Introduction
Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 is SE’s first attempt into the Android platform. Customized with their own look-and-feel UI, Rachael, and the amazing pimped-out specifications, does it really rise up to the brand of Xperia and Sony Ericsson’s acclaimed Camera and Music (media) focused branding?
Specifications
As usual, only the unique and interesting specifications will be listed. For full specifications, go to the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 website.
| Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 | |
| CPU | 1 GHz snapdragon |
| Screen Size / Resolution | 4 inches / 480 x 854 pixels WVGA |
| Camera | 8.1 megapixels, 16x Digital Zoom, Autofocus, Face Recognition, Image Stabiliser, LED Flash, Smile Detection |
| Unique Software | Timescape and Mediascape |
Love the powerful camera specifications. Don’t you? 
Likes
The feel of the phone is great. With the slightly rubbery feel of the back similar to the Nexus One and the curves at the sides, it makes a great phone to hold and feel. The screen is a brilliant TFT touchscreen which is comparable, if not better, than most LED backlit and TFT touchscreens we see out there (excluding Samsung’s Super AMOLED).
Camera
The camera, running at 8.1 megapixels with LED flash is one of the better Android camera phones out in the market, even now. However, if it was Xenon Flash, it would have blown the competition away.
Take a look at the 2 photos taken by the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 and the Nexus One and judge for yourself. Notice the slight blurry photo for the X10. That’s probably just me not setting it to the right macro settings, or my hand shaking too much. But the colours are closer to the actual colours than the Nexus One.
Sony Ericsson Xperia X10
Nexus One
However, it just ends there.
Dislikes
Android 1.6 is the biggest failing factor of the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10. Given, this is Sony Ericsson’s first foray into the Android platform. As much as the good intentions and ideas that Sony Ericsson has put into the UI customizations, codename Rachael, it fails to impress.
The UI customization is a glassy/dreamy feel that looks good on screen, but fails in usability. The dreamy and blurry look-and-feel might appeal to many visually, but after using for long periods, it becomes tiring to your eyes. Many of the widgets that comes preloaded with the phone takes up too much unnecessary white-space.
Not forgetting, their 2 applications that come with the phone, TimeScape and MediaScape, falls flat on its face trying to bring similar experience as HTC’s Sense UI or Motorola’s MotoBlur.
TimeScape aggregates all your communications, from twitter to SMSes to phone calls, all in one application. The idea is good, but the execution is badly done. For a person with too much information overload, it is difficult to consume these information quickly and efficiently with the Stacked-Tiled view.
MediaScape is a great application. That’s one interface I think works well with your albums. You can purchase songs directly from the PlayNow store. However, previewing a song takes so long to load your screen time-outs and locks your phone. When you unlock your phone, it simply cancels the preview and you have to start all over again.
Conclusion
Sony Ericsson has always been branded as a great media device phone, and the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 has upheld that branding; offering one of the best android media device phone in the market, both great as a camera and a music player. However, because of the lack of an updated OS and the overly bluish “glow” theme which makes the phone very “dreamy”, it isn’t suited for a person who uses their mobile phone heavily as their multi-source communication device. Good first attempt into the Android space, but there is still a lot of room for improvement to become the best Android phone.
+ Love the camera and hardware (screen, audio, and everything else)
+ Mediascape brings music to your phone with PlayNow
- Timescape needs a more effective way of displaying information
- Android 1.6