Product Listing

Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 mini - Size Matters Not

By Seow Tein Hee - 19 Jun 2010
Launch SRP: S$528

Conclusion

The Best of Both Worlds

Smartphones of today have taken on the mandate of having bigger screens, faster processors, and better industrial design. Sony Ericsson's Xperia X10 mini goes one step further by shrinking it all down into the compact form factor that is presented before us. Some might have second thoughts of getting a device with a 2.55-inch screen that's fully reliant on touchscreen technology. We were able to dismiss that misgiving from what we've seen of the interface. Designed with ease of use in mind by mostly relying on just thumb actions, and an intuitive virtual numeric keypad for your text input, the X10 mini turned out to be a very usable device.

While the software has gotten a few pointers right, we do feel that more thought should have been put in for its hardware. Accessing the microUSB port was a painful affair, and should you forget to keep the X10 mini juiced up, you are faced with no backup options with its non-removable battery. Thankfully, the combination of a smaller screen size with lower resolution and its reasonable power management kept the X10 mini alive for up to a day, placing it as one of the top portable devices. Of course, video playback would be subjective, and in our case, we'd prefer a larger screen to enjoy movies on the go. Audio playback is pretty decent too, but when it comes to imaging, be duly aware that you could end up with unforgiving pictures under harsh lighting. Otherwise, we did appreciate the detail levels of the 5-megapixel camera, and not forgetting that having a LED flash is great for low-light shots too.

Depending on your base color choice (white or black), you'll get an additional cover (lime green or red) to switch with.

Ending off, here's another bonus that comes with the X10 mini - interchangeable covers. The X10 mini comes with either a black or white cover, and an additional lime green or red cover for you to switch and suit your mood for the day. In retrospect, the X10 mini is more suited for the trendsetters or those who seek a phone that doesn't eat up too much into their inventory space. There's a catch though - the X10 mini is priced at S$528 without contract, and when you consider its offerings to the suggested price, we do have to say it might be a bit too pricey for budget phone buyers. Prices aside, if you're looking for a very compact smartphone on the Android platform, the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 mini is a good choice.

Join HWZ's Telegram channel here and catch all the latest tech news!
8.0
  • Design 8
  • Features 8
  • User-Friendliness 8
  • Performance 8.5
  • Value 8
The Good
Compact form factor
Easily accessible interface
Average battery mileage
The Bad
Small display
Non-removable battery
Too compact for large hands
Our articles may contain affiliate links. If you buy through these links, we may earn a small commission.