Want to know if it was worth holding out for a Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 Mini Pro just for that keyboard? We’ve got the answer for you right here, along with a close inspection of everything else on the outside of the itty bitty smartphone. Read on for all the details in this part of our Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 Mini Pro review.
Read the rest of our Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 Mini Pro review:
Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 Mini Pro review
Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 Mini Pro review: Android 1.6
Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 Mini Pro review: What’s new
We’ll get straight to the point, since the keyboard’s what you came for. The Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 Mini Pro’s QWERTY is uniformly excellent. From the moment you slide it out from under the screen, you can tell it’s going to be a class act. The slide mechanism is absolutely secure: there’s no wobble like you get with a Palm Pre or one of HTC’s sliders, and when extended out locks solidly into place – you won’t ever break the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 Mini Pro this way. Holding it actually reminded us a tad of the PSPgo, but it’s much mroe comfortable, and just the right size for reaching every key with both thumbs.
The layout, too is excellent. Although the rows of letters aren’t quite symmetrical as they are on a BlackBerry, the inclusion of dedicated comma and period keys are still welcome, as are the left and right cursors for rapidly adjusting text. But the feel of the keys is what we love most: they click down solidly and satisfyingly, with just the right amount of give. The keys are also backlit, so you can type on the dark too.
Within minutes, we were approaching speeds (33WPM) we’ve never managed on a tiny Android phone before. While plenty of of people swear by Swype and love HTC’s Sense touchscreen keyboard, there’s a sizable audience for physical QWERTY keyboards still, and the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 Mini Pro will satisfy them more than any other Android phone we’ve tested.
Otherwise, if you’ve read our Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 Mini review already, you should probably know what to expect from the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 Mini Pro. Bar a few port relocations, a bit of extra weight and a nearly invisible dimension increase (90x52x17mm as opposed to 83x50x16mm) – and of course the keyboard – it’s exactly the same phone. Call and speaker quality are fine, the five megapixel camera is respectable (Though not in the same league as the sensors on the iPhone 4 and Samsung Galaxy S), the battery will see you through a day without a problem, and there’s a 3.5mm audio port on top for listening to all your songs.
Performance too is stellar, with Android handling most apps smoothly, save perhaps Timescape when you’ve got thousands of tweets dropping in. The only difference, and downer, is that due to the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 Mini Pro’s size, reaching up to hit the back button when the keyboard is slid out is a tad uncomfortable, but it’s a minor quibble, especially compared to the smooth, sloping back of the phone, which like the X10 Mini will prove as divisive as a pot of Marmite wielding a katana. We still think it looks like someone’s bruised big toe, but we can live with it when the keyboard’s so good.
Finally, the capacitive touchscreen on the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 Mini Pro is both a curse and a blessing. It’s finger friendly, and just the right size to use the 0-9 onscreen keyboard for when you can’t be bothered to type (EG website addresses). But it’s very low res, rendering images and YouTube videos poorly, and leaving text grainy. Anyone upgrading from a dumbphone probably won’t notice, but it will prove a dealbreaker for anyone using something sharper currently.
For a closer inspection of what’s new compared to the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 Mini, check out our Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 Mini Pro review: What’s new section, but in a nutshell: we love the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 Mini Pro and its build. The screen’s disappointing, and for just a tad more, you can get a lot more power, but for those searching for an Android phone with the best QWERTY keyboard, this bumps off the LG GW620 from top spot.
Read the rest of our Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 Mini Pro review:
Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 Mini Pro review
Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 Mini Pro review: Android 1.6
Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 Mini Pro review: What’s new
