I am back to provide GAB readers a preview of the upcoming Sony XPERIA X10 Mini that is coming out shortly in Canada & Europe as it should be reaching US shores later this Summer.
The first test I did out of the box is put the X10 mini in the most complete iPhone left handed death grip I could as it continued to show full bars with 3G on AT&T, so this tiny phone is already ahead of the iPhone 4 in that regard.
Now what was in the box was surprising as it included not one but 5 different color back panels to snap on as well earbuds & a USB cord that connects to an outlet charger.
Its specs are:
Size: 3.5 x 2.0 x 0.7 inches
Weight: 4.2 ounces
Screen: 2.6 inches 240×320 TFT Scratch Resistant
Processor: 600 MHz Qualcomm MSM7227
RAM: 128MB
SD Card: 2GB
Android: 1.6
Camera: 5MP with Flash
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The main draw of this phone is its size as I compared it to its larger high end X10 version which was reviewed here on GAB exactly 3 months ago.
The demo target of the X10 Mini are teenagers looking for a compact phone that’s stylish and can perform for their social needs.
A teenager used to dialpad texting would excel with the X10 Mini as uses the touchscreen version of that since its screen is too small for a full visual keyboard, although the Pro version does come with a slide out physical keyboard.
This isn’t a high end smartphone as can be seen by a processor that’s only slightly better than the G1 & a low resolution that’s noticeable even on a small screen.
Surprisingly it nearly triples the Frames Per Second of the high end X10 with a 1GHz SnapDragon processor albeit much larger 4 inch screen as the Mini X10 is on the bottom of the image.
The best benchmarking Android app in my opinion is Quandrant but that doesn’t work on the Mini X10 so I did a Pi test to illustrate the processing difference of it being about half that on the high end X10.
I also tested the battery with light use as it lasted over 2 days so normal use should get through the day as it does with most smartphones currently.
The X10 Mini does punch well above its weight in picture & video taking quality as well its ease of use.
An odd annoyance with the main X10 is to turn the camera flash on you have to go to Advanced Settings, then Photo Light, then select ON while the Mini has a simple top corner flash selection icon.
At Google I/O the Sony Ericsson rep told me some of those UI refinements will carry over to the main X10 as it looks to be happening soon with an OTA software update before that for the Android 2.X upgrade in the Fall.
So as I wait for this update to the XPERIA X10 back over at Mobile Martin my review of the Mini version is that it should do well with teenagers and those making the initial smartphone jump, while those expecting an iPhone alternative would be disappointed.
The Sony XPERIA X10 Mini & Mini Pro are reported to arrive late this Summer on either or both AT&T & T-Mobile which should do well with the “back to school” crowd, my feeling is the Mini Pro will be the one doing especially well.
Hopefully Joe has recovered from the comment beating he took on the no Gingerbread for the Nexus One post as he returns back here to GAB.
7 comments… read them below or add one
yeah Michael, this phone is really tiny, but I'm not sure if it's a good idea to have such a small phone, with this many features since, you can't really do much than make phone calls and receive phone calls on it, may be check some mails for a weekend but, as a smartphone, it may just not be the right fit. Don't you think Michael? great review btw
You are correct in many ways as this would be an entry smartphone that has style points.
Also beyond calls this has an excellent camera with a much smoother UI than the main X10 as well great social media integration with Facebook & Twitter, especially within Timescape.
The demographic this seems to be directed toward can only be assumed are teenagers and young women as this wouldn't be a great fit for us male geeks ;)
hi,
Yeah I also think that "gmbh news" right, I mean think about it. With such a small phone how can you even type a message or you know "facebook?", grrr. This may be a little latest phone, but not that sure about its future. Anyway thanks for the info.
The phone is elegant but the size of it matters, because I am updating my social networks status and to lots of things but due to its small size it may not that much useful for me.
I think the X10 mini works well for browsing the web, as well as viewing news channels, YouTube etcetera. Sure, you don't get the same image quality, but unless you will look att tv-series or movies it works just fine. I've used it for two months now and have tried many of the apps on the market, I would say this is a very smart phone considering its say and also for a low price. To say it's to small is to miss the point – the whole idea is that it is a small, pocket-sized phone.
I *sniff* LOVED this phone! Just yesterday I washed it in the washing machine and killed it. But it absolutely is everything one needs in a smartphone as long as you have small fingers and good eyesight. I read e-books on it, the GPS is infallible, and since I hate carrying a purse, the phone fits in my change pocket. That’s right, not a normal pocket, a jeans CHANGE pocket. It’s not just for teenagers or young girls. Its for people who want the convenience of a smartphone and not the awkward clunkiness of carrying around a brick sticking out of your pocket. Now I have to go and buy another one, RIP little drowned X10 mini.
Sad story, looks like this phone is used to end its lifecycle in the washing machine… i went trying to recover my friend’s one who suffered a similar fate, but had no results at all, even with the ultrasonic cleaner…. (but he asked me to fix it 4 months after the accident with the battery still plugged in, perhaps if i could hve my hands on it just after the accident could be a different story).—