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Sony Ericsson Xperia X1 - The Full Xperience

By Seow Tein Hee - 29 Oct 2008

Battery Test

Xpress Power

Now comes the hard part: the X1's performance as a mobile device. For the mobile road warriors, the biggest question that comes to mind is the battery performance. This would actually require a fine balance between a few factors: battery size in relation to the device's form factor and dimensions, processor and memory, added wireless connectivity features such as Wi-Fi, HSDPA, Bluetooth and even GPS all thrown into the mix.

The X1 utilizes one of the highest capacity batteries (1500mAH) for Windows Mobile devices of its class, but will it manage to perform as it's specification implies?

Firstly, we take a more detailed look at its performance in the power consumption region. Taking a cue from our notebook and netbook tests, we've incorporated and modified the standard test in accordance with the Windows Mobile 6.1 Profesional platform. This involves a constant loop of a H.264 MP4 file with a resolution of 480 x 260 playing at 24FPS, and to push the device to its maximum capacity, we left both the Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity on and connected to a Bluetooth stereo headset and an active wireless connection, with the volume set at 100% at maximum screen brightness. As a comparative measure, we analyzed the X1 with another device with similar specifications, the Samsung Omnia, on top of the earlier comparisons we did with the HTC Touch Pro.

Specifications/Device Sony Ericsson Xperia X1 Samsung Omnia HTC Touch Pro
Processor
  • Qualcomm MSM7200 528MHz
  • Marvell PXA312 624MHz
  • Qualcomm MSM7201A 528Mhz
Memory
  • 256MB RAM
  • 512MB ROM
  • 128MB RAM
  • 256MB ROM
  • 288MB RAM
  • 512MB ROM
Connectivity
  • Wi-Fi 802.11b/g
  • Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR
  • HSDPA
  • GPS with A-GPS
  • Wi-Fi 802.11b/g
  • Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR
  • HSDPA
  • GPS with A-GPS
  • Wi-Fi 802.11b/g
  • Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR
  • HSDPA
  • GPS with A-GPS
Dimensions
  • 110.5 x 52.6 x 17 mm
  • 112 x 56.9 x 12.5 mm
  • 102 x 51 x 18.1 mm
Weight
  • 145g
  • 122g
  • 165g
Screen size
  • 3.0-inch
  • 3.2-inch
  • 2.8-inch
Battery
  • Li-Pol 1500 mAh
  • Li-Ion 1440 mAh
  • Li-Ion 1340 mAh

With the battery life (in minutes) for all three devices being tested, each device is then rated according to its power consumption and portability index. Power consumption is calculated based on the following forumla:

  • Battery capacity (maH) x Voltage (V) / Battery life (in hours)

For the portability index, we took into consideration the following factors: the ratio of the battery life (in hours) to the weight multiplied by the volume of the device, as seen here:

  • Battery life (in hours) / (Volume x Weight)

On the first chart where we compare the device uptime, you would have noticed that the X1, being a device that comes with a 1500mAH battery, did not manage to outperform both the Touch Pro and the Omnia with lower capacities. Power consumption, though better than the Omnia, was debatable when it was compared against the Touch Pro's lower voltage specifications. To understand the outcomes better, you'll have to incorporate the fact that there are various screen sizes involved here and each of them is powered by a different battery capacity. Put them together, and you'll have a clear picture of the situation where each fares decently in their own turf.

But undeniably, for its dimensions coupled with the highest battery capacity among the trio, the X1 scored better in the portability index than the Touch Pro's heavier and larger dimensions. Nonetheless, the X1 only had a slight advantage over the Touch Pro in this aspect, as you can see from the close results. Take note that in the portability index, the HTC Touch Pro is the more immediate comparison to the X1. The Samsung Omnia doesn't have QWERTY keyboard and thus much slimmer among the trio, but it's still a reasonable comparison to give you an idea how the high-end group of smartphones fare at the moment.

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