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hello, i am interested to find out if there is a software out there thats lets the x1 have a accelerometer like the htc, i feel that the only disadvantage the x1 has.
An accelerometer is a piece of hardware that is missing in the X1. There is no way that a software can emulate an accelerometer.
mabye by using camera to see movements and use it like an accel-meter
Yes, the Xperia lacks the accelerometer function and I miss it because I had a Diamond before
Future devices will feature micro-gyroscopes instead of accelerometers: they are more precise and accurate and have faster response times
using the cam to emulate would cost alot of batt and not work in dim light places
is there a way someone can unlock it or is it 100% sure that the accelerometer isn't inside?
I remember reading stuff about other htc handset where people unlocked hidden features such as gps... couldnt that also be with x1?
This has been covered by threads in the forum a while ago...
As far as we can tell, there is NO accelerometer hardware present in the phone. I don't think it's part of the chipset that could be enabled (like maybe the TV out function).
the features people have been able to unlock were features included inside the qualcomm cpu
which have gps/wifi/3g and the likes support
but accelerometer is not in the qualcomm cpu it's another component inside the phone
and in the case of the x1 not inside the phone
The X1 is sold as having an accelerometer
If you look at websites that sell the X1, like Dialaphone, they claim the X1 has an accelerometer for rotating the screen, it is advertised as having one, check it out.
http://www.dialaphone.co.uk/googledap/phone/Sony_Ericsson_X1_Xperia/
Click the features tab, and there it is
However I have not seen anyone mange to make it work like the accelerometer on the Touch Diamond.
"If you look at websites that sell the X1, like Dialaphone, they claim the X1 has an accelerometer for rotating the screen, it is advertised as having one, check it out."
yeah goes to show once again that most sales people don't know their butt from their elbow
it says it has an accelerometer sensor, maybe it starts up goes "yep no accelerometer here", then goes back to sleep?
Maybe some one should get dialaphone to demonstrate the accelerometer??
Rudegar - Touchet !
um, who knows... did anyone actually take a look at xperia mobo to se if it's there?
haven't found any hires photo of that...
that could be in there just waiting for a firmware upgrade (hope is the last thing to loose)
Tears of the Engineers
From a sales and marketing perspective I can understand why Sony deliberaetly did not want an accelerometer on the X1.
It can be viewed by some as a kiddy, gimicky, playstationy type thing. Whereas if you look at the official promo for the X1, Who is Johnny X, the X1 is clearly not aimed at kids, it is marketed as a serious multimedia business tool.
The X1 is Sony Erricsons flagship, in there armada, they didnt want it to be a Jet Ski, all froth and fun.
You can see who has the upper hand in the board room, it aint the engineers.
That said once released and let loose, I say the X1 is what we make of it
if they made a perfect phone once, no one would buy their next product.
believe me, HTC has the ability to do that, but they didn't and never will.
Hi , i am a new one here but i wish to help. I think that there is two solution. First is that Sonyericsson did make accelerometer in x1 but only in a prototype model.Maybe they have a bad result and then decide to put it away. Or maybe (like in nokia N95 first releases , they have built in accelerometer but not enabled. They did enable it in the last firmware v.30.15) they will enable in the next firmware update , if it ever comes. I hope it will. One more thing,maybe it is interesting. As X1 have very bad sound on a speakerfone i was searching the entire net and i found something very interesting to me. As i watch on Youtube every posible video of Xperia i have noticed that the prototype of Xperia has two very imortant diferencies. First , they have two speakers on each side( one is below the camera button and second on a other side right below the screen orientation button???) And second thing is that prototype has a double less memory than we do have now...Here is one of the links http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yjmO4TL5NAY&feature=related .... And people , sorry for my bad English....
The only way to get accelerometer functionality is to buy a MicroSDIO Accelerometer card. Unfortunately, no-one makes one as there's no market for it .
Mark A Cilenti said:
The X1 is Sony Erricsons flagship, in there armada, they didnt want it to be a Jet Ski, all froth and fun.
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Click to collapse
the X1 is NOT the flagship. the C series is and probably will allways be.
its the Flagship of their mobile office department but thats not to hard sicne its their only "new" cellphone
achmed20 said:
the X1 is NOT the flagship. the C series is and probably will allways be.
its the Flagship of their mobile office department but thats not to hard sicne its their only "new" cellphone
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Click to collapse
i ve read there Marketing Manager's interview in a mobile magazine and he said its their premium phone aimed at a niche market.
they are not focussed on selling like iphone but have a distinct product placement in the market.
achmed20 said:
the X1 is NOT the flagship. the C series is and probably will allways be.
its the Flagship of their mobile office department but thats not to hard sicne its their only "new" cellphone
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The c-series are very good cybershot-phones, but the flagship has always been the P-series and now it's the X-series. It's promoted like this here in Austria after all.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5F0Ruzwos8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5xMUEhFBJ8g
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xa1zvj5YDy4
The final installment of the epic battle: iPhone vs HTC Hero, iPhone OS vs Android, Apple vs Google ... Whose cuisine will reign supreme? Noah gives his opinion, anyway.
The real question is where is WINMO here and our beloved SE X1?
I think nobody doubt's that the UI of the X1 is not the best. If it would be that good, why would such a lot of people install Manila or Titanium. You cannot describe the Panel-thingy as real UI because it hasn't been pushed forward by SE. There are to be honest no useful new panels since months. The only thing SE does now is selling SPB MS3 e.g. in Korea as X1-UI.
de Wolfe said:
I think nobody doubt's that the UI of the X1 is not the best. If it would be that good, why would such a lot of people install Manila or Titanium. You cannot describe the Panel-thingy as real UI because it hasn't been pushed forward by SE. There are to be honest no useful new panels since months. The only thing SE does now is selling SPB MS3 e.g. in Korea as X1-UI.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm in Korea. trust me it sucks. Slower than ever, full of bloatware and corporate advertisement, and no english options.
apple's ui on both iphone and computer is way above the line, no doubt about it, apple just need to add a hardware keyboard, full multitasking abilities with 3rd party apps without having to install another 3rd party app for this purpose, and a few more goodies to win me over, god knows i hate to use onscreen keyboards
Hero Sense UI looks sexy, makes u wonder if its really android
"iPhone 3GS vs HTC Hero" where does the x1 come into it
spikegotti said:
apple's ui on both iphone and computer is way above the line, no doubt about it, apple just need to add a hardware keyboard, full multitasking abilities with 3rd party apps without having to install another 3rd party app for this purpose, and a few more goodies to win me over
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Haha, this "just" things is ****..ng alot man!
lol yea, the iphone is a good device dont get me wrong lol, but its just not good enough for me, imagine if i had it with my x1, i think i'd only use it for games...i dont think i would ever buy a device without a hardware keyboard, and to know that i cant minimize an app to use another, hmmm i doubt that too...
That's what I mean.
Fruit misses alot.
Yet another iPhone casualty
This is so frustrating that it's funny. I think the first TRUE iPhone competition (meaning: a great highly-refined user experience, online software/music downloads, smooth running, etc.), will come from Microsoft and WM7 with it's app store and Zune capability. Everything on the market up until then, I have a strong feeling, will come up short like the HTC Hero and Palm Pre does. This is not to say there won't be great phones, but, pound-for-pound, it'll take Microsoft and a hardware partner to come up with a TRUE iphone competitor.
It's amazing how the new superior features of the HTC Hero still fell flat in the face of the aging iPhone GUI. It was very obvious in the videos. The true iPhone competitor will have iTunes equivalent, AppStore competition, ultra-smooth GUI (don't give me BS about so-called upcoming software optimizations ). MS could one up Apple by including total voice control of the phone, XBox games, Zune features, fully integrated Bing voice search, etc.
WhyBe said:
Yet another iPhone casualty
This is so frustrating that it's funny. I think the first TRUE iPhone competition (meaning: a great highly-refined user experience, online software/music downloads, smooth running, etc.), will come from Microsoft and WM7 with it's app store and Zune capability. Everything on the market up until then, I have a strong feeling, will come up short like the HTC Hero and Palm Pre does. This is not to say there won't be great phones, but, pound-for-pound, it'll take Microsoft and a hardware partner to come up with a TRUE iphone competitor.
It's amazing how the new superior features of the HTC Hero still fell flat in the face of the aging iPhone GUI. It was very obvious in the videos. The true iPhone competitor will have iTunes equivalent, AppStore competition, ultra-smooth GUI (don't give me BS about so-called upcoming software optimizations ). MS could one up Apple by including total voice control of the phone, XBox games, Zune features, fully integrated Bing voice search, etc.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
WM 7 could do that I think.
And future integration is a must too.
doministry said:
WM 7 could do that I think.
And future integration is a must too.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
...and forget about compatibility with previous WM versions. They need to start completely fresh.
Uh.....
So, you want to compare a sub par feature phone with no real OS and a smartphone with a promising OS to a full mobile computer??? HAHAHAHAHA
Right.....
VelikiMeshtar said:
iPhone.... iPhone OS......... Apple.......
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Mandatory:
WhyBe said:
...and forget about compatibility with previous WM versions. They need to start completely fresh.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not neccesarily but possibly.
^^^ a little file compatibility, and that should be it. I don't think MS should bog itself down with legacy code compatibility.
And since MS isn't making the hardware, they need to get really specific and strict on the variety of WM hardware being created. I think when software developers have to account for too many different form factors, the user experience gets watered down.
ebooksmart said:
I'm in Korea. trust me it sucks. Slower than ever, full of bloatware and corporate advertisement, and no english options.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Delete the spbmobileshell.txt file in /Program Files/SPB Mobile Shell. After rebooting, the UI will be in English.
somehow i cant see anyone being accustom to using the 480x800 resolution will resort to the iphone(unless the resolution is increased in the next model), its true the iphone has millions of colors, but damn, i hate being able to see the pixels on a phone, i actually made a guy jealous yesterday after he saw the resolution on my SEX1...the iphone still has some catching up to do before i switch, but as i said before, the os has the best gui...everyone knows, apple scores big when it comes to their OS GUI (including the OS in general)
also note, those who claim the iphone is faster than the x1
it takes like a 1.5 -2 second delay to open stock apps on the iphone, on my x1 only a few 3rd party apps takes this long
now the 3g s is out, that should be compared to the x2, still i doubt the iphone 3g s can outrun the xperia
if SE had to open a store selling the x1 housing for at least $25 USD, i dont think i would be selling my x1, because its the best damn device out there right now despite the lack of games for the resolution
spikegotti said:
somehow i cant see anyone being accustom to using the 480x800 resolution will resort to the iphone(unless the resolution is increased in the next model), its true the iphone has millions of colors, but damn, i hate being able to see the pixels on a phone, i actually made a guy jealous yesterday after he saw the resolution on my SEX1...the iphone still has some catching up to do before i switch, but as i said before, the os has the best gui...everyone knows, apple scores big when it comes to their OS GUI (including the OS in general)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, the WVGA screen is really impressive. I think iPhone is stuck at it's lower resolution because it uses capacitive touch technology. Capacitive doesn't allow the precision of the resistive technology of the X1. You'll notice that the Hero with it's capacitive screen is also lo-res.
No one can see the difference between 16M colors and 65K unless you're looking at gradients. Besides, the iPhone screen only has 153600 pixels...where the hell are you going to fit 16million colors?
also note, those who claim the iphone is faster than the x1
it takes like a 1.5 -2 second delay to open stock apps on the iphone, on my x1 only a few 3rd party apps takes this long
now the 3g s is out, that should be compared to the x2, still i doubt the iphone 3g s can outrun the xperia
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry, you're going to need to prove that one. Many of my friends have iPhones, and the first thing you notice when using one is how fast and fluid it's response is. You have to take into account, iPhone has multitasking disabled AND it has a faster CPU (600 or so MHz I think) AND GUI optimized OS. Maybe programs take the same amount of time to load as X1, but, they flow so much smoother. Even smooth apps on the X1 such as YouTube, PhoneEx, CNN panel still are not as quick and smooth as the iPhone.
WhyBe said:
Sorry, you're going to need to prove that one. Many of my friends have iPhones, and the first thing you notice when using one is how fast and fluid it's response is. You have to take into account, iPhone has multitasking disabled AND it has a faster CPU (600 or so MHz I think) and GUI optimized OS.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
He doesn't have to prove anything, because my X1 is faster than an iCrap as well.
Sorry, you're going to need to prove that one. Many of my friends have iPhones, and the first thing you notice when using one is how fast and fluid it's response is. You have to take into account, iPhone has multitasking disabled AND it has a faster CPU (600 or so MHz I think) and GUI optimized OS.
------------------------------------
did that yesterday dude, windows calender on my x1 opens faster then the iphone ical
note that this guy does not have any 3rd party apps on his iphone
orelsi said:
He doesn't have to prove anything, because my X1 is faster than an iCrap as well.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm sure there are tons of comparison videos on YouTube. Show me one that has the X1 being faster and more fluid than iPhone.
And I'm talking overall, not just one particular program's load time.
There is confirmation from an unofficial site that multitouch might not be an hardware mess after all.
http://www.simbasics.co.uk/sony-ericsson-xperia-x10-to-get-multi-touch-and-android-2-1/6304
post your opinions on whether you beleive this is true or not
X10 WLL NOT have multi-touch!
rs0cal said:
There is confirmation from an unofficial site that multitouch might not be an hardware mess after all.
http://www.simbasics.co.uk/sony-ericsson-xperia-x10-to-get-multi-touch-and-android-2-1/6304
post your opinions on whether you beleive this is true or not
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can't belive a company as big as SE would produce a flagship phone and use a 3yr old touchscreen, I would have thought it has a Clearpad2000 or 3000 fitted to it and Multitouch can be enabled at a later date?
Theres keeping costs down and theres blatent stupidity.
If you think about it, multitouch isn't all that. People mostly want it for zoom-pinching, requiring 2 fingers, which is too difficult to do with just 1 hand. I stopped caring about Multitouch after I saw a youtube of X10 mini way of zooming using 1 finger. Just like how you add widget to the android 'desktop', you press the screen for 1 sec with 1 finger, then drag up and down to zoom in and out. Double tap is also possible, but I like that new way better
ShadowFlare said:
If you think about it, multitouch isn't all that. People mostly want it for zoom-pinching, requiring 2 fingers, which is too difficult to do with just 1 hand. I stopped caring about Multitouch after I saw a youtube of X10 mini way of zooming using 1 finger. Just like how you add widget to the android 'desktop', you press the screen for 1 sec with 1 finger, then drag up and down to zoom in and out. Double tap is also possible, but I like that new way better
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
this will be in xperia x10 also ??
i mean i can zoom with 1 finger and drag up & down ???
or will be only for mini x10 ??
Well the video was in X10 mini, right now X10 doesn't have that. But since X10 won't have multitouch, there's a good chance the X10 gets X10 mini way of zooming.
The video of X10 mini zooming is a fact, but hoping it to be available also on X10 via update is purely my personal expectation. So don't start rumors that X10 will definitely get that too lol.
EDIT:
Ok, found the thread regarding that X10 mini zoom, including the youtube link:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=661080
thanks shadowflare
really it is perfect and hope x10 will get this in its update
what about gaming though on apps? lack of multitouch any of concern for you guys on apps?
This is a reposting of my full review (with images) @ my blog. There are photos there if you want to see.
Introduction and History
Eighteen months ago, I began my transition from feature phone (Sony Ericsson W910i) to Smartphone Sony Xperia X1i. As a shameless fan of Sony Ericsson, I opted for the Xperia X1i based on wanting to better understand the Windows Mobile ecosystem and because the promised feature set was supposed to be game changing.
It wasn’t.
To be fair, it wasn’t as bad as you may think and my first Smartphone experience was mostly positive. As an active Microsoft Outlook user with my own hosted Exchange account, the Windows Mobile platform was actually a really great fit for keeping my email, calendar, and tasks synchronized. In fact, the Xperia X1 was an essential gadget for the planning and follow-through of my wedding and honeymoon.
So, what was missing?
As I started to use more features of the phone there were some glaring issues that became apparent to me.
First of all, the inability to take advantage of the 3G speed of the phone eventually became a handicap. Initially, it wasn’t an issue since T-Mobile had no 3G in my area. However, as T-Mobile USA’s AWS 3G network was built out, I was forced to live with EDGE speeds.
Secondly, the one thing that bothered me was that despite all the abilities of the phone, I always felt it was a step behind me. One way I would describe it is that it simply felt “slow” and despite being able to multitask, I found myself waiting for the phone to get things done.
Thirdly, the platform was not very exciting. One of the benefits of the Windows Mobile platform, a diversity of hardware selection and legacy support, is also its Achilles heel. Because there are so many variations of operating system, hardware form factors, and screen resolutions, there are less compelling applications available.
Lastly, the Xperia X1 had capable hardware and some unique features but Sony really did their customers a disservice by never helping the device fully reach its potential. The early firmware was buggy and seemingly half-baked; the device only really became very useful after using custom ROMs available from XDA Developers (which became a practice I did frequently).
With this in mind, I started looking late last year for a replacement. Coincidentally, the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 was announced in November and it seemingly met my needs…on paper. The announcement created a lot of buzz in the blogosphere and it piqued my interest since it was the most powerful Android device announced at the time.
The only problem was it took them more than 5 months to actually ship the product and a crop of device launched with competitive features in addition to newer version of the Android OS. Even with this knowledge, I decided to give Sony Ericsson a chance and give in to the siren call of the Xperia X10. Would I be burned as an early adopter again? After two months of real world usage, it’s time to share my story but first, let’s see what attracted me to the phone in the first place.
Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 Mobile Phone
Marketed as Sony Ericsson’s flagship Android device, Sony Ericsson describes the product as the following:
· Sony Ericsson XPERIA™ X10 introduces an open and integrated world of social media, communication and entertainment.
· XPERIA™ X10 is the flagship phone in a family of phones coming to market during the first half of 2010. The XPERIA™ X10 will be available in Q1 2010.
· New UX (user experience) platform lets consumers organise everything and discover more with the most open, human and intuitive user experience yet.
Source
Those are pretty bold statements. To backup these expectations, Sony Ericsson has equipped the Xperia X10 with some pretty powerful hardware.
Specifications
- CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon QSD8250 1GHz CPU
- 384MB of System RAM
- 1GB NAND Flash
- 8GB (or 16GB) Class 2 microSD included. The device supports up to 32GB.
- Android OS 1.6 “Donut” with custom UX (User Experience)
- 4” 854x480 pixel (FWVGA) TFT Touchscreen capable of 24-bit (16 million) color
- 1500 mAh Lithium Polymer Battery (BST-41)
- 8.1 MP camera with auto focus, face recognition, geo-tagging, image and video stabilization, smile detection and touch focus
- Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE - 850/900/1800/1900Mhz
- Tri-Band UMTS HSPA 900/1700/2100Mhz (international model) or UMTS HSPA 800/850/1900/2100Mhz (Americas/Australia model)
- Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP, 802.11b/g wireless internet, aGPS, 3.5mm audio jack, microUSB port
- Dimensions: 119 x 63 x 13mm @ 135g (4.8 oz)
The hardware alone is not differentiating feature of the Xperia X10. Instead, Sony Ericsson has introduced a new UX (User Experience) platform to run on top of the standard Android interface. This initial version of the platform focuses on multimedia and social integration with new features and capabilities being added over time. Now, let’s look at the actual device.
First Impressions
I’ve always felt that higher-end Sony Ericsson devices to be of high quality. There’s almost always a certain level of fit and finish and the Xperia X10 is no exception. The body, a combination of plastic, glass and metal, is beautiful to behold and carries an air of stylish elegance. While some people may automatically equate the use of plastic with cheapness, I think they’ll be pleasantly surprised with how the device feels in hand especially with its curved back. Weighing in at 135g (4.8 oz), the device feels solid when held with the right amount of heft for the size.
This combination of the materials doesn’t seem to affect the strength of the chassis and the Xperia X10 easily stands up to my pressure test. I applied a decent amount of force (squeezing the device hard) all over the device and listen for a “creaking” noise and to my delight there was none.
I also appreciate the lanyard loop hole. A lot of phones don’t have these anymore and I think they’re more important now than ever since these devices get used all the time and the cost of replacement is not cheap.
Screen
The Xperia X10 has a scratch resistant mineral glass screen. To my surprise, my unit also came with a screen protector pre-applied. I don’t know if this is standard across all regions or markets but I found this to be a nice touch.
Speaking of the TFT screen, it’s absolutely gorgeous and crazy bright. At 4 inches in size, it’s very comfortable to read and it’s really the first size where I feel comfortable watching visual media on it. Despite the current 16-bit color (65,536 colors) limitation due to Android 1.6, the colors are surprisingly vibrant. The screen can produce 24-bit color (16 million colors) and will do so when the phone is upgraded to Android 2.x. I typically leave the device on automatic brightness settings since it does a good job of setting the appropriate brightness even when I’m outside.
There’s no AMOLED here and for now, I think it’s a great decision. While I’m a huge fan of OLED technology, the technology doesn’t work that well outside in bright daylight or overcast conditions. I find the Xperia X10 to be very readable compared to other touchscreen devices I have like my ZuneHD.
The capacitive touchscreen itself is pretty responsive and behaves as you would expect. I consider the iPhone’s touchscreen to be the best-in-class and in comparison, I’d say the Xperia X10 holds it’s own but it’s definitely not better. In fact, it’s pretty good considering the screen is not multi-touch capable.
Onscreen Keyboard
The Sony Ericsson supplied soft-keyboard is HORRIBLE. It really is. On the plus side, the layout and the convenient arrow buttons are nice; however, the responsiveness is very poor and some keys (on the outer edges) don’t register with any consistency. I don’t know how this slipped past the usability or quality assurance groups at Sony Ericsson. At first I thought it might be the touchscreen but it’s not. It’s the software. I have installed other 3rd party keyboards and they all work very well. My current favorites are SWYPE and the HTC keyboards.
Ports
There’s not too much to discuss since the device doesn’t have many. The 3.5” audio jack is standard and accepts regular stereo headphones as well as microphone-enabled headphones. I like how the micro USB connector is covered in terms of the aesthetics but I’m concerned about the long-term durability since I’m charging the device at least once per day.
Battery
One really interesting thing about the 1500 mAh battery is that it’s exactly the same model (BST-41) used in the Xperia X1 and Xperia X2. There are a couple of benefits here. First of all, it’s readily available and there are lots of accessories/replacements available. Secondly, it’s a good capacity battery and one of the better capacities on the market.
In terms of actual usage, I’ve found the battery essentially lasts one full day with my typical usage. This is acceptable. I’m always surprised by people who complain about this. It’s my opinion that anyone using a Smartphone nowadays should be used to charging their phone constantly. The more features your phone has, the more often you’re going to use it and battery life is going to suffer. If you really need to conserve battery then switching to the 2D EDGE connection can give you a better battery life. Wi-Fi and GPS usage can also drastically affect battery life so your mileage may differ.
User Experience
Sony, and Sony Ericsson by association, is never content with offering a plain, vanilla experience and is always looking to create its own interfaces. Like the Xperia X1’s Panel Interface, Sony has created some value- add software as a means of product differentiation. The centerpiece of the experience revolves around their Timescape and Mediascape applications.
Timescape is a communications aggregation tool which offers the user a means of quickly viewing feeds of their email, text messages, Twitter, Facebook, voice calls, and photos. The essence of Timescape is the concept of the spline. All forms of information are available on the spline and splines can be viewed per information type. It’s a fun way to visualize your communications; however, sometimes it’s not very useful since you can be easily inundated by the amount of information and each item on the spline only displays a little information. So, it’s great for a quick glance but you’ll end up having to open up the corresponding application if you want the full message.
Mediascape works similarly to Timescape by bringing photos, videos and music files together into a single interface. When you first launch it, you’re presented with a thumbnail view of recently used and recently added along with other lists. I found the interface to be usable but I feel like some interface elements are too small and could use larger tap targets. The playback of media is pretty flawless so my complaints are minor.
Other Software
I mentioned earlier that I’m an Exchange/Outlook user and while Android 1.6 doesn’t natively support Exchange, Sony Ericsson has kindly included a full copy Moxier Mail (regularly $24.99 USD) for full Exchange ActiveSync abilities. It syncs mail, contacts, calendar and tasks all over the air so that I’m always in sync with my laptop and desktop. Minimal fuss and I like it.
Camera
In my experience, the Xperia X10 has the best camera I’ve ever used on a mobile phone so far. It’s the first one that actually feels like a regular, if basic digital camera. Will it replace a dedicated digital camera? Not likely.
One thing you should know is that the Xperia X10 doesn’t have flash. Rather, it has a photo light. The difference is that you have to manually turn on the light via the advanced menu. This means you can use the light while framing your subject and while filming video. The only problem is that the light is somewhat anemic so you’re subject will have to be fairly close for it to be effective.
As with most phone cameras, you get the best results during the daytime. My only complaint is that the startup time is a little slow and there is a slight lag when you switch from portrait to landscape shooting since the interface re-adjusts to the orientation.
The video camera feature allows you to capture WVGA (840x480), VGA (640x480), QVGA (320x240), MMS (160x120) and Youtube. Unlike my Xperia X1, I found that the device was able to record and playback any of the allowed resolutions flawlessly. The audio portion is recorded mono. The day after I received the Xperia X10, I was able to test the device at an MC Hammer (Yes, THAT MC HAMMER) concert.
Multimedia
Multimedia duties are handled by Sony Ericsson’s custom Mediascape application which handles videos, photos, and music. My only gripe with the software is that the main interface only works in portrait mode except when you’re playing media (except for audio files). Other than that, Mediascape offers a pretty friendly experience and the standard codec support is decent.
Video playback performance is phenomenal. Codec support is limited to MPEG4, H.263, H.264, and WMV standards. If a lot of your content happens to be in H.264 or WMV format and then Xperia X10 does not disappoint. Not only can it playback DVD-quality (480p) content but also 720p HD content as well! I converted an AVCHD clip from my digital camera and got the resulting H.264 MP4 (1280x720 @ 30 fps ~ 3Mbps) file to play smoothly. Impressive!
I tested audio with two sets of headphones: the included headphones and my reference headphones (Etymotic ER6i noise isolating headphones). The Etymotic ER6i’s provide a flat response and provide a clear, less “biased” sound of the actual device. In general, audio playback is very good and clean. Bass can be a bit punchy at times but the treble is always clear and bright. The included headphone set is actually surprisingly good and they emphasize the bass a little bit more. They’re not the most comfortable headphones, but they don’t sound cheap either.
The audio player portion of Mediascape looks pretty nice and only plays in portrait mode. The homescreen shows you various different quick lists of your music and you can drilldown further to sort through your music. On the player screen itself, in addition to your standard playback buttons, you can do all the usual things like repeat, shuffle, favorite, send, and find other related songs from the interface. Calling up the contextual menu allows you to delete, set as ringtone, get more information, or download album art.
The photo player is also straightforward. You can view photos you’ve taken as well as integrate with Picasa Web Albums and Facebook Albums. This section works in either orientation so you can view images comfortably.
Sony Ericsson provides MediaGo software for free which provides media synchronization. It’s better than their previous software and it works. You can also use DoubleTwist for synchronization.
Connectivity
Xperia X10 offers Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR, 802.11 b/g Wi-Fi, and 2G/3G cellular connections.
The Bluetooth simply works. I’ve been able to pair the phone to three computers, two phones, various Bluetooth headsets, and hands-free car kits. I like the fact that when I send files to and from my laptop, the files are placed in the appropriate folders (e.g. videos, photos, music) without my intervention. Love it.
Wi-Fi also just works and I’ve had no trouble to connecting to open and secure networks.
Luckily for me, the international Xperia X10i model supports T-Mobile’s AWS 3G network in the United States and allows me to take advantage of the 3G speeds. On average, my ping times are 100ms and I get around 3.35Mbps down and 1.3Mbps up. In some areas, I’ve seen the download peak at 4.46Mbps which is not too shabby! I can finally watch Youtube videos in high quality.
Things I Would Change
Camera: I’d like to see Sony Ericsson take the lead and start implementing a wider angle lens on the camera. A lot of use cases involve close quarter shooting (e.g. taking self-shots of shots of friends, etc) and a wider angle would help take more dynamic shots. A forward facing camera would be nice too. My last three Sony Ericsson phone had this so it’s weird to not have it.
Flash: The flash needs to be addressed in future products. There should be the ability to act like a regular flash and also just be a video light but I know this is OS related. I wouldn’t mind an upgrade to Xenon LED or dual LED setup.
OS: I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that Sony Ericsson needs to keep up with the OS updates a lot faster. I understand the value proposition of creating a unique experience, but Sony Ericsson’s flagship device should have the latest and greatest. Sony Ericsson’s insistence on creating their own value-added features and interfaces, while noble, always gets them in trouble since they have an awful track record (i.e. Panels on the Xperia X1) in the execution and timely release of their products. Their value-add software has NO value if a new OS update comes out with a equivalent feature in addition to better performance and even more features.
Multi-touch: I only mention this because I found it odd that Sony Ericsson would ship a device without it since most devices in this class have it on their feature checklist.
microUSB: I love the standardization of the port; however, it would be nice if it was located on the bottom or side so there could be a charging stand for the device.
Who This Product Is For
I won’t lie. The Xperia X10 is NOT for everyone. Technology savvy or cutting edge enthusiasts will likely want to stay away since this product is not currently running the latest Android OS (currently 2.2) and there are a lot of alternatives available if you need to be on the bleeding edge. Also, other than the camera and the design (maybe), the Xperia X10 doesn’t offer anything the competition doesn’t already have. While the Xperia X10 will eventually be upgraded later in September, chances are that it will always be a step behind the latest release due to its custom user experience layer.
Does that mean it’s not worth getting? Absolutely not.
If you ignore the operating system aspect then the Xperia X10 stands out as well designed product that offers a different Android experience that centers around social integration and providing a “better” Android multimedia experience with a big bright screen. If those things interest you then you might like this phone. The upside is that it can only get better once they release the next major update.
Final Thoughts
Overall, I’m pretty happy with the Xperia X10 especially when you consider where I was coming from before. Out of the box, the phone has some shortcomings but luckily, nearly all of them can be addressed using third party software available on the Android Marketplace or from Sony Ericsson.
My last two months using it has been great. It does what I need and I never have to “think” about it. It does what I want and it “just works”. Of course, I don’t live in a bubble and I know Android 2.2 exists and what it offers but I have yet to feel like I’m missing out or I’m unable to use my phone. I think that’s a great sign this is a good product fit for me.
The lack of multi-touch may be an issue for some people but I don’t mind it at all. I didn’t have it before on my old phone so it’s not like I’m really missing out on any thing. Most of the applications I use don’t require it or have other workarounds that are equally effective. Will this change in the future? Maybe, but for what I need to do now, it’s a non-issue. Also, since the phone is unlocked and my plan is month-to-month, I have the freedom to move onto something else whenever I want.
I will be updating the review once future updates come out and will note what has changed. Until then feel free to comment or email me if you have future questions.
Great review Thanks for sharing with us
Thanks very much for the very informative review. Getting my new X10 tomorrow & can't wait to play.........
thank you so much for the great review, ok i have HTC Hero and i wanna change it now
would you recommend the Nexux one or the X10
desire and legend are out of the pic, my friends already bought them ^^
so i want something different.
thanx
Actually what SE giving us via X10 is kinda like
"This is what I've got, I know I am outdated I know I am lack of support, take it or leave it"
to me
oaz63 said:
thank you so much for the great review, ok i have HTC Hero and i wanna change it now
would you recommend the Nexux one or the X10
desire and legend are out of the pic, my friends already bought them ^^
so i want something different.
thanx
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Click to collapse
That's a tough call. It really depends on what you want and where your priorities lie. My coworker just got a Nexus One and it's a wonderful device with a beautiful deep contrast screen. She wanted to always have the most latest OS first and foremost and didn't want too large of a device (although the Evo 4G tempted her). She wasn't as concerned about the camera or video capabilities so it was the best fit for her.
I prefer the camera quality on my phone to the Nexus One and that was an important point for me since I'm often trying to bring less devices with me when I'm out and about. The Xperia X10 fulfills that need for me. Also, the multimedia capabilities are important to me and the X10 works really well. In fact, it plays video files that my friends EVO 4Gs can't play (we're still trying to figure out why). I ripped my Avatar DVD and converted it to H.264 MP4. Looks awesome on my device and this is with the Android 1.6 limitation!
So, I'd make a list of stuff you actually want to (and will) do with the phone and match that up with the device. If it's the same as your friend then so be it. You can always dress it up with a custom case and OS tweaks.
The screen is not very scratch resistant.
I removed the pre applied protector an have now got 2 scratches.
I have now installed a protector again.
Thanks for the review! You seem to have pretty much the same experience & impressions as me, and I'm sure there are plenty of others who feel the same. I'm not 100% happy with the lack of updates (and not having root), but at the same time I can't really complain about it either.
At the end of the day, if you want polish and a seamless user experience then you have to go for a heavily-controlled and censored platform (ie: iPhone), whereas the Android ecosystem does things differently (and thank whoever for that).
brodos123 said:
The screen is not very scratch resistant.
I removed the pre applied protector an have now got 2 scratches.
I have now installed a protector again.
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Click to collapse
That's why it comes with a pre-applied protector, it should not be removed
AMAZING review. Really top notch.
You forgot to mention the
-POOR IN-EAR SPEAKER quality
-POOR IN-EAR SPEAKER VOLUME
My X1 is made of steel so it has min. scratches after 2 year hard using and a few "falling downs" to floors. My X10 felt only 1 time down to the floor and the plastic is broken Why they changed back to plastic???? Also my old SE phones was made from magnesium (GH337/868...)
-I miss a DPAD or something similar. To navigate is horrible, as the SE KB is useless (the Android KB even more) I use the HTC from Jonas. Without this the X10 is even more poor as it is at least because there is
-NO SMART DIALING. Because of that i dont use my X10 anymore ( need my phone for CALLING!) I bought a HTC instead. The smart Dialing is not good as it was on X1 but i can hardly live with that.
-TS and MS are actually useless. To complicated for fast use and TO SLOW! ( Why i can not set a standard view in TS? Why i cant set a default directory in MS for Photos, Videos and Music and browse within them? )
-X10 is even to slow at all. F.e to open a contact from the phonebook needs at least 1-2 sec.
In fact the only thing i love on X10 is the Hardware and software design. This is the only phone in the last 15 years (all from SE!!) that is disapointing me. I start to hate this phone, because it sucks me! Especially because to make it perfect would not be a problem if the SE engineers would count on 2 and start thinking about of USING a phone, not looking on it while it lays on the table. If they would do a NEW X1 everything would be perfect. I mean take all the things that X1 can do and make this better and add features, not delete them! Of course erverything could be fixed (instead of the steel body and DPAD) with an update but i think SE is to blind (and stupid) actually. Forget TS and MS, update the X10 to 2.2, add Smart Dialing WITH ARROW KEYS, an UI that is useable from the screen (like iphone), not with the hardware buttons (why a back button? Add a "cancel" tab EVERYWHERE would help a lot! At least in the contextmenues!) a KB like HTC WITH ARROW KEYS, a screen lock like S2U2, an easy and fast zooming, a perfect email client with a central email inbox, a perfect SMS client, make the phone fast, delete all the bugs AND THEN its MAYBE ready for dayly using.
oaz63 said:
would you recommend the Nexux one or the X10
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Click to collapse
THE NEXUS ONE!!! Because there is a trackball and NO PUSHABLE KEYS! Google made a good job with the soft keys! EVERY Android phone should have them! because this makes the phone 100% easier to use. I am really thinking to switch from Legend to Wildfire because of that
AND what is also important: the Trackball/mouse is UNDER the 4 keys! this makes the phone handy. Take a N1 and a Desire in your hand and try to use the Trackball/mouse and the keys! You´ll know then what i mean....
Great review.I just got my x10 2 days back and I am really happy with it.I see a lot of people have complaints with it,but knew as much as I did some reading of this forum and the like.I am upgrading from my once beloved htc hero, a good phone with a good set of specs at the time.I spent sooooo long hearing about a 2.1 update on that phone that never arrived.So the talk of a q4 update in 2010 for my new x10 is not too big of a stretch.
Sorry bout the rambling
StripLV said:
(why a back button? Add a "cancel" tab EVERYWHERE would help a lot! At least in the contextmenues!)
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You apparently have never heard of the mobile phone operating system called "Android" made by the Google Corporation.
Hello
First sorry if this is in the wrong forum, I'm new to smartphones and Android and have a bit of a dilema!
I have an Xperia X10i and am supposed to be exchanging it for a HTC Desire next week, for reasons I will go into, but my big question first is am I making the right choice.
I got out my X10 yesterday after another delay with getting the HTC and after finding some UI changes and other apps on these awesome forums, I am starting to like the X10 more.
Sure the battery lasts about 9 hours but I'm looking into fixes, other things I didn't enjoy, like the UI I have changed with the awesome ADW Launcher.
Now the main reason I wanted to change the phone was, and this is going to sound really childish and stupid, but was for multitouch, well that and the newer version of android, which I think the X10 will get eventually, however for some reason I feel I need multitouch?
When getting a smartphone I looked forward to playing all my old Snes Roms etc on the way to work on the train, which is nigh on impossible to do properly without multitouch.
I installed the Wiimotion? app to use a Wii mote on my X10 which is awesome but won't help when I'm on the train.
Now I know that's a bit of a frivilous reason but I dunno, seeing all my work colleague pinch and zoom and playing Monkey Island and Conta got me jealous.
I haven't used a Desire but had a quick go of a mates Legend and wasn't blown away or anything. I actually think I prefer the look/style of my X10, but I still like the Desire, I know the camera's better on the X10 but that's pretty much it isn't it?
So there is my question really, should I change my X10 for a Desire, mainly for the updated Android and Multitouch!
I've posted this in X10 and Desire forums, again sorry if thats a no-no.
If you feel that you need multitouch than you should get a device that supports it. The X10 doesn't support multitouch either in software or in hardware.
Android will be updated on the X10 soon, either by SE themselves or the community so that is not a huge issue.
Just a heads up the Desire has the same multitouch problem as the nexus one look it up on youtube if you dont know what i am talking about. hope that helps
Just seen that vid thanks for the heads up
Sent from my X10i using XDA App
How about the Samsung Galaxy S? I would pick that over the Desire.
Wow, the multitouch on the N1 is horrendous. :O
I assumed it'd be atleast good considering that it's a google flagship phone.
Cinner said:
How about the Samsung Galaxy S? I would pick that over the Desire.
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Just checked, and I don't think it's available on TMobile, shame it looks a good phone. Thanks anyway
I have an X10 but i think the Desire edges it (for me anyways).
The reason being it's HTC and they have stronger support both from HTC themselves and from the Devs on here on XDA. They have also established themselves as the main player for android devices, and have more experience.
I accepted the intial shortcomings of the X10, with knowledge that the updates would be coming in a timely fashion. This includes both android and performance.
They have not and i'm not just talking about OS.
Basic Telephony - Call Volume
Input- entries not recognised by the digitizer, both keyboard and mediascape.
Functionality -Playlist creation
Sense is in it's 2nd revison and is very stable and I expect to see 2.2 and future versions on that device one way or another. I can't say that with same amount of confidence for the X10.
SE have made a very decent effort with the X10, but their support for the device will be it's downfall.
-
Dear Rakber,
If I were you, I would definately go for the desire. My teacher has got a desire and Ive got the X10i but I was blown away when I saw how good the desire is.
Take your chance before its too late!!
regards,
hiraj_panosian
X10 support the multitouch Hardware.... but it is limited by the OS 1.6...
With the update in 2.1, multitouch will be a reality on X10 !!!
OS 1.6 limite the number of colors dispayed (65K on 1.6, X10 can display 16M)
Video record in 720p will be possible on 2.1 too.
With same OS version (2.1) X10 has more advantage than Desire.. beautifull screen, camera (APN) and Video are Likely an Real APN SONY 8.1Mo...perfect colors, defeniton... The camera of Desire is Medium, Poor..
THe X10 is better on 3D, sound of MP3 is perfect !! great bass !
Advantage of Desire, the update is more frequent, and quickly...
As for me, My cousin have the desire, and i a have the X10, i prefert my X10 !!
X10 is recently rooted, then I think some devs will adapte the HTc Software to the X10
Thol said:
X10 support the multitouch Hardware.... but it is limited by the OS 1.6...
With the update in 2.1, multitouch will be a reality on X10 !!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'd love to see where you got that info, because everyone else including Sony Ericsson says that the HW doesn't support multitouch.
Thol said:
X10 support the multitouch Hardware.... but it is limited by the OS 1.6...
With the update in 2.1, multitouch will be a reality on X10 !!!!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can you provide your se source for this piece of daydreaming information lol
You do know that they have stated the x10 does not and will not support multitouch as it is limited by both hardware and software!
Thol said:
X10 support the multitouch Hardware.... but it is limited by the OS 1.6...
With the update in 2.1, multitouch will be a reality on X10 !!!
OS 1.6 limite the number of colors dispayed (65K on 1.6, X10 can display 16M)
Video record in 720p will be possible on 2.1 too.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's this kind of misinformation that led me to believe the X10 would be the better phone in the long run. To fair to Thol even SE support anaylsts were telling me it was a software limitation just days before release.
According to SE it will never support multitouch it's a limitation in both Hardware and software!
As for the 65k colour limitation SE have not been entirely clear on this point especially as the smaller devices ie mini and mini pro have a spec sheet that states the screen is capable of 16 million colours.
Both the mini and mini pro are on 1.6 too. Now if that's true why does Mini on 1.6 support 16m and the x10 on 1.6 support 65k??
Cheers for the replies guys.
Yea I've read conflicting reports on the multitouch being hardware or software limited, and the same with the screen colours, it's bloody annoying!
Another question which Thol made me realise is what's the mp3 player like on the Desire as that's probably the other main thing I use my phone as, it's seems pretty good on the X10, but as long as it sounds good and dosen't pop and crackle?
rakber said:
Yea I've read conflicting reports on the multitouch being hardware or software limited, and the same with the screen colours, it's bloody annoying!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The thing is, Sony Ericsson themselves have stated and confirmed the hardware does not support multitouch. Please don't listen to these stupid rumors: they come from people who bought the X10 and regret not having multitouch and they want to believe by some miracle the X10 will get multitouch through a software update.
As for the 65k colors: I believe I read this is a hardware limitation as well, but I can't find any sources so maybe someone else can confirm or deny this with a valid source?
ddewbofh said:
If you feel that you need multitouch than you should get a device that supports it. The X10 doesn't support multitouch either in software or in hardware.
Android will be updated on the X10 soon, either by SE themselves or the community so that is not a huge issue.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
From everything I've read the X10 will not support multitouch.
But it will support an equivalent function using one finger that may be superior to multitouch as you can do all the same functions but can do them with one hand. I think we will be getting it with the next major update.
There was an app demonstrating this function but I deleted it and now cannot find it.
And fwiw, I am more and more falling in love with the elegance of the X10 in spite of some bugs and limitations.
koyanishi said:
From everything I've read the X10 will not support multitouch.
But it will support an equivalent function using one finger that may be superior to multitouch as you can do all the same functions but can do them with one hand. I think we will be getting it with the next major update.
There was an app demonstrating this function but I deleted it and now cannot find it.
And fwiw, I am more and more falling in love with the elegance of the X10 in spite of its many bugs and limitations.
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Click to collapse
I've just found a vid on youtube with the zoom slide function, I think it's the same one you mean, it looks good but it wouldn't help me with the game side of multitouch I think, which is the main reason I'd want it sorry,
Cheers though.
MarylandCookie said:
Can you provide your se source for this piece of daydreaming information lol
You do know that they have stated the x10 does not and will not support multitouch as it is limited by both hardware and software!
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Click to collapse
http://www.gsmarena.com/sony_ericsson_xperia_x10-2964.php
Dispay type : TFT Capacitive = Multitouch (normaly)
Sorry, X10 is not Multitouch:
"Despite the capacitive technology, the X10 display won't be getting multi-touch support even with the latest OS."
>I realy think it can be multitouch, Sony have afraid about Apple's lawers... Htc Not !
Hosnestly, i had a iPhone 3G, i'd never use the Multitouch function... perhaps only on a game : air Hokey with my son (multi players)
But it is really 16M color :
"Sony Ericsson have also promised that Android 2.1 will at some point be available for the XPERIA X10 enabling the full use of the 16M color-ready display."
For a serious test :
http://www.gsmarena.com/sony_ericsson_xperia_x10-review-463.php
For MP3 player, the X10 Player is more pretty, but too limited fuctions (no remote supported), I use MixZing (free, but with ads), it support this function (remote).
SE promise a update of the player (media scape) some time after the OS update...
Htc's devices are better for their software...But as i said, some devs will adapts these software on X10 too...
rakber said:
I've just found a vid on youtube with the zoom slide function, I think it's the same one you mean, it looks good but it wouldn't help me with the game side of multitouch I think, which is the main reason I'd want it sorry,
Cheers though.
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Click to collapse
No reason to be sorry at all.
I just hope you enjoy whatever you get as much as I do the X10
ddewbofh said:
I'd love to see where you got that info, because everyone else including Sony Ericsson says that the HW doesn't support multitouch.
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Click to collapse
they said that about x10 mini also but they find a multitouch digitizer in it so don't believe sony as it is god