In a smartphone market saturated with 3.5-inch and larger displays,
Sony Ericsson reckons there's still a little place for petite packages. Enter the Xperia
X10 Mini (E10i) and
Mini Pro (U20i) -- both direct descendants of the beastly
X10 Android 1.6 handset. Apart from the Pro's slide-out keyboard, removable battery, and positioning of various features, the two Minis are otherwise internally identical -- same processor, same camera, and same screen. So can these cute baby form factors offer more than just some palm-cuddling time? Can we get a decent smartphone performance out of them? Follow us after the break to find out.
Hardware
As we pointed out earlier, the X10 Mini and Mini Pro share identical guts: Qualcomm MSM7227 600MHz processor (as featured on the
Legend,
Aria,
HD Mini and
MyTouch 3G Slide), 2.55-inch 240 x 320 LCD capacitive touchscreen, 5 megapixel autofocus camera, microSD expansion, micro-USB port, FM radio, A-GPS, Bluetooth (with A2DP), and 802.11b/g WiFi. Phew! Now what really differentiates the two models is the Mini Pro's slide-out QWERTY keyboard -- we dig its tactile feedback and spacing between the keys, although it did take some getting used to with the oddly-positioned shift key, and not to mention the non-offset rows of keys. To pack all this goodness, the Mini Pro therefore has a slightly longer and thicker body (we measured 18mm vs 16mm), but both devices feel just as good and secure in our hands thanks to SE's signature "human curvature" design.
Those who are super picky with their phone's color may be somewhat limited by their choice of carrier -- there are six options in total for the Mini: metallic red (our favorite), lime, pearl white, black, glossy silver and glossy pink (not so hot on the last two); Orange UK only stocks black and lime, for example. On the other hand, the Mini Pro only comes in black, pearl white or red (the latter two not pictured), and no, you can't fit the Mini's shells onto the Mini Pro due to the different sizes and button layouts. Even if the cases were swappable, we wouldn't be keen on doing so on a regular basis -- from time to time prying them open was as difficult as picking warts off our feet.
Over the last few days we've become rather fond of the Mini Pro's right-side button layout -- the wider camera button's more accessible, and the further-distanced volume rocker is positioned much closer to where our right thumb rests. Just to confuse us reviewers, the micro-USB port and headphone jack are situated rather differently on the two devices -- the Mini's got both on the bottom side (with a soft flap covering the USB port), whereas the Mini Pro's got the micro-USB port on the left and the headphone jack on the top. Due to the way we hold these phones, we found that having the headphones plugged in at the bottom of the Mini to be a bit intrusive for our palm. Another tick for the Mini Pro.
Moving on to the big question: can we really get much use out of Android on that tiny 2.55-inch LCD? Well, for starters, these low screen resolution devices suffer from the same app compatibility problem as the HTC
Wildfire, so you'll be missing out on a small selection of popular apps like Robo Defense, WeatherBug, PdaNet, Tumblroid, and even our own
Engadget app (but there's always the mobile site). Obviously, we wouldn't recommend using the small screen for car navigation, but otherwise Google Maps is still usable for more casual purposes. Additionally, not only were these screens fairly usable outdoors, but they were also no doubt one of the main reasons for the excellent battery life -- we got around 12 hours from our usual stamina test (continuous music playback, 3G data connection only, the occasional camera usage, and Twicca running in the background). The average user could easily get up to two days worth of usage on one charge.
Let's talk about using the Minis as actual phones. Like most SE phones these days, the X10 Mini and Mini Pro are blessed with a good quality isolation-type handsfree kit -- great clarity and decent amount of bass for your music. Sadly, we also discovered that the kit's mic induced an echo for our own voice during calls, and it didn't do well in noisy environments. On the other hand, the phone's own mic did a much better job in the same scenarios, but we wouldn't go as far as saying it's a total noise-killer. While on the topic, we were also saddened that the mic's button could only pause music and not skip tracks. Come on, SE, show us some love!
Software
Judging by our readers' frenzied comments on Android posts, it's pretty clear that we all desire something much newer than Android 1.6 these days, but let's not forget that SE's
promised us a 2.1 upgrade for both Minis starting from Q3 this year (so it could well be tomorrow!). That's better than nothing. Meanwhile, we applaud SE for the work it's put in to make Android usable and run smoothly on this small package, albeit the occasional slow wake up. There are a couple of related key features here: first we have the zoom bar in the album app -- you hold down your finger to prompt the bar, and then you can zoom in and out with your vertical scrolling action. This is of course a way to disguise the lack of pinch-to-zoom functionality, but it actually works pretty well as a single-handed operation on a small device anyway. Secondly, there's the quick scroll tool in the browser -- you activate it by clicking on the bottom-left button, and then you're given a magnifying glass on a zoomed-out view of the web page, thus allowing you to quickly scroll around; there are also the good ol' plus and minus buttons à la Google Maps for plain zooming.
On top of the usual software package (including photo viewer, video viewer, email client, music player, etc.), you also get a 30-day trial of Wisepilot car navigation app, NeoReader barcode scanner, TrackID music identifier (SE's version of Shazam),
PlayNow online store, and Timescape. The Mini Pro also has an extra app called Creatouch that lets you create some funky artwork, and then use them as wallpaper or share them on Facebook or Picasa. Let's start off with the music player: the playback controls at the bottom should be self-explanatory, while your library's just one click away with the top left button, and you get the "now playing" list with the top right button. The infinity button above the album art loads up relevant YouTube videos and PlayNow tracks -- gimmicky, but a fun feature. In case you've never come across it, PlayNow is SE's very own content delivery system that offers Java apps, games and music. The prices aren't attractive when compared to the likes of iTunes and Amazon, but PlayNow's there if you're super bored and desperate.
We've already briefly touched upon the gallery app earlier and there really isn't much else to talk about it -- it just works. As for the video player, the only caveat is that it doesn't play 720p and above video clips, so make sure you have the right settings when converting MP4 clips to watch on the go. In fact, now that to think of it, PlayNow would be pretty awesome if it also offers video downloads. Anyway, let's move on to Timescape: as featured on the
X10, this app is pretty much SE's take on HTC's FriendStream, letting you stalk your friends and strangers from Twitter, Facebook and text messages in the style of a vertical timeline. You can also link up your Twitter and Facebook contacts with your Google contacts through Timescape, but for some reason you can't do the same in the address book -- in that sense (no pun intended), HTC does a better job at social networking service integration.
Worried about typing on the X10 Mini's numpad-style virtual keyboard? It actually wasn't too bad for us, which says a lot since we're accustomed to other smartphones' QWERTY keyboards. Text prediction on both phones worked well most of the time, and we could also easily add customized words on the spot; if you prefer, you can quickly switch to the old-fashioned multitap input. Still, we'd favor the Mini Pro's physical QWERTY keyboard for speedier typing, even if it means we'd be carrying a slightly heavier package -- a hefty 1.1 ounces extra. Regardless of the input type, though, we did spot a common bug: while minding our usual Twitter business in Twicca, we noticed that the text cursor -- also a unique SE feature -- could only travel back by a certain number of characters, meaning we couldn't fix any previous typos. Hopefully this would be a quick fix for SE.
Last but not least, we have the SE PC Companion for Windows. This is essentially a gateway to four tools: Media Go for syncing media files, Support Zone for keeping your phone up to date, Sony Ericsson Sync (beta) for syncing personal data with SE's website (great for users migrating from other SE featurephones), and File Manager that just opens up your phone's microSD card in a new window. Of course, the highlight here is Media Go -- most other Android handsets lack a full desktop media sync suite, so we were pretty stoked with SE's offering. That said, it'd be even more awesome if Media Go could also optimize video files for the phones, rather than just copying files across.
Camera
Both Minis come with a handy two-stage camera button, meaning not only is it easy to launch the app, but you can also focus the lens by holding it down half way (and no, you can't tap to focus on a specific area). There's not much to be fiddled with in the camera app -- the top left corner toggles auto flash mode or no flash; the top right corner switches between photo mode and camcorder mode; the bottom right corner lets you pick a still camera mode (auto, macro, twilight or sports) or video mode (normal or MMS); and the bottom left corner opens your gallery. That's all. In other words, you cannot adjust the picture quality, resolution (5 megapixel stills and 640 x 480 videos) and file format. Regardless, both phones produced equally beautiful pictures and sufficiently good videos in well-lit surroundings, while images taken in the dark don't suffer too badly from noise. As always, we'll let your eyes be the final judge.
Wrap-up
The X10 Mini and Mini Pro turn out to be a couple of uniquely loveable Android phones. Despite the smaller screens, SE has done a pretty good job at optimizing the interface for the two phones, and we've had little frustration with them except for the few missing apps. As for which of the two to go after, we'd go for the Pro without hesitation -- sure, it's a tad heavier, thicker and more expensive, but we'd kill for a QWERTY keyboard any day. Even if your favorite carrier can't offer the Mini you want, you'd still benefit from the same useful multimedia features, as well as SE's handy Media Go suite to sync your media files with your computer -- a service that most other Android phones fail to deliver. So it's safe to say that if you're looking for a small and affordable smartphone, chances are you'd want to grab yourself either of these Minis.
posted July 8th 2010 1:06PM
I know the article predicts this comment but seriously...
2.1 in Q4? too little too late. By then 3.0 will be out (even though it wouldn't run on this processor anyway)
2.2 Froyo should be a basic commitment for any current phone release, even if they can't get it installed on release. 2.2 looks like a long term support platform and is basic feature complete, 2.1 is not.
Not that I'd buy one of these anyway, but the full X10 might have been worth a *cheap* ebay bid if they weren't so crap with updates and it wasn't so locked down to prevent custom ROMs.
No. Not good. The mind boggles why these are selling in Japan. Bad bad bad.
@fubarweb
2.1 is suppose to start rolling out in q3, not q4.
yeah, that we still havent heard of 2.2 is a pitty. cause you do want to be able to save apps on the memorycard.
But perhaps SE is waiting to hear about next Android 2.3 or 3.0, even the nunbers are only rumors at this point.
And if they find out the CPU wont cut it, then they may very well decide to give it 2.2, cause its as far as they could go on this device.
actually the X10 has been rooted, so there you go!
@JonHolstein
I'm using 2.1 now, and 2.2 has already released. Gingerbread should be released for halloween (allegedly, whatever the version number is), but probably won't be possible on the X10 mini stuff - might be theoretically possible on the full X10 as long as it doesn't require support for stuff like multitouch etc. Anyway Froyo should be a basic requirement for all current release phones, a promise of 2.1 is utterly unacceptable.
I see you're right about the X10 root, I missed that, it does at least make the X10 more viable.
http://www.xperiax10.net/2010/06/28/video-guide-to-xperia-x10-root/
I would love to get the Orange X10 Mini too bad it's only for the European market. SIGH. Love Sony Ericson phones
@Inspector Gadget80 hey, which one's a better choice, nokia e72 or x10 mini pro??
@Unverified User
" Fragmentation. You might not like it, you might deny it."
umm... actually I think you'll find that almost none of us actually care about it.
Cool little phone. Got the review I was going the wildfire would get.
When will the xperia x10 mini pro be coming out? I know it was supposably coming out in Q2.
@inheaven
its out already!
perhaps not where you live, but on some markets, so it was introduced on time.
Yes, I've received a brochure of X10 mini (pro) and I'm considering this one, but it's still invisible in store, this is bad. Otherwise, I'm hesitating in voice quality, screen resolution and software too.
@188464
where I live, they are on display at stores, and ive fiddeled around with them. Havent asked about the stock, though, so it might be out of stock.
@Revolutionary Agreed
Can't resist the thats what she said though.
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pjdog.wordpress.com
@Revolutionary Agreed
Can't resist the thats what she said though.
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pjdog.wordpress.com
Its a nice phone and I would probably like it but the price is probably like $700 or $800. To big for me. Oh well
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pjdog.wordpress.com
@pjdog
probably?
why not check prizes instead.
Over here, its quite cheap.
@pjdog If it's $700 or $800, I think you should switch to another Android phone, lol
I like the keyboard. It's definitely better than the Milestone's
so tell me how this equals the droid x with a 7/10?
surely this is worthy of a 6/10 at best...
@sighclops
thats not how you do it!
the ratings can only be used to compare with a similar product.
Its like comparing a 52 inch plasma that got 6/10 with a 22" bedroom TV that got 7/10. The picture quality and the featureset might be better on the small TV, but in your livingroom, its not going to be the better of the two.
... and both will be released in the US bundled with Duke Nukem Forever.
They didn't over react when they called it MINI
@tuatha
So if you were stuck on an old version of the OS, which artificially caps the hardware at half the speed (in Android's own words Froyo gives 2x-5x speed ups across the board), had a custom cursor which didn't work and couldn't run apps because of the resolution you wouldn't care.
That's like saying most iPhone 4 users don't care about the antenea (although this is probably accurate because the issues have been over blown in the media and most people get better call quality) but if I said that I'd get blasted.
But apparently it's fine to “not care” about running an data version of the OS, a custom cursor which doesn't let you correct typos (freedom! choice!) and a resolution which can't show many popular titles.
Double standards from the android enthusiasts.
@(Unverified) Typo: should be “a dated version of the OS”, not “an data version of the OS”.
See, unlike Android enthusiasts I admit when I'm wrong on things.
I have a suggestion: When the Version of the OS on the device is two or more Version behind, a point should be substracted for every missed iteration.
So the Mini pro should be a 5. 2.1 would be ok, 2.0 would be -1 an 1.6 is -2. SE needs a kick in the ass. People need to be informed that they should stay away from devices that already ship with an outdated OS.
@Unverified User if I was running an older version of the OS, and if for some reason this actually bothered me (i really don't think it would - it's just a phone), I'd install a newer version or upgrade at the end of my contract.
You really believe people with android phones are wandering around worrying about fragmentation? And we're just pretending not to care about it? Haha.
These are the phones that the Kin should have been.
@tuatha In fact, I am technically on an older version (2.1).
And yes, I can confirm that it really doesn't bother me. The phone does everything I want it too. It's what I paid for. There's a 2.2 update on the way in the next month or so, that'll be nice, but not essential.
KIN Killer if KIN was still alive
I love all the "HURRR DROID X FFFFGHH" comments. This is obviously not a phone marketed at those looking for a massive powerhouse. It's a mid-ranger which packs a surprising amount of functionality into an attractively (for some) small package. I wouldn't have one myself, but I'm seriously considering buying one for my girlfriend, who couldn't give two shits about pixel density or OS versions, who just wants a phone that works that she can use Facebook on without it locking up and crying in a corner. The sturdy and swish-looking QWERTY slider on the Pro is the icing on the cake.
Does either the Mini or Mini Pro let you zoom while in camera mode? Or video? Or is there an app which does (but not too complicated?). Looking to get one for my mum but, she wont use the camera on it if it doesnt zoom and would be a disappointment. Her last phone we got to replace a non zoom camera...also didnt :|. Not making the same mistake again, on a phone more than twice as much as her current model lol.
pour lister les problemes rencontrés avec le X10 mini et mini pro j ai créé un forum dédié je vous invite a vous y inscrire j appel egalement les pro et conaisseurs d android et de ce telephone
enfin plus simplement pour parler de ce nouveau mobile peutetre votre futur achat
tous sur http://se-x10mini-et-pro.forumactif.com
le forum francophone dédié au X10 mini et pro
merci
guys i have question to ask. i have had a xperia x10 which was stolen after a month. i gotta buy a cheaper phone now, and not able to decide between x10 mini pro and nokia e72. see, both have the same hardware (600MHz 128 MB RAM, 5MP camera). now from my experience with xperia x10, i saw its signature feature 'timescape' was pretty useless for me. on the other hand, i have NEVER used a nokia phone. i really love the looks of xperia x10 mini pro, its really cute, and i also like nokia e72's elegance. so plz can u help me pick one?