#Multitouch xperia x10 android#

You’ll miss pinch-and-zoom if you’ve previously used an iPhone and this limitation also impacts the suitability of the on-screen keyboard, which is easily confused when you’re typing quickly. Sadly the much-publicised lack of multi-touch capability is problematic and makes surfing the web harder than it should be. It’s a shame because the aforementioned 1GHz CPU offers up some astonishingly fast performance: moving between apps such as text messaging and email is a breeze, and the phone’s web page-rendering is lightning-quick.

#Multitouch xperia x10 android#

Just as was the case with the MOTOBLUR-touting Motorola DEXT, the various processes that run in the background hog valuable memory and slow down the performance of the device.ĭownloading task management software from the Android Market shows a worrying number of applications operating at any one time, each one swallowing up precious RAM which could be used elsewhere. The real problem with Sony Ericsson’s approach is one which has afflicted other Android handsets which boast unique interfaces. It’s even possible to link your Facebook and Picasa accounts and instantly view images from those sources. You can view photos, watch videos, and listen to music all from this one app. Mediascape is a markedly more successful proposition, putting all of your media – both online and on your phone – in one convenient location. Why should this be the case when other phones have dedicated Twitter clients which remove the middle-man? Multimedia revolution What’s more, the actual functionality is superficial at best: to reply to a Twitter message you’re forced to connect to the web-based site via the phone’s default browser. Despite the X10’s muscular 1GHz Snapdragon processor Timescape plods along, taking ages to load and offering disappointingly jerky animation between each element. It’s an eye-catching arrangement, but visual appeal aside there’s little justification for its existence.

Timescape attempts to pull together elements such as messages, emails, Twitter feeds, Facebook updates, and other data, presenting all of this information in an animated stream of tiles. Most of the differences between it and the standard Android package are purely cosmetic, but the big draw is the Timescape and Mediascape apps. Sony Ericsson has made a lot of noise about its proprietary software, which sits atop the slightly archaic Android 1.6 OS. It’s actually quite thick as well – although it doesn’t necessarily seem that way because of the massive display. The X10 doesn’t feel bulky but it does seem large when it’s in the palm of your hand. Naturally, such an imposing screen requires an equally sizable handset. In purely physical terms the X10 is a revelation: the massive 4-inch FWVGA touchscreen display is the largest we’ve ever had the good fortune of prodding with our eager fingers and while it doesn’t use the advanced AMOLED technology which powers the likes of the Nexus One and HTC Desire it still looks excellent. This prolonged gestation has resulted in some unwelcome compromises being made, but there’s still enough raw appeal here to ensure the X10 makes a lasting impression. The hype surrounding this most auspicious of hardware launches has been considerable: the phone was announced last year and has taken what seems like an age to actually get to market. Jumping on the Google Train has worked wonders for US firm Motorola, and now the struggling Swedish-Japanese giant Sony Ericsson has followed suit with its first Android-packing smartphone, the Xperia X10. For many mobile manufacturers, Android represents a tantalising lifeline after a prolonged period of dismal underperformance in the face of Apple and its popular iPhone.