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

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 isn’t 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 speed when using WiFi and HSDPA, which is unusual but very welcome.

Usability-wise, the XPERIA is a joy to use. With the keyboard hidden, 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 keyboard. However, this shouldn’t be a problem; the phone has a bright optical joystick. It’s easy to use and shouldn’t take long to get used to.

Now what about the downsides? The XPERIA has some issues with speaker volume, which could be off-putting if you plan to use the phone as a media device. Obviously, this problem carries over to the speaker. Another problem is the keyboard; the keys are flush with the keyboard and don’t provide great 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 aside from the keyboard, the initial comments about the Sony Ericsson XPERIA X1 sound good. Will it be the best Windows Mobile device ever released? Early indications suggest this may well be the case. For more information, see our Sony Ericsson XPERIA X1 overview.