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Though I’m never one to reject a big smartphone, I realize that some users prefer the same power in a smaller size. Fortunately, Sony Ericsson has realized that, too.
Five months ago at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, Sony Ericsson unveiled smaller alternatives to the beefy Xperia X10. The Android-powered Xperia X10 Mini and Xperia X10 Mini Pro stood out at the show since Sony Ericsson was the was the only manufacturer to take an existent handset and shrink it down. Admittedly, at the time I got what Sony Ericsson was trying to do, but I was skeptical that the company could pull it off.
Now that I’ve reviewed the phones, however, I take a more nuanced view. In every way, the X10 Mini and X10 Mini Pro are as small as the X10 is big. Instead of a 4-inch display and a pocket-bursting body, the devices sport 2.5-inch displays and designs that could hide behind a credit card. Understandably, features are trimmed as well, but with 5-megapixel cameras, media players, and Sony Ericsson’s User Experience interface, the handsets offer plenty of distractions.
Josh Miller/CNET
Though the two handsets are too small for my personal use, they are interesting handsets that enrich the Android family. If I were to choose, I’d got for the X10 Mini Pro. It’s minimally larger than the X10 Mini, but it’s physical keyboard makes for a much more comfortable message experience.
To see the phones in all their glory, click over to the X10 Mini review and the X10 Mini Pro review. There you will find my full analysis, plus photos and video.
