Perhaps the most obvious strength of the XPERIA X1 is that it has a beautiful screen. It could well be the best screen ever seen on a Windows Mobile device. The phone has a 800×480 VGA display, which is a great starting point, but SE has managed to exceed expectations. The XPERIA’s screen has a sharp resolution and is unaffected by sunlight, maintaining its clarity in all kinds of lighting.

The Sony Ericsson XPERIA X1 may not be the smallest phone out there, but the build quality of the phone is second to none. The phone is not your standard slider phone, but the mechanism is incredibly smooth. Importantly, phone quality extends to calls. Call quality is exceptionally good and perhaps even landline quality.

If connectivity is important to you, XPERIA won’t let you down. It has HSDPA, WiFi and GPS. Web browsing is extremely fast. Early reports indicate that there is little difference in browsing speeds when using WiFi and HSDPA, which is unusual but very welcome.

In terms of usability, the XPERIA is a joy to use. With the hidden keyboard, the phone allows access to all the necessary shortcuts through buttons on the front. Slide the keyboard open and it will reveal the highly functional keyboard. Some potential users have raised concerns about the lack of directional keys on the XPERIA’s keyboard. However, this shouldn’t be a problem; the phone has a brilliant optical joystick. It’s easy to use and shouldn’t take a lot of getting used to.

Now, what about the cons? The XPERIA has some problems with speaker volume, which could be unpleasant if you plan to use the phone as a multimedia device. Obviously, this problem carries over to the speaker. Another problem is the keyboard; the keys are flush with the keyboard and don’t give much tactile feedback when pressed. Obviously, there were restrictions when designing the keyboard due to the slider mechanism, but is this really the best SE can do? It’s a shame the keyboard lets the XPERIA down when the rest of the phone is so good.

So keyboard aside, initial feedback on the Sony Ericsson XPERIA X1 sounds good. Will it be the best Windows Mobile device ever released? Early indications suggest that this may well be the case. For more information, check out our overview of the Sony Ericsson XPERIA X1.