Sony Ericsson X10 hands on

Some high-tech cell phone models get the same attention as movie stars and the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 makes for an illustrative example. The device has haunted our news section on a weekly basis since the first time we caught wind of it last summer. Some of you that do not share our excitement about cell phones may wonder why this… and here is the answer:

The Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 is the first Android device of the manufacturer and the operating system itself has been causing quite a stir in the cell phone world in the last year. The handset comes with downright monstrous hardware features and as of today, there is simply no other cell phone based on the same platform to rival the X10 and we hardly need to say anything other than “4-inch screen, 1GHz Snapdragon processor and 8.1-megapixel camera”, although Timescape and Mediascape add a truly unique touch to the interface personalization.

We are beginning our review of the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 in high spirits and with sky-rocketing expectations. Despite the almost irresistible desire to tear the box open the minute we got it in our hands, we took time to notice it does remind of boxes that handsets like the HTC HD2 and HTC Hero come in. In other words: small, white and elongated. This does not come as a surprise really, because the current trend dictates that manufacturers should use the least amount of materials in order to make boxes as ecologically-friendly as possible. So, what´s inside?

–    Sony Ericsson Xperia X10
–    8GB microSD card
–    Headphones
–    Wall charger
–    USB cable (plugs into the charger)
–    User guide

Just like most cell phones these days, the Xperia X10 comes without a carrying pouch. The boxed headset is actually the MH500 that happens to be one of the best pairs that can be found with Sony Ericsson devices these days (we first saw it with the Xperia X2).

Design:

If we have to describe the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 in just one word, it would be “BIG”. In two words – „VERY BIG”. In three… Ok, let´s just not run to extremes here, shall we? It´s only logical the handset is on the bulky side, given the huge, 4-inch display it integrates. Some people would probably be more than happy to live with the massive overall size of the Sony Ericsson X10, but we need to point out this is not a cell phone you can use with one hand. Similarly to the HTC HD2 that is a tad wider actually, you will not be able to reach the farthest parts of the screen with your thumb if holding it in one hand. Fortunately, the back is slightly curved and the X10 fits well in hand. The weight is properly balanced, meaning the cell phone is not overly hefty and discomforting to carry around in your pocket, although you will be aware of its presence at all times.

The Nokia Ovi Stores hits 1.6 million downloads per day

Only a month ago around 1.5 million apps were downloaded from the Ovi Store each day and now the downloads per day reach 1.6 million. That sure sounds impressive. But the App Store could only laugh at the Ovi Store.

During the premiere of the new iPhone OS 4.0 Apple announced that over 4 billion applications have been downloaded from their App Store to date. So, if Nokia users don’t speed up the Ovi Store will need nearly 7 years to reach that number.

Currently, there are over 100 devices compatible with Nokia’s Ovi Store and more than 60 of them run Symbian. The most active visitors of the Ovi Store are the owners of some of Nokia’s most recent smartphones (such as N900, X6, 5530 XpressMusic, 5800 XpressMusic, N97, N97 mini, E72 etc.).

The Ovi Store is accessible in more than 80 countries and 66 operators in 19 of them have enabled mobile billing with the Ovi Store. That allows customers to pay for the apps they download without using any debit or credit cards. In this case the purchase amount is charged to the customer’s monthly phone bill.

The Ovi Store is available in 30 different languages and most of the customers can pay for the app they purchase using their local currency.

All that certainly helps Ovi Store app downloads grow. But still not fast enough.

Source from GSMarena