Sony Ericsson Xperia mini pro Review

Introduction:

There are not many phone manufacturers nowadays that are brave enough to venture outside of the well-known and safe field of doing large black slabs, stuffed with dual-core processors. Indeed, from design standpoint, the times are much simpler now than they were before. We're witnessing a relatively bland landscape, mostly filled with boring-looking smartphones, which, albeit powerful, have visibly little sense of style.

Until now, this trend went mostly unnoticed, due to the very nature of the smartphone-rocking crowd – tech-savvy individuals who mainly care about the specs and capabilities of their devices, rather than how they look. However, with the rapid proliferation of smartphones, we're beginning to see more and more casual cell phone users making the jump to using an iPhone, an Android handset, etc. With such popularization, sooner or later there's going to be demand for devices that look a bit more refined, a bit more sophisticated, if you will.

Some manufacturers are already willing to target their devices to this new, previously unexplored area of the market. Sony Ericsson's Xperia line is a perfect example. With handsets like the arc, ray and mini, the joint-venture is openly showing that its offerings don't rely on specs alone. They'll attract people by looking cool. A rather atypical solution can be observed with the Sony Ericsson Xperia mini and mini pro – the new additions to the manufacturer's “super-mini” class, which have taken all the good sides of their predecessors, and managed to complement them with some more up-to-date specs. Let's see how the QWERTY-sporting Xperia mini pro fares in this cruel world of smartphone juggernauts!

In the box you'll find:

• Sony Ericsson Xperia mini pro
• Wall charger with detachable microUSB cable
• MH410 GreenHeart handsfree
• 2GB microSD card
• Small cleaning cloth
• Screen protector
• Lots of papers

Design:

This is where the Sony Ericsson Xperia mini pro 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 white with pink or blue back covers to give it a fresher appearance. Due to the presence of a side-sliding QWERTY keyboard, the Xperia mini pro is a bit chubby. Because of that, its presence in your pocket is definitely noticeable. This won't really be a problem for female users, who put their phones in their handbags, and for this purpose, the Xperia mini pro is ideal, managing to remain pretty compact.



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

Sony Ericsson has done a remarkable job with upgrading the mini pro 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 pro 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, but hardcore smartphone users will have to look elsewhere and find a bigger option.

The buttons around the device left us with some mixed feelings. For example, while the camera shutter is fantastic, the volume rocker clearly lacks some of that pronounced travel that we enjoy so much. And while the power/lock button seems fine, it's like its tiny dimensions are making it a bit uncomfortable to use. The home button is okay, though could be a bit less stiff.

The sliding mechanism is executed perfectly – the upper part quickly and firmly snaps into place, leaving you alone with that four-row QWERTY keyboard, that has to be pretty well-made, in order to be usable within the compact realities of the Xperia mini pro. And indeed it is! We had absolutely no problems using the keyboard, even then it's not the most spacious one out there. Keys are still nicely spaced out from one another, allowing you to avoid pressing the wrong ones, while they also provide a reassuring feedback when pressed, due to their “clickiness”.

Overall, we can say that Sony Ericsson has done a terrific job in creating an overly compact, yet usable handset. The screen is now big enough for everyday tasks, while the great QWERTY keyboard also elevates the device's messaging inclination to a very high level.

Interface and Functionality:

Sony Ericsson is one of the manufacturers that seem firmly committed to customizing their Android experiences, and its Xperia mini pro 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. 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 pro 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.

In addition to typing with the physical keyboard (which is naturally the best option), you can also stick to the onscreen ones if you just want to enter something quickly. Of course, the portrait option is quite small, but the landscape one gets the job done.


Internet and Connectivity:

The internet experience on the Sony Ericsson Xperia mini pro is satisfying. It isn't very comfortable, 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 mini pro, 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 handset 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 easier.


We were able to get localized in about 4 minutes, by using GPS satellites alone. However, at times we had to wait much longer for our location to be pinpointed. When using aGPS, we were found instantly.

Performance:

Incoming call quality with the Xperia mini pro is so-so. While it does feature enough loudness, voices were more on the sharper side, so, in most cases, you won't have a problem understanding what's being said, but the conversation won't be really enjoyable. The same goes for outgoing quality – the mic manages to capture some decently-powered tones, which lack any depth. Fortunately, the loudspeaker of the Xperia mini pro is one of the better ones out there.

The battery powering the Sony Ericsson Xperia mini pro has a capacity of 1200mAh, and is rated at 5.66 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 pro, 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 pro, 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 pro is now less of a niche device than ever.

One of the very few things that left a sour taste in our mouths was the camera, which is indeed quite poor. So, if you're snapping a lot of pics, better look elsewhere. If that's not such a big deal for you though, and you're on the lookout for a compact Android smartphone, the Xperia mini pro is a great choice.

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 pro. 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. If the physical QWERTY keyboard is a must, then you can try the HTC ChaCha, but that means you'll also have to be a pretty big fan of Facebook.

Software version of the reviewed unit: Android 2.3.3, Build: 4.0.A.2.335

Sony Ericsson Xperia mini pro Video Review: