't as great as what we have on bigger phones as well, but is at least tolerable.



Internet and Connectivity:

The internet experience on the Sony Ericsson Xperia mini is satisfying. It isn't very convenient, again due to the small screen, but gets the job done if you just want to check a couple of websites, or make a quick search. Longer usage will surely tire your eyes relatively fast.

Leaving that aside for a while, the Android browser runs very well on the Xperia mini, with no significant delays in scrolling, zooming, etc. In addition, due to its 1GHz processor, the handset supports Flash Player, so you won't miss a thing when browsing. The phone stays responsive even when viewing a Flash-intensive website. We especially like the fact that you can pan the page, while zooming using multitouch, as it makes navigation a lot more intuitive.


We were able to get localized in about 3 minutes, by using GPS satellites alone. When using aGPS, we were found instantly.

Camera and Multimedia:

There's a 5-megapixel camera on the Sony Ericsson Xperia mini – a respectable offering for the mid-end zone. Thankfully, the shooter is also capable of recording 720p video. The interface is again very playful, in tune with the rest of the software on the phone. Most options are accessible within a single tap, and you can also customize their arrangement, so that what you need the most stays at your fingertips.


We managed to take some passable photos, with realistic, though somewhat dull colors, and a slight shortage of details. They aren't a disaster, if you ask us, but you'll hardly be able to win a first place in our photography-centric column either.


The situation doesn't change much when you move indoors, with the natural exception of getting an overall noisier image. The LED flash is, unfortunately, pretty weak, and won't help you improve the quality of your photos much.


The very same can be written about the 720p video. Again, we're witnessing a mostly blurry image that lacks any hint of small detail and clarity, all the while having these accurate, yet somewhat dull colors.

Sony Ericsson Xperia mini Sample Video:



Sony Ericsson Xperia mini Indoor Sample Video:



As we said in the beginning, the Sony Ericsson Xperia mini features the Mobile Bravia Engine, which makes viewing pictures and video on the phone's screen a much bigger pleasure. Out of the box, the handset is capable of playing H.264 and MPEG-4 video at up to 720p resolution. For other codecs, you'll obviously have to install a 3rd-party player.

Sony Ericsson's music player is very friendly, with big buttons for easy navigation. You have lots of different goodies to play with, like equalizer settings and the xLOUD option, which should enhance the loudness of the speaker. We actually found it to add some low frequencies to the mix, making for a much more tolerable sound. We're grateful to Sony Ericsson for including this! Finally, there's the handy infinity button that lets you perform quick searches for a song's lyrics, karaoke videos on YouTube, artist's bio, etc.


The earphones included with the phone, the MH410 GreenHeart, may not be spectacular, but they are certainly above average, with well-balanced sounding, which you can then manipulate successfully using the various equalizer presets.

Performance:

While we were conversing, using the Sony Ericsson Xperia mini, we enjoyed some really nice, realistic voices coming from the earpiece. They even have some depth to them, getting rid of that overly-sharp sounding that we're regularly treated to with other handsets. Unfortunately though, it seems the microphone that's been used by Sony Ericsson is not of particularly high quality, as our buddies on the other end said that we'd sounded very unclear. At times, if your caller is at a place with lots of ambient noise, they may even have trouble understanding you. The Sony Ericsson Xperia mini is equipped with one of the better-sounding loudspeakers out there.

The battery powering the Sony Ericsson Xperia mini has a capacity of 1200mAh, and is rated at 4.5 hours of talk-time, and 14 days of stand-by, which is below average. We guess the small body of the phone didn't allow for a more powerful unit to be installed. However, with the mini, your usage pattern likely won't be too heavy, so the handset is sure to last at least a day.

Conclusion:

With the Sony Ericsson Xperia mini, you'll surely succeed in being different. The tiny handset is indeed a looker, and it is such offerings that feel like a breath of fresh air in this crowded market.

What we're happy about is that Sony Ericsson managed to upgrade the mini to a pretty decent 2011 smartphone, all the while preserving its characteristic looks. With a 3” screen, 1GHz processor and an up-to-date operating system, covered with a neat and playful custom UI, the Sony Ericsson Xperia mini is now less of a niche device than ever.

It might not be the best of cameraphone and convenient GPS device, but sacrifices in terms of functionality are often needed with when going for an ultra-compact form-factor.

It's really hard to find smartphones this small right now, that's why you'll have to compromise if you're looking for something similar, but not quite like the Xperia mini. What we can suggest are devices like the HTC Wildfire S and the Samsung GALAXY Gio, which are still relatively compact, and offer all the wonders of the Android platform.

Software version of the reviewed unit: Android 2.3.3, Build: 4.0.A.2.368

Sony Ericsson Xperia mini Video Review: