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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

Despite its 3in screen and full QWERTY keyboard, the Mini Pro still packs the same processor and graphics chip as the Xperia Play. It also has the same amount of internal storage space and shares the same 5-megapixel camera and LED flash. Plus, it runs the very latest version of Android, has a built-in FM radio and support for 720p video.

Sony Ericsson Xperia Mini Pro

Battery capacity isn’t huge at 1,200mAh, but with the smaller screen, the Mini Pro draws less power and lasts three hours longer than the Play in our tests. The screen has a relatively low 320×480 resolution, but at this size images look pin-sharp and text remains clear. It’s a bit dark, though, and you’ll struggle to read it under direct sunlight, even at its brightest setting. The capacitive touch interface is smooth and responsive and when you slide open the keyboard, the screen automatically switches to landscape mode.

Sony Ericsson Xperia Mini Pro landscape

The keyboard is a pleasure to use: it has four rows of keys of equal size except for the Space key, which is three times the width. The layout is simple but logical, and the keys have a rough matt finish on them which means your fingernails don’t slip off them. Their action is quite stiff but has a definite bite, so you’ll know when you’ve pressed one. Our only concern is the limited clearance between the top row of keys and the bottom of the screen – especially if you have big thumbs.

Sony Ericsson Xperia Mini Pro back

Shots taken with the 5-megapixel main camera were clear and suffered less from noise than other phone cameras, but colours lacked punch. Video lacked contrast and suffered from more noise than the camera, but the high resolution meant that the quality was good enough to capture significant events.

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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

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