Review: Sony Ericsson XPERIA X1

Packaging

Many high-end handsets are packaged in stylish boxes these days. Following on the iPhone and iPhone 3G‘s sleekly styled packaging, we’re seeing more and more smartphones flossing designer boxes. The Sony Ericsson XPERIA X1 is boxed up in an efficient and straight-forward package. Designer, it’s not. But, it’s definitely “cool” enough to please our inner-geek.

Setup / Out-of-box functionality

Start up the handset and you’ll instantly see its Windows Mobile underpinnings. Windows Mobile fires up and starts downloading carrier-specific files that will handle all the network-setup nitty gritty for you. But, the setup doesn’t end at the touchscreen calibration process. You’ve got a lot more setting up to do to get this Windows Mobile-powered smartphone up to speed.

You’ll still need to setup your email accounts and synchronize your calendars before you can consider the XPERIA X1 fully functional, but at least you don’t have to configure your handset with wireless network settings. In the end, we’d imagine that a bit of account-setting legwork won’t deter the X1′s decidedly geekier target demographic.

Design and Phone Calls…..

About The Author

Will Park

Will hails from The City of Angels - Los Angeles, California. He spends his time playing with his numerous gadgets and looking forward to seeing what future holds for mobile technology. An avid promoter of a fully "digital" life, he promotes the widespread adoption of truly mobile, paper-less living. He dreams of the day when he can go completely digital. No more snail mail, paper receipts, bound books, notepads/spiral notebooks, credit cards, hard currency. He's a digital warrior - fighting for the converged life. He is an idealist and a realist - he has a perfect view of what the world should be but knows that the world is not perfect. Can we ever hope to see Will's dream become reality? We'll see...

John

Nice review Will. That’s a sweet looking phone.
Will Park

Thanks, John!
robert

I do not understand why its not being picked up by a carrier here in America. I would get it in a heartbeat with carrier’s discount on it. Hope it will be picked up by T-Mobile.
Derrick

Great Review. =) I checked the Sony Style Store last Friday. Unfortunately, the X1a, the one with the US 3G bands, the AT&T ones at least didn’t hit the shelves in time for Black Friday.

Aside from the brilliant WVGA display, I think the Panel interface will be the X1′s edge over other phones. The guys at XDA Developers came up with a “Touch Flo 3D” Panel that replicates the home screen on the latest HTC devices, which I think is pretty cool. SPB also put out a free “Panel” version of their SPB mobile shell for the X1.

Those two interfaces are pretty “killer” in terms of Panel apps. I also heard there was a Facebook panel available. Don’t get me wrong, it seems really cool, but at the same time it kind of steams me up because Facebook was kind enough to grace the iPhone, Blackberry and now the Xperia, but seems to have left the regular WinMo users in the cold in terms of apps, especially considering the WinMo platform is one of the easier mobile platforms to develop for because of the languages and tools available through Visual Studio, etc.

But I digress. Since I already have a WinMo phone in the form of an HTC Touch Cruise (Polaris), I was originally planning to wait a bit until Windows Mobile 6.5 or even Windows Mobile 7 devices started rolling out, but I have to admit, the Sony Xperia X1 is one sexy device. I might have to break the bank to pick one of these babies up…
Han2

Size wise it a bit bulky, Solid build but easily scratch. I bought the silver one and sold it within a week. A bit slow and laggy in my opinion. Sony should implement either android or symbian 60 instead of windows mobile.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=589425855 Rob McGregor

Hey Sorry Errorsson! Your fleet of “Flagships” is sinking due to the Xperia X10 Epic Fail, “Xperia Plague” and sideways sailing of Xperia Arc! Learn how to treat customers!