Windows Mobile has always been a powerful but clunky OS, but recently we’ve seen manufacturer efforts to clean it up and make it more user-friendly. Sony Ericsson has thus far stayed out of the WinMo realm, but with the Xperia X1 they are making a splash on both fronts. They have developed a new panel interface to match the X1’s svelte design. It has the rich feature set you’d expect from a high-end device, with many connectivity options and a 480x800 high resolution display. The question is, can it live up to the bar HTC has set with their Touch series?
Included in the box you’ll find:
- Li-poly battery
- AC Adapter
- USB Cable
- 4GB microSDHC card
- Stereo headphones
- Extra stylus
The X1 is a very well designed device, with a large WVGA display and full QWERTY keyboard. It is constructed of brushed metal which leads to a very hefty weight of 5.1oz. It comes in both silver and black, our review unit was silver but we prefer the black finish personally. It is strikingly narrow, especially when compared to a similar device like the Touch Pro.
The narrowness leads to a good in-hand feel, though it is definitely on the heavy side. Still, the build quality is top notch and we are quite impressed with the hardware. The screen slides to the right to reveal a four row QWERTY, and it slides at an arc so that it is tilted slightly upwards when opened. The slide mechanism is fantastically smooth; it offers the perfect balance of resistance and sprint and sliding it is actually a pleasure.
The WVGA (480x800) screen is gorgeous, and measures in at 3.0”. Like all other Windows Mobile devices it is only 65K colors, but the increased pixel density mostly makes up for that. As you’d expect from such a high resolution panel videos looked great. It is a resistive touchscreen, and therefore can be used with a stylus or other non-bare finger object, and is very responsive.
The navigation keys sit below the display, and in true Sony fashion much attention has been paid to the styling. There is a square directional pad, and to either side triangular keys that come together to form an X. The soft keys are silver slivers, but raised so they are easy to press. The other keys - Send and Panel to the left and OK and End to the right- are a bit small but have good travel and a slight click so you know when they have been activated. In addition to being clickable, center of the d-pad is also touch sensitive and you can move up/down and left/right by swiping your finger across it. It doesn’t work within every application, and it’s easier to use side-to-side, but we liked the added navigation option.
Sony Ericsson is obviously going for the general consumer with the X1, and we think they have put together a very good design for it. The size is very good, and the screen excellent for multimedia applications. The narrowness makes it easier to hold, although it could be lighter. Fashion was an obvious influence in the design of the X1, and even the silver version is chic. The build quality is overall wonderful, and we are generally pleased with the design of the X1.
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