Sony Ericsson XPERIA X8 deals & review

In a word or two

The Sony Ericsson Xperia X8 is a pocket powerhouse, designed to entertain without breaking the bank.

The Design

Compact and elegant, the Sony Ericsson Xperia X8 is the ideal device if you want small yet powerful, when it comes to selecting a smartphone. Measuring just 99 x 54 x 15mm and weighing only 104g, the X8 is light enough to carry with you and use as your portable camera, video and music device as well as mobile phone.

The latest addition to the popular Sony Ericsson Xperia range of handsets, the X8 is smaller and more affordable than the X10, and resembles the X10 Mini in design. We suspect there may be an X8 Pro edition in the future, just like there is an X10 Mini Pro – the combination of touchscreen and physical keyboard appeals to those who want the option to type both ways, and on such a compact device this is even more convenient.

With a 3 inch capacitive screen that supports 16 million colours, viewing images and web pages on the Sony Ericsson Xperia X8 is bright and clear. And to maximise the screen’s size, the UI includes a customisable shortcut at each corner so you can add four favourite apps for quick and immediate access. The background on the screen can be customised with a picture of your choice too, and the apps can be moved around and placed where you wish.

The X8 benefits from the classic Sony Ericsson “human curvature” design which makes the phone comfortable to hold and use. In terms of colour, you have the choice of white, dark blue and white, aqua blue and white, pink and white, or silver and white.

Specifications

The 600MHz internal processor enables the Sony Ericsson Xperia X8 phone to support multitasking and the Android 1.6 OS offers you the usual array of Google features. You can instant message friends on Google Talk or plan and navigate your journey using Google Maps.

Entertainment is a strong element of the X8 and the handset comes with a media player for music and video enjoyment. You can create playlists for all your songs and stream videos over YouTube as well as download and upload music and videos from and to the internet. The TrackID function means whenever you hear a song you don’t recognise, all you need to do is record a snippet and your X8 will provide you with song, artist and album details. In terms of listening to your music or videos, you can choose between your standard headphones via the 3.5mm audio jack and the wireless option as the phone has Bluetooth A2DP support.

As well as watching videos, the Sony Ericsson Xperia X8 lets you create your own. The 3.2-megapixel camera has a video option for shooting live footage, which you can then upload onto Facebook or share with friends via email and MMS.

The Sony Ericsson Xperia X8 is also a great device for social networking. The Timescape feature is similar to Motorola’s MotoBlur on the Quench handset and the HTC Friend Stream on the Wildfire phone. All your tweets, Facebook posts, texts, emails and call stats are streamed into the one place so you can view and reply with ease.

Considerations

The X8 may be similar in concept to the X10 Mini but it is not as miniature and the camera is less advanced – however, the X8 is a more affordable device.

Verdict

A stylish smartphone that is light, small and perfectly capable, the Sony Ericsson Xperia X8 is a strong addition to the Xperia range. If you want a device that lets you stay in touch with your world via multiple channels, has a decent media centre, is small enough to be carried with you wherever you go, and is inexpensive, you want to take a second look at the X8.