HTC Sensation XE

The rumors can be laid to rest, because HTC has officially announced its Sensation XE handset, replete with some upgraded specs and Beats Audio. Powered by a 1.5GHz dual-core processor, this Android device features a 4.3-inch touchscreen with qHD (540 X 960) resolution and boasts a larger 1730mAh battery that promises prolonged run times. As the first smartphone produced under HTC's partnership with Beats Audio, this special edition Sensation also ships with a special pair of Beats by Dr. Dreheadphones, along with an 8GB or 16GB microSD card and remote control that allows users to flip through tracks of take calls without ever reaching inside their pockets. Once these headphones are plugged in, the phone will automatically activate a Beats-optimized sound profile that, according to HTC, will deliver fuller bass, sharper vocals and broader range. The Sensation XE is slated to launch in Europe, Asia, Africa and the Middle East sometime this month, though price and a possible North America launch date remain unclear. Scurry past the break for more details in the full press release, along with an extra shot of Dre's in-ear headphones.

Amazon Kindle Fire

Introduction:

As nostalgia sets in, we can only think back to the day when the Apple iPad was first unveiled, seeing that it was a groundbreaking moment in time for general computing. Besides witnessing an intuitive experience on a tablet level, which wasn’t necessarily seen before its time, the one thing that impressed people most about it was its highly competitive $500 starting price point. Today, it seems that many companies strive to achieve that figure with their alternatives – thus, bringing us into the constantly shifting price wars.

So when Amazon finally dropped the news regarding its Kindle Fire tablet a few weeks ago, many were enamored to find out its price, yet somehow, it was all too expected. Nevertheless, the easy-to-swallow $200Amazon Kindle Fire is here itching to ignite itself into stardom – thanks to its combined functionality of being an eReader first, with some light tablet-ing  sprinkled on. There’s no arguing that it’s priced remarkably on so many levels, but will it contest to replace the titans in the tablet landscape? Or will it merely prove to be nothing more than a laughable tablet wannabe?

The package contains:

·          Amazon Kindle Fire

·          Wall Charger

·          Quick Start Guide

Design:

When you’re priced so affordably out the door, it’s hard to expect a design that’s going to exhibit the traits of being stylish or chic. Let’s be for real with ourselves, we can’t knock on the Amazon Kindle Fire for its spot-on conventional tablet design, but there are still people that take pride in materialistic possessions.

Fortunately, the Kindle Fire is one solidly built tablet that enables it to stray from the perception of something being on the cheap side – thanks to its soft touch back cover and accompanying weight (413 g) that combined together give off that sensible feel in the hand. Even though it doesn’t attempt to be the thinnest or most compact 7” tablet out there, we’re still able to comfortably hold it with one hand. Interestingly, its overall design very much looks like the BlackBerry PlayBook, and honestly, if you remove their brandings, it’d be nearly impossible to tell the two apart. Overall, it’s no looker that’ll attract people from afar, but rather, we have to give kudos to Amazon for at least coming up with something that’s exceptionally solid feeling for its price.

For its display, Amazon decided to outfit the Kindle Fire with a 7” IPS LCD panel, and when you combine that with its resolution of 1024 x 600 pixels, it’s fairly standard amongst the spectrum of  7” tablets. Reading shouldn’t be much of an issue, because you can always adjust the font size to your liking. Furthermore, like other IPS displays we’ve seen, color production is very neutral with its tones, which essentially provides for some realistic looking colors – as opposed to oversaturated ones we tend to see with AMOLED displays.Viewing angles are broad to maintain its visibility, but it doesn’t quite have the strongest brightness output we’ve seen on a tablet, which proves to be a challenge when trying to use it outdoors with the sun present.

Considering that the Amazon Kindle Fire is one clean and minimalistic looking tablet, there are barely any noticeable buttons or ports protruding from its side. However, taking a quick peek on the bottom edge, we do find a 3.5mm headset jack, microUSB port, and dedicated power button. With the latter, it might be on the small size, but luckily, its response is springy enough when pressed. Meanwhile, on the top edge, the only items that are present are the left and right speakers. Finally, flipping it over to the rear, there’s nothing of particular interest except for the prominent Kindle branding embossed into the soft touch rear cover.

So what’s missing you ask? Well, it omits a volume rocker to quickly modify its level, though, it is controlled via the software. Secondly, there are no cameras whatsoever to give us the ability to shoot photos/videos, and at the same time, that means there isn’t going to be any video chat functionality. Next, it lacks a microSD card slot for additional storage, which might handicap some people because of the paltry 8GB of internal storage it’s packing – albeit, Amazon does stress the cloud storage you gain. And lastly, there is no video-out functionality of any kind, meaning, you’ll be strictly relying on the tablet's screen.

Dell Venue Pro Windows 7 Phone

Do everything smartphone

You want a smartphone that enables you to stay connected, be productive and keep in touch with the people who matter? Dell Venue Pro with Windows® Phone is a do-everything smartphone that helps you be more efficient in how you stay connected and entertained. It’s all about people. Seamlessly toggle between your work and life apps. From your favorite games on Xbox LIVE® to keeping up on Facebook®, Twitter or LinkedIn®, Dell Venue Pro keeps what’s most important to you at your fingertips.

For your viewing pleasure

See the world and your life like never before with the stunning 4.1 in., WVGA AMOLED capacitive, multi-touch display. The large slide screen allows easy navigation and viewing of your email, calendar and Web. Your photos, videos and movies have never looked better in the palm of your hand. No more squinting or panning — see the full width of the Web page in one glance. And Corning® high-quality, scratch-resistant Gorilla® Glass means your view can stay crystal clear.

Your life at a glance with Windows Phone

Imagine being able to see everything you care about at a single glance on your smartphone without ever breaking stride — an email from a friend or coworker, appointment reminders, the score in the game or just the weather and time. Customize the Live Tiles on your start screen so what’s most important to you is always in the front and center and easily recognized with a momentary look. The built-in Microsoft® Office Mobile lets you operate on the go as seamlessly as you would in the office.

Elegant Beauty

While the Venue Pro smartphone, with its elliptical, slender form fits comfortably in your pocket, it’s probably the last place it will ever be. Surely, its large 4.1", touch display lets you see everything that is most important to you at a single glance that will make it hard to put down. But you’ll also love how it feels in your hand. And just a simple slide reveals the full portrait QWERTY keyboard, providing a superb viewing and messaging experience.

Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc

Android touch phone with super-screen

View pics and video in vivid colours with your Android touch phone. Crisp and clear on the 4.2” Reality Display with Sony Mobile BRAVIA® Engine

The sleek, super-slim Xperia™ arc

Start with premium materials. Stir in some beautiful curvature. Squeeze down to 8.7 mm. And there it is, a perfect palm fit: the slim, lightweight and strong Xperia™ arc.

HD phone with 8.1 megapixel camera

Your HD phone has a Sony Exmor R™ for mobile CMOS sensor that lets you capture high-quality movies and stills in low light. So go ahead and shoot. Then show, in stunning HD direct on your TV via the HDMI connector.

Screen

- 854x480 pixels
- 4.2" 16,777,216 colour TFT

Memory

- Internal phone storage: 1GB (up to 320MB free)
- RAM: 512MB
- Memory card slot: microSD™, up to 32GB

* Actual free memory may vary due to phone pre-configuration.

Networks

- GSM/GPRS/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900
- UMTS/HSPA 800/850/1900/2100
- UMTS/HSPA 900/2100

Available colours

- Midnight Blue - Misty Silver

Possible limited market availability.

Sizes

- 125.0 x 63.0 x 8.7 mm
- 4.9 x 2.5 x 0.3 inches

Weight

- 117.0 gr
- 4.1 oz

Nokia Lumia 800

Introduction:

Nokia, wow, it's been a journey and a half tracking all the highs and lows Nokia have encountered over the past few couple of years. Losing a monumental amount of smartphone market share and abandoning their prized Symbian in favor of Microsoft's new OS. On the plus, their decisiveness to move forward and even the strengths of their now abandoned MeeGo platform have to be commended. But we're not here to lament, no, lamenting is what we did when reviewing the Nokia N9. Now we are embracing change, embracing Windows Phone 7.5, embracing Stephen Elop's vision and embracing the Nokia Lumia 800. A unibody plastic device with a beveled Gorilla Glass display, a 1.4GHz processor and f2.2 8MP camera put the Lumia 800 at the top of Windows Phone technology on paper, but the question on everyone's lips seems to be: have Nokia done enough?

The Lumia 800 is currently not expected from any US carrier. It is somehow usable with AT&T's 3G network, supporting the 1900 MHz band but lacking the 850 MHz one. 

Design:

With little in way of variance between the Nokia N9 and the Nokia Lumia 800, it's fair to say our over-riding impressions of both device aesthetics are similar, however if this was a competition, on physicality alone, the Nokia N9 would be the winner. Let us explain.

Starting with the screen, unlike the Nokia N9's Full WVGA480x854 display, the lower end of the Nokia Lumia 800 is re-tasked to function as three capacitive buttons, sacrificing on resolution (now WVGA480x800) and making the display roughly 7% smaller at 3.7 inches. What you do still get is the bevel edged Gorilla Glass fascia atop Nokia's Clear Black AMOLED display. It looks beautiful, as if AMOLED displays were made with Windows Phone in mind, with Live Tiles gliding vertically below the bevels and above the deep black beneath. This is emphasized by how responsive the Lumia 800 is, coupled with the glass offering a rich, cool sensation to the touch. If we never saw the Nokia N9, we would have been none the wiser. The Nokia Lumia 800 has a beautiful display. As we have seen it however, we also know it's not the best that Nokia can do.

Moving away from the screen and the same, high-grade polycarbonate (plastic) unibody design graces the Nokia Lumia 800 as the Nokia N9, except for two key differences. The first - the flash is repositioned, the second - there is a physical camera button. Which is better? Well that depends, form or function, which is your preference. There's no denying the camera button clutters up the right hand side of this lithe, slick bit of kit, however, we like taking photos and taking them quickly, so can embrace the advantages of the camera button. Otherwise, the physicalities surrounding the handset is the same with a microSIM card and microUSB port up top aside the 3.5mm headphone jack. The right side is laden with silver buttons: a volume rocker, lock / power button and two stage camera button while below is the loud speaker. The reverse of the Nokia Lumia 800 is the 8MP f2.2 camera with Carl Zeiss optics as well as the accompanying dual LED flash.

Overall, the hardware works beautifully with Windows Phone 7.5, from the AMOLED screen with its Clear Black technology, through to the flat bottom sitting atop your little finger for one handed use. We can't wait to see what Nokia brings us when they make a piece of hardware with Windows Phone in mind from conception. Nokia N9 comparisons aside however and the Nokia Lumia 800 is a standalone triumph.

HTC Vivid

Introduction:

Let's not forget to give credit where credit is due, but after a long year of seeing plenty of top-notch smartphones, we've probably forgotten about the HTC Inspire 4G for AT&T. Well, we really can't forget about it, because it brought HSPA+ connectivity to the masses for AT&T –  priced competitively at $99.99 on-contract. Seeing that AT&T is on the verge of kicking things up with their 4G LTE network, it's naturally fitting for them to bring a device that showcases their network's potential. Seriously making it affordable on any budget, the $199.99 on-contract HTC Vivid seems remarkably priced to offer plenty of value for the dollar – while introducing us to the capability of AT&T's next-generation data network.

The package contains: 

·         HTC Vivid

·         microUSB cable

·         Wall Charger

·         Quick Start Guide

Design:

Right off the bat, we're quickly reminded of the HTC EVO 4G because the Vivid sports some of the characteristic design traits found with the beloved smartphone. Specifically, it features a plastic exterior, beveled border that tapers towards the back, and a very similar overall size. Despite the plastic exterior, it still packs a noticeable amount of weight when it's held in hand – though, it's evenly distributed. Fortunately though, its body is reinforced with some strength thanks to the stainless steel back cover. Overall, it doesn't come off as something remarkably fresh in appearance, but instead, it takes the safe approach of improving an already established design.

For something packing a 4.5 inch qHD S-LCD display, it's nice to see that it maintains a manageable size – that's because the bezels surrounding the display are kept to a minimum. Thanks to its qHD (540 x 960) resolution, resulting in 245 ppi, the detail is quite good, although not HD. Meanwhile, the S-LCD panel manages to produce some very deep and punchy color tones, which something we typically find with this type of display technology. However, we find its viewing angles to be less than desirable seeing that it washes out the display – plus, it doesn't help that its brightness output is rather weak. In fact, it's very prevalent when we're trying to see the display outdoors in the presence of the sun.

With some spacing between the bottom edge and the Android capacitive buttons, there are rarely moments when we find ourselves accidentally pressing them. On the opposite side, there's a narrow slit for the handset's earpiece – with the front facing 1.3-megapixel camera nearby.

Taking a peek on the left edge of the phone, the only thing we find there is the microUSB port, which also doubles as the MHL port to provide a mirrored experience on an HDMI screen. Furthering its close ties to the HTC EVO 4G, it sports the same exact volume rocker, 3.5mm headset jack, and dedicated power button. Even though the dedicated power button and volume rocker offer tactile responses when pressed, they're very difficult to make out with our finger because they're extremely flat and flush to the surface.

The Vivid packs a sizable 8-megapixel auto-focus camera with dual LED flash , which features backside illumination and a wide-angle F2.2 lens. Also, the speakerphone grill is barely seen and sticking out behind the stainless steel back cover. Sliding it off doesn't require that much force, but once it's off, we're given access to the SIM card slot, 1,620 mAh battery, and unoccupied microSD slot.

Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket

Introduction:

Filling in the gaping hole that was found in the hearts of many AT&T customers for some time, the recent availability of the Samsung Galaxy S II for AT&Tseemingly plugged up the void with its awe-inspiring presence. It was as if all of their desires, needs, and wants were answered by the introduction of theSamsung Galaxy S II. Well, just nearly over a month after bringing aboard the highly respectable Android powered smartphone, AT&T is already bringing in to its lineup an even newer Galaxy S II model. Sporting a $249.99 on-contract price, the Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket just might make those early adopters of the AT&T Samsung Galaxy S II boil over with regret because the Skyrocket packs support for AT&T's 4G LTE network.

The package contains:

·         Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket

·         microUSB cable

·         Wall Charger

·         Stereo Headset

·         Quick Start Guide

Design:

Knowing that it's packing a larger display over the AT&T Samsung Galaxy S II, the Skyrocket is marginally larger in size – though, it's not as massive looking compared to the Infuse 4G. Fortunately, for something that's packing a 4G LTE radio inside of it, the Skyrocket is impressively streamlined (0.37" thick) and lightweight (4.6 oz). However, its overall design doesn't deviate from what we've seen already with other variants of the popular Samsung Galaxy S II line. Specifically, it features an all-plastic exterior that contributes in keeping its figure in shape, but to tell you the truth, it's nothing premium.

The Skyrocket manages to pack a larger 4.5" WVGA Super AMOLED Plus display. Obviously, its resolution (400 x 800) is hardly going to impress anyone nowadays, aspecially at this size, resulting in 207 ppi. And just like before, its color production is immaculate to reel in our eyes with its iridescent colors, high contrast, and strong brightness output. However, after spending a few days in our pockets, we notice the display showing signs of scratching, which is partly due to the fact that it doesn't offer the durability of things like Gorilla Glass.

Due to the nature of the capacitive Android buttons being in close proximity to the bottom edge of the phone, we still have a tendency of accidentally pressing them. Meanwhile, on the opposite side, we find the handset's earpiece and front-facing 2-megapixel camera.

The volume rocker on the left edge  is pronounced and offers a tactile response when pressed. Conversely, the dedicated power button (on the right)is rather flat to the touch – though, it still exhibits a springy feel when pressed. Also, we find the handset's 3.5mm headset jack, noise cancellation microphone, and microUSB port on its top and bottom edges. With the latter, you can use an optional MHL-to-HDMI adapter to output high-def video to a TV or get a mirrored experience.

Motorola DROID RAZR

Introduction:

At one point not too long ago, high-end Android powered smartphones were considered to be a rarity in the landscape, but in the last couple of years alone, it seems we've been inundated by them – to the point that the market was over-saturated. In fact, it seemed like every month (even weeks), some kind of high-end device was being announced or launched, which made it very difficult for consumers to separate the great from the greatest. Looking back at it now, there's no arguing that we've been jaded by it all, since our expectations have become rather cutthroat in what is perceived to be a game changing device.

Combining two of the most memorable brand names in phone history, the Motorola DROID RAZR is bent on establishing itself as the poster child of tomorrow's next-generation Android smartphone selection. On one hand, it follows in the same stylistic manner that made people fall in love with the original Motorola RAZR from back in the day – thanks to its insane razor thin profile construction. Meanwhile, it doesn't skimp out from what we've seen already in the past, considering that it's packed to the brim with some cutting-edge technology to make it one drool-worthy smartphone – like its 4G LTE connectivity, Super AMOLED display, and dual-core processor.

Packing all of that hardware, and some additional software functionality from Motorola, it's priced at $299.99 with a two-year contract – thus, potentially making it one justified price point. Knowing that some other respectable handsets are on the horizon, namely the Samsung Galaxy Nexus and HTC Rezound, we're curious to see how the Motorola DROID RAZR is going to set the bar. Let's not waste anymore time and dive right in!

The package contains:

1. Motorola DROID RAZR

2. microUSB cable

3. Wall Charger

4. Getting Started Guide

5. Product Safety & Warranty Information

Design:

Game changing! That perfectly sums up the overall design of the Motorola DROID RAZR seeing that it flaunts one of the most compelling handset designs in recent memory. We're not kidding about that, because going forward, all other smartphones have to live up to its mark.

Aesthetically, it combines the designs of the Motorola DROID X series and the PHOTON 4G, but it's able to dramatically separate itself from them thanks to its remarkable razor thin construction. Right off the bat, we're mesmerized by its 0.28" (7.1mm) thickness – making it the thinnest smartphone on the market. However, it's not uniform because of the hump towards the top where the camera sensors are placed. Regardless of that, it's an incredible engineering masterpiece to behold considering that it packs 4G LTE connectivity. And to complement its svelte appearance, it's by far one of the lightest smart phones in its size category.

For something so thin, some would probably envision it to be frail, but there's nothing to be worried about because it's constructed out of the finest materials out there. Specifically, it's internally strengthened by its stainless steel chassis, which is further supplemented by its KEVLAR fiber back cover for reinforcement and water repellent nanocoating to absorb some levels of liquid splashes - though, it's not completely waterproof. Tell you the truth, this is easily the most solidly built device we've seen put out of Motorola's camp. So yeah, it's a modern marvel in every way!

It's not the first time we're seeing a 4.3" qHD (540 x 960) display with Gorilla Glass on a Motorola smartphone, that's because we've seen it done already on the DROID BIONIC and DROID X2, but what's new is the fact that it features a Super AMOLED panel instead of a traditional LCD one. Granted that it utilizes the PenTile matrix arrangement, it's more than capable of producing distinctive details to make even fine text more than visible to the eye. However, its pixel density of 256 ppi is way behind those of the upcoming GALAXY Nexus and HTC Rezound, which clock at 316 and 342 ppi, respectively.

Not surprisingly, we're captivated by the polarizing and saturated colors it's able to produce. Throw in its high contrast ratio, deep black color production, and wide viewing angles, it's well equipped in providing plenty of visual treats to our eyes. Still, we find ourselves covering the display with our hand in outdoor conditions.

Typically for an Android 2.3.x phone, we find the same set of capacitive Android buttons sitting beneath its display – with the microphone situated very close to the home button. Meanwhile, the front-facing 1.3-megapixel camera and narrow earpiece are all located directly above the display. Furthermore, to profoundly exhibit its premium taste, the Motorola name is etched into the diamond-cut aluminum accent.

On the left side of the phone sits a plastic flap that hides away the handset’s microSIM card slot and microSD card slot – the latter of which is preoccupied by a 16GB microSD card.

Rather than finding the dedicated power button on the top side of the phone, like most other recent devices, this time around it's positioned on the right edge along with the volume rocker. Between the two, the power button is slightly more raised versus the flat feel of the volume rocker – still, they exhibit a good response when they're pressed.

The top edge of the phone claims home to the handset's 3.5 mm headset jack, microUSB port, and microHDMI port. To think that they're all there is indeed impressive for device that's razor thin!

Finally, the 8-megapixel auto-focus camera with LED flash and the speakerphone grill are all stuffed into the handset's hump, which forms the slight bulge that we've been accustomed to seeing since the original Motorola DROID X. In order to retain its slim appearance, Motorola has opted to keep its battery shut out from the world – essentially requiring you to send it away to get it replaced.

Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 Mini Pro

They say good things come in small packages, and when it comes to phones, they don't come much smaller than Sony Ericsson's X10 mini.

Design

It really is quite an astounding feat; Sony Ericsson follows up its Xperia X10, one of the industry's larger phones, with a mini version and succeeds in creating a truly unique, pint-sized smartphone. At only 90mm tall and 52mm wide, the mini pro looks like a small, black pebble and fits in the palm of our hands. Sony Ericsson has told us that this design encourages single-handed use with your thumb in position for all menu navigation. For the most part, this works exactly as described. In combination with the user interface design, most menu surfing is possible without needing to hold the mini pro in one hand and poke at it with the other.

Sony Ericsson's UX user interface has been modified from what we saw on the original Xperia X10 for use on smaller devices. The most notable and necessary adjustment is its four-corner user-definable shortcuts. Though users will also get four home screens to customise with widgets and application hot-keys, the four corners of the home screen constantly display the same shortcuts for one-touch access to the apps you use most. You can also access the Apps Drawer on the phone with a vertical swipe anywhere on the home screen, rather than having to hen-peck at a tiny on-screen button.

At the end of the day, though, there's no overlooking the fact that the display of this smartphone is only 2.6 inches big, which is tiny compared with similarly capable smartphones, and its QVGA resolution is much lower than we're coming to expect from phones of this ilk. The mini pro's form factor may fit better in your jeans pocket, but when it comes to viewing web pages or multimedia, we're talking about thousands of pixels difference. For most everyday tasks this screen is fine — reading messages, selecting contacts from your address book — but if you rely on your mobile browser for lengthy sessions of web surfing, the mini pro is not for you.

If messaging and social networking is your focus, then you will appreciate the mini pro's decent QWERTY keyboard. Hidden beneath the screen, this keyboard is definitely shorter length-wise than the keyboard you'd get if you choose the LG Eve instead, but it's nonetheless usable for thrashing out a quick SMS or typing a URL into the browser's address bar. We wouldn't want to be conducting a day's worth of email on this pad, but it'll do the trick for anything else.

Features

Making a working phone this size is a remarkable enough accomplishment in and of itself, but what's truly amazing is that Sony Ericsson has managed to cram in everything else you'd expect to find on a modern smartphone. For web browsing and data transfers, the mini pro features HSPA technology (high speed uploads and downloads) and Wi-Fi with support for 802.11 b and g network protocols. On the back of the phone you'll find a 5-megapixel camera with an LED flash, a 2GB microSD memory card inside, 3.5mm headphone socket and a video player supporting H.264 MP4 video files.

There's an accelerometer and A-GPS for orientating the phone locally and globally, with Google Maps installed to make use of the GPS hardware. The mini pro runs on Google's Android version 1.6, so you can expect to find Gmail, Google Talk, Google Calendar and the Android Market pre-installed and ready to play with out of the box. Also installed is a YouTube client and an FM radio player, though you'll need to plug in headphones to tune in to FM radio stations.

As part of Sony Ericsson's UX interface you also get access to Mediascape and Timescape, though the versions of these apps on the mini varies from what we originally saw on the first X10. You could consider them "lite" versions of the software, Timescape in particular has been pared back to improve performance, and both apps now make use of the four-corner shortcuts you find on the home screens. Mediascape is still a winner for us and is probably the standout feature on both the X10 mini and the mini pro. The UI is attractive, easy to use and takes your music further than other players with a direct link to YouTube videos of your favourite bands.

Performance

If there's one area of smartphones that truly suffers after being miniaturised, it's the battery's capacity. The battery in the mini pro is a non-user removable 930mAh unit, which is 25- to 50- per cent smaller than the batteries we tend to see in regular-sized smartphones. The results are pretty obvious, even when we employed our best battery-saving tips we still needed to charge the X10 mini pro every night after a day of low to medium use. The upside is that this tiny battery charges like its been struck by lightning.

We also struggled a little more with the tiny touchscreen than we would have liked. For broad strokes of the screen, for example, swiping between screens in the menu, the touchscreen seemed to be responsive. But for fine object selection, the usability takes a dive. Trying to select the pull-down Android notification bar can be very tricky to do quickly, but it was perhaps most notable when we played Peggle during our tests, a game that requires fine movements, and we found it very hard to position our shots as accurately as we'd expect to on another devices, like the iPhone. You often have to move your finger slowly over the screen to ensure your accuracy and this is less than we'd expect.

Making calls is fine with this tiny unit, with a loud, clear earpiece speaker, though receiving calls is a little trickier. We found the ringer volume to be far quieter than we'd like, even at full volume, and often we'd miss calls with the phone in our pockets. The irony to this point is that the mini pro has a startlingly loud external speaker, which you can use for hands-free calls or music playback, so we're guessing the quiet ringer must be a software issue, rather than a hardware one.

Overall

The Xperia X10 mini pro is an engineering feat, but we don't buy phones because they are a certain size, shape or colour — performance always has to come first. The X10 mini pro includes all of the features you'd expect from a smartphone, fast web speeds, Wi-Fi and GPS, a good suite of apps and an online store to expand its functionality, and it packs it all into a unit that is about half the size of a standard phone. But the size of the phone does come with drawbacks, its smaller battery capacity and more importantly its smaller, low resolution screen. Both are issues that challenge the everyday use of the X10 mini pro as a phone.

At its best, the X10 mini pro is an excellent portable music player and short messaging handset. We don't love web browsing with the itty-bitty display, but it's fine for browsing sites with clean, minimal layouts, like Facebook mobile.