Sony Ericsson X1 Review
Phone rating: 
In a nutshell: The Sony Ericsson X1 Xperia is a blockbuster
mobile. It's a touchscreen phone with the highest resolution display
available, plus an optical joystick and a slide-out QWERTY keyboard.
It runs Windows Mobile, making it a powerful platform for all sorts
of applications, especially email and web browsing. With a 3.2 megapixel
camera, Windows Media Player, assisted-GPS, 400 MB memory plus a memory
card slot, quadband GSM plus HSDPA and WiFi, it's got the lot when it
comes to functionality. Not cheap, not small, but very, very powerful
indeed. It just loses one star because the operating system is sometimes
slow to respond.
Review: November 2008. Updated February 2009.
Sony Ericsson have been slow to bring out an iPhone basher, but here
it is: the Sony Ericsson X1 or Xperia.
The X1 is a touchscreen phone, and it's got one of the biggest and
best screens ever seen on a mobile phone. At 3 inches across, it's almost
as big as the iPhone 3G's 3.5 inch
screen, but here's the thing: whereas the iPhone 3G has 480 x 320 pixels,
the Xperia has a massive 800 x 480 pixel resolution: that's 2.5 times
as many pixels. Big isn't always better, but when it comes to touchscreen
phones, it definitely is. As well as providing a brilliant platform
for the touch-operated user interface, the display also offers a superb
environment for web browsing, video streaming, photo viewing, etc, etc.
 A
lot of thought has gone into the user interface design of the Xperia.
As well as the finger-operated touchscreen, there's an optical joystick
and a navigation key. To use the optical joystick you brush your finger
over the touch-sensitive key to move the mouse pointer on the screen.
The navigation key is a conventional 4-way key that can be pressed to
select an option. Handwriting recognition with a stylus is available
as an additional text-input method. But the X1 holds another secret
within: a full slide-out QWERTY keyboard. With the keyboard in position
and the display in widescreen landscape mode, the phone resembles a
mini-laptop and offers a lot of the functionality of a real laptop -
but more of this later. For the moment, we'll just say that with all
the different input options available, every user should be able to
find a way of working that meets their needs. This is not a difficult
phone to use, although its advanced options do present something of
a learning curve.
The phone feels very solid too. It uses a premium metal body and feels
like it could take some knocks. But the solidity and wealth of features
leads to some bulk. It's a big phone, and quite thick too, at 17mm.
And it certainly is heavy. In fact it's the heaviest smartphone currently
in the shops by our reckoning. At 158g it weighs more than twice as
much as the Sony Ericsson W890i
for example. It's not a machine for wimps, but it manages to look very
nice despite its porkiness. It's available in a choice of Black or Silver,
both of which look nice and businesslike.
The user interface is designed around a "Panel interface".
Each panel provides an environment customised to a specific activity,
such as web browsing, messaging, playing music, etc. We don't think
that this is quite as revolutionary as Sony Ericsson claim, but it looks
nice, works well and we have no issues with it.
The X1 is a Windows Mobile smartphone. Windows Mobile has matured a
lot since its early days and is now a robust and powerful OS. It's also
used in the Samsung Omnia, which
has proven itself to be a very stable and robust smartphone. Running
Windows Mobile offers several advantages. As well as being stable, it's
a familiar environment for PC users, and brings a lot of familiar functionality
from the desktop to the mobile. For instance, the X1 uses Outlook Mobile
as its email application, and it uses Office Mobile to let you view
and edit Office attachments. Business folk accessing their corporate
mail via an Exchange mailserver can stay synchronised using Exchange
ActiveSync. We hesitate to say that the X1 can match a BlackBerry
for power and ease-of-use, but it's arguably true. Having said that,
it isn't the fastest OS to respond, and can be too complicated for casual
users.
Moving on to the camera, we have to say that this is the one area where
the X1 disappoints us. A phone this big and this expensive needs the
best camera available, but the X1 doesn't have it. Instead of the 5
megapixel monster we hoped for, it has a 3.2 megapixel camera instead.
Instead of a xenon flash, the flash is a weaker LED one. The camera
does have autofocus and a digital zoom and will take decent snaps in
good lighting, but it won't replace a digital camera. This is probably
the only fault that we can find with the phone. As well as taking stills,
the camera is capable of recording video clips.
The X1 uses a Microsoft product as its media player: Windows Media
Player. Not only is this a fully featured and user-friendly media player,
but it also integrates seamlessly with Windows Media Player on a PC,
so you can manage and synchronise your media libraries without having
to mess about with third-party software. The media player handles most
common file formats: both audio and video. A very welcome addition is
the 3.5mm headphone jack which means that you can plug in third-party
headphones (thanks to Paul for pointing this out to us!) You can listen
via an optional stereo Bluetooth headset.
One of the features that's now pretty standard amongst high-end smartphones
is aGPS, and the X1 doesn't miss out. With GPS you can find your way
either using Google Maps, or with the Wayfinder Navigator software that
gives turn-by-turn instructions, suitable for use when driving. Unfortunately
only a trial version of Wayfinder Navigator is included, with a limited
license duration. In any case, a dedicated satnav device like a TomTom
will provide a more polished experience for serious satnav use when
driving.
As well as the Windows Mobile software and applications that we've
already mentioned, there's also a well equipped personal organiser application
that includes an alarm clock, a calendar, a calculator, notes and tasks.
A benefit of the Windows Mobile platform is that there's also a wealth
of third-party apps available for download.
The X1 has a built-in memory of 400 MB, which is sufficient, but not
as much as some rivals. Fortunately it can also accept microSD cards
- a welcome change from the expensive Memory Stick Micro cards that
Sony normally require.
Being a 3G phone equipped with HSDPA, a fast internet connection is
possible (when signal strength is good). Combined with the large touchscreen
and the optical joystick, this provides a very good environment for
the mobile web. In addition, the X1 supports a range of connectivity
options - USB, Bluetooth and WLAN - so you can browse the web using
a free and fast WiFi connection, provided that you are in a WiFi hotspot
or have a WLAN network in your home or office.
The battery life that Sony Ericsson quote for the X1 is exceptionally
high - 6 hours talktime and 20 days standby! And it does have a big
battery, so this is theoretically possible. However, the large display
eats battery power, and when you start using apps, you'll use more power
than on standby. So whilst the talktime and standby figures suggest
exceptionally good battery life, the real world of clicking, browsing
and chatting will reduce performance. Having said that, there's plenty
of juice in the battery and you should be able to use it for a few days
between charges, unless you live your life on the phone.
We are very impressed with the Xperia X1. We love the huge high resolution
touchscreen and the slide-out QWERTY keyboard. We love the Windows Mobile
environment and applications (although some of our users are complaining
that the phone is too slow.) We love the WiFi. We quite like the memory
and the GPS. We're less keen on the size and weight. And we're disappointed
by the camera. But on balance, this is a 4 star phone, packed with features
galore in a system that seems to be well designed and well tested. In
other words, a smartphone that seems to be genuinely smart. We can recommend
this one with a fair degreee of confidence.
Alternatives include the Apple iPhone
3G (rubbish camera and various other niggles), the BlackBerry
Storm (no WiFi), the Nokia N96 (too
many problems) or the Samsung Omnia
(smaller screen, but better camera and more memory.) Looks like you're
spoilt for choice - both the Samsung Omnia and the Sony Ericsson X1
are great phones, and interestingly they're both Windows Mobile devices.
Features of the Sony Ericsson Xperia X1 include:
- 3.2 megapixel camera with LED flash, autofocus and 3x digital zoom
- Video camera plus video calling
- Touchscreen display: TFT, 65,536-colour, 800 x 480 pixels (3 inches)
- Media player
- FM radio
- MP3/AAC ringtones
- Speakerphone
- aGPS with Google Maps and Wayfinder Navigator (trial version)
- Messaging: SMS, MMS, Email
- 3D Java games
- Picture wallpaper
- Windows Mobile OS with Microsoft Outlook Mobile, Exchange ActiveSync,
Office Mobile
- Organiser: alarm clock, calculator, calendar, document editor, notes,
tasks, phone book
- Memory: 400 Mbytes plus support for microSD memory card
- Connectivity: Bluetooth, USB mass storage, WiFi, modem
- Internet: EDGE, 3G HSDPA, web browser, RSS feeds
- Flight mode
- Vibration alert
- Quadband plus Triband 3G HSDPA
- Size: 111 x 53 x 17 mm
- Weight: 158g
- Talktime: 6 hours (3G) - 10 hours (2G)
- Battery standby: 500 - 640 hours
Sony Ericsson Xperia X1 User Reviews
Love your mobile? Hate it? Please share your experiences to help other
people choose the phone that's best for them. Please do not review this
phone if you have not used it. This is a review site, not a forum, so
please don't just ask questions. Please do not use swear words or offensive
language, and please, no advertising!
Average rating from 104 reviews: 
Reviewed by Arshad from Sri Lanka on 29th Dec
2011
First i thought this fone was useless. But having it for some time and
meddling with its features its turning out to be one of the better phones.
Its keypad is small for fingers but works great. the sms features conversational
style making it easy to see the replies and the mails we have sent.
The push mail is fantastic, and it also contains a featured software
if you want blackberry type mailings. The camera takes really good pictures
in daytime. The nighttime is very pixelly photos. Only regret is not
wifi connectivity is time consuming. Not being full touch maybe another
draw back, but the stylus has its momments in making it look its class.
Rating:
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Reviewed by marc from ireland on 17th Dec 2011
mine set its keyboard to japanese, no idea how to switch it back, also
i took the battery out and for some reason the calender reset to 1st
january 1980, things been a pain ever since i got it, maybe iphones
are the only choice
Rating:  Reply
Reviewed by BONAVENTURE MUNJILE from ZAMBIA on
15th Dec 2011
ITS A GOOD PHONE, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COME TO DURABILITY. I LOVE IT
Rating:
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Reviewed by jaskarnjit singh from india on 12th
Dec 2011
perfect phone at the time.
Rating: 
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Reviewed by c from canada on 30th Jan 2010
worst phone i've ever owned too many problems to name
Rating: Reply
Reviewed by Zuhdi Abdelkarim from United Arab Emirates
on 1st Jan 2010
- This is the review to read!!! - My Xperia is excellent. The screen
is beautiful and very crisp. The touchscreen interface is very responsive
as well as precise as you would expect it to be. I'm not a huge fan
of Windows Mobile, In fact I'm not a huge fan of Windows at ALL! But
I must say, WM 6.1 runs very smoothly on the X1. I've actually grown
to like WM! There is a huge selection of applications for the phone.
Applications run smoothy and fast with no bugs. The overall speed of
the phone is great! Call quality is excellent, very audible. The slide
out keyboard is PERFECT! It's the main reason I decided to buy the phone.
I can practically type faster on the phone than I can on my MacBook.
The X panel interface is very useful, and a smart idea. It runs smoothly
as well. Battery life is OK, but not the greatest, lasts 1 full day
at best. Now this may sound like a very bias review, but let it be known
that I wasn't expecting the phone to be this great. I just needed a
phone with a full qwerty keyboard, and so I got this. I was totally
blown away by this phone. Just make sure you have the updated firmware
as John mentioned below, and you're good to go.
Rating:
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Reviewed by John Danning from UK on 17th Dec 2009
Before anyone mentions the new firmware - I'm already using it as of
October/November 2009. You don't even want to know what this phone was
like before I got the new firmware. Slow just isn't the word. I struggle
to come to terms with how this phone ever made it through any kind of
testing/QA process. It has the most unresponsive UI in the world. It
tries to let you do things way before it's actually ready to process
what you're trying to do. Let me give you an example - I just turned
my phone back on after it ran out of battery. It prompts me for my 4
digit pin code. I press the numbers... nothing.... quite a few seconds
later, some little stars appear at the top indicating I've typed something.
Then I press 'Enter', it boots to the 'Today' screen but then tries
to draw another 'enter your pin' window over the top but because it's
still not finished booting it just ends up looking like a minimalist
painting - just empty boxes everywhere. After about 20 seconds, it displays
the second screen where I enter my pin code so I can use my Exchange
email. I type numbers... nothing happens... then suddenly about 6 stars
appear because I've been pressing buttons getting bored waiting. Then,
it crashes. I can't even turn it off. I have to take the battery out
and reboot. The exact same process happens again. (i've already had
a bad day at work so this really isn't helping). This time it seems
to work OK and I get to the today screen. Then I accidentally touch
the volume control. It takes quite a while to show the volume slider
on the screen. Then about 3 seconds later, it makes the noise telling
me I've changed the volume. (when you're in a call and you change the
volume the delay is even worse, more like 5 seconds). I press a few
buttons to see if I can make it respond. Then all of a sudden an opera
window appears from nowhere! Then it locks up again, there's nothing
I can do. At this point I've just thrown it at the chair and walked
off. I've just come back to it and the volume control has dissapeared
finally. Never mind about taking out insurance on this phone against
accidental damage - you'll need cover for intentional damage due to
how frustrating it is to use. The speed is only one issue, i could go
on about how the Sony panels are totally non-intuative, the lack of
'back' buttons to get back to where you were a second ago, the fact
that windows update doesn't work, the camera is soooooo slow (it's much
better with the new firmware but if you want to take a quick snap in
the moment, forget it. it'll be more like the olden days where you have
to get everyone to stay dead still.) Since the firmware upgrade, the
keyboard now repeats far too quickly so you end up with messages like
"hhi, howww's it goinng", and the camera now takes really blurry photos,
even in sports mode. If you want this phone so you can do cool stuff
like remote into your works server or whatever, just don't. Get a basic
phone which has a 3g connection and just hook it up to a laptop instead.
If you are very sadistic and like torturing yourself and constantly
being embarrased because you're trying to take a quick photo and you
have to ask everyone to 'just hang on a sec... oh no hang on... nope
it's crashed again', then get this phone - you'll love it.
Rating: Reply
Reviewed by Adrian from Las Vegas, NV, USA on
12th Dec 2009
I have my X1I (unlocked) for about a year now and still loving it. I
feel sorry for the people who criticize the phone and complain about
problems left and right - IT IS NOT THE PHONE - you are too dumb to
read and follow the instructions. Instead of blaming the phone/device/manufacturer,
would be easier to look in the mirror and there you will find the problem.
I never had a problem with my phone. I travel frequently in the US (T-Mobile
network) and Europe (Orange Network) and it works all the time (phone
calls and applications). Or maybe who knows - they were selling "special"
X1's in the US ... I used other Ericsson phone and I'm very satisfied
with their products KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK - I can't wait for X2 to come
out.
Rating:
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Reviewed by Rob from UK on 2nd Dec 2009
Looks great, but in truth this phone is the phone is the biggest heap
of junk I have ever had the misfortune of using. The I can't make calls,
I can't receive calls. The email service is sporadic and the dam thing
keeps rebooting itself whenever it dam well pleases!! I have had enough
of this phone and the poor excuses my network provider is giving me
so as of today I am dropping both of them. Do yourself a massive favour,
NEVER get one of these even if they pay you.
Rating: Reply
Reviewed by Dom from England on 14th Nov 2009
Give it a bit of time - you'll find that this phone really grows on
you. Yesterday, for example, I managed to organise 7 or 8 meetings,
send out all the invites via outlook, navigate to my meeting using tomtom,
listen to my music on the way home, use the internet sharing feature
as a tethered modem for my laptop during a customer demo, and do a bit
of web browsing. It's not perfect - I still haven't figured out how
to browse easily, and the clunky windows interface will never be a match
in terms of usability, but it is really well built, and will let you
do most of the things you would normally do on your laptop, if that
is what you are after.
Rating:
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Reviewed by Razgriz from England on 21st Sep 2009
Ive owned the Xperia X-1 for about 10 weeks now, bought unlocked and
currently using my contract Orange sim card (NO NETWORK ERRORS AT ALL)
and listed below are several things I have discovered which will help
you understand this device and really enjoy it as I do. 1)Treat it like
its your first ever mobile phone and try to resist comparing to everything
else straight away and appreciate it by the sum of its parts. 2)Give
the battery a good charge for at least 4 hours every day for about 3
days. This allows the battery to hold charge properly and you will find
it lasts on a single charge for 3-4 days with quite heavy use (I know,
I use it an awful lot) 3)To make the virtual touch pad work more effectivly,
go into Settings/System and select the option for 'Optical Joypad' and
turn the sensetivity to low. This drastically improves the entire operation
of the pad. 4)To identify when the phone is charging, two small lights
will pulsate on the side of the device (even when swithced off) 5)DON'T
INSTALL the Cab file for 'TouchFlo-3d' which is the HTC style menu system
off their 'Hero' and 'Diamond' devices. It really is not designed for
the X-1 and it causes the device to lock up alot and causes it to run
very slow. Be warned I have tried it. Also if you do download it, it
will replace the standard Xperia panel and cannot be removed in the
'Programs/File' menu (Even though it disappears when you delete it,
as it reappears when you restart the phone again) The only way to remove
it is to reset the entire device and start from scratch (Careful though
as this removes everything you have stored on it) 6)Make sure you put
it a case, because even though metal surrounds the device, it does scratch
very easlily and If you copy me and manage to bounce it off a carpark
floor, it will make an unsitely mess of the corners of the device. 7)
DO DOWNLOAD the 'TouchResponse' program to give you that wonderful vibration
tactile feedback when you touch the screen. If you maintain a little
patience from the start and allow yourself to discover this phone, you
will find most negative reviews about it are flawed. It simply is not
as fast as just a basic mobile and never will be, partly due to the
vast array of options and software available. But since Ive owned it,
I have encountered difficulties, but these were due to rushing and not
taking the time to understand how the phone really works correctly.
In a nut shell this phone is just a different beast to everything else
out there and Im glad of that. You will be too. Oh I forgot to mention
a couple of things. 1) The camera is superb. Just make sure you use
it properly and compose your shot first, half press down the shutter
release and wait for the focus 'square' to bleep and go red, then press
the shutter release all the way down to take the image. This will stop
you getting blurred pictures. Alot of People below complain of blurred
pictures, thats because they are simply not using it correctly and not
allowing the autofocus to respond. Remember mobile phone cameras will
never respond as quick as a real camera. 2) Also what I forgot to mention
is. Should you install any software or make any large changes to anything,
treat the X1 like a mini computer and 'Restart' it. this allows the
device to register the changes and stops the X1 from locking up and
running slowly. 3) Any email adjustments will also require you 'Restart'
the device to take affect. Enjoy..........Cheeooooo
Rating:
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Reviewed by Dan from UK on 19th Sep 2009
Terrible. Terrible. Terrible. Really bad. Great if you want a mini laptop
with you at all times. Absolutely awful if you ever want to actually
make a phone call. dont buy it. oh, and standby battery definitely does
not last 500 - 640 hours. I can just about get through the day with
normal usage.
Rating: Reply
Reviewed by forex mentor from us on 7th Sep 2009
It's very great device.
Rating:
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Reviewed by brian from uk on 5th Sep 2009
i bought the phone on ebay for £170 i had it 2 houurs i then switched
it off anf went back tome SEp990. you cant text while driving unlessyou
have 3 hands. you need the pen to write texts unless your a midget.
SONY ERICSSON I KNOW YOU DONT GIVE A ---- WHILE YOUR COUGHING OUT PHONES
AND PEOPLE KEEP BUYING, BUT PLEASE PLEASE WORK A BIT HARDER. WE WORK
HARD IN ORDER TO BUY YOUR PHONES, WE ALL LIKE GADGETS BUT YOU REALLY
NEED TO DO BETTER. IVE ALWAYS BOUGHT YOUR PHONES AND I REALLY DO LIKE
THEM. 0/5 FOR THIS EFFORT. IM HOPING SOME IDIOT WILL BUY THIS OFF ME.
Rating: Reply
Reply by bobba from UK on 16th Sep
2009
In reply to Brian...you shouldnt be using your phone while youre driving
anyway!
Reviewed by James from Scotland on 26th Aug 2009
I researched this phone a great deal before buying it and the first
3 months were great, perhaps due to the novelty of windows, panels,
qwerty keyboard and so on... However the phone now is far too fidgety,
a common keypad fault means typing a text is a nightmare with key presses
repeating 3 or 4 times despite tapping the button once. The screen is
actually quite small as there is always a taskbar present reducing the
size of whatever your viewing. It is now doing my nut right in, I will
be selling this phone and buying an iphone. Despite the mixed reviews
of iphones, they provide entertainment and everything you really need
from a phone on the go, and no need for a stylus!
Rating:
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Reviewed by Kat from scotland on 23rd Aug 2009
Over priced, slow, poor signal. Don't buy this phone..
Rating: Reply
Reviewed by Louise from england on 20th Aug 2009
well, ive always thought people just moaned for the sake of it when
i first got this phone, soon to find out, alot of truths. the X1 is
certainly not all its cracked up to be! the signal is shocking, and
calls cut out, or dont even come through half the time! my keyboard
has decided to go crazy on me, and just types what it wants basically,
but with no easy on screen alternative its a complete mission to text!
the stylus seems handy but is just a pain to have to get out while out
and about etc. its a nice phone to look at, and has a very clear screen
i will give it that, but the camera is poor. usless in un bright conditions.
its slow aswell, and the thing that annoys me the most is, sony made
a big thing of this phone, saying it was "the next i phone" but panels
are lacking drastically, so its gutting really, im swaping it for a
samsung tocco with my friend. sorry sony, this phone is a disaster!
Rating: 
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Reviewed by M from UK on 20th Aug 2009
this is more a smartbook (and proof they are already de funked) than
a smart phone Poor signal in London (compared to other SE phones) poor
battery 24-36 hrs normal use (whats the point having features if u cant
use them for fear of battery drain!!!) poor interface speed poor interface,
not user friendly poor bluetooth, wont accept incoming connectinos from
my old SE ok web experience, hangs a bit ok keyboard, buttons are small
and top row especially hard to press ok optical joystick great for video
playback great for customisation of interface, see xda-developers for
roms etc...
Rating:
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Reviewed by dan from england on 16th Aug 2009
TERRIBLE PHONE!!!!! NO SIGNAL, BEEN REPAIRED 4 TIMES AND STILL DOESNT
WORK. AVOID AT ALL COSTS. ONLY USE IS AS A HAMMER AS ITS SO HEAVY AND
NEVER ABLE TO MAKE/ RECEIVE CALLS. ID RATE IN THE MINUSES IF POSS. 1
STAR WAY TOO GENEROUS.
Rating: Reply
Reviewed by YL from UK on 14th Aug 2009
worst phone i ever used. only been used for 2 months, it crashes and
freezes all the time. put it this way, when the phone goes into sleep
mode when not in use, and you can't wake it up no matter what buttom
you press. i had to send it to sony erricsson to repair it. don't buy
this phone, it's just a piece of junk!!!!
Rating: Reply
Reviewed by D from UK on 9th Aug 2009
Is the X1 Xperia a good phone to get? Hopefully this will answer your
question. This 'phone' (if you can call it that) is next to useless.
If you want a phone to make calls with - DO NOT GET THIS! I love(d)
Sony Ericsson phones - but this phone ends that 5 year relationship.
Why? Very poor reception (which made me look like I was ignoring a friend's
calls & damaged the relationship). No signal central in London!! (my
ancient Nokia didn't even have this problem). The phone interface has
a button you can press to take notes BUT DOESN'T EVEN HAVE A KEYPAD
DURING A PHONE CALL! You have to switch it back on! Doh! So obviously
calling places with automatic menus where you need to use the keypad
are a joke. 5/6 presses to start writing an SMS. Even if you install
a finger friendly panel, which will crash regularly, the interface often
switches back to default Windows Mobile dialogues at points which means
you'll need the stylus anyhow. You will wait up to 2 seconds to respond
to EACH key press (yes, it really is that slow!), options that when
set reset themselves (e.g font size in Notes), continually (meaning
several times per day) hanging / crashing software, makes this phone
an *EXTREMELY* annoying product.(See other reviews). Phones in 2003
had more useful cameras. This is useless without 1.A long time to wait
to get to the camera mode. 2.A tripod (i.e. even simple shots blur).
Ignore what others say, that you will only like it if you are computer
literate. I'm highly computer literate, having programmed in over 30
computer languages, and still think it's a crock of you-know-what. I
hope you don't make the same £500 mistake I did. STEER WELL CLEAR OF
THIS XPERIA! (If you do decide against and get it, or have already ordered
it remember this: - Remove the cover and stylus. On the lower right
is a small hole - the reset button (undocumented in the 'manual'). Get
used to it as you'll be using it OFTEN!) If you're a young geek that
doesn't need a working phone, but just a flash gadget to look cool with
- you *might* think about getting this phone. In summary the X1 is PURE
HYPE and NO SUBSTANCE. Dear SONY ERICSSON, If you're reading this: X1
= EPIC FAIL
Rating: Reply
Reviewed by Roy from UK on 31st Jul 2009
Ill cut to the chase - the Sony Ericsson Xperia X1 is an dreadful phone.
It promises the world but offers it in shockingly incompetent way. I
got it when it first came out and had it for about 5 months before switching
to the vastly superior Blackberry bold. Its hard to know where to start
but I guess Ill start with the OS - Windows Mobile. The performance
is awful. It appears Sony and Microsoft are attempting to treat the
X1 as a desktop PC but are forgetting the slight fact that the processing
power of the X1 is not really the same. The response speed of the interface
is shocking. God forbid you press the wrong key during an input sequence
and start up the camera (which by the way simply does not work as its
constantly blurred for all pics) because you'll be sitting there for
ages waiting for the software to catch up. It also has an unerring tendency
to 'go nuclear', that is, to suddenly get very very hot and subsequently
melt/run down the battery (which, incidentally, barely lasts a day after
NORMAL use). Attempting to make a call involves pressing the 'green'
call key, waiting an age to get the contact list up (can always make
a nice cuppa tea) and then attempting to select the 'P' (for example)
part of the phone list with my human thumb which is, unfortunately,
10 times too big for the touch screen icon for 'P'. Texting involves
similar waiting times although confidence in texting is of paramount
importance as the software cannot keep up with my typing speed and thus
I cannot see any of what Ive actually written until Ive finished it
and, again, waited an age. Oh, what else. Reception is awful (my blackberry
works where the X1 doesnt - on same network!). The pc sync is rubbish.
You cannot update the version without wiping the contact list. And as
I cannot find an easy way to backup the contact list I cannot update
the version. Ergo no pc software. It takes several minutes to boot up
(good ol' windows). And has anyone actually worked out how to make a
music playlist? Not me but then maybe Im just thick (strange how I can
do it with all other phones in about 10secs). The back cover is horribly
flimsy as its barely attached and thus pops off if you're not careful.
You cannot see any of the screen in sunlight. The bug with the text
field scrolling down hiding your text is very annoying. Oh I could go
on but I think you get the drift. This should teach Sony Ericsson, who
can make good phones, to get in bed with microsoft. No matter how much
money they got to use microsoft mobile, it was not worth it. If all
that has still not convinced you, ask yourself why the X1 is no longer
available on the vodafone website. Its because vodafone have stopped
selling/stocking the X1 due to its poor performance and the slight issue
that virtually all customers of the store I went to have returned the
X1 due to not being happy with it. In conclusion - do not get this phone.
And the blackberry bold is fantastic.
Rating: Reply
Reviewed by Duncan from UK on 28th Jul 2009
Please listen up people. I've had this phone since Feb and I can honestly
say its the worst phone I've had for years. The reception is terrible,
i feel like I'm back in 1995, i cant use it in central london sometimes
FFS. Nothing you try and install on it works, my friends tell me they
ring me and it goes straight to voicemail all the time or I never pick
up and i dont realise its vibrating (if it is half the time). Its a
terrible phone and I'm stuck with it for over another year, I feel like
smashing it up its so frustrating. Its so user-unfriendly and slow and
why oh why did I buy a phone with windows on it??? It wont play avi's
and you have to convert your films to some other format that I cant
remember but takes ages and is so much hassle I cant be bothered to
do it. I was on 3 with an old ericsson K800i, god how i wish I could
go back to those days, I feel like a man who has left his wife for a
younger sexier model and realised what a mistake hes made when he discovers
she's a nightmare.
Rating: Reply
Reviewed by Rami from Syria on 22nd Jul 2009
I've had this phone since the day it came out, it's really a good phone
until you get passed the fact that ur so happy you have it then... It's
slow, really windows mobile, anything that Microsoft sticks its hands
on has to have problems. 3 days ago i was sliding the screen out and
it just dimmed into blackness then the screen completely died along
with all other lights on the side of the phone (charging light). Phone
was on, i could recieve calls, speaker was on but I had to do it all
in the dark. Sony ericsson had HTC make this piece of junk and now I
have to pay 100 dollars US that is to fix it, on top of that, if yours
is silver or ur planing on getting it in silver THEN DONT, random cracks
start appearing on the cheap plastic. There's the retarded delay thingy
when using the qwerty which mistypes or randomly types the same letter
like 5 times! For a top of the line phone SE should have paid more attention,
i am devout SE fan but this really annoyed me, since I hate nokia, I
think i'll have to turn to motorola maybe...
Rating: Reply
Reviewed by Majella from Northern Ireland on 10th
Jul 2009
I waited a long time to get this phone and expected great things but
have been sorely disappointed. While I did like it a lot to begin with,
it is slowly breaking down. The keyboard types either multiple letters
or not at all, it freezes frequently and it's like watching paint dry
waiting for it to respond. I get 14 hours maximum from the battery,
it constantly switches off the bluetooth function when connected to
my car's handsfree and is generally beginning to creak! I have always
been a Sony Ericsson fan, but no longer. I'm stuck with the phone until
my contract changes in November and will gladly switch to another brand.
Rating: Reply
Reviewed by john from uk on 9th Jul 2009
the phone looks slick but after a while it just stops working properly.
i've made a mistake of going for sony ericsson again. i've had 3 other
sony ericsson phones before and they are very very unreliable!
Rating: Reply
Reviewed by Khothatso Mosuoane from Kingdom of Lesotho
on 8th Jul 2009
Initially, I had thought the phone was the best ever but now i do not
think so. The OS is slow to respond sometimes, the phone creacks on
the top corner between the camera and 3.5 qudio jack. This is really
disappointing from a phone of this calbre, the must really change the
Manufacturer - HTC. Iam also now douting the battery life, I previously
owned a Sony Ericsson K810i and it was marvellous but now, Im not so
sure about Sony Ericsson
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Reviewed by Rob Griffiths from UK on 1st Jul 2009
The Sony Ericsson X1 is rubbish. one reason... it doesn't matter how
many wonderful apps and programs the X1 has, none of them work if the
battery runs dead... because the phone chokes up and wont recharge.
I have two X1 phones and three batteries all dead and wont charge. Big
problem Sony... needs sorting. Rubbish phone.
Rating: Reply
Reviewed by aleksandar from MACEDONIA on 1st Jul
2009
EXSELENT
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Reviewed by Matt from Northern Ireland on 16th
Jun 2009
This was an awesome phone when it worked but after avout 3 months the
keyboard has stopped working properly. It either types in multiple characters
or ignores me, sony ericssons solution was to master reset the phone
which hasn't fixed anything. When you are stuck just using the screen
you realise that without the keyboard the phone is useless as when you
type using the touch screen the phone freezes regularly for a couple
of seconds. This started off the best phone i have ever owned and now
I can't even be bothered turning it on and don't even know if I want
another touchscreen ever.
Rating: Reply
Reviewed by Vince from UK on 28th May 2009
Just got this phone, its amazing. Many people will compare to the HTC
Touch Pro, but it has more or less the same features. However, the Sony
has the edge, with a much nicer screen, and a sensational keyboard that
slides in an arc. The phone has limitless capabilities, and if you are
looking for a phone that does it all, with a brilliant keypad, the X1
is the only way to go.
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Reviewed by Ben from UK on 23rd May 2009
I have just bought this phone about 2 week ago. And i will like to share
my experience. This phone is for a perfectionist. If you are into the
best, not looks for showing off like the arte 8800 but for the best
features around you have found your phone. If you are the type of person
who likes Falcon Northwest pc's, sony OLED Screens, high fidelity magnepan
mg20.1 speakers. This phone is for you. I have had absolutely no problems
with this smart phone and i am an owner of an arte 8800 gold, iphone
3G, samsung pixion, htc HD, and many more because i am an owner of a
shop i get to handle allsorts of mobiles and this is flawless. Even
the battery life is good for a smart phone. just check the specs out
i can go all day long talking about the technical stuff :-)
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Reviewed by Matt from UK on 16th May 2009
amazing phone! ;)
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Reviewed by Lee from Cupar, Scotland on 2nd May
2009
Firstly before you consider buying this phone decide what is it you
want from the product. If you want a fashionable user friendly experience
buy the Iphone, if you want a high end camera phone buy the C905 or
Pixon, if you want a phone that has an operating system capable of changing
and growing into something really personable and totally customizable
buy a windows 6.1 device. On first impressions the phone is slightly
bulky compared to alternative models around at the moment but once its
in your hand it does feel solid and well built. The stainless steel
finishing on the slide out keyboard is stunning and a real eye catcher.
The touch screen is a decent size and although pressure sensitive and
not capacitive is fairly responsive when using the supplied stylus.
Once powered up the X1 really shines with a razor sharp 800x480 65,000
tft display.I've read in other reviews that the font size is too small
but a simple font size change to large resolves this. You can also add
plug ins to enlarge the windows start menus. At first Windows 6.1 to
the novice user does not feel user friendly in the slightest... sending
a simple text message feels like an absolute chore however with the
ability to skin the operating system with endless programs such as SPB
mobile Shell 3.0, Point UI etc the phone really comes to life and i
started to realize the immense possibilities of having a device that
i could mold into something that worked the exact way i wanted too.
On the downside the camera i found out to be less than average for a
Sony.. it seems to be totally overlooked compared to the tech on other
phones that its competing against. The shutter speed is extremely slow
so without the aid of a tripod most photos came out blurry. In addition
the external speaker is on the small and tinny side if you like to listen
to mp3 tracks out loud whilst on the move. In conclusion a great start
from Sony with their first windows 6.1 device however the X2 should
really see the brand leap forward in front of the competition.....
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Reviewed by Tom from UK on 27th Apr 2009
Awful phone, got it on contract with orange, now tied into 18mths. Font
is so small you need magnified glasses to read and fingers of a new
born child to use. Clunky, clumsy non-intuitive. I have the LG arena
and Sony ericsson C905 both have far more going for them than this piece
of bad design, maybe it's the windows mobile software? Avoid if you
can, buy if you dare? Software packaged with product dosen't work on
Vista. Three stars for build quality and the Sony Ericsson name.
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Reviewed by Patrick from England on 26th Apr 2009
I am 13 and i think this fone is rubbish ! . . I have now got the iphone
and it is well better !! I thought the sony ericsson was good but its
rubbish and its to bulky !!
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Reviewed by Khothatso Mosuoane from Kingdom of Lesotho
on 24th Apr 2009
Wow, the best phone ever!!
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Reviewed by Peter Norman from United Kingdom on
21st Apr 2009
This Phone is over Rated and over priced, I had it for two weeks and
then the software crashed and had to send it back to Sony Ericsson,
The software is very slow, the phone is fiddley, chopped it in and got
the Nokia 5800 much much better
Rating: Reply
Reviewed by natalie from scotland on 19th Apr
2009
the phone is not verry good if u ask me
Rating: Reply
Reviewed by Jon Marshall from UK on 17th Apr 2009
This phone is absolute rubbish - the operating system ensures this.
Among some of the many stupididties are: phone screen goes to sleep
as soon as you actually answer it phone wakes up to tell you that the
batteries are low, then stays awake phone wakes up with a birthday reminder
etc then stays awake until the batteries are dead phone is extremely
slow to start and operate, frequently stalling, hanging and crashing
I used to be exclusively sony ericsson as they usually put out such
great kit - but this piece of junk (I believe made by HTC) has already
been superceded as my phone by of all things a nokia! I strogly advise
a nokia or iphone over the Experia.
Rating: Reply
Reviewed by Eric Soh from Malaysia on 11th Apr
2009
I would not recommend getting until SONY Ericsson resolves the casing
crack issues. This is true for my silver Xperia has develop crack today
(10th April-2009). I bought it in February 2009. The crack is at the
corner of battery near to the camera and the volume control button.
I have brought it to the the attention of SONY Ericsson, service centre.
And I hope that they would acknowledge it, and replace it with a new
and different batch. My guess is that they are using a cheap plastic
that would not be able to take the stress, thus crack. Couple the heat
that has been generated by the battery, it will accelerate and reduce
the lifetime of the plactic, ie reduce the allowable stress of the plastic.
It seems that Sony Ericsson has decided not to use HTC anymore for the
production of Xperia. I think there is quality issue on the Sony Ericsson
Xperia models
Rating: Reply
Reviewed by Ryder from Edinburgh UK on 3rd Apr
2009
Ok, got this phone after the LG Viewty and LG Secret I wanted for some
reason on Vodafone wouldn't accept multi page text messages. Though
this'd be the phone for me. Looks are good, everyone does a double take
when you slide out the qwerty keyboard, and generally the screen functions
really well. I have problems with doing the basics with this phone.
Making a call can be a mega task. The stylus is a must use. There are
only 3 profiles to use 'noisy', 'vibrate only' and 'silent'. Now at
work with any other phone I've had I can put the phone on silent, plug
in my headphones and listen to music. With this phone I have to turn
it to 'noisy' go into the settings and turn any kind of alert tone,
call tone and text message received tone off just to listen to any music!
The screens do have a tendancy to freeze(anyone using a PC with MS will
be used to this!!) I did expect way more from this phone and seeing
the iphone in action makes me ask how MS have managed to get it so wrong.
I'm stuk with it now for the next 10 months...oh yeah the optical jotstick
broke too.
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Reviewed by Darkeny from United Kingdom on 1st
Apr 2009
I've had it for a week and I already want to get ride of it. Two days
after I got it suddenly it blocked itself and was asking for a supposed
password that I supposedly have set up, a day after it the panels manager
crashed, two days after it had networks problems, and right now the
panel looks like a black and white tartan skirt. The phone would be
brilliant if the OS wasnt windows IMO. Great layout, very comfortable
to use, extremely handy... but it's a windows mobile :(
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Reviewed by jt from uk on 21st Mar 2009
what is wrong with all these people having problems with it?? i run
a mac and the normal phone to choose for me would be the iphone....
but no!!!! the x1 is lovely. well made. easy to use. easy to add software
to. good photos, good videos. never freezes up or locks up. good battery
life. not too small but not too large. AMAZING screen quality. video
play back is really sweet! GPS system works with Tomtom 7 and does not
drain the battery very quickly! it gets beter reception on the same
network than a nokia N96, Nokia 6500, E61i and a sony w900 and c950.
gprs, edge and hspda signal in every town i have gone to so far! (vodafone
network uk) and if i can sync it with a mac why are you lots having
problems with PCs?? and the screen makes my friends who have blackberry
curves and iphones jealous!!!
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Reviewed by Ben from South Africa on 13th Mar
2009
Coming from a Nokia Communicator it is not too difficult to get use
to, as long as you remember that you are operating a “miniature”
computer running on a windows operating system. It is not a phone that
will appeal to most of the mobile fraternity out there as it requires
some stretched patience and perseverance to master. I have only had
the X1 for 2 weeks now, and until I discover further shortcuts to certain
applications will have to live with some frustrations – but it
is manageable. It is like a new laptop, until you have configured it
to your preferences it will remain a pain! Working without the stylus
is impossible for me due to the size of my fingers; but the main attraction
for me was in any case not so much the touch screen as the qwerty keyboard.
Would I recommend it…only to individuals with a passion for gadgets,
will I buy it again……don’t know, comes upgrade time,
it is always nice to try something new again – and relive the
frustration……
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Reviewed by CAL from UK on 12th Mar 2009
Having spent months agonising over which handset to upgrade to and having
been significantly happy with my LG Viewty I was considering another
LG however having talked to the "Experts" and having a quick demo in
store I decided to go with the Sony Ericsson X1! The windows operating
system is fantastic however I am not finding it user friendly as an
operating system on a phone!! (Many will disagree with me I am sure)
However Windows is for PC's and not mobile phones I now feel!! The touch
screen is very good and the phone is clearly a fantastic piece of technology
HOWEVER I want a phone to be a phone and this is so very much more!!
I chose this over the Nokia 5800 as I was concerned the 5800 might be
a little to fragile as this phone is very solid which being a clumse
at times I need! However I will be taking it back tomorrow hoping that
Phones 4U don't let me down and allow me my 14day return policy to swap
it out for the Nokia 5800 as I feel I should have gone for to start
with. In Summary a superb phone no critism, it does exactly what it
says on the box and a lot more, just not the phone for me!!
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Reviewed by Kunaal from India on 1st Mar 2009
This is class....sheer class....but needs some publicity badly....sony
ericsson should make attempts to make it as popular as the iphone....most
of them have never heard of it....coz if u're holding the Xperia in
ur hand....u want everyone to know....what you're holding
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Reviewed by roger from uk on 21st Feb 2009
if the phone is running slow go to start, settings, system, memory,
main and allocate more memory to programs plus always check running
programs because if you have to many programs running at once the will
freeze apart from that windows mobile is a great os compared to the
iphone which is rubish!!
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Reviewed by Phil from UK on 20th Feb 2009
Let's be clear about this. The X1 is a computer with an 800x480 screen
and Qwerty keyboard that fits in your pocket. You can also use it to
make phone calls! So, when you're comparing the speed of it with something,
compare it to your PC. In the same way, if you don't like the apps that
come with the phone, install some apps that you do like. I've got SMS-Chat
for SMS, Opera and Skyfire for web browsing and SPB Mobile Shell as
the main interface (available free as a Panel). Menus too small? Install
'FingerMenu'. I get on fine with the keyboard, but if you don't, install
a decent size touchscreen one (the HTC keyboard is great!) Style? I
love it, but style's a personal opinion. Weight? It's heavy cos it's
built to last - sooo much metal! Facebook panel is great. You can install
a YouTube panel which is also great. Not had any reception problems.
Wi-Fi works fine. Bluetooth sometimes switches itself off, but that's
a known bug and is fixed in the latest release (once O2 get around to
releasing it!). Mine's only crashed when I've tried to get it to do
something it wasn't supposed to (like run HTC's TouchFlo interface -
nearly works!). The X1 is a fantastic handheld computer with the most
flexible input options available (screen, buttons, keyboard, stylus).
It also has great sound quality for making calls 'n listening to music.
If you buy it for the right reasons, and use it in the right way, you'll
love it!
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Reviewed by Yvonne loke from UK on 13th Feb 2009
THIS IS A BAD BAD BAD PHONE .IT'S JUST TOO SLOW TO TURN ON .THE BUTTON
IS VERY VERY NOT SENSITIVE .I AM SO DISAPPOINTED ABOUT THIS PHONE .SO
SAD TO HAVE IT .....
Rating: Reply
Reviewed by Jon from UK on 8th Feb 2009
Please do yourself a favour and stay well clear of this phone. I have
never been more disappointed with anything I have ever bought and looked
forward to owning so much. Do not believe what positive reviews you
read on this or any other site, this is a rotten product. Not a day
goes by when I don't want to chuck this piece of crap at a wall because
it won't do simple tasks without freezing or just because it takes just
too damm long. if it wasn't because of the 18 month contract with Orange
I'm tied to this thing would have been in a thousand pieces by now.
Display is too small, operating system is slow, weighs too much and
is butt ugly. I long for the simplicity of the iphone regardless of
any shortcomings it has. Do you really need a crap movie mode, weak
flash, pull out keyboard you never use or to spend more money on memory
cards??? This phone just looks and feels so dated and I'm stuck with
it now which really hurts. Whilst you still have the chance don't make
the same mistake. Regrettably there isn't a function on here that gives
it less than one star because it's not even worth that!!!
Rating: Reply
Reviewed by Geo from Scotland UK on 4th Feb 2009
GOT THIS PHONE LAST WEEK AND I AM GOOD WITH COMPUTERS BUT THIS THING
SUCKS! Bad reception poor signal,incoming call text is like the small
print on a dodgy contract, battery life is bad and yes I know its because
it is supposed to be a computer but even with all apps off 7hrs standby
is a bit poor! navigation is not the best. plus point the video playback
is superb but hey I want it for working not watching vids . Buy it NOT
! this phone will be like the I phone in 6months they will have sorted
out some of its problems but it will always be a work in progress !!!
I may have got a bad one but you will have to decide.
Rating: Reply
Reviewed by ibzy from england on 4th Feb 2009
kool phone 1 of da best beats any phone that i own
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Reviewed by Bob from Easter Island on 3rd Feb
2009
DIS FONE IZ DA BOMB YO!
Rating:
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Reviewed by ibzy from uk on 3rd Feb 2009
one heck of a phone
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Reviewed by Hadi from England on 1st Feb 2009
this is good
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Reviewed by marie from England on 1st Feb 2009
this fone is too bulky and is a bit ugly the keyboard makes the fone
fat and i prefer the number and letters 2 b 2gether
Rating: Reply
Reviewed by Natalie Shepherd from uk on 29th Jan
2009
I love this phone but i do think you have to be good with the computer
to get on with it. The size and touchscreen is perfect for me but i
am a tiny person, the stylus is defo a good thing! THere is a lot to
learn on here and unfortunately i wont ever use it to even nearly its
full potential, thats my only bad point but if you are the business
type and have the time to read through the instructions then wicked.
Rating:
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Reviewed by Jack from England on 29th Jan 2009
Highest resolution? Don't think so as the HTC Touch HD has 480x800 meaning
they both have the same number of pixels.
Rating:
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Reply by Mobile Phones UK from UK on
29th Jan 2009
Read our review again. We said "one of the biggest", not "biggest".
Does it matter anyway? There's always going to be something better just
around the corner.
Reviewed by ExTra from London on 24th Jan 2009
Finally got this phone after more than a month waiting waiting and waiting...
what is SE playing with? Nearly put me off and switched to a HTC, glad
didn't do it... Still trying to get my hands on it, being a Mac user,
everyone says I am mad going for a Window Mobile, but the only thing
the iphone cant do but this phone can is to open my website... and the
keyboard. Still a lot to learn but loving it. Battery is OK, charged
it for a good few hours before turning it on the 1st time, been on over
24 hrs, still a bit left... not bad for a big screen phone, could be
better tho.
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Reviewed by Marcus from London UK on 23rd Jan
2009
For the last 4 years, I have been an avid Blackberry fan. I decided
that I might try something different though, so ordered an Xperia handset.
it arrived today, and on first impressions it looked amazing. Build
quality was great, and the materials used are top notch. Unfortunately,
my views changed when I turned it on. It was so slow, and bordering
on the painful to use. I even updated the phone software from the sony
ericsson site, but that had a negligible effect too. I didn't realise
that this phone was meant to be used with a stylus (unless you have
the smallest fingers ever)... i was hoping that he screen would work
something like my friends iphone....alas not. Anyway...long story short...gave
up on it after about 3 hours, and its now on ebay. Back to my Blackberry
Bold.
Rating: Reply
Reviewed by Janac Dufrais James Omar from United Kingdom,
London on 22nd Jan 2009
Got the phone today, was very interesting to see. Had a lot of high
hopes for this. It was very outstanding. Shame about the camera, could
have been at least 5 megapixels. That’s the only bad point. Other
then that its all good. Excellent to know that sony ericsson have moved
away from the usual great walkman phone and have made a very good attempt
at a more multi-purpose handset. Ten out of ten!
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Reviewed by Ian from UK on 22nd Jan 2009
I have this phone and it is excellent. you will get a slower performance
if you save to internal memory, but if you save to external, it's much
much faster. fast internet, fast performance, excellent idea with the
panels, but camera could be better. battery is excellent, i use the
phone a lot and i get 2 days out of it.
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Reviewed by Femi from Nigeria on 21st Jan 2009
Oh, how i waited for this phone. But like most things longed for, it
was not worth the wait. within 5 days i was back to my Omnia. I found
it difficult syncing with my computer - why then is it a smart phone.
the keyboard was fiddly and the looks aged faster than... the fact is
that the phone is overrated, the software is slow and relatively unresponsive
(the Omnia shows same problems) and many i time i feared handling it
as i thought it might break. A "nice" effort but Sony try again.
Rating:
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Reviewed by Phil from UK on 16th Jan 2009
Had this phone for couple of months and it was a nightmare at first
lots of bugs and windows mobile is different to all my other phones.
However I persevered, and did research on XDA developers and X1 forums,
then after a few weeks of installing new software and updating roms,
it now works perfectly. In fact this is the best phone I have ever had!!!!
It is now easy to use great reception lots of worth while functionality.
The only thing that I find useless is the panel feature as all programs
can be linked to the start up screen which is far easier and quicker.
The battery is not great but if you amend data connection, wifi settings
and close unused programs you get a good 3 days battery usage, thats
with about 50 texts a day, 10 emails, playing on facebook and few calls.
If you want a phone out of the box this phone is not for you, but if
your happy to research and experiment you will be in mobile heaven.
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Reviewed by Mike Hart from UK on 10th Jan 2009
Pros: Good build quaility overall, nice finish, loads of features, panels
impproce on WM OS, both GPS and aGPS - something not always made clear,
and Opera browser installed which makes full use of a display that is
stunning. OKs: Battery life not too bad. Video can be good but can be
choppy. Cons: First, the biggie - POOR signal reception. You have been
warned!
Rating:
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Reviewed by Dawn from UK on 9th Jan 2009
This is the worst phone I have ever used. I have put up with its flaws
for 2 months now and have phoned Vodafone to come and pick the thing
up tomorrow! There is not one thing going for it other than it looks
good to show off to your friends. Sony Ericsson seem to have forgotten
that it is still a phone and making calls should be priority! it is
very difficult to navigate around to even call your contacts and then
when you do manage to make a call, its touch screen function hits your
cheek and cuts the caller off - this has happened with every call of
mine with NO exeptions. It crashes almost every day when you are in
the middle of texting - which may I add is near on impossible if you
use the touch screen method - and the camera is useless. DO NOT GET
THIS PHONE - Trust me .... I waited 3 months for this phone and have
been hugely disappointed
Rating: Reply
Reviewed by Phil from UK on 5th Jan 2009
had the phone just over two weeks, and some minor niggles but nothing
too major. Everytime i go to turn the handset off im greeted with the
word "warning" in the place where the "start" function is. keeps connecting
to the internet by itself even though i do not touch it, the vibrate
alert is terrible and weak and the camera isnt great. However, awesome
interface, touch screen is spot on with calibration etc, solid and robust
- damn near indestructable, nice looking and the wealth of features
is great. sadly though that now means i spend even more of my life on
msn and facebook.
Rating:
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Reviewed by TechnoBoy from Portugal on 4th Jan
2009
this phone has so many problems!!
Rating: Reply
Reviewed by SANUR ALI from London UK on 25th Dec
2008
I waited a long time for this phone, got it on Vodafone network. The
phone was nice with a touch screen and a slide keypad, but nightmare
started when the phone freezed and the signal stop. Phoned vodafone,
they don't have a clue what is wrong with their network. While following
instruction from vodafone technical support, the phone came apart in
two pieces. Took the phone back to the store, they tell me to take it
to any mobile repair shop and get it fixed. Which is a poor service
from vodafone. Gave the phone back straight away, cancelled the contract
of £50 a month. Went to O2 store and got a Blackberry Bold. Two weeks
into the phone, it's brilliant not problem at all with the O2 network
or the phone. If any one wants to buy a phone buy a blackberry Bold
O2 and you can thank yourself later. O2 network is far better than vodafone.
Rating: Reply
Reviewed by SW from N Ireland on 22nd Dec 2008
I have had the X1 for over a month now and I have been well pleased
with quality and performance. The microsoft mobile package really suits
me down to a T. The only gripes I have with it is I wish it had more
applications like the i-phone and sometimes the signal is not that good
on my wi-fi and when using the phone in certain areas, which I cant
understand as my last Sony Ericsson was fine in and the battery life
could be a bit better. But sayin that I am running a 16g Memory card
of the phone and constantly using it so the performance has been fine
other than those issues. I do admit it takes some getting used to but
when u do its a class phone. Oh yes the sound could be better but when
you have your earphones in its fine. Would recomend this phone but I
think its only going to get better, so it might be an idea to wait for
the next model.
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Reviewed by Mike from UK on 22nd Dec 2008
DD is 100% correct. Very overrated phone, i went back to my iphone 3g
literally hrs later..
Rating: Reply
Reviewed by Adam from UK on 20th Dec 2008
The phone is great, although i found it hard to work out how it works
at the beginning but i now know it is really easy
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Reviewed by DD from UK on 20th Dec 2008
Just got this phone, and all I can say is "It is very very poor" . Panels
software not a patch on iphone software. Its feels cheap and brittle.
Very slow to do anything good. Very jerky Interface. Sound is poor.
over all I can t understand why there is some much hype over this phone,It
is a poor effort from Sony. This phone will be going back.
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Reviewed by christopher sly from .u.k. on 19th
Dec 2008
had this phone about 3 days now....takes some getting used too...also
being windows based...can be a fraction slow to respond to commands
(typical microsoft then) but the slide out key-board is superb for messaging...
if you get stuck with the multitude of screens/menu`s just press start
on the main screen like your windows .p.c. & it takes you anywhere you
wish to go! SUPERB....
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Reviewed by Mark from UK on 13th Dec 2008
This is overall a brilliant phone. I read all the reviews on here before
deciding to purchase and i would highly recommend others do the same.
A bit of research always benefits you. This phone will not suit people
who are not experienced with computers/windows. AVOID it if you arent
computer literate.! For me its perfect, stylish, FAST (not sure why
some have said slow..mine is nippy) It has all the office tools i need,
word adobe, emails, Notes and tasks...it also has all the other extras
u could possibly want on a phone. I feel i should point out WAYFINDER
needs to be downloaded to the phone. I thought it was coming as standard
and had to check the SE website. ONE NIGGLE i do have, the weather doesnt
always auto update...some days it does then it will go 4-5 days without
updating. not sure how i get around this problem?. I would advise downloading
the SPB panel off SE website 'fun and downloads' section. its by far
the quickest and most acessible panel. Screen/video quality is awesome
- the best on the market. Check out the BOND trailer it comes with.
Overal an excellent phone i couldnt ask for a lot more. WELL DONE se!!!.
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Reviewed by Demelza Waite from Brixham on 11th
Dec 2008
poor sound quality and overpriced in my eyes. so im giving this a 3
star great phone otherwise.
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Reviewed by Badger from Uk on 9th Dec 2008
I agree with comments below, it has forgotten it is a phone and thinks
it is a computer. Build quality is very good, looks great and has many,
many features. However, unless you have very small fingers then you
will be using that tiny little stick a lot more than you thought you
would. Also, the sound quality is not great and rying to open a simple
text message - aggh. So if you want a mini computer with a great camera
then this is for you but if you like to call people and text then I
would suggest considering very carefully.
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Reviewed by Jay from uk on 2nd Dec 2008
only got mine a few days ago it was hard to figure out at first but
i thought it was a good phone until it started freezing and switching
between the pannels is very slow. Also the battery cover was hard to
get off. I put it down to the fact maybe i had a faulty phone as ive
seen good reviews on this phone but maybe i was wrong. i rang up for
a replacment and was told i couldnt have one until the 15th so i have
cancelled my contract and im sending the broken phone back. Im going
to get a diffrent phone if you hate slow phones,touch screen or want
this to take pictures stay away. other then that it was a good phone.
but ive decided to go for a samsugn or maybe the iphone.
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Reviewed by Tom from UK on 29th Nov 2008
The phone is very good and i cant really add much that hasn't already
been said other than the X panel which comes with it is very slow. I
would recommend you just use the windows mobile today screen and never
touch the x panel button, its a lot faster that way. Also if you are
happy to use windows mobile then phone is really good for emails (you
can turn the push email off, so to stop receiving work emails when out
of work), texts, calling and work related things. I would recommend
you try a windows mobile first before you use this phone as the OS can
take getting used to. Certainly the keyboard helps so much and i am
running a 8GB micro SD card as well. Battery life is pretty good, i
get about 50/60 emails a day, data connection on 24/7 and 25 calls +
text a day and it would need charging every 2 days. Oh and the fact
it uses a mini usb connection to charge on and talk to the computer
helps rather than some special connector.
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Reviewed by jack from england on 27th Nov 2008
The XPERIA X1 is a legend of a phone... i got mine last week from www.mobiles.co.uk
I got mine last week and now i dont know how i lived without it. The
slide out QWERTY keyboard makes txting and emailing a breeze but it
also comes in handy when jotting things down for work etc. Definately
a 10 out of 10 from Sony Ericsson
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Reviewed by Tim from Malaysia on 26th Nov 2008
After spending time with this handset I have only one thing to say...
It's way too slooooooooooooooooooooooooooooow!!!
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Reviewed by stephen from n ireland on 21st Nov
2008
this phone's problem is the fact that it thinks it's a laptop computer,
so much so that the fact that it's PHONE seems to have been forgotten.
this handset will be completely lost on you unless you're a real office-type
who uses the e-mail and word/excel applications. fair enough, it might
be powerful and a great wee thing to show off to your friends but after
that, it's hard to live with. the OS is too slow, even with no applications
running, and when it was connected to the internet via 3g the touchscreen
disabled itself a couple of times (i had to disconnect the power supply
and reboot). the transcriber setting is pointless because 1 - there's
a slide out keyboard right there, and 2 - you have to re-write your
messages/e-mails over and over until it recognises that you want a '1'
instead of an 'L' etc etc... the camera is so average that you have
to question the point of it even being there - there isn't even a short-cut
key to it so even the manufacturer doesn't even want you to use it.
the reception was very poor at best, very frustrating indeed. the touchscreen
display disappears mid-call so any calls to a touch-tone system are
a no-go (so forget those calls to your bank/credit card company!) the
panels are a useless addition that generate no proper functionality
unless you want to know what time it is on the other side of the world.
the speaker is very basic and tinny but that's to be expected on a handset
like this. the battery life is a disgrace - i charged for 4 hours solid
until it was 100% and an hour later with no usage it was down to 56%.
3 hours later and after 1 phone call(15 mins) the low-battery noise
started screeching. all in all, too much stuff going on for a mobile
phone, loads of bugs ruining the 'XPERIAnce' for me - lucky i changed
to a c905 ...
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Reviewed by ibz from uk on 18th Nov 2008
brilliant phone!
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Reviewed by whattodo from UK on 18th Nov 2008
Outstanding hardware build quality, Screen is great. I have the phone
for 1 week now, even installed TouchFlo 3D and a few mods. The speed
is acceptable. Rate it high among WM6 mobiles. Main problem, the reception
is quite bad. we have X1, N95 with vodafone and a HTC Diamond with O2
in the household. Constantly, N95 and Diamond get full bar reception
and X1 only got 1-2 bar. It's to a point that it will drop calls. All
these time I was within zone 2 of London, not the middle of nowhere.
Although I love the phone but am seriously thinking about returning
it.
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Reviewed by we3ster from UK on 17th Nov 2008
I can't add that much that has not already been said, this phone is
truly outstanding!! If you like customisation and being different from
the pack, get this handset!!!
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Reviewed by ibz from uk on 15th Nov 2008
ive seen this phone and it is a hit!!!!!!!!!!! i reccomand it 2 any
person THE BEST MOBILE PHONE YET
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Reviewed by Ace from UK on 12th Nov 2008
this is a awsome gadget , nice sexy look, internet speed is great, one
of the best highest pixel touch screen phone avilable in market, no
doubt its windows phone but much easier to use with any PC or laptop
without installing any software. solid Masculine phone much better than
feminine looking iphone. loaded with good sotware......totally fan of
this
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Reviewed by Adrian from uk on 9th Nov 2008
I have to agree with the majority folk on here, this phone is the bis.
I cant say I have found any faults with it yet, but I did only get it
yesterday. I think the looks are great, the build quality seems very
good and all of the functions that I have found so far work very well.
I think this will be a phone that will keep my interest for a good few
months to come. I got rid of an n96 for this and so far I certainly
made the right choise.
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Reviewed by Paul from England on 9th Nov 2008
Simply Outstanding!!
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Reviewed by sujon from england on 9th Nov 2008
outstanding features and a amazing camera
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Reviewed by shani from pakistan on 8th Nov 2008
omg absolutely gorgeos phone I love it!!!!!
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Reviewed by Laurie from UK on 7th Nov 2008
I agree with Trevor (28.10.08) 100%. Whilst the phone should be good,
it isn't! It's so slow for a start. Frustratingly so. Press a button
to go to panels screen...wait a few seconds...nothing happens...press
again...panel screen loads. slowly. Touch a panel...phone loads a low
res picture of the panel for about 5 seconds... then the proper panel
loads. Try and send a message? You have to use the stylus to touch about
5 or 6 various miniscule parts of the screen. It's horrible. The panels
themselves are pretty useless - you only really need one, so what was
the point? It just makes it harder to navigate, not easier, since you
can't just leave it on the panel screen. And the fish?! Pointless. If
they were a screensaver then fair-enough. But why would you choose the
fish panel? Above aside, the web browser, screen, keyboard and build
quality of the phone are top-notch. So it has promise for a future X2
or X3 model, it's just a shame its so horrible to use. Sony Ericcson
- drop Windows Mobile and the panels and stick to your normal excellent
OS without the need for a stylus. (ps. I sent my X1 back and got a C905.
And it's brilliant!)
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Reviewed by ntakali from uk on 5th Nov 2008
recommend this phone for ultimate experience
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Reviewed by Mark from UK on 5th Nov 2008
I got this phone yesterday from O2, the silver edition and WOW it is
great. I was initially impressed with the build quality and it's a lot
smaller than I thought it was going to be, it's just a tiny bit bigger
than my old Sony Ericsson K800i. I've probably not scratched the surface
of what this phone will do but so far I am over the moon. The QWERTY
keyboard is excellent and not at all difficult to use (which in total
contrast to some reports I read!) the OS is quick and reliable. The
3G connection is quick and I've watched youtube videos on both the wifi
and 3G connections and they were both excellent and I'm in a traditionally
poor 3G reception area. The screen is crystal clear and when necessary
I've used the stylus, without difficulty. I cannot recommend this phone
highly enough, it is simply excellent and I'm so glad I didn't settle
for the 3G iphone which I was using for a couple of days, this phone
wipes the floor with it!
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Reviewed by John from UK on 4th Nov 2008
What a phone, This is a mini laptop. I've been picking it up and playing
with it a lot and the battery has lasted 5 days from it's first charge.
Handwritting recognition is fantastic, can't wait to start to get applications
loaded on this thing and realise it's true potential. The WinMo actually
works very well (can't believe microsoft have produced something reliable
for a change). The QWERTY keyboard is easy to use. I hardly ever use
the keys on the front as the touchscreen has everything to hand for
all functionalitiy.
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Reviewed by Paul from UK on 3rd Nov 2008
I have had this handset for 3 days and up to now it is the best handset
i have owned. I have had handsets from most of the major manufactures
and feel qualified in some respect making the above statement. Moving
between applications is generally speedy with one exception - it takes
1 - 1 and a half seconds to start the onboard windows mobile interface
but once in is just as fast as the other interfaces. Radio is really
well laid out and reception is excellent, Windows media player works
just as well as in my laptop, Plays Youtube videos very well (although
I did stream the content over the built in wifi connection so not sure
how well it performs over the 3G connection). I have not had chance
to test the GPS but google maps are as good as my home and work PCs,
Microsoft office programs work a treat and the camera is also very good
(Not tested the images against my K800i yet but on first glance they
look crisp. The touch screen is precise and crips, Contrast is really
good and colours are well defined. The case is made of metal and feels
expensive none of this plastic rubbish (even if it is tough plastic)
this does add to the weight so if you would rather have something light
go for the nokia 6220 or similar. The Qwerty keyboard is brilliant and
makes it really easy to type up emails or text messeges. If I would
criticize anything it would be the volume of the onboard speaker, fine
in normal use but maybe not as powerful as say the nokia n96 or the
Samsung i8510 when watching movies or listening to music tracks. The
fact that programmers can create new applications that can be downloaded
like TomTom sat nav was a big plus for me. I was originally going to
get either the N96, i8510 or the C905 but after trying this handset
out it just blew me away and i had to have it. Just too many features
to mention without filling up this webpage, I would give it 99 out of
100 if i could just dropping one point for the speaker volume. Hope
this helps.
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Reviewed by NBR from UK on 3rd Nov 2008
I've had the X1 for about a week now and i'm very impressed. I've waited
since Feb for this thing but it was worth the wait. It is very different
to any other SE phone(in terms of OS system) i have owned. So if you
are a die hard SE fan like myself that will take abit of getting use
to. But once you have it in your head that you have a computer in your
hand & not a phone it will soon make sence. The camera is good & the
screen is great so it really shows your pictures well. The size of the
thing fine along with the weight. Its not too big not too small. Build
quality is not a problem, it feels like it could take a knock if it
was dropped. The features included in the phone seem fine, google maps
etc are useful, but i'm not a fan of things that are a jack of all trades.
If i want a sat nav system i will go and buy a Tom Tom. I've no regrets
with it and would recommend it to anyone. Thanks for reading.
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Reviewed by James from UK on 1st Nov 2008
Awesome, best phone ever put together. Out does the iphone in all departments,
and blows away the blackberry! Don't need to say anything else!!
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Reviewed by DD from N iRELAND on 31st Oct 2008
Hi Editor, sorry I haven't been back on but have been really busy with
work. I told you the X1 was an excellent phone. I think Trevor must
of got a faulty one as everyone else seems to agree how good the X1
really is, and thats including a few buisness friends of mine who have
exchanged their Blackberrys for this phone.
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