Review: Sony Ericsson Xperia X10
Messaging is one feature that the X10 knocks out of the park. It covers all the bases, and the visually appealing nature of TimeScape make all the apps fun to interact with.
First up is email. There are three email apps on the X10. One is the standard Android Gmail application. Sony Ericsson hasn't made any noticeable changes to it, and it works fine. There is a second, similar email app reserved for POP3/IMAP4 accounts. It is bare bones, but does a fine job. The real killer is the Work Email application. This is a $40 application (loaded onto the X10 for free) that makes up for a lot of the X10's deficiencies when it comes to Android 1.6. Many of the benefits of Android 2.2, for example, are aimed at business users, with support for Exchange features and security controls. This Work Email application includes all of those and more. It can be used with Gmail or business Exchange accounts. It syncs email, calendar and contact information, and is robust enough to allow for advanced scheduling tasks. With three email options, most users will feel taken care of.
The SMS/MMS application is solid, and offers threaded, conversational messaging. Images show up within message threads and are opened easily. Were it not for the slight delay in receiving SMS messages from time-to-time, this would be a really good messaging application.
On the IM front, the X10 has Google Talk and a separate client for AIM, Windows Live Messenger and Yahoo Messenger. Both of these apps are available on other Android handsets and don't do anything to really stand out from the crowd. They are, however, functional, and work well at managing conversations.
Twitter and Facebook are included in TimeScape, too. They are included in the all-encompassing stream of communications, but can also be used separately.
What really gives this all some much-needed pizazz is TimeScape. By having a real-time flow of all your messages available at any time, you can really get a sense of the ebb and tide of your communications. All of these messaging applications can be accessed individually through the main menu, but are contained in the TimeScape wrapper. With so many options and the visual flair of TimeScape, Sony Ericsson has redefined how Android can be skinned creatively without going overboard and taking over the entire OS.
Video Tour: Sony Ericsson Xperia X10
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Sony Ericsson Xperia X10
