Image Gallery: First thoughts on the Sony Ericsson XPERIA X1a
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SE XPERIA X1a retail packaging
SE XPERIA X1a retail packaging
The news of Sony Ericsson’s entry into the Windows Mobile space was talked about quite a bit at Mobile World Congress 2008. Almost a year later this high end device is now available for purchase at a premium price. There are a couple unique features of the XPERIA, but you will have to be a serious Windows Mobile fan to pay the $800 selling price for such a solid product.
Three small internal boxes
Three small internal boxes
Here you can see the three boxes found inside the outer packaging.
Opening up the right box
Opening up the right box
The XPERIA X1a is found in the right box surrounded by durable foam to protect the device.
Contents of left box
Contents of left box
The biggest of the internal boxes contains the charger, USB cable, battery, extra stylus, and stereo headset. There is no carrying case or screen protector included with the X1.
Contents of the smallest box
Contents of the smallest box
The smallest box under the X1 contains all sorts of helpful, colorful brochures along with warranty info and a CD.
XPERIA X1a
XPERIA X1a
The X1 is a cool Windows Mobile phone with brushed aluminum finish and black button areas.
X1a in open landscape mode
X1a in open landscape mode
The keyboard has a cool industrial design and is pretty functional. The backlighting is not the best and the lack of shortcuts is a bit annoying.
Bottom left side of the keyboard
Bottom left side of the keyboard
There is a blue FN button and alternate characters are easily identifiable in blue color. It is nice to see a dedicated @ symbol on the keyboard too.
Angled keys
Angled keys
The keys are slightly angled and are well spaced between each other for easier text entry. The keys have a small bit of travel and could have been a bit deeper.
Center of the keyboard
Center of the keyboard
There are some other design elements in the center of the keyboard that add a bit of character to the device.
Standard miniUSB port
Standard miniUSB port
It was great to see Sony Ericsson use a standard miniUSB port for syncing and charging the X1.
Mono speaker opening
Mono speaker opening
There is only a single speaker on the X1, but it is quite loud. However, due to the placement it is also easy to cover the opening with your hand and block sound output.
Top of the device
Top of the device
The power button is quite flush with the device and is not accidentally pushed. I was very pleased to see SE also use a standard 3.5mm headset jack for headphones.
3.2 megapixel camera and flash
3.2 megapixel camera and flash
The camera is found along the top of the back and you do have to make sure to keep your fingers out of the way of the lens. I was expecting more from the X1 in terms of photo quality and found it to be another that needs improvement.
Back of the X1
Back of the X1
The back is as sexy as the front of the X1 with the camera, steel back cover, XPERIA branding, and Sony Ericsson logo.
SE logo and X1 branding
SE logo and X1 branding
These pieces add a nice touch to the product and are indicative of high quality.
Camera activation button
Camera activation button
The camera button is located towards the bottom of the right side.
Bottom of the X1
Bottom of the X1
There is a lanyard opening along the bottom. Here you can also see the natural curvature SE included as part of the keyboard design.
Open back and battery
Open back and battery
There is a 1500 mAh battery included with the SIM card slot under the battery. The microSD card slot can be accessed without removing the battery, but the back cover does need to be removed.
Three touch screen HTC products
Three touch screen HTC products
The T-Mobile G1, HTC Fuze, and Sony Ericsson X1 are all made by HTC for different branding. Each has a touch screen as well as a hardware keyboard.
Open keyboards on HTC products
Open keyboards on HTC products
Each keyboard is different with the G1 keyboard honestly probably being the most functional of all thanks to the Android OS capabilities for shortcuts.
Stacking HTC products
Stacking HTC products
Here you can see the top left view of the same three HTC products. The X1 is thinner than the Fuze, but about the same as the G1.
Top view of HTC devices
Top view of HTC devices
The curvature of the X1 is shown in this end shot.
Right side of the HTC devices
Right side of the HTC devices
The G1 is quite a bit longer with the “chin” than the other two HTC devices.
XPERIA X1 in hand
XPERIA X1 in hand
The X1 has good width and feels great in your hand. It isn’t a shirt pocket type device and isn’t intended for that purpose.
Front hardware buttons
Front hardware buttons
The front hardware buttons on the X1 are a bit unusual and unique. There are left and right soft keys, send and end keys, X Panel and OK keys and an optical center directional pad.
Center directional pad
Center directional pad
The center pad is unique in that it has the capability for optical usage where you simply slide your finger across the directional pad. You can also simply press on the top, bottom, left, and right like a standard directional pad with the center serving to select items.
Right side butons
Right side butons
The OK button can also not be changed, but the right soft key can.
Area above the display
Area above the display
The front facing camera and light sensor are found above the display.
X1 panels
X1 panels
Here you can see I have all nine panel slots filled with different panels.
Facebook panel in action
Facebook panel in action
Your friends appear and tapping on their face/icon shows you their latest status update. You can also access the Facebook mobile application.
3D fish panel
3D fish panel
Each fish means something different and you can tap on the display to have them react to your touch.
SE media player panel
SE media player panel
This panel gets its styling directly from the Sony PSP and looks great.
XPERIA X1 open keyboard
XPERIA X1 open keyboard
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XPERIA in hand
XPERIA in hand
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