Mobile Reviews 
| 06 September 2009
The Sony Ericsson XPERIA X2 has been in the center of attention ever since its first unofficial shots leaked online. Much like most other gadgeteers, we've had our hands itching to get one and luckily our wishes just came true. The Sony Ericsson XPERIA X2 is one impressive device full of industry leading features - it's the first Windows Mobile smartphone with an 8 megapixel camera and WVGA video recording and it's actually the first ever full QWERTY phone to have that sort of imaging prowess as well.
Sony Ericsson XPERIA X2
The XPERIA X2 most other features, though not as innovative, are a nice match as well. We guess they are worth going through one more time.
Sony Ericsson EXPERIA X2 at a glance:
- General: GSM 850/900/1800/1900 MHz, UMTS 900/1900/2100 MHz, EDGE class 10, HSDPA, 7.2 Mbps; HSUPA, 2 Mbps
- Form factor: Slide-and-tilt QWERTY touch phone
- Dimensions: 110 x 54 x 16 mm, weight 155 grams
- Display: 3.2" TFT resistive touchscreen, 800 x 480 pixels
- Platform: Qualcomm MSM 7200 528 MHz processor
- OS: Microsoft Windows Mobile 6.5 Professional
- Memory: 110MB storage, 256 MB RAM, 512 MB ROM, microSD card slot
- Camera: 8-megapixels auto-focus camera, LED flash, touch focus, geotagging, face detection, image stabilizer, Smart Contrast, WVGA@30fps video recording
- Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.1 with A2DP, standard microUSB port, GPS receiver with A-GPS, 3.5mm audio jack, TV-out
- Misc: Optical trackpad, accelerometer for motion-based gaming, office document viewer and editor, XviD video support
- Battery: 1500 mAh Li-Po battery
We just got the XPERIA X2 and we wanted to share with you our first impressions of the device. So consider this article as a quick and dirty preview, with a more detailed one coming up in the following week. We hope to get as much as possible from our encounter with the X2 and you can bet we surely won't keep anything to ourselves.
Sony Ericsson XPERIA X2 in our office
The XPERIA X2 should be available in two colors - Elegant Black and Modern Silver. There's hardly anything missing from the broad range of connectivity options. Perhaps the only two things it seems to lack are the FM radio and the automatic screen rotation. Yes, there's an accelerometer on board alright, but the screen doesn't auto rotate to match the orientation of the handset.
While the XPERIA X2 uses the vanilla Windows Mobile 6.5 Professional, the thing that sets it apart from competing products is the X-panels interface. X panels have gone a long way since the XPERIA X1 and have turned into a full featured system for using various animated and interactive homescreens. But we'll get to that further down.
Anyways, enough talking, let's get to some walking. Jump on as explore what the XPERIA X2 is made of with even a brief rundown of the interface later on.
Sony Ericsson XPERIA X2 360-degree spin
The XPERIA X2 measures 110 x 54 x 16 mm and weighs 155 g. The dimensions and weight are almost the same compared to the old XPERIA though X2 is a tag wider due to the larger 3.2" display.
Design and construction
The new XPERIA X2 seems to incorporate noticeably less metallic elements compared to XPERIA X1 and for some of us that's actually a step back. The nice and sleek black plastic on the front that you've seen in the press images, actually looks cheap in reality and it's a real fingerprint magnet. The same cheapo-looking plastic is used for the keyboard keys quite in contrast with the metallic styled keyboard of the X1. But those design elements are usually subjectively perceived so we'll stop with the disgruntled mumble here.
Most of the front of Sony Ericsson XPERIA X2 is taken by the large 3.2" touch screen. Unlike the front plastic frame, the back of the X2 is made from stainless steel and is quite immune to fingerprints.
Sony Ericsson XPERIA X2 all over
Beneath the screen, the navigation deck doesn't have the proprietary X-pattern but is more ordinary incorporating the available four buttons in a regular grid. The large optical trackpad is dead center compensation for the fact that there is no D-pad on the X2. There's no X-panel shortcut this time, the bottom left key this time opens the Sony Ericsson Media center, which now has new items such as Call history, Messages, Calendar, and Panels setup.
XPERIA X2 navigation deck
The 4-row QWERTY keyboard of X2 is quite distinctive in terms of shape and design compared to X1, but the controls and keys order are almost the same. Though the shape of the keys is very comfortable and the arrow keys also add to the usability, the plastic material doesn't impress at all.
The QWERTY keyboard is generally very good
Here's the XPERIA X2 compared to the Samsung B7610 OmniaPRO. Though the OmniaPRO definitely looks bigger, it's actually about the same weight. Though the secondary symbols on the OmniaPRO are more prominent, the XPERIA X2 has the benefit of the slide-and-tilt form factor (or arc slider as SE call it). Plus, the actual sliding action is smoother than the Omnia II.
Sony Ericsson XPERIA X2 next to Samsung B7610 OmniaPRO
The right side of the XPERIA X2 hosts the volume rocker at the top and the camera shutter key. The keys are quite comfortable and well integrated with the overall design. Though quite thin, the camera key is relatively responsive, with a distinct half press.
XPERIA X2 volume and camera controls
The X2 left side sports the battery cover release knob. The standard microUSB is located in the upper left part of the phone and the uncovered slot will be easily visible while you're on the phone. We feel that spoils the looks a bit and would rather have a cover on top of it.
The microSD card slot is accessible from the left side of the X2 but only after you remove the battery cover - much like it is with the XPERIA X1 actually.
The right side hosts the microUSB slot, the lock/open knob and the microSD slot under the cover
The bottom of the XPERIA X2 is free of any controls, but we quite like the mesh-like looks of the plastic surface here - kind of reminds of an electric shaver, but in the good, high-tech sense.
The 3.5mm audio jack on the top of X2 also doubles as a TV-out port. Here we also find the power key - tiny as on the previous X1.
Bottom is pretty bare • The top side hosts the 3.5 audio jack and the on/off key
Turning the phone bottom-side up reveals the sleek aluminum back. The 8.1 megapixel autofocus camera with LED flash and the lanyard eyelet is to be found here. The two stereo loudspeakers are also here located on the opposite sides.
The slightly curved back panel looks very good
Removing the battery cover of XPERIA X2 reveals the 1500mAh Li-Po battery - the same as the one used in X1. The official stand-by and talk time of the battery is almost the same compared to the old X1 battery data, and we guess we can expect the same 2 days of standby under moderate usage.
X2 uses the same battery of the X1
The design and controls are quite comfortable; typing on the QWERTY keyboard is a user-friendly experience. Generally the Sony Ericsson EXPERIA X2 feels nice when held in hand.
The X2 held in hand
XPERIA X2 display is a mixed thing
The Sony Ericsson XPERIA X2 packs a 3.2 inch touchscreen with a WVGA resolution. The only difference with the X1 is the added 0.2 inches in diagonal. That's a good start as X1 display was too small for the high resolution it offered and it was hard to operate the small items ion the screen with your thumb.
That being said, the X2 display is nicely thumbable with the added improvement of the enhanced interface of Windows Mobile 6.5. The sunlight legibility has also improved a bit.
The resistive nature of the display however is a drawback. X2 is a device that needs a stylus to put it in a full throttle mode.
The good thing is that it's not recessed anymore and tapping the controls in the extreme corners (such as the on-screen OK button the in the top right corner) is no longer a problem even for larger fingers.
XPERIA X2 display
Both the display and keyboard backlighting in the dark are very good, but this shouldn't surprise as we didn't expect any less than that.
The display and keyboard in the dark perform commendable
Windows Mobile 6.5 is a little less messy
Sony Ericsson XPERIA X2 runs Windows Mobile 6.5 by default. We already discussed the changes in our Samsung Omnia II review, but let's make a quick flashback and go through the new features one more time.
Visually, Windows Mobile 6.5 upgrades the old-school ver. 6.1 with a brand-new and much prettier homescreen. It also exchanges the Start menu for a regular "main menu", which displays all your applications and links to system functions in a honeycomb grid.
Other visual enhancements include the addition of ClearType font rendering as seen on desktop Windows rigs and the ability to scroll through tabbed windows with a sweep across screen. Context menus have now gotten more thumble, there's kinetic scrolling, which works just as on the iPhone, and finally, there are some overall prettier graphics here an there.
You probably know from all those screenshots that have appeared online that the default WinMo 6.5 homescreen consists of a scrollable list. What you may not know, unless you've watched a bunch of demo videos, is that some items of that list are in fact side-scrollable.
By scrolling sideways you gain access to different phone features from one single item. For example scrolling the Getting started item sideways allows you to set the clock, email account, device password, Bluetooth, custom wallpaper, custom ringtone, upload music or finally even remove the Getting started item for good once you're ready setting up the essentials.
Another example is is Pictures, which allows you to browse the thumbnails of the photos in your gallery by side sweeps. Touching a photo opens it fullscreen in the photo album.
Some of the tabs available on the default Windows homescreen
Pressing the Start menu icon at the top right no longer opens a drop down menu full of shortcuts. Instead it opens what we like to call the new Windows Mobile "Main menu". It's got icons ordered in that oh-so-popular honeycomb pattern that so many people can easily recognize as pure WinMo 6.5 stuff thanks to numerous official and leaked screenshots.
In the new main menu you've got all the installed programs plus shortcuts to the settings menu. That Settings menu has also received a facelift and displays icons in the same honeycomb structure.
The honecomb pattern of the main menu • the settings menu is also redesigned
The perfectly flat structure of the Main menu can surely get a bit clumsy in time due to the huge number of icons piling up (iPhone users with loads of apps installed will know what we mean) but still we'd prefer that over the confusing experience that so many Widows Mobile new adopters have enjoyed in the past.
The response of Windows Mobile 6.5 as presented by XPERIA X2 is not that good as we expected from the latest high-end smartphone of the company. There are noticeable and annoying lags at times, not to mention that scrolling in the new Windows "main menu" causes some visible screen re-rendering stutter as you move up and down. It seems the graphics subsytem needs tweaking or plainly put - more processing power. Perhaps that's understandable as only now did we find out that the XPERIA X2 runs on the same CPU as the X1.
The 0.2 inch bigger screen definitely makes a difference from the previous X1, but can't deliver the desirable experience - at least at this stage of development. The stylus is still needed for some buttons and items which are not quite touch optimized. The Samsung Omnia II that we had for a review was way more responsive and had commendable performance.
The Sony Ericsson XPERIA X2 uses the same CPU as its year-old predecessor
XPERIA Panels reloaded
As Sony Ericsson have not gone for customizing the whole Windows UI, it's got a more vanilla look here as compared to what you can see on Samsung or HTC smartphones. Sony Ericsson on the other hand have concentrated on developing the the XPERIA Panels UI and have put quite some efforts on their tight integration with the mobile OS.
There is no dedicated panels' hardware button as it was in the XPERIA X1. Instead there is a shortcut to a new Shortcuts menu. The menu is a really nice and touch optimized list, which reminds both of the the popular Sony Ericsson Media center as well as the Windows Mobile default homescreen.
The menu includes five sections - Call history, Messages, Calendar, Media and Panels - each one with numerous subsections. The Media part will be very familiar with all Sony Ericsson users. It collects all your pictures, music, videos and games, packing its own gallery, music and video players.
The new shortcut menu
But the amazingly nice custom menu is quite shallow at places and when you start a new message or open a whole email, you are thrown back to the not so pretty Windows Mobile interface.
The XPERIA panels is the last section in this menu and logically collects all the panels you have installed and allows you to browse them with finger sweeps. The panels can be configured in a timeline switching automatically at user-defined hours for a user-defined period of time.
The XPERIA X2 comes with 9 panels preinstalled - the default Sony Ericsson Tilewave one, CNN, Facebook, Google panel, Growing Panel, WinMo default Today screen, SPB Mobile Shell, and Pixel City.
The XPERIA panel UI • scheduling panels
The CNN, Facebook and Google panels offer quick access to news, the Facebook application and the Google Search and bring nothing interesting, while the MS Today screen we already discussed in the Windows Mobile 6.5 part of the preview.
The CNN, Facebook and Google panels
The Growing panel is similar to the old Fish one - there are some bugs and flowers, which indicate different statuses - missed calls, battery level, signal strength, etc. The Pixel City panel does just the same.
The Growing, Pixel City Day and Pixel City Night panels
The Tilwave panel is the default of the bunch and displays flopping 3D squares, some of them empty - some of the with specific function - the weather, clock, alarms, RSS reader, a shortcut to Contacts, etc. Choosing any one of them will lead you to another similar field of squares. The effects are nice and eye-catching and it successfully combines the beauty and the functionality without compromises.
The Tilwave panel
The last preinstalled panel is the nice SPB Mobile Shell. That panel was also available for download for the XPERIA X1, but Sony Ericsson have preinstalled it on the X2.
It has two different views - a lifestyle and a professional one. The lifestyle combines three different homescreens where you can put a lot of widgets. The beautiful wallpaper is easily seen through the transparent widgets. The professional view of the panel looks like an older version of the SPB Shell - clock, new events and calendar.
The SPB Mobile Shell
The alternative phonebook is top-notch
The phonebook, favorite contacts and the calls log shares one window in a tabbed interface. All of them are touch optimized, have small thumbs and use big enough font. There is letter-by-letter scrolling thanks to the alphabetical column on the right. There's an option to start the dialpad straight from here - it comes with Smart Dialing and works great.
The phonebook
While there is this whole new phonebook and calls log, we just can't understand why there are still places throughout the X2 interface that redirect to the regular WinMo one. We hope Sony Ericsson will fix this in the final product or that will make their nice customizing job pointless.
Promising multimedia
Sony Ericsson have added a second gallery to the rather plain and boring WinMo one and it's accessed through the main menu.
You use sweeping moves to navigate through the images. If you tap on screen you also get zooming and slideshow controls. Quite disappointingly however, the X2 doesn't offer screen auto rotation despite the fact there's an accelerometer there. The only way to view a photo in landscape mode with that limitation is to slide out the hardware keyboard, which automatically switches the screen orientation.
The image gallery
The embedded music player is very similar to the Walkman player in the Sony Ericsson's feature phones and can handle playlists, organize your tracks by albums, authors, etc. Album art is supported, but unfortunately there are no equalizer presets, stereo enhancements or visualizations.
The music player
Much like the gallery, Sony Ericssson have an alternative video player, which is better than the preinstalled Windows Media player.
The video player
Though its interface is simple and there's no advanced stuff such as subtitles support, but it manages to play XviD/DivX movies up to WVGA resolution. We tried a 720p video, but without luck.
Surprisingly good camera
Sony Ericsson XPERIA X2 is equipped with a 8 megapixel autofocus camera with a maximum image resolution of 3264x2448 pixels. It also has a LED flash that is supposed to assist night photography but as usually its power is inadequate for producing a decent photo on distances over a meter. On the positive side it can also be used as a video light unlike its xenon siblings.
The camera interface resembles those of the CyberShot series, this time upgraded and optimized for using with fingers. Its pop-up sub-menus enhanced with icons and the Multi Menu packing all the available settings are here to facilitate the user experience.
The camera toolbar gives access to shoot mode, scenes, focus, flash, shoot mode, exposure and settings Multi Menu. Sadly, an ISO setting is not available in our unit.
In the advanced setting you could find options for white balance, picture quality, picture size, effects, self-timer and geo-tagging.
The most notable camera features include touch focus, face detection, image stabilization and Smart Contrast. Unfortunately, most of those were not working properly on our unit, but that's understandable at this early stage.
The camera itnerface
The status bar at the bottom is a new addition and it displays at the top of the viewfinder all the options you have chosen - from the size, to the self-timer. It is very convenient and a nice move by Sony Ericsson to save us all the digging in the menus just to check if the geo-tagging is on for example.
The image quality is surprisingly good for a prototype - we are quite convinced that the XPERIA X2 will be equal or even better than the one of Sony Ericsson C905 Cyber-shot. All the colors are accurate, there's no over-sharpening or purple fringing, white balance is adequate, the resolved detail is pretty enough with foliage looking especially good. It's only that we believe the resolved detail could be somewhat better and we guess that Sony Ericsson will work a bit more on this until the release.
Sony Ericsson XPERIA X2 camera samples
The camcorder interface copies the camera one. The XPERIA X2 is capable of capturing videos at WVGA (yes - 800x480 - you read it right) at 30 fps, but our unit had some problems with that part, so we could not provide you with a sample video. Still, that's probably the highest resolution video recording we've seen from a Windows Mobile smartphone (Samsung Omnia II records D1 resolution videos) and definitely a Sony Ericsson personal record. Unfortunately, video recording is still captured in the less-than-stellar 3gp file format.
Final words
The Sony Ericsson XPERIA X2 is surely one of the most rumored and eagerly awaited devices. It packs top notch functionality with a special incline towards imaging and video recording. That and the larger display and DivX/XviD video support are probably the biggest improvements over the previous XPERIA X1.
Well, truth be told, now that we've spent some time with the XPERIA X2, it's hard to stay as passionate about it as we started off. The nice imaging capabilities are not a sufficient excuse for the still relatively small display (3.5 inches would have been way better) and the unrefined Windows Mobile interface.
Competing Samsung and especially HTC have done some wonderful job covering the WinMo with a much more user friendly and nice looking UIs - and they've also come up some quite nice phone designs as well. Those are two things we can hardly say about the Sony Ericsson XEPRIA X2. Sony Ericsson are far behind with their Panels interface and their new Shortcuts menu.
The Sony Ericsson XPERIA X2 is hardly the ground breaking device that tech journalist like us and the users alike have been waiting for. And we don't think that even in a few months time (when X2 gets to the market) it will be able to offer something new and exciting enough to entice you - unless of course you're after an extra expensive WinMo full QWERTY device with only a nice camera to brag about.