To help us provide you with free impartial advice, we may earn a commission if you buy through links on our site. Learn more

Sony Ericsson Xperia Mini Pro review

Our Rating :
Price when reviewed : £203
inc VAT

A cute handset with a slide-out QWERTY keyboard, the Mini Pro has a great screen, good performance and a decent camera

Specifications

Android 2.3, 3.0in 320×480 display

http://www.handtec.co.uk
[/vc_column_text]

Like many phone manufacturers, Sony Ericsson has loaded its own interface and apps on top of Android. The results are mixed. The company’s Timescape app aggregates status updates and events from Facebook, Twitter and Exchange. The latter is achieved via a third-party Exchange app rather than Android’s own Exchange support. You can also get plugins for Timescape to support other services, such as Gmail or travel updates, but they’re limited.

Sony Ericsson Xperia Mini Pro bottom

Sony Ericsson has also installed an odd choice of third-party apps, including game trials and anti-virus software. Thankfully, most of these are easily uninstalled to save you about 30MB of space. With 420MB of app storage space, you should have plenty of room.

Sony Ericsson Xperia Mini Pro top

Some apps are pre-installed and can’t be removed, however. BBC iPlayer, Adobe Reader and the OfficeSuite viewer are sensible choices, but we could have done without some of the others: Touchnote, a service that sends real postcards via the web; Moxier Pro, an Exchange client; Wisepilot navigation software; and the Qriocity video shop.

While Sony Ericsson’s choice of software is less about customer choice and more about cashing in on marketing deals, we loved the Mini Pro’s keyboard and its screen is just big enough to work with. Add to the mix a decent camera and good performance, and factor in the low SIM-free price, and you have a deserved Budget Buy award winner.

Pages: 1 2

Details

Price £203
Rating *****
Award Budget Buy

Hardware

Main display size 3.0in
Native resolution 320×480
Second Display No
CCD effective megapixels 5-megapixel
Flash LED
Video recording format 3GP
Connectivity Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, USB
GPS yes
Internal memory 512MB
Memory card support microSDHC
Memory card included 2048MB
Operating frequencies GSM 850/900/1800/1900, 3G 850/1900/2100
Wireless data EDGE, HSPA
Size 92x53x18mm
Weight 136g

Features

Operating system Android 2.3
Microsoft Office compatibility none
Email client POP3/IMAP/Exchange
Audio format support MP3, WAV, eAAC+, WMA
Video playback formats MPEG4, H.263, H.264, WMV
FM Radio yes
Web Browser Webkit
Accessories headset, data cable, charger
Talk time 5.5 hours
Standby time 13.8 days
Tested battery life (MP3 playback) 26h 28m

Buying Information

SIM-free price £203
Price on contract £20-per-month, 18-month contract
SIM-free supplier www.handtec.co.uk
Contract/prepay supplier www.buymobilephones.net
Details www.sonyericsson.com

Read more

Reviews