BengalBoy Reviews the Sony Ericsson xPeria X1i the S.E.X1 Windows Mobile Professional 6.1 Smartphone!! Stainless Steel Wireless Erotica for the "Bleeding EDGE" P.I.M.P.!! Sony Ericsson & HTC are "Bring'n Sexy Back" to Windows Mobile Devices!!







Ummmm, I'm finally realizing my dream.....(no,,,, not the dream your thinking...... ) from over 5 years ago when I first got the Sony Ericsson P800 and then out-grew the kindergarden capable Symbian Operating System for my first Windows Pocket PC Operating System device, the iMate Pocket PC phone. What if I could have it all??? The all metal construction of my beloved Nokia 8890 cell phone, the bluetooth and construction quality of my Sony Ericsson P800/900 device, the hardware, processor, and memory of the iMate, coupled with the power of its Windows Mobile operating system??? Well, fuck, its been a long god-damn time....... ...... but today..... it finally arrived!!







From the days I first declared the Windows Mobile Operating System a superior OS to Symbian after comparing the Sony Ericsson P900 to my iMate Pocket PC phone, idiots like those goof balls at My-Symbian would always declare.... "oh, it doesnt have battery life because the OS is too complex and not meant for phones... its a PDA Os.." (Uh, Dumbasses couldnt see that wireless was evolving into more than talking on a fucking phone). And it would continue... "Oh, these Windows devices are made by Satan himself, Bill Gates, and we shouldn't help make him richer... Symbian is an open source OS".... Dumbasses, Bill Gates is rich because his product is superior.... (so saeth the market place) and he knew that wireless, 3G & upcoming 4G networks would make our mobile communication not only voice, but data, video conferencing, video streaming, global satellite mapping, and end even TV, or the little statistic argument,, "Symbian has more handsets in the market place than Windows so it must be better?" (better check your stats again there My-Symbian, and you should have been looking at the growth per/quarter at the time vs Symbian handsets sold in same quarter), now its looking pretty glim for Symbian as a High Line device OS!!



Quote:

So,,,, Suck on This,,,,,, My-Symbian!! Sony Ericsson has Left the Symbian Building!!



You should have sold that website 5 years ago when you saw the first Pocket PC phone Michael.....now you can change its name to My-Nokia . Haha,, what a bunch of Maroons.....



IntroDucing the Sony Ericsson xPerial X1i (S.E.X1) Windows Mobile Professional 6.1 Convergence Device!! Its "Bring'n Sexy Back" to Windows Mobile!!





Thanks Club Member Chimera for Thinking Up Such a Wonderfully Appropriate Nickname for this new device..... the S.E.X1!! Its Hott, Tight, & Sexy!!

Video of the S.E.X1 ....



Outdoor Video of X1i its Features & Design.



The Kittens, "Brandy Wine" and "Lex'ah" Take the SEX1 for a Climb!!



Being on Top of the World ain't hard if you have a Sony Ericsson xPeria X1i aka S.E.X1 and two lovely Kittens like "Brandy Wine" and "Lex'ah" keep'n you company! Shit, a P.I.M.P. would probably climb mountains just for the opportunity????



And thats just what I did guys,,,,, climbed a "fucking mountain".... just cause they said they wanted to catch the last rays of a perfect day in May,,,, down home in Alabama....smelling the flowers along the way...haha.....so to speak.... . Ummmm, but nothing beats the view once your on top!!



And being on top is where Sony Ericsson is hoping that the xPeria X1i is going to take them for the high line Smartphone market..... Judging from the reaction of "Brandy Wine" and "Lex'ah" to the smooth metal body and tight WVGA screen..... Sony Ericsson just might make a major move with alittle help from HTC. I told them about the SEX1, and they agreed, the X1i is one "tight & toned" device.... Sexy & Hott.... Enjoy the Kittens playing with the S.E.X1 Smartphone......



The Kittens, Brandy Wine & Lex'ah are "Bring'n Sexy Back" with the Sony Ericsson xPeria X1i Smartphone!



Video of the Kittens, "Brandy Wine" & "Lex'ah"!



Tight & Taunt, Ripped & Shredded, Lean, Mean, SEX MaChine,,,,, the adjectives for the tight, metal skinned S.E.X1 are too many to contemplate, but, I think Brandy Wine gets the message across..... hehe.... the S.E.X1 is one Sexy Smartphone...



The mind can only assume that Brandy Wine gets her Super Physique from some Special "Evil Goddess" elixer of Crown & Coke with a soccer ball background of constant motion.... With Big Blue Eyes that make your heart melt and your Lustful Mind whisper,,, "she likes me,, I just know she's looking at me that way cause she likes me...",, Brandy Wine is no Blonde Joke... her mind is just as sharp as her body is toned, and your Lustful Mind quickly realizes, "I'm way over matched here!! " Just looking at her makes my forehead pop out in a sweat to match her tummy and I drift into a fantasy wishing I was that S.E.X1 she's holding tightly....











So very "toned & tanned", seductively streatched out on that Hott Rock in the Alabama Sun.... Pure Southern Belle Sexy, what more could an Old "Bleeding EDGE" P.I.M.P. desire???







Streatching,,,,, after alittle sunshine nap,,, this is one Seductive Kitten.....











It really boggles the mind how Hott this Little Kitten can be.... SMOK'N HOTT!!





Playing with her Fellow Kitten Lex'ah, I have to ponder what Good Fortune I'm having being alone with these two Beautiful Ladies and of course..... having a Sony Ericsson S.E.X1 to play with......







What Beautiful Felines these two are... adept at climbing the Rocks of Lake Tuscaloosa,,,, all the while looking so Smok'n Hott while they do it..... oh, lets go to the top they say...... "I'll follow you to the Sun!" I say...









Words can't describe the Beauty of this Day.... hehe... thank God I brought the Nikon!!















But Wait??? "What about me???" Purrrssss, Lex'ah.....





What about Lex'ah indeed!!





This Sexy Kitten's like a "Rainbow" .... to quote Mick, "throw'n color everywhere,,,, she combs her hair....." Lex'ah has the finest, silken mane of hair you ever saw, smelling like the honey suckle blooms on that Alabama Mountain, feeling it brush up on your skin is a recipe for "goose bumps" and inspiration for doing a few more minutes of exercise each morning..... Get her on the dance floor and this Kitten makes "Gett'n Low" take on a whole new meaning... my God I still suffer from alittle dizziness from just watching it "bounce"!!











Pretty as a Picture, Lex'ah show us just how adept Kittens are at hang'n out in High Places....











Feeling the Burn yet Club Members??? Maybe this is what you need to Hit the Wall,,, Lex'ah gives us a view that many can only dream of ..... and a few of us.... hehe... me,,, get to savor!!









Haha,,,, now you understand what I was talk'n about when I said I was still dizzy???











Back at the Dock, a early May sun beginning to set... Damn, life is good.....











Yep, Sony Ericsson and the S.E.X1 are definitely "Bring'n Sexy Back" to Window Smartphone Devices...... with alittle help from the Kittens!!



Photos of the Sony Ericsson xPeria X1i S.E.X1, Buttons, Ports & Hardware!



Lets start our introduction with the xPeria X1i's case design, hardware button location, ports and hardware.



The most striking thing about the X1's design is the use of solid metal in its battery cover and parts of its case. The brushed aluminum/stainless steel look is extremely handsome and "Bleeding EDGE" in appearance and character. It looks like Da'Shit and a "Device of Means".... A common question unlike most other devices I carry has been "May I hold or see that?" People with an interest in my phones know I carry the best and usually have no hesitation to want to play with one of mine, but, the X1's case materials makes it look so expensive as to justify a "May I?" polite request before just grabbing it like so many do with my other phones..

Outdoor Video of X1i its hardware and shortcut buttons.



Like all metal phones from high line Nokias to the "Real Deal" Vertu's, the X1i's case conveys an expensive and special character to the device and its owner's personality. The metal & chrome accented case simply imbues the X1i with Sexiness...... literally soaking it in it and creating its S.E.X1 persona......



Bright & Shiny Brushed Aluminum/Stainless Steel look.. sexy, sexy,,,,, S.E.X1



Although, at 5.6 onces, the xPeria X1i is not very heavy at all. The "in-the-hand" feel, however, is of a much heavier and substantial weighted device. I think this is because the device is so compact in its dimensions it creates an illusion of a much heavier device.



Another interesting and unique design feature of the xPeria X1i is its "curved" QWERTY Board. Unlike some of the early ad photos and print media on the X1i, its screen and the device as a whole are not curved. The portion of the case which houses the LCD is flat and conventional in appearance, however, its base is convex while the QWERTY board facia is concave. Rolling out the LCD creates a "curved" typing and viewing position for a more ergernomic texting feel and viewing position. The mechanism is "spring loaded" so that the screen may be pushed open with a finger,,,, resistance is moderate until you reach the spring activation point at which it simply "snaps" into place. Very silky and smooth in action.... Again, the metal case, the curves in the design... tight & sexy,,, the S.E.X1!!





The back of the X1i's QWERTY Board is smooth plastic with little rubber feet that keep the boards feel when in case sturdy and solid. The rails of the "spring loaded" sliding mechanism are slick as body oil on "Kitten on a Hott Rock".....



The QWERTY Board itself has very small raised keys with a very nice positive feel and response to input. Don't be fooled by the photos though.... this device is tiny for the hardware its carrying and those keys are much smaller than they look...



The X1i's beautiful WVGA touch screen is 65,000 colors and a whopping 800 X 480 in resolution bumping itself up from the other HTC device offerings by moving into the widescreen VGA neighborhood... and we all know how Hott a WideScreen makes us Gadget Freaks..... the S.E.X1 Strikes Again!!



Starting at the bottom of the X1i's face, you see the "black ceramic" look Dpad and Optical Joystick with its "center select" buttons. You can either press the sides like a conventional Dpad or just move your finger across the optical joystick as demonstrated in the "Special Features" section of this review. (Again, soft movements of the finger over a smooth taunt surface.... ummm makes me think of Brandy Wine's abs... so sexy you S.E.X1!) Above that are 2 chromed "soft keys" for controlling "calander" and "contacts" by default or to be user set for controlling other hardware or applications. On the below outside middle are the "call/answer" and "end/hangup" phone keys. At the bottom you find the "Panels" and "OK/Select" buttons. The "Panels" button moves you to the "Panels" interface for eye candy iPhone'ish control of applications, media and phone use. Pressing "Panels" a second time moves you back to the standard Windows "Today" and "Start" interface.



Moving to the top of the X1i you see its tiny "video conference" camera and the light sensor...



Coming over to the top side of the X1i the "Power Button" and 3.5 mm headphone jack is found. I love the fact that My Bang & Olufsen A8 Strereo Headphone 3.5 mm plug fits without an adapter and they work so well and match my X1i's stainless steel elegance, like they were created for each other their design matches the "Bleeding EDGE" performance of both.





At the top left corner the chromed metal stylus of the X1i is loctated....

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Unlike the days of the P800 and P900, the X1i's factory stylus is made of metal with a nice weight and feel...... oh well, I still have my Diamond and Rose Gold/Tiger Eye Jeweled "PIMP'n Sticks" to reflect back on.......



Coming around the left side of the X1i the Mini-USB charging/synch port is located and the bottom button for "screen orientation"?? (still figuring this one out???) is located..and below that chromed metal key,,,, the tiny slit is one of the X1i's stereo speakers...... and very artfully hidden in the top half of the X1i are the "Illumination System LEDs".... The "Illumination System LEDs" are part of more sophisticated visual information system than just the typical flashing LED Green the phone is working or LED Red the battery is dying and/or "Blue" bluetooth is on, status LEDs. Find out more about the "Illumination System LEDs" in the "Speacial Features" section of the review below.... again, very Sexy Design..... the S.E.X1 won't give up its powers of seduction over us...





At the bottom of the X1i is the microphone hole, a stylish little "v" in the middle of the case....



Coming around the right side of the X1i the "camera/video" hardware button is found.. and beneath it the other X1i speaker....along with the "volume up/down" button at the right top.....and as described above, 2 "Illumination System LEDs" at either end of the device. (See the "Special Features" section for more information about the "Illumination System LEDs").







On the back of the X1i is the all metal battery cover and 3.2 MegaPixel Camera/Video Digicam......



Underneath the metal battery cover the X1i is juiced by a 1500mAh battery,,,,, the largest Sony Ericsson has every used in a cell phone or device of its manufacter...



Removing the battery cover you also discover the Micro SD external memory card slot for the X1. Supporting up to 4 Gigabytes of external memory to go along with the X1i's own 512mb of internal storage memory..... An interesting statement of HTC's design and hardware influence of the X1i foregoing Sony Ericsson's exclusive use in past devices and phones of Sony's own P2P micro memory cards... Very suprised that the X1i is not using that memory media????



Removing the 1500mAh battery from the X1i reveals the SIM card slot/holder.......



At the back top of the X1i, the 3.2 MegaPixel camera and the LED Flash are found.... I'm a bit disappointed that the X1 doesn't use a real flash like Sony Ericsson's wonderful camera phones, the K790 and K850. Doesn't make sense to me to get stingy with features in your flagship device???



It looks like the X1i will ship with a soft nylon protective pouch and a combination wall charger/USB cable. I really like this travel charger/USB cable accessory. Very thoughtful and practicle.



Photos of the Sony Ericsson xPeria X1i S.E.X1 with other Phones & Devices!

















The X1i with its Main Competitor for At&t's Customers, the Apple iPhone!



The xPeria X1i is smaller in overall dimensions than the iPhone with the exception of thickness. It has alot more serious hardware going on than the iPhone and sophisticated operating system, but, what Windows doesn't have and what is hoped the X1i will borrow from is the extra cool "Touch Screen User Interface" that the iPhone is so good at. With an extremely cool and fast "touch" interface, the iPhone has kept At&t out of the red the last quarter and in the black simply because of the demand for this device. The xPeria X1i's new "Panel" interface is a shameless attempt to take that iPhone thunder and evolve the Windows Mobile Professional 6.1 operating system with the same "eye-candy" and "user friendliness"..... (read Sexy & Easy to Use)











Time will tell whether Sony Ericsson's software designers can take the "Panels" idea to the iPhone level of speed and "Gee-Whiz",,, eye-candy, interface.... Software design has just begun with Sony Ericsson responsible for all of it...



From a HTC device perspective, the X1i and the TyTn II are naturally going to draw a comparison when it comes to form factor and hardware..



From the X1i's curved case display design to the TyTn II's tiltable screen, the similarities are abundant...



The biggest comparison I have heard made and the biggest concern among TyTn II users is the X1's lack of select keys and directional arrows as found on the TyTn II and pervious HTC devices with QWERTY boards.....



As you can see here the X1i's keyboard is of a cleaner (sexier) appearance and with more space between keys for tacticle identification when entering text. Foregoing the "select" keys found on the TyTn II,,, the X1i's curved screen places the screen naturally at your thumb reach for easy "touch screen" selection of the item instead of trying to use the very cramped "select keys" of the TyTn II's keyboard..



The "directional arrow" keys of the TyTn II have been replaced on the X1i by the unique "Optical JoyStick" hardware for moving around messages, websites, menus, etc... Frankly, coupled with the X1i's curved case design and the optical joystick hardware,,,, its a much better device for entering text than the TyTn II which got alot of criticism from me in its review due to the very cramped and tiny keyboard. The X1i's solution to open up the QWERTY board was accomplished by the case design coupled with using the touch screen in place of the "select" keys and the optical joystick in place of the "directional keys".... (See the Video of the X1i's QWERTY board, touch screen, and optical joystick hardware in use in the Messaging section of this review).



One design feature of the TyTn II that I wish had made its way to the X1i, though, is the external SIM card holder for easy SIM change between devices. The X1i requres you to remove the battery in order to change or replace a SIM...



The X1i is slightly longer and slimmer than the TyTn II. Its metal case feels richer in the hand and the materials used are keeping with the Sony "our devices look better" Elietist marketing stratagy... The TyTn II is a handsome device in its black rubber case, but, brushed aluminum and chromed metal just looks more expensive and feels wonderful to hold..







Finally, the hardware of the TyTn II is a bit over matched by the X1i's hardware set. With 128mhz extra processing power, 256mb more ROM, beautiful 800 X 480 WVGA screen and bluetooth 2.0 with EDR, the X1i is a superior performer as well as looker!!



No doubt about it, the X1i overwhelms the current HTC pocket rocket on all score cards..... its the SEX1 by a technical knockout!!



The X1i with some upcoming Sony Ericsson "WalkMan" Cell Phones....









And here, with a very similar in dimensions, Sony Ericsson K850i, cell phone....







Photos with past Windows OS devices as well as HTC products, the PDA2k (First QWERTY Board Pocket PC Phone from HTC), the iMate JAM (First 2.8 inch LCD screen Pocket PD phone from HTC) and finally the Qtek 9000 (The First VGA LCD screen Pocket PC from HTC).....







Continuing with the comparison with more current HTC devices, here you see the Sony Ericsson X1i with the first HTC device with on-board GPS, the HTC Artemis..... notice how the Artemis is larger and about the same thickness as the X1i even though the X1i is carrying a QWERTY Board????







Even my very thin and Smartphone OS HTC Cavalier is a bit larger in form factor dimensions than the X1i ....







But the HTC device that makes the SE X1i look positively miniscule is the Athena.... whew... even though the X1i carrier a very similar hardware set from processor (528mhz Qualcomm v. 624mhz Xscale) and memory to GPS and a 3.2 megapixel camera...









Photos with the X1i predecessors' the Sony Ericsson P800 (the very first modern convergence device) and the P900 Symbian operating system devices....



Gone are the weak knee'd days of the Symbian operating system in a Sony Ericsson device..... the under-acheiving operating system is dead....... THANK FUCKING GOD!!

Outdoor Video of X1i compared to the P800 and P900 & Discusson of Operating System Differences.







Also gone since the P800 is the plastic stylus that well original P.I.M.P.s all used to fuss about!! Haha!! I fixed mine with a custome "Diamond" P.I.M.P.'n Sticks!!



"PIMP'n Sticks" Those were the Days



I. Cell Phone & PDA Features & Performance!





The Sony xPeria X1i S.E.X1 is the first Windows Mobile operating system device to come out of Sony Ericsson. A joint venture between my favorite Windows Mobile device maker, HTC (High Tech Computers) of Tiawann and Sony Ericsson, my favorite cell phone company since the T68i and P800 days, HTC has the hardware and drivers while Sony Ericsson has the design and software development. And just so you know, this won't be the last device collaborated on between these two companies. Further product design and development will be ongoing between them for future Sony Ericsson devices!! What a Wonderful Combination!!



First of all, all impressions and discussions of features and hardware on this device are from a "PROTOTYPE" device. So take them with a grain of salt!! I'm pretty sure that the hardware is very much commercial with the exception of possible case design changes such as "Keyboard" color, hardware shortcut keys, etc....... However, the software development is being done as we speak by Sony Ericsson and as you can see the first prototype I've used has a very, very early ROM.... .74 .... and device performance and software interface will only improve as the months go by..



First up is the X1i's engine bay...... Powered by a Qualcomm 7201A 528mhz processor, with 512mb of ROM memory onboard (380mb available for storage) and 128mb of RAM, (this may be upgraded to 256mb in the commercial version according to a recent white paper on the X1i, keep your fingers crossed!) the X1i is more than adequately powered for serious application, internet and multi-tasking performance. With such a large ROM the X1i will be able to store "on device" all of your most frequently used and important applications freeing up your Micro SD card for Media such as photographs, video, songs and documents.....



Providing the suspension for the X1i's engine is the Windows Mobile Professional 6.1 operating system. A very big deal considering Sony Ericsson was one of the original companies that supported and provided development of the Symbian operating system. Haha... finally realizing that it could never provide a truely serious device with such a lame ass operating system, Sony Ericsson did it right by enlisting the help of HTC in developing the companies first Windows Mobile Device. Very Smart Sony Ericsson!!



First up is the phone hardware and performance of the Sony Ericsson X1i. The X1i is a GSM (Global System for Mobile communication) voice and WCDMA (Wide Band Code Division Multiple Access) 3G high speed data, enabled device.



Working on all frequencies, the X1i is a "World Phone" with Quad Band support of GSM voice frequencies and Tri-Band support of UMTS 3G data frequencies. Curiously missing is the 1700mhz frequency that the X1i was supposedly going to support for Tmobile USA's upcoming 3G data service??? What the Fuck????



The Sony Ericsson X1i's phone dialer is a very complete and well thought out dialer now for touch screen use. Opening the phone application greets you with the following skin of the large numeric keypad and a window of the current call as well as past calls made, recieved and missed...



Tapping the menu key displays the following options for openign contacts, visiting the Phone application menus, video calls, etc.....



Tapping the "hide keypad" icon brings up the following touchscreen for call history, video call, settings, etc... basically the same as the smaller menu shown above but with large "touch" icons for you to use your fingers with instead of a stylus.



After making a phone call the following screen appears with "touch icons" for Speaker Phone, Mute Mic, Hold/un-Hold, below that you find the icons for Notes and Recording a Phone Call, Contacts, and Phone Keypad. Finally, below those 3 touch icons is the touch "End Call" button..



Touching the "Notes" icon brings up the following screen during a call showing the contact or phone number, date and time, and allows you to make notes during the call usng the QWERTY Board, or stylus for handwriting recognition. Additionally, you may record the call by hitting the "Red Record Button" on the record bar at the bottom.



A very complete and powerful phone dialer application that can be used now completely and easily with the touch of a finger..... no more of the old "stylus" tapping on the tiny icons of a phone dialer skin from the Windows Mobile days of old!!

With a video conference camera the S.E.X1 can be used for video calls if you are lucky enough to be on a cellular network that supports this feature... very Sexy.... X'y!!







A thoughtful software feature in the phone settings is the automatic SMS message for times when you reject a call. It lets the caller know that you recognize the call, but, your too busy right now to talk or you can customize the message to suit your needs...



RF performance (the ability to capture and hold a call in low signal areas) with the X1i Prototype is very good, not the best I've used, but better than average. It can't successfullly perform my "Elevator to RF Hell" test, however, I'm using an alpha ROM and I expect the SEX1 to perform as well as a TyTn II and other HTC products in the RF catagory when it is commercially released.

Of course the S.E.X1 supports all the other phone features you expect on a High Line Device such as conference call, photo ID, MP3 ringtones, special ringtones for contacts, full call history information and voice dialing using Windows Voice Command application.

A built in Task Manager can be set to end all programs once you "X" them out, always keeping that 128mb of RAM working for you instead of finding out the "Hardset" that you opened too many applications just before your device locked up!!



Battery life on my Proto is just as frugal as the TyTn II was. The Qualcomm 528mhz processor is suprisingly stingy with the battery despite its high frequency clock speed. The X1i's 1500mAh battery provides enough juice to carry you through a 10 hour work day full of calls, messaging, and checking 3 seperate email accounts every 15 minutes before the critical stage, even with Bluetooth activated. Just don't expect to use WiFi for more than a few minutes a day and get this kind of performance. I haven't tested it yet, but, maybe I'll do my old looped movie battery test and see just how much the rate of discharge per hour the Qualcomm processor draws on the battery? One design issue I've discovered with the X1i and its battery cover is the lack of a "lock" to prevent the heavy metal battery cover from coming loose during use. What occurs is that the X1, though powered on, won't accept a charge while synched or connected to a charger. At first I thought it was a ROM bug, but, through use I have discovered that the battery cover works its way loose..... and as a result the battery itself becomes alittle outtline with the charging prongs. Re-insterting the battery securely solves the problem until the next jostle or extended pocket time works the battery cover loose again. I hope that a lock for the cover is added to the design like other SE phones because the metal battery cover is just naturally gonna work its way loose during normal day to day use.

Overall, the S.E.X1's phone & PDA performance, even with this alpha ROM and early Proto software, is above average and top shelf for the PDA performance. The dynamic task manager keeps the RAM at more than capable levels while the 528mhz proc, handles multi-tasking and memory intensive applications seemlessly and crash free! Yep, the X1 is a very sexy and capable device.

II. Internet, Messaging & SynchroniZation Features & Performance!





Internet Browsing...

Using the upcoming Opera 9.5 browser (its a Beta version, 9.33, I believe?) for internet duties makes the X1i such a pleasant internet device. The Browser handles even a highly photograph laden website like "BengalBoy.Com" without "Red X's) showing up where a photo is supposed to be...



Check out the video of the X1i surfing the net using the upcoming Opera Browser...



Messaging and Data Input ...

The X1's "Messaging Client" supports SMS/MMS text messaging, POP3 email and "push" email.



After upgrading my ROM and one I haven't seen on a Windows Mobile device before is the EXTREMELY IMPROVED messaging application's management of text SMS and MMS messages. No longer do you have a mirad of messages to sort through, or the constant deletion of each little message that comes in..... now you have "Communications" with individual contacts or messengers. Every message is recognized by phone number and a folder is opened for that messenger..... which results in one long ..... you guessed it,,,,,, ConverSation!!



Messages are run in a very "Windows Messenger" type format with responses being displayed below the conversation as you type your next message..... I like it Alot....



The Windows Mobile Professional 6.1 operating system supports viewing email in HTML format and even has some of the more advanced security features of your desktop email client in the display of phishing information of malicious email.... those Rat Bastards trying to steal my personal information posing as eBay??? I think NOT!! Not if your using a Sony Ericsson xPeria X1i!!!





However, using the X1i for texting and data input with its tiny keyboard could have been a very difficult exercise and one that I really disliked in the TyTn & TyTn II devices. Lets face it, to get a form factor this small, something has to go ... and in that regard, these devices have extremely small QWERTY Boards with tiny keys and cramped typing areas. The X1i has found a solution, however, to freeing up alittle space and making that email or text messaging data input easier. By removing the "Select" keys at the back of the QWERTY Board and the "Directional Arrow" keys from the board itself, there is more space and easier input. The X1i's curved design puts the angle of the screen just right for using its touch screen to "select" reply, send, or cancel, and the "Optical Joystick" is actually the best design I've used in sometime for quickly moving through menus or messagins and then selecting and item.... replacing the need for "Directional Keys" and then pressing "Enter" on the QWERTY Board. With the "Optical Joystick" just wave your thumb over the pad and when you find an item to select press in the center pad instead of "Enter". I know alot of people asked me about the loss of the "Select & Directional Keys" from the QWERTY Board and after using the xPeria X1 now for a few weeks its curved design and the "Optical JoyStick" came together as a design excercise in making email, texting, and data input much easier and faster than the older TyTn & TyTn II designs.

Check out the Video of it in use...



Should the X1i user want to use something other than the Spring Loaded QWERTY Board and Optical JoyStick for data input and text entry, the X1i in the tradition of all Windows Mobile operating system devices offers the following data input applications:



1. Virtual Keyboard.
2. Symbol Pad.
3.Block Recognizer.
4. Transcriber.
5. Letter Recognizer.

The Co-Pilot virtual keyboard is a add-on from installing Co-Pilot GPS mapping application.

Here you see a close up of the virtual QWERTY Board in Landscape mode.



But unless you have fingers the size of pin heads or finger nails filed to a point so fine that they draw blood when merely pressed against the skin... your gonna want to use the "arc slider" mechanical QWERTY Board for text and data input.



When used in Portrait mode the virtual keyboard is somewhat better for simple fast text messaging, but, its still very small keys and usually is something that I use with text messaging short, "OK" type messages or simply to bring up the menu for "My Text" preloaded messages like, "Lets have lunch?"....





Additionally, the messaging menu offers "Spell Check" for those of us who want to send proper "English" messages... instead of the "k", "u thre", "brb" ..... text lingo that has evolved in the past few years from lazy no QWERTY Board device users....



With a multitude of data input methods, the "Arc Slider" form factor which includes the QWERTY Board, touch screen, and optical joystick,,,, the S.E.X1 is certainly a capable if not somewhat tiny messaging machine.

SynchroniZation with your PC...



Like all Windows Mobile Operating System devices, the Sony Ericsson xPeria X1i is a very capable and reliable device when it comes to synchronizing with Windows XP or Vista computers using ActiveSynch version 4.5 or the new Windows Mobile Device Center for Vista owners.



Synching your calander, contacts and email with OutLook is a simple process of "plug & synch".... I've been using Windows Mobile Devices for years for this very reason and it is the primary cause of the Symbian demise in Smartphones. I don't care what Symbian fanboys declare, its always been a pain in the ass to setup a Symbian OS device to work with a Windows Computer and synch effortlessly with Outlook.



If your a business man or other professional, many of us rely on Outlook for keeping up with our appointments, tasks and serving as a digital rolodex...... Abandoning Symbian was the smartest thing Sony Ericsson has did in recent years and the ability to synch with Windows without the reliability and connection issues associated with that operating system has to be the number one best thing about the S.E.X1!!

Synching your media files such as photos, videos and music to your S.E.X1 is just as simple and easy using Windows Media Player 11 and ActiveSynch version 4.5.... there is alittle time required for properly setting up the Synch settings on Window Media Player so you don't put every single media file on your computer onto your X1's memory or storage card, however, this is a one time deal and after you get it right.... your done!!



Here you see the S.E.X1 media files after having been synched with Windows Media Player 11 on my Laptop. As you see my Mp3 files are organized by catagory such as artist, genre, etc.... per my setup on my laptop. Album art is downloaded and displayed on your X1i during music playback with Windows Media Player.... very simple, very fast, very Sexy......









One of the very strongest features of a Windows Mobile Operating System device, the Sony Ericsson xPeria X1i is no exception and even in this very early ROM the S.E.X1 synchs all your vital business information as well as your fun time Mp3s, photos and video effortlessly and without constant twiddeling and trouble shooting that plauge Symbian operating system devices. The S.E.X1 is bringing sexy back to owning a Sony Ericsson Smartphone for business and multi-media use...

III. BlueTooth and WiFi Features & Performance!





Bluetooth .....

The X1i is using bluetooth 2.0 with EDR (Extended Data Rate) for much improved range over any other Windows Mobile Device I've used to date and supports all headset profiles from handsfree and headset to AD2P stereo bluetooth profiles.... File transfers are a breeze and helpful prompts from the Windows operating system can make the novice a power user with just a few attempts..



Pairing the X1i with my Sony Ericsson HBH-DS980 Stereo Bluetooth Headset...







It supports the handsfree profile with non-stereo bluetooth headets...



Pairing with my New Found Love the Sony Ericsson 435a Digital Noise Cancellation headset with EDR was a breeze and the extended range of this combination is wonderful. Coupled with my Voice Command software, initiating a voice dial from the headset, even in another room is a "Bleeding EDGE" pleasure and always a crowd pleaser at restaurants and bars. "WoW!! I didn't know a phone could be dialed from way over there!" Additionally, the 2.0+EDR hardware enhances the stereo bluetooth experience providing much longer range and very stable connection and streaming within the typical 5-10 feet of handset/headset range.

WiFi .....




The S.E.X1 as all "Bleeding EDGE" Smartphones should, carries WiFi on-board for surfing the internet and email messaging using broadband speeds in WiFi available areas. It supports the 802 b/g frequencies and is easy to set up and use.



The WiFi reception is very strong and as you see above, it picks up any and all available WiFi networks nearby. The above photo was taken of the X1i's WiFi menu displaying available networks in my living room. The other available WiFi networks are neighbors homes in the surrounding neighborhood. Very impressive!!



The Sony Ericsson xPeria X1i's Bluetooth & WiFi performance is better than any current Windows Mobile device I've used to date. Due to the use of Sony Ericsson's own bluetooth stack with version 2.0 + EDR, the X1i has better range than the current Windows Mobile devices made by HTC which carry version 2.0 only. Its good, but, until you use a EDR device and EDR supported headset together, can you fully appreciate the additional range and clarity of the wireless standard. SE has been doing bluetooth longer than any other cellular company and its expertise is showcased with the X1's bluetooth stack.


IV. Camera and Video Features & Performance!





The Sony Ericsson xPeria X1i carries a 3.2 MegaPixel auto-focus digicam on-board for multimedia duties. The hardware appears to be HTC's latest 3.2 CMOS sensor found in the TyTn II and the Athena models (DoPod U1000, HTC 9000, etc.). One of the unique featuers that I have not seen on other HTC devices or for that matter, any others.... is the X1i's ability to capture video in VGA widescreen format. Using the hardware key for camera activation or throught the X1's system menu you activate the camera with the following menus appearing...



Starting the camera you see the following view finder and information settings icons....



The "Scenes" icon at the top left switches the X1's digicam capture speed between "Auto", "Portrait", "Night" and "Action" image capture..



Below it is the "Auto Focus" settings icon for switching the X1's auto focus control between "Touch", "Auto", "Auto" and "infinity"...



Continuing down, you see the "LED Light" control.... turn it on/off for low light shots.... pretty skimpy there Sony Ericsson!



You should have sent HTC some of your marvelous K850i flash hardware to replace this gimpy LED light!



From the view finder screen, touching the bottom "Settings" icon brings up the following menu with "White Balance", "Effects", "Picture Size" for resolution, and photo "Quality" for image capture...



"Picture size or capture resolution can be swithched from 3 MegaPixel to QVGA or 320 X 280..



With picture quality user adjustable from "Fine" down to "Economy" resulting in smaller file sizes. The X1i captures images in the JPEG image format.



Midway through the camera menu are the settings for "WideScreen" and "Shutter Sound".....



Scrolling further down the settings menu you find the "Time & Date Stamp" on/off selection, as well as default choices for "Scene", "Shoot Mode" and "Focus".

Video Capture Settings...



Switching to the video camera the following settings are currently available... "White Balance", "Effects", "Resolution Size" either VGA or QVGA, and "Wide Screen" for video formatted to fit the X1i's 800 X 480 screen and I'm sure future devices from HTC will follow this screen resolution and video capture ability...



A closer view of the video resolution menu..



Scrolling further down the settings menu you find the "Microphone" on/off selection, as well as default choices for "Scene", "Shoot Mode" and "Focus".

Video Taken with the Sony Ericsson xPeria X1 Smartphone in WVGA 640 X 400 Resolution!!

Video Taken with Sony Ericsson xPeria X1i Convergence Device Smartphone by BengalBoy of BengalBoy.Com Kittens "Brandy Wine" and "Lex'ah". Afternoon sun, shadows and mixed light.



Video Taken with Sony Ericsson xPeria X1i by BengalBoy of BengalBoy.Com of Hottie Gymnist Walking on Her hands, indoors, florescent light....



Video Taken with Sony Ericsson xPeria X1i by BengalBoy of BengalBoy.Com on Lake Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Bright Sun light.



Video Taken with Sony Ericsson xPeria X1 by BengalBoy of BengalBoy.Com of garage. Cloudy day, indoor light, mixed light.



The Quality of the video is much, much better when viewed on the X1i or from your computer. The conversion process by Google to host this video has caused a degradation in quality and graininess that is not there when you view it as an original. The Prototype does not have a menu for other video formats at this time, and, this video is in MPG4.3gpp format in about a 20mb file size. Higher quality formats will be on-board in the commercial version. Already the frame rate has been improved from about 10 frames/sec to 22 frames/sec actual with a slight ROM improvement from .74 ROM to .75 ROM....





Photos Taken with the Sony Ericsson xPeria X1 Smartphone in 3.2 Megapixel Resolution!!

Kittens Outdoors in afternoon sun, heavy shadows...... X1i original with a Photoshopped example following....

















Afternoon sun, no shadows.....









Losing light fast and the color is going.....





Bright Sun Light is always best for small CMOS sensor cameras.... and the X1 is no different.... Dramatic improvement in strong light!













Using the Macro setting...







My bad, these next two photos were taken without me changing from the Macro Setting!! My Bad!!







Video Playback on the Widescreen format 800 X 480 VGA resolution Screen. Playback of VGA video shot in the "Widescreen" format by the xPeria X1i's digicam.



And using Windows Media Encoder and a ripped version of Good Luck Chuck, the X1i plays back a movie in WVGA 800 X 480 resolution. The quality of this playback would be better if the source video was of HD resolution instead of standard VGA. Encoding it at the higher 800 resolution causes some artifacting and noise which would not be there if it were BlueRay or HD format. There is a bit of lag which could be averted by using a lower bit rate or possibly a better player and encoding format. Converting it from MPEG1 to .wma for windows resulted in a 50mb file being reduced to a 9mb file.






This was for one chapter guys, so, if you plan of using the X1i for a video playback machine and for taking advantage of the WVGA screen.....buy the biggest MicroSD card you can find!!

Video Playback of 800 X 480 encoded movie on the Sony Ericsson xPeria X1 Smartphone....



V. Special Features of the Sony Ericsson xPeria X1i Smartphone!





Panels... Applications & Shortcuts for Touch Screen Interface..



Panels is a new operating system software feature that is unique to the Sony Ericsson X1. Being developed by Sony Ericsson, it is a "eye candy" interface that I'm sure is influenced by the success of the Apple iPhone's touch screen interface. Initiated by the "Panels" shortcut key,,,,



Video 1 a Demonstration of Panels.



Video 2 a closer look at Panels.



Video 3 the Sony Ericsson Panel #1 in Action!!



Pressing the "Panels" key opens up the new interface on screen...



You can view them as a deck of cards spread out or you can simply arrange them to fill the screen.... Touching a panel opens up that application, internet page, screen saver, etc....



The panels are customizeable and can be used or discarded by the X1 owner. I am sure that software development will begin for new applications and games that are opened or used through the "Panel" interface. Touching the panels in the "settings" mode allows you to customize its appearance in some panels or to discard it from the "Panel" interface.

The following are the panels that come pre-loaded on the X1...



The easily recognizeable "Today" screen for Windows Mobile device users. This theme has been around for several years and this panel changes depending on your theme settings in the "Today" menu of your device settings.. This panel cannot be discarded or changed. It is locked out as I will show you later...



The 3-D Fish Screen Saver.... a cool realistic 3-D screen saver with date and time.... the crystal clear VGA screen of the X1 has Hotties and Kittens exclaiming, "Oh, those fish look like they are really swimming in your phone?".....



The FM Radio feature is initiated through the panels as well, moving from a screen saver and plug-in application to a full blown sophisticated system application...



The "Financial Times" panel is a shortcut to that website for stock and market information..





This "Sony Ericsson Panel 1" panel is my favorite. A plug-in style application, it has a updateable world clock, weather, messaging and missed calls alert, Comm Manager, last person called list, and RSS feeds... Opening the panel gives you the first screen shot ..... and after a few seconds it completely loads to the appearance of the second screen shot. (Check Out the 3rd Video of Panels Demonstration to see this panel application in action!)



Clicking an RSS feed brings up the ticker and the ability to go directly to that headlines full article..



The iGoogle panel is a shortcut to and automatic login to Google on the web... You see the panel as it opens above... and after a few seconds more...



The panel has changed appearance after automatically logging you in to your Google account, assuming you have one set up like I do and have logged in previously on the X1..



The "FaceBook" panel is a shortcut to your Facebook account on the web and I'm sure automatically logs you in as well if you have a FaceBook account... which I dont.. I predict this will be the most popular panel with Kittens who own X1s!!



The AT&T panel is a shortcut to that carrier's website and your account. The Sony Ericsson X1i is being developed for an exclusive introduction with AT&T and of course it wants some software on there with its name on it

So how do you setup these panels you ask???? Well, apparently you will be able to setup your X1i to use 8 panels of your choice. It may be that you can have more than 9 panels available at the touch of your finger and the X1i will simply resize the panels to fit more of them on the screen. (Remember the standard "Today" screen familiar to all Windows Mobile device users is "LOCKED OUT" and cannot be discarded or changed) The more likely answer, though, is that you will only be able to choose 8 of your favorite applications, shorcuts to web based accounts or eye-candy for finger-tip access via the panels interface.



So how do you customize your panels???? Well, beginning from the panels interface you touch the bottom right "Tools & Settings" icon....



The panels visually turn over like a deck of cards and the back of each panel except for the MicroSoft "Today" panel in the top left (see the circle with a bar running through it?) is customizeable by touching the little "Tool Box" icon in the middle...



Touching that "Tool Box" brings that particular panel to the front of the screen where you see another "List" icon in the center...



Touching that "List" icon then brings you to the above list of panels to select from.... as you see .. the first item on the list to NOT HAVE A PANEL in this position... and below that, the list of all available panels are displayed for your selection in this particular panel...



I selected "no panel" from the list....



And now you see that no panel exists in the top middle location anymore..... just a floating "Tool Box" for the available panel....





Going back, I look down the list and see iGoogle as a panel I can use in this spot.... and I choose it by highlighting it..... and then pressing "select".. And once again I have another panel at my finger's beck and call......

Video of Customizing the X1i's Panels.....



So, NOW there should be no mystery about what these panels are all about??? A very cool user "touch" interface for finger-tip access or launching a website, application, or hardware feature.

The Optical JoyStick...



The Optical JoyStick is a touch sensitive Dpad which allows you to simply brush your finger across it either vertically or horizontally to move your cursor through menus, web pages or messages. Much like the JOGRR on other HTC devices it is a touch and motion sensitive hardware key. You can also do it the conventional way though, as the X1 also maintains the conventional mechanical Dpad. The Optical Joystick is a huge convienence though when using the X1 in Landscape mode while texting or scrolling through web pages or emails. Replacing the Up-Down and Right-Left keys on a full QWERTY board. The X1 is so tiny that its position in perfect for "thumbing" around your data or media instead of having to press the Dpad with no support... No carpal tunnel claims here guys.....

Video of the Optical JoyStick in Operation....



Taken from the "Messaging Section" refer to it for more information about the Optical JoyStick and its primary design focus.....

Quote:

The Illumination LED Alert System.....



The "Illumination LED Alert System" is a new setting in the familiar Windows Mobile System Settings menu. The xPeria X1i is not using a typical LED alert at the front face of the device like pretty much every Smart Phone or Cell Phone out there, but, is using 4 seperate LEDs mounted at the middle corner on each side of the device.



The LEDs change color depending on the type of alert it is communicating. From "red" for low battery which flashes every couple of seconds to "Aqua Blue" which flashed rapidly in series of four for ann incoming call, every new event has its on LED color and flashing sequence to let you know at a glance what is going on with your device.

Video of the "Illumination LED Alert System" in operation..



The FM Radio....!



Just like Sony Ericsson's other cell phones and smartphones with a radio feature, the X1's radio can only be activated by plugging in your headphones to act as a antenna. Currently, the software is still rough with no "external speaker" option and all sound must pass through the headphones at this time.

Update on the Sony Ericsson X1i FM Radio Feature!



Updating my review on the features of the Sony Ericsson X1i the S.E.X1 and its FM Radio feature. Turning on the FM Radio is accomplished by selecting the FM Radio Panel and then clicking on the "On" button. Here you see the radio powering on....



After being powered on the display shows the FM radio freqency being played. At the top of the radio you find 6 station presets that are activated by holding down the button for a couple seconds while tuned to the station you want to preset. The button will begin to "Flash" and a "station 103.whatever selected for preset" will be displayed. Press the corresponding button again to "Lock In" the station. Below it you see a display for information and below it the scan and frequency select buttons. In the middle you find the "Volume" slider with bars tht indicate volume level.... At the bottom are the buttons for selecting external speaker or the internal stereo speakers of the S.E.X1. To the botton right is the "On/Off" buttons. Check out the video below for the operation and performance of the Sl.E.X1's FM Radio Player using the Creative Labs TravelSound powered external stereo speaker system connected to the S.E.X1's 3.5mm external plug....




Video of the S.E.X1's FM Radio Player.



Video of the S.E.X1's Windows Media Player.



As you can see the FM Radio Player on the latest ROM is completely different from the first X1's FM Radio I used previously.



The current FM Radio application lacks the RSS & News features that the old Radio application carried. Be interesting to see which player makes it to the commercial device????

On-board aGPS (assisted Global Positioning Satellite Mapping System...



The xPeria X1 carries aGPS on-board for your navigation needs. So what is the difference between aGPS hardware and just plain old GPS radios???

aGPS compared to GPS Satellite Mapping Technology!

aGPS satellite mapping technology is an acronymn for "assisted Global Positioning Satellite/System" technology while GPS is simply a unassisted version and the original technology most of us have been using for years. What are the benefits of aGPS compared to the regular GPS technology?

1. TIFF issues: TIFF or "Time to First Fix" is the slang for how quick a GPS radio can acquire a signal and then fix your position in relation to the satellite signals it is receiving. Ths typically can take anywhere from a few seconds if you are outside in a cloudless sky and flat planes with no hills, buildings or other obstruction to prevent the GPS radio from receiving the signal to a few minutes if conditions are rainy, your in a big city, or just out where alot of architectural obstruction is nearby and around you.

2. Speed of GPS Acquisition: Assistted GPS is basically using the technology of GPS information stored in some carriers cell towers for sending satellite information to your phone when requested for "faster" location of satellites and a "assisted" fix of your location via the triangulation of the cell signal and the GPS information that has just been sent to your phone.

3. Battery & Application Improvement: So, your device doesn't have to work as hard to compute the data and run your application, saving battery life and making a less robust GPS application possible which saves memory and processing power for other systems running on the device at the same time.

4. Carrier's GPS Services: These devices allow carriers such as AT&T to promote their assisted GPS services which will make them cash. In turn, they only want to carry aGPS enabled devices for support of their new GPS services. Its the "Profit Thang"!!

Basically, aGPS allows phone manufactures to provide a feature that will work faster and with less battery drain than the traditional GPS system. Consumers are basically idiots who just want to know where they are when they activate the GPS on their handheld and dont want to be bothered with waiting for minutes while their position is acquired, stopping their car in order to get a fix, moving to a window in a building to get the fix, or waiting for the thunderstorm to blow over so their GPS radio can "see" the satellites.

But you don't have to use your carrier's GPS service for a extra monthly cost if you don't want, just get a good GPS mapping system like my Co-Pilot GPS mapping application, download your maps to the X1's Micro SD card and turn it on. Setting it up with the Co-Pilot application was a breeze and its performance was perfect. Just check out the video below.....

After locating 8 satellites in about 30 seconds..... the X1's 528mhz Qualcomm processor spins the Co-Pilot application to take the data and get a fix on my location....





And now I'm getting visual as well as voice directions to my desired location....



Video of the aGPS radio on the xPeria X1 in Operation with Co-Pilot GPS Mapping Application...



Using Google Maps with the xPeria X1 aGPS feature..., it is expected that Google Maps will ship as a bundled application on the X1's commercial ROM, however, should it not... don't sweat it P.I.M.P.s.... its a "FREE" download at Google and thats where I got the version I'm running in the video below with seemless results.....

Video of the X1 using Google Maps....



Below you see the menus of using Google Maps with a GPS equiped device like the S.E.X1.



The application automatically configures itself with your X1's GPS at the setup menu...



And once configured begins displaying the satellites it is downloading information from...



and displays your new location....



The Sony Ericsson xPeria X1 does a fantastic job, even at this level of software development, of giving its user a multitude of special features not commonly found on wireless devices and cell phones. From "eye candy" operating system features such as "Panels" to the unique hardware of the Optical JoyStick and Illumination System ..... the S.E.X1 will stand out as a special and high dollar device designed to entertain AND work!! Its really "Bring'n Sexy Back" to SmartPhones with its Speacial Features & Hardware!!

VI. Conclusions & Observations about Sony Ericsson xPeria X1i Smartphone!



It Puts the "X" in S.E.X1!!



1. Windows Mobile Professional 6.1 Operating System!! Need I say More? Finally Sony Ericsson makes a Top Notch Device with a REAL upscale and sophisticated opertating system. I need to send a emergency relief box of chapstick to all those Symbian Fan Boys over at My-Symbian.Com ,,,,, I know their lips must be pretty chapped from Sucking on the Long,, Hard,,,, Fact that Sony Ericsson has finally abandoned the Kindergarden Competent Symbian Operating System.

2. "Its Bring'n Sexy,,, Back....." Sony Ericsson has designed a beautiful metal case for the xPerial X1. The S.E.X1 is really one very Sexy looking Smartphone. In Brushed Aluminum/Stainless Steel with chromed accents, its definitely bringing sexy back to Smartphones!!

3. Qualcomm 528mhz processor, 512mb of ROM, 128mb of RAM, (This may be increased to 256mb in commercial version making the X1 an even stronger hardware laden device) aGPS, WiFi, Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR, widescreen VGA video recording ability, and a Beautiful 800 X 480 widescreen VGA LCD Screen Hardware is the "Bleeding EDGE" of currently available tiny Smartphones

4. "Panels" User Interface!! A new way of using a Windows Mobile Device, the "Panels" user interface is designed to bring iPhone user friendliness and "eye candy" to the xPeria X1 Smartphone...... the S.E.X1 is "Bring'n Sexy Back" to Windows Mobile devices and proves its appeal is more than Skin (case design) Deep!!

5. Optical JoyStick & Illumination System hardware!! The Optical Joystick is not only "Bleeding EDGE" but also a very powerful solution to emails and texting on a extremely small QWERTY Board, I predict that this technology will make its way to many more similar form factor devices in the very near future as it frees up keyboard space and makes data entry much faster and mistake free. The "Illumination System" is not only great eye candy but provides useful information at a glance, as long as you can remember what all the pretty colors mean??? Regardless, both of these new hardware features are exclusive to the S.E.X1 at this time and worthy of mention seperately as reasons the X1 is "Bring'n Sexy Back"!!

It Puts the "X" in S.U.X1!!



1. The X1's 3.2 MegaPixel camera and LED flash could have been a 5.0 Megapixel with a proper camera flash had Sony Ericsson sourced the guts for HTC to do it. Instead, its pretty much a TyTn HTC digicam with CMOS sensor. It takes nice photos, but, if the S.E.X1 is "Bring'n Sexy Back", don't get cheap on the camera. Shit, the K850i digicam shouldn't be going to waste in such a useless case design.

2. The X1's battery door, being made of metal, is heavy and works its way loose from the case. This causes charging and battery life issues when using the S.E.X1 in day to day use. Many times when you think you are charging the X1 from a car charger or USB connection, there is actually no sufficient contact between the battery and the X1's leads. What I had first suspected as an early ROM issue is actually a design flaw in keeping the battery secure in the case. Put a lock on the battery door so the commercial device doesn't suffer this issue. And I've observed this same issue on 2 seperate X1s.

3. The QWERTY Board and device itself are tiny!! Its very difficult to use this device as a serious data input and editing tool in the field if you are used to an HTC Athena or larger keyboard. However, compared to a TyTn II, the S.E.X1 is positively "WAAAAAY SEXIER" in use due to the use of the Optical Joystick and curved design of its case for touch screen ease. More of a "you can't have it all" comment than real criticism, small case means small QWERTY Board keys..... but .... potential users should be aware that the device photographs much larger than it really is. Guess the camera does add 10 pounds????

4. Lack of the 1700mhz 3G data frequency has me down... I'm a long time Tmobile customer going back to the Powertel days. I was sure hoping that the X1 would be the device to introduce me to Tmobile's 3G data service when it reaches my area..... sadly,,,, its going to At&t and I doubt it will see a hardware modification for Tmobile's upcoming 3G data service.

5. RF performance needs to be improved. Although it is middle of the road at this time, lets hope that its mediocre performance is related to its ProtoType nature and alpha ROM?? I'll leave this comment as an aside at this time till more ROM development takes place or a commercial unit comes my way.

6. "Panels" User Interface is slow compared to iPhone UI. This is certainly in the early prototype stages, though, a new "white paper" indicates that RAM on the commercial xPeria X1 will be increased to 256mb making its software, application and multi-tasking ability "EXTREMELY" faster and smoother. Pray to the "Gadget Gods" that this hardware change does occur and my speculation is that if it does.... its to bring the "Panels" User Interface up to speed and smoothness with the iPhone...



BengalBoy.Com!! Bring'n Sexy Back to Wireless with the Sony Ericsson xPeria X1i SmartPhone!!

I cant believe you actually got your hands on it!! luck lucky you. I think you should involve the kittens with the X1!

If I knew the kitten in my avatar I wouldnt want the phone. I might change it after tonight though. I have to see if this kitten will let me take a "nice" pic of her. Out in vacation for a few days, loving the florida weather right now. Beats up north.


If you decide to let it go let me know, need to see your thoughts on it though. Looks long like the iphone?

Ahh, the replacement for my Kaiser!

I can't wait to see what you think of the phone Cuz!

Great stuff man! Like you when I saw this phone I fell in love. I can't wait to get my hands on it. Thanks for the sneak peek and keep on with your reviews Pimp!

ICE

wow, what an awesome looking device. sorry i have not posted recently, but i have been living in the dark side with my nokia n95 8gb!

i cant wait for the experia to be released, as i really like sonyericson phones, and i do still like the wm platform. can you please answer a couple of questions for me? does the experia support the same type of handwritting recognition that the uiq devices from sony do (p800, etc) and is the phone dialer any easier to use vs other wm professional devices? i did not buy the htc touch because i dont like having to dial from the wm touchscreen dialer and i hate entering text if i do not have a physical keyboard. i know the experia has a physical qwerty board, but i really like sony's handwritting recognition software.

i also have to disagree with you on some of the comments you made regarding nokia phones. the original n95 was full of promise but was ultimately dissapointing due to its lack of ram, but the other versions of the n95 are totally different. the main reason that i am using this instead of my q9h is because i love the multimedia capabilities. the camera is really good (video player is too), the podcasting software works well, the web browser now is very stable and much nicer to use for full web pages then ie. the tv out is a great feature, etc, etc, etc. the way i see it is that wm is nicer to use for pim features, and the s60 devices are better to use for consumer friendly features such as camera, mp3/video playback. while i can live with the more basic pim features on my n95, i cant live with the multi media features of my q9h.

i am hoping that sonyericsson will be able deliver a wm device that not only has great professional features, but also great multi media features with a nice form factor too.

is that too much to ask?

Thanx a ton for such a gr8 review of xperia.
Still, i hav some doubts uncleared. It would be gr8 if u clearify my doubts.
1. I wanted to know more about the media panel.
i.e. how is the interface, is it finger friendly, how is sound quality from speakers and headphones, is there an equilizer and if yes, can it be customized, what all options are available during video playback in media panel, what the default games etc. In short, can u give a detailed discription of the media panel.

2. I also wanted to know how does 3rd party apps work on this fone. for eg apps like core player, SPB mobile shell and opera 9.5.

Thanx in advance.

Thanks for the great review! Do you have the latest version of Copilot? Version 7 now. Its much better than the past versions. Do you think you could get your hands on the latest copy? I'd like to know if version 7 works properly on the WVGA screen.

Also if you want a much better browser, try opera mobile 8.65. It has a free trial. It would be great to see screen shots of real browsing with opera. Thanks again!

Just got back from a nice vacation and finally got to read the review. Phone looks great. If Mark wants to send it over I can test out Copilot 7