Sony Ericsson hopes to expand its collection of “communication entertainment” phones with the addition of a bite-sized version of the Xperia X10, slated for release in the first half of 2010. With the Xperia X10 Mini, announced in Barcelona on the 14th of February along with the X10 Mini Pro, Sony Ericsson aims to raise the bar and define the standard for high-quality compact phones loaded with stunning features, industry-leading specifications, and cutting-edge applications. Built on the design of the acclaimed Xperia X10, the X10 Mini manages to pack what is touted as “best-in-class” communication entertainment performance into a much smaller package without any loss of quality or usability, creating an entirely new user environment for mobile device owners.
Chosen for the 2010 red dot award for outstanding product design, the X10 Mini is already turning heads. Running on an updated version of Sony Ericsson’s UX platform specifically designed for compact mobile devices, the X10 is poised to make a splash in the mobile market with great looks and amazing features in a tiny package. The X10 Mini is expected to be available after Q2 in Pearl White, Black, Pink, Red, Lime and Silver in select markets; however, pricing still has yet to be announced officially, though it is expected to be around £300 according to current estimates.
Weighing in at 88 grams and measuring just 8.3 x 5 cm—smaller than a credit card— the X10 Mini comes loaded with a surprising number of features for such a small phone. The “four-corner” touch screen interface with auto-rotate capability and the on-screen QWERTY keyboard combine with Sony Ericsson’s “human curvature” design philosophy (first introduced with the Xperia X10) to offer clear, intuitive and unhindered interaction and an enjoyable communication entertainment experience to the user. Also included is the interesting and unique “Infinite” button; using it in different contexts, you can easily get info about your friends, find what track you’re listening to, or search for a video on YouTube, all with a single key press. Featuring a vivid 240×320 pixel (QVGA) TFT display capable of displaying more than 16.7 million colours, the X10 Mini has sufficient lighting and crisp, clear graphics that make navigation and reading much easier and are great for viewing pictures or video.
To compliment its graphic ability, the X10 Mini features a 5-megapixel camera capable of capturing images or video, and auto-focus, a photo flash and video light, as well as geo tagging combine to create an ideal photographic environment for capturing stunning images or recording fun moments and easily sharing them with friends and family using the pre-packaged Facebook application or your preferred social network. The X10 Mini runs on the open-source Android operating system coupled with Sony Ericsson’s UX platform, granting access to the Google application suite and allowing for a wide range of customisation as well as access to thousands of custom applications available on the Android Market. Pick and choose the apps you want (or even develop your own) in your quest to create the perfect mobile experience. To help you customise your mobile device even more and make it truly yours, the four-corner interface allows you to create shortcuts to your favourite applications to help you quickly navigate to the best your mobile phone has to offer. The 600 MHz processor makes everything run smoothly, allowing you to start up all of your apps without a problem and navigate through the interface without any stuttering or hiccups.
Additionally, Sony Ericsson Timescape combines all of your communications into a single easy-to-access stream, giving you all of the latest updates and messages from all of your social networks at once without the hassle of opening multiple applications. Check text messages, missed calls, and Facebook and Twitter updates all from the same place with a quick glance. The Webkit web browser, 3G+ HSPA and Wi-Fi connectivity also allow you to connect to any website you like and bookmark it for quick access, making it a breeze to check all of your favourite sites. Featuring 128MB of internal storage as well as support for up to 16GB via the microSD expansion slot, the X10 Mini also has plenty of room for music, videos, pictures and games. Synchronise your calendar, contacts and organiser data between your mobile device and computer with USB connectivity or transfer with secure Bluetooth wireless connection up to 10 meters away.
In keeping with the idea of communication entertainment, the X10 Mini features access to streaming video, with direct connectivity to YouTube and some of your favourite FM radio stations to keep you entertained. Sony Ericsson Music player also makes music playback possible, playing AAC and MP3 music files as well as storing album art to help you find instantly the music you’re in the mood for. Using the extremely convenient TrackID software, you can record a few seconds of a song to find out track info, artist name and album in seconds, and then go pick up the song on the PlayNow network of music and games. The “Infinite” button brings together music information from the PlayNow music store and YouTube to help you find tracks instantly. The X10 Mini also has Bluetooth connectivity to allow for A2DP stereo to be played over a wireless connection, or use the 3.5mm audio jack to listen to music on wired headphones instead. A number of accessories are available as well to elevate your music listening to the next level, such as wireless speakers, portable wired speakers, and wireless headsets with FM radio support.
To keep in touch with your friends, the X10 Mini offers conversation-style SMS messaging, e-mail support with the ability to sync with your Microsoft Exchange server to keep up with business, instant messaging with some of your favourite clients, and predictive text input to learn from your typing habits and speed up your communication. The X10 Mini features aGPS and Google Maps allow you to keep track of where you are, and Wisepilot turn-by-turn navigation gives you live voice instructions to help you find your way wherever you want to go. Read some more Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 Mini reviews in the review section for the time being, as we are still going to have to wait a little while to get hold of Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 Mini deals.
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