The Sony Ericsson Xperia X2 is only the second Windows Mobile phone from the manufacturer. Like its predecessor, it comes with upmarket hardware, quality build and plenty of promise. Whether it lives up to that promise, though, remains to be seen.
Physically, the side-slider sports angled corners and sharp lines, which makes it easily identifiable among today's army of curvy devices. The front panel is gorgeous (with the navigation array really blending well with the bezel) and the whole device feels compact.
It sports a 3.2 inch resistive touchscreen (800x480 resolution) that looks remarkable even under sunlight. The touch interface could use a little more sensitivity, though. A full QWERTY keyboard slides out in portrait mode and it's a delight to use - very roomy, excellent travel and exceptional response.
As a phone, the Xperia X2 manages good calls. Voices are clear and loud, although there is some noticeable sharpness on both ends (not too much to be a problem, though). Speakerphone performed in the same manner, albeit with the sharpness being slightly more pronounced. The battery should be enough to see you through one day of heavy use and, possibly, a day and a half for more moderate users.
The most disappointing thing for me is the fact that Sony Ericsson decided to leave the operating hardware the same as the X1. That means it's running on a 528MHz processor, 256MB RAM and 512MB ROM - not the most high-end specs for a 2010 smartphone. While it did manage Windows Mobile 6.5 decently (for the most part), you do get problems every now and again (sluggishness and apps closing). Like the X1, it also uses the company's Panel concept for the UI. While it's definitely good, the resulting customizations lack the depth of what HTC and Samsung have done for their interfaces.
All of the usual smartphone fare is here: a revamped contacts application, excellent messaging support, standard PIM tools, advanced syncing capabilities and a slew of useful software - typical Windows Mobile fare. It comes with both Wi-Fi and 3G, managing fast internet connections,although it uses IE as the default (you'll have to download Opera Mobile yourself).
The inclusion of an 8.0 megapixel camera makes this a serious phone for taking photos. In fact, it's the only WM phone we know of with this advanced a camera module. While there are plenty of editing settings, it is a bit on the slow side. The resulting images are topnotch, though, so it redeems itself on quality.
 |
Promising high-end media playback, the device comes with native DivX/XviD support and 720p processing (which it can output to a TV). While regular video and music are fantastic on the phone, getting it to process 1,280 x 800 files is a pain in the ass I'd rather not deal with. This is an excellent media phone, just don't expect it to process HD comfortably.
Overall, the Sony Ericsson Xperia X2 (priced between $750 to $850 unlocked) feels like a slightly improved version of the X1 - great multimedia, excellent keyboard and a well-rounded set of features. Is that good enough in the current market, though, especially with the HTC HD2 selling at roughly the same price point? We'll see.
