Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10 mini preview: First look

Mini is the John Smith of names in mobile phones these days. All makers in the Big Five are keen to have a diminutive version of a popular handset but if there is one to be the definitive repack, it would be the Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10 mini.

Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10 mini official shots

You know, a couple of millimeters on each end are obviously enough for Nokia (N97 and N97 mini). Even the HTC HD mini isn’t that much smaller than the Touch HD. But when Sony Ericsson go mini they mean it.

The X10 mini is here to show how a mini phone should live up to its name – sheer smartphone power in a half-size package. There’re always sacrifices involved to fit the new cut but if size is what matters it’ll hardly get any better than that.

Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10 Mini at a glance:

• General: GSM 850/900/1800/1900 MHz, UMTS 1900/2100 MHz, HSPA
• Form factor: Touchscreen bar
• Dimensions: 83 x 50 x 16 mm, 86g weight
• Display: 2.55" 16M-color TFT capacitive touchscreen with QVGA resolution
• Platform: Android OS 1.6 with Sony Ericsson Timescape UI
• CPU: 600Mhz processor
• Memory: 128MB internal memory, microSD card slot, 2GB card included
• Camera: 5-megapixels auto-focus camera, LED flash, geotagging
• Connectivity: Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g, Bluetooth 2.1 with A2DP, standard microUSB port, GPS receiver with A-GPS, digital compass, 3.5mm audio jack
• Misc: Accelerometer for screen auto rotate, FM radio with RDS, TrackID music recgnition
• Battery: Non-removable Li-Po battery

OK, there are downgrades in most departments compared to the original XPERIA X10 but those are never too painful, especially if they’re reflected in the price.

Some might argue that the 600 MHz processor is nowhere near as impressive as a 1GHz Snapdragon but the X10 mini doesn’t seem underpowered at all – screen resolution makes quite a difference. In fact, it is the most capable handset with a QVGA screen to date and we have seen those kinds of devices perform admirably on weaker CPUs.

Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10 live shots

Of course this is all on paper and we all know a handset is more than a spec sheet can tell. We’re about to see if the Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10 mini (now that certainly is a long name for such a small phone) will cash the checks its features wrote.