The Xperia X10 is Sony Ericsson’s first Android smartphone. Users can opt to use either the Android system – which on testing we found preferable, or Timescape, a unified source to pool all of your communication tools such as contacts, email, Facebook, and Twitter.
One of the most noticeable features of the Xperia X10 is its screen size – at 4.1 inches it is comparable to the iPhone and HTC in size. While this is handy for browsing the net, reading emails and working on documents, it can feel a bit unwieldy. However, the large screen and excellent video quality make it a sacrifice worth making, especially as this allows more room for menus, buttons and easy navigation. Another reason the large screen comes in handy is for video conferencing as the standard is professional enough for business use.
The Xperia X10 comes with all the usual smartphone features which include 3G, satnav, Wi-Fi and MP3. What’s more, multiple email interfaces are easily integrated, and sending and receiving emails on the Xperia X10 is a piece of cake once you have configured your account – which should only take seconds to do.
Crucially for business users, the Xperia X10 comes with a QuickOffice programme which supports viewing files on Word, Excel, PowerPoint and PDF. One downfall of the phone is that in order to edit you must upload the paid-for app. However, if you plan to work on the move regularly this is a worthwhile and inexpensive investment .The phone does comes with a selection of free apps, however there are a plethora of apps available to buy ranging from finance to multimedia to health and fitness depending on your needs and interests.
The Xperia X10 also features a powerful 1GHZ Snapdragon processor, which makes the transitions between pages and menus much faster. Somewhat disappointing is the fact that the phone only has 1GB of internal memory, which compared to many other smartphone models is quite small. However, the Xperia X10 does feature an extra port for a microSD, which is capable of holding an additional 16GB.
Finally, the Xperia X10, unsurprisingly for Sony, has an outstanding built-in 8mp camera that comes complete with autofocus, LED flash and a host of other features.
At the time of writing, the Xperia X10 is available for free, on a monthly contract with 3 for just £18.00 per month depending on the tariff.