Sony Ericsson Xperia mini
- S
- Saad
- T6r
- 13 Sep 2011
AnonD-8312, 13 Sep 2011Movies will definitely be more enjoyable on the ace. Also, ... moreHey Sid. I don't care about the hardware keyboard. I normally dont use it on my Corby Pro as well. Gaming should be without lag and games like nova which needs both the thumbs on the screen(it shouldnt be like the screen hides with those thumbs and i am unable to see the screen itself). If I can play Nova and games like that on the mini without the screen being hid by the fingers itself, then i will go for mini....
- i
- ikko
- v0X
- 13 Sep 2011
I got this unit a couple of weeks ago. Very good specs. touchscreen very responsive. Until I got problem with the unit. I played some games for less than an hour and the phone heated up. then i noticed that its vibrating on its own like morse code. it seems like its clicking the menu and back button. every time I open a program it closes automatically, then open again, then menu pop up. its malfunctioning. unit and battery heated up (just for less than 30mins play) so i tried to shut off but the screen keeps canceling. until I remove the battery. after cooling down for an hour the phone works normal again. this happened again after taking photos (20+ photos). bad experience!
- D
- AnonD-8312
- 2ST
- 13 Sep 2011
Saad, 13 Sep 2011Thank you so much for the details. I am using a Samsung Cor... moreMovies will definitely be more enjoyable on the ace. Also, games will feel better on the bigger screen, you know, as long as they work smoothly. New games will not work well on that chipset, so that alone makes the mini a better buy. If you need an external keyboard for messaging, then the mini pro is also a good buy, except for the static noise issue everyone is facing. If all you really need is the bigger screen, go for the Ace. If you want your phone to last more than a year, attract attention, look stylish, and be super fluid and fast, go for the mini. Also, if you REALLY need the hardware keyboard, wait for about a month when the new stocks of the mini pro come in, without the static noise problem. Except for the screen size, everything in the mini, from speed to screen quality and build, is better.
- S
- Saad
- T6r
- 13 Sep 2011
AnonD-8312, 13 Sep 2011Android does not put a hardware cap on its releases. If the... moreThank you so much for the details. I am using a Samsung Corby Pro right now. I think which is similar to mini's size and thickness. Corby has 2.8 inch screen however mini has 3 inch(not much of a difference). I think if I buy mini, I wont feel much of a difference in size and feel in hands but will get an awesome flexibility with android and its apps. So, basically, right now I am undoubtedly inclined towards mini. I have used Ace for a day(borrowed it from a friend). I played a few games on it and did some texting to the gf(LolZ) and was over excited about it. I have seen the demo of mini and it looks promising. Please help me to take a final decision. I want to play games(good experience and without lags), texting, image and video surfing, average battery backup is accepted. Thanks a lot again
- D
- AnonD-8312
- 2ST
- 13 Sep 2011
Many people are wanting to shift to android. Most of them are normal people who spend 10-15K on a cellphone. If you have 30K to burn, get the Galaxy S II and rejoice. For the rest, I believe that, atleast in India, you are restricted to the Galaxy Ace, Defy, Defy+, Xperia Mini, Mini Pro, Wildfire S or the Salsa or if you want to extend your budget, the original Galaxy S i9000 is available on Flipkart @ 19K INR. I will currently discuss the drawbacks of each of these phones.
1) Galaxy Ace: One of the best selling phones in this price point. Good looks (pretty much like an iPhone), good screen, 3.5" seems neither too big, nor too small. But, it was released with Froyo, it will (or probably already has) receive(d) the GB update, and looking at Samsung's track record, another update is unlikely, although the dev community might be able to cook up something. Also, add to that the old chipset you are getting doesn't make the phone worth 13K-it should be priced more around the 10K mark.
2) Defy/Defy +: The only difference between the phones is that the Defy + gets GB and a 1GHz proccy-but Motorola's software is not very optimised, so you might experience some lags. Also, many have a problem with the high SAR value on the Defy, which just borders on the acceptable limits. The Defy+ will probably be released at a price north of 16.5K, as the old Defy currently retails at 15K. Also, Motorola's service has become non existent in many cities, and before you give the Google has bought it argument, the acquisition has just happened, and it will probably take a little more than a year to get Motorola to its former status. Otherwise it is a good buy, as very few phones are dust, water, shockproof.
3) Wildfire S/Salsa: Essentially the same phones, they have an excellent build, and the HTC Sense is not only full of eye-candy, it is also very practical. Unfortunately, its lack of internal memory is what destroys an otherwise awesome phone. Every app, even after moving to SD occupies some space in the memory. Google Apps take up space too, and strangely download updates on the phone, so if you just want a pretty looking phone with little or no apps, you will be happy. Otherwise, I doubt it.
4) Xperia Mini/Mini pro: Now, the only-I mean the only drawback of this phone is that it is thick and has a small screen: that is only in specs. In your hand it will seem like a very, very tiny, petite and cute phone. Sure to draw more attention than diamond studded rims, this hot piece from SE is probably the most value for money cellphone you can buy on the market. Yes, 16mm might seem thick, but with this design, it works. You might have trouble slipping it in your pocket if your wear tight jeans, but it is worth the trouble. The screen might be small, but it is one of the best screens I have ever seen- The blacks are sharp, text is clear, colours are vivid. Couple that with a fast processor, and you get scores north of 1600 in quadrant. This phone looks horrible in pictures compared to in real life. I would suggest you look at this phone's dummy/demo piece before making your decision. Since all any of you will be worried about is the smallish screen and thick body, the phone's design seriously overcomes these limitations. Also, SE has promised ICS updates for this phone next year, which is a lot more than any other manufacturer has promised. Also, the mini is ironically the cheapest of any of the phones I have mentioned. So if you want to jump onto android, this is the way to go.
Symbian is not included in this conversation, as it is leagues behind in OS, apps, hardware (the 1GHz processor in the mini is more powerful). Nokia is overpriced, outdated, and with WP7, which has the same drawbacks as Symbian, they will continue to crash and burn. If you want advice on any other phone, please do tell, as I researched them all before buying the mini.
- D
- AnonD-8312
- 2ST
- 13 Sep 2011
Saad, 13 Sep 2011GSMArena says that All xperia phones launched in 2010 will ... moreAndroid does not put a hardware cap on its releases. If they do that, it would mean that in a year, the cheapest android phone will cost 20K-now is that possible? There maybe some features exclusive to dual cores (like the Tegra Zone, or other better games, or more efficient video decoding). SE has promised updates for its phones-all its phones use the EXACT SAME CHIPSET. The mini, mini pro, live with walkman, active use a slightly different UI. So making them should really not be a problem for SE. Samsung on the other hand juggles with a thousand devices, each with different chipsets (the Galaxy S II also has 3 diff versions- one with Tegra 2, one with Exynos and one with Qualcomm's chipset-which means they will have to port their TouchWiz-themed android to 3 different chipsets, and those are just their latest flagships. They have already created a GB update for the Ace. Don't expect anything more. Also, for gaming, you will only feel the mini's smaller screen if you have an Ace right beside you. If not, you will soon get used to it. What phone do you use now? If it has a screen smaller than the mini, then you won't have a problem-but if you use something like a HTC Desire (that is unlikely, otherwise you wouldn't be downgrading to an Ace or a mini) you will have a problem.
- D
- AnonD-21956
- TX{
- 13 Sep 2011
Just bought it. Seems decent. Quite small, but really handy. Angry Birds runs excellent. Everything else runs excellent. Epic phone! I really recommend it to everybody. Cost 210 euros over here.
- S
- Saad
- T6r
- 13 Sep 2011
GSMArena says that All xperia phones launched in 2010 will get Icecream sandwich in 2011. But i have heard that Icecream sandwich need dual core processor to work. So is it like SE is cheating?
- D
- AnonD-8312
- 2ST
- 13 Sep 2011
Saad, 13 Sep 2011What about the games like NFS Shift, Gangstar series, Nova ... moreI haven't installed any 3D games yet, so I can't tell you how they feel. A bigger screen will certainly feel better-I have played Ninjump on both my iPod Touch and the xperia mini, and the iPod feels quite a bit better, but not so much that it is impossible to play on the mini. The gaming experience will certainly be much smoother on a mini due to its superior hardware. Also, if you take the ace just because of its screen, remember that it will probably never get the ice cream sandwich update, which will make installing the new games on it impossible, not to mention that in a year the chipset will not be powerful enough to play those games. You will enjoy playing games on the mini, but when placed side by side, if the game runs well on both phones, a bigger screen will seem more ergonomic.
- S
- Saad
- T6r
- 13 Sep 2011
AnonD-8312, 13 Sep 2011The mini will not lag on any games whatsoever-this is becau... moreWhat about the games like NFS Shift, Gangstar series, Nova and other similar games work fine without lags on both the phones? Ace has a bigger screen so will it give a better experience than the mini? I understand mini will run games smoothly but experience is the main concern....let me know
- D
- AnonD-8312
- 2ST
- 13 Sep 2011
SE Die Hard Fan, 13 Sep 2011Thanks for the review. Can you pls let me know how is the l... moreThe gingerbread keyboard is very good on this phone. Typing is certainly not a problem on landscape mode. While in portrait mode however, the qwerty poses a significant problem, so I just use the standard alphanumeric keypad. But in landscape mode, typing is very easy. I have used an xperia mini pro dummy piece. If the keyboard is anything like that, you will not miss it. The word prediction on the mini is excellent, and with practice you can type fast. Also, the loudspeaker is pretty good-it certainly isn't as loud as the Nokia XpressMusic ones, but it is loud enough for a non-music centric phone. You won't miss any calls, and playing music in a relatively quiet room will not be a problem.
- D
- AnonD-8312
- 2ST
- 13 Sep 2011
Saad, 12 Sep 2011Hey guys. I am really confused between Ace and Xperia mini.... moreThe mini will not lag on any games whatsoever-this is because the Ace uses a VERY VERY inferior chipset compared to the mini. The mini uses the MSM8255 chipset with the Adreno 205 graphics processor, while the Ace uses the outdated MSM7227 chipset overclocked to 800Mhz and a Adreno 200 graphics processor. The mini also has a better screen, although it is significantly smaller. Also, The build of the mini is much better than the Ace. The games which run smoothly on the Ace will run even better on the mini. The only problem with both these phones is that due to their resolution, many HD games will not run natively from the market. You will have to download hacked and modded versions of those from other sites and install them on your phone.
- S
- SE Die Hard Fan
- DQn
- 13 Sep 2011
AnonD-8312, 07 Sep 2011I just bought this phone from the mobile store for 13K. Ama... moreThanks for the review. Can you pls let me know how is the loudpspeaker in the phone esp the Music. also how much comfortable do you feel when typing messages. Are the alphabets properly visible and typeable.
- D
- AnonD-21874
- YT1
- 13 Sep 2011
maia, 12 Sep 2011how's the battery of this phone? I want to get this phone, ... moreblackberry is waistage of money,,u should go for android,
- N
- Nands
- PUh
- 13 Sep 2011
AnonD-1267, 12 Sep 2011No need to back up. Just perform the update. No settings et... morethanks, but my internal memory is 106 MB Available, is it OK for that firmware upgrade.
- D
- AnonD-1544
- Irg
- 13 Sep 2011
AnonD-8312, 11 Sep 2011There are some sacrifices that must be made, for the greate... more
Dude you're awesome! You seem very knowledgeable and you know what you're talking about.
Thanks for your detailed review, now I know this is the phone for me ;)
- ?
- Anonymous
- N7A
- 13 Sep 2011
Anonymous, 12 Sep 2011when will this phone come to Ghana.Find out from Telefonica at Osu, Oxford street.
- S
- Saad
- PId
- 12 Sep 2011
Hey guys. I am really confused between Ace and Xperia mini. I want a phone which wont lag on me while navigating through menu, images and videos. I am also a game lover. Ace has slower processor than mini but bigger screen. I watched many videos of gameplays on Ace and found almost every game to be lag-free. Please suggest!!
- D
- AnonD-1267
- HKS
- 12 Sep 2011
One app worth downloadimg from the android market is Opera Mobile 11.1.
This is much better than the stock browser because it has a setting which allows you to change the 'user agent' to desktop.
This means that you wont keep being redirected to mobile versions of websites.
Opera Mobile also supports the flash player plugin !
- D
- AnonD-1267
- HKS
- 12 Sep 2011
AnonD-16858, 12 Sep 2011is it necessory to take backup before firmware update. is y... moreNo need to back up. Just perform the update. No settings etc are erased.