Xperia X8

Introduction

Sony Ericsson don’t believe in the one-size-fits-all concept. Their XPERIA lineup stretches from XS to XL. The Sony Ericsson XPERIA X8 fits right in the middle. A grown X10 mini or a smaller X10, the X8 will do well either way because it’s average in a good way. Its job is to attract the people who were put off by the size extremes of the X10s.

   
Sony Ericsson XPERIA X8 official photos

Compared to the X10 mini, the camera on the X8 has been downgraded to 3MP fixed-focus, but the screen has grown to a healthy 3 inches and the resolution has doubled –improving both the image quality and giving the custom Android UI more room to work with.

The rest of the package was left intact – down to the complimentary 2GB microSD card in the box. We hear the Sony Ericsson XPERIA X8 will be priced at around 200 euro, which will make good value for money.

Sony Ericsson XPERIA X8 at a glance:

• General: GSM 850/900/1800/1900 MHz, UMTS 1900/2100 MHz, HSDPA
• Form factor: Touchscreen bar
• Dimensions: 99 x 54 x 15 mm, 104g weight
• Display: 3" 16M-color TFT capacitive touchscreen with HVGA resolution; scratch-resistant surface
• Platform: Android OS 1.6 with custom Sony Ericsson UI
• CPU: 600Mhz processor
• Memory: 128MB internal memory, microSD card slot, 2GB card included
• Camera: 3-megapixel fixed-focus camera, geo-tagging, VGA@30fps video recording
• Connectivity: Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g, Bluetooth 2.1 with A2DP, standard microUSB port, GPS receiver with A-GPS, digital compass, 3.5mm audio jack
• Misc: Timescape UI, Infinite button, accelerometer for screen auto rotate, FM radio with RDS, TrackID music recognition
• Battery: 1200 mAh Li-Po battery

Let’s face it, the Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10 and X10 mini are niche products – one for the high-end loving crowd and the other for those fascinated by the tiny yet powerful smartphone.

The XPERIA X8 on the other hand is aimed at the masses. The 600MHz CPU won’t break any speed records, but Sony Ericsson have optimized their custom interface to the point of giving you a smooth and consistent run – which at times does feel blazing fast.

There’s no n-enabled Wi-Fi radio or Bluetooth 3.0 support, but honestly, how many of you actually use those? Wi-Fi b/g, Bluetooth 2.1 and A-GPS along with HSDPA-enabled 3G give the Sony Ericsson XPERIA X8 all the connectivity most people will ever need.

  
Sony Ericsson XPERIA X8 live shots

So, the XPERIA X8 is not a “feature superior” phone, it won’t make the competition cower in fear. But it tries to give the majority of consumers a feature-rich package at a reasonable price.

Flip to the next page where we begin our investigation into whether or not the Sony Ericsson XPERIA X8 keeps that promise.

Sony Ericsson XPERIA X8 360-degree spin

At 99 x 54 x 15 mm the Sony Ericsson XPERIA X8 is a compact phone, just not as tiny as the X10 mini. This leaves enough room for a 3” HVGA screen, so that the custom Android UI doesn’t feel cramped.

  
The X8 is average-sized – not too big, not too small

The weight of 104g is at the lower end of what you can feel in your pocket, though the 15mm of thickness are a bit above the average for an Android smartphone. Still, it’s comfortable to hold and comfortable to use single-handedly – you can easily reach all the controls.

Design and construction

The Sony Ericsson XPERIA X8 looks like a stretched out X10 mini, which in turn looked like an X10 in miniature. So, there’s a clean line of succession in terms of design. It’s not as boxy as the mini and not as much of a slab as the big X10.

The plastic used on the Sony Ericsson XPERIA X8 doesn’t have a “premium” feel to it. Still, it hides fingerprints and helps keep the weight down. The matt finish on the front is pretty good at concealing fingerprints too (especially the white one), but the screen is a fingerprint-magnet – just as any other touchscreen.

The touchscreen on the front has grown almost half an inch over the X10 mini’s and has double the resolution: HVGA. The image is much crisper and you won’t feel like an elephant in a china shop thumbing your way through the menu.

The 3” display has its ups and downs

The screen sensitivity, as was to be expected in a capacitive unit, is excellent. The slightest of touches is enough for a click to be registered, for a great touchscreen experience.

The 65K-color limitation inherent to Android versions prior to 2.0 could result in the occasional banding but it’s not as easily noticeable on a screen this size. If the X8 receives the Android 2.1 update those issues should be solved.

The image quality is passable as far as TFT displays go, with good brightness and contrast. Viewing angles are good too. Sunlight legibility on the XPERIA X8 is poor too – the screen reflects too much light making it near impossible to use the phone on a bright sunny day.

Below the display there are three hardware keys – contextual menu, home and the back button. Those are thin buttons but nicely raised and with good press feedback. What’s missing in the Android standard assortment of keys is the search key – you get a search widget on the homescreen instead.

 
There are three keys below the display

Above the display we find a status LED, the earpiece, as well as proximity and ambient light sensors. There’s no option to deactivate the auto-brightness. The proximity sensor is in charge of locking the display when you hold it next to your ear during calls.

The proximity sensor is right next to the earpiece

The sides of the Sony Ericsson XPERIA 8 follow the X10 and X10 mini arrangement. The left side is left completely bare.

There are no controls on the left

On the right you get a volume rocker and a shutter key. The volume rocker is too thin – thinner than the keys below the screen. The shutter key is not all too comfortable either but it’s a fixed-focus camera after all.

 
The right side controls: volume rocker and the camera key

On top of the handset is the screen lock key which also acts as a power button. It’s small and barely protrudes but we guess it was done on purpose to minimize accidental presses. More often than not it needs a push with a fingernail really.

 
The power/screen lock key, the custom audio jack and the microUSB port

At the top of the Sony Ericsson XPERIA X8 you’ll also find the audio jack and the microUSB port. The audio jack is absolutely compatible with standard 3.5mm plugs but the unusual shape is designed to accommodate the optional Hi-Fi Sony Ericsson MH-810 headset with music controls remote.

There is a protective cap over the microUSB port (which is too hard to open), while the audio jack is exposed.

 
The bottom of the X8 is pretty bare

The bottom features just the mic pinhole and the lanyard eyelet.

The back of the phone hosts the 3 megapixel camera lens and the loudspeaker. The camera is not covered but quite inset, giving it a reasonable protection against scratches.

 
The 3 megapixel camera and the loudspeaker grill

Removing the battery cover reveals the microSD card slot and the SIM compartment. The microSD slot is hot-swap enabled though not accessible without opening the battery cover. The good news here is that the battery is removable, as opposed to the one of X10 mini.