Original Tablet Review

Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10 Mini E10i Unlocked Smartphone Review

Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10 Mini E10i Unlocked Smartphone

This is nice hardware. It works well with AT&T in the USA. There's no Android upgrade for it. Sony Ericsson (SE) put out a press release in October say upgrades to Android 2.1 had started. If that was not a bold-faced lie, there's a sin of omission because my X10 mini is no upgrade available according to the PC software SE put out. There's no Mac equivalent of this software either :-(

Upgrade is out now (Dec 24th). Had to update PC-Companion software first. First time through my internet connection died while the newer PC-Companion software downloaded Android 2.1. Inexplicably the 1.6firmware on the phone is wiped before the 2.1 version is downloaded. Thus my phone is presently bricked. After reconnecting and starting over with the non-functioning X10-mini, I am stuck on. How long should I wait here SonyEricsson ? An hour? A day ?

Update Jan/2011: Its upgraded now. Had to try multiple times to get the PC Companion to push Android 2.1 onto it. It works well now. Sim swapping between UK and US is easy. 3G works. Much much cheaper in the UK (Virgin) than the US for a 3g pay as you go service. I even got tethering working so I could use it on the train over Xmas.

It is sad to hear there will be no 2.2 update for Android for this phone.

Feb 12: Software Update failed 3x. I have a decent connection to the internet, and was not running anything else at the time. Why can't the Sony Ericsson software tell me why the update failed ?

Mar15: Software update worked. This time the PC installer updated itself too. That was on the third attempt though. For a month now the volume level the supplied headphones has been too low to hear at full volume. I've googled for causes but can't find any. I'll see if new headphones work for it.

Apr 3: It is not the headphones, its the phone. The headphones (and replacements) work fine in other devices (like a MacBook). The loudspeaker is plenty loud enough in the phone, but the output to the headphones is whisper quiet at full volume. I'm going to try to get Sony to repair it, even though it's six months old.

Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10 Mini E10i Unlocked Smartphone