Sony Ericsson Xperia Mini Pro Sk17i Review

The Sony Ericsson Xperia Mini Pro Sk17i is just a little marvel, with little being the key word. The device is a recent attempt by Sony to Prove in certain countries that they too can make great phones at decent prices. 

We took in the Xperia Mini Pro with a lifted eyebrow, wondering why in the world would one carry a mini fat phone. But as days passed, the device suddenly changed our opinion and Ranked amongst the best devices in out list.

Build Quality

The Xperia Mini Pro is built in a wonderful shell with a great slider mechanism. The black back cover is soft rubber touch and feels great in the hand, the slider is smooth as butter yet snaps into place like the phones in the original Matrix movie. The front display has an anti scratch coating and the buttons are clickety and tactile offering great feedback and impressive control.

Hardware

Multimedia and Camera

The Camera on the Xperia Mini Pro Sk17i is good for a 5MP camera, it does not have a rear illuminated CMOS sensor, but it does feature a quick focus shutter and nice depth of color. Pictures can be composed with great detail. The camera also focuses pretty good on close objects in macro mode.

Sample Images

The video capture is what one can call “so-so” we were not to impressed with the video quality , the video was grainy in bright sunlight and not to mention the infamous red halo in the middle of the video capture. See our Sample Below.

The display is possibly the best display you can buy for the price. We are so impressed with the Mobile Bravia Engine Reality Display, that we feel the price of the device should be enough for the display by itself. Stunning image showcase and HD video playback on the screen, although the pixel density is fairly lower compared to other devices, you can hardly notice the lack of pixels. The gaming and video playback is smooth and vivid, not forgetting the 1GHZ Snapdragon procession that plays a major role.

Audio playback is satisfactory and up to the mark, we didn’t expect more than what SE delivered and got just that. Earphones however are excellent and deliver great sounding music.

Phone and Messaging

The device has had mixed reviews when it came to phone quality. Lets not get confused here, the device is an excellent phone, Network is strong, zero to none when it comes to dropped calls, and great connectivity throughout. The problem lies in the earpiece – Although the unit we received has no problems what so ever, A lot of users have emailed us telling us about the Xperia Mini Pro’s Static noise in the earpiece. 

In a case like that Sony Ericsson is obligated to fix your problem and a service centre is obligated to provide you with the right resolution. Or even a Refund/ Replacement if the case arises. So ensure you fight your case and hang on to the warranty booklet and present it to your service provider stating the policy.

In either case, such problems are not easily resolved in out Brilliant democracy, so we tend to consider this ear piece problem ( which we haven’t faced incidentally) a downside.

Messaging on the other hand is awesome on the new butter slide QWERTY magic that pops out from the side of this mini genius. The keyboard is fast and fun to use, very very tactical and offers great feedback along with the clickety sound. Alternatively you have the new Gingerbread Keyboard with pull handles and the works. In both cases the keyboard is marvelous and does its job  whether you are messaging or emailing, or simply browsing the Web.

Internet and Hotspots

The device has a silky smooth experience when it comes to surfing the inter-webs. The browser with its subtle yet responsive Kinetic scrolls, Accelerometer, and full flash capabilities rocks the cell phone stratosphere. Video streaming and flash games run well on this device and turns out to be an overall performer.

The device also features a portable WiFi Hotspot feature, which enables users to share the devices 3G connection with unto 5 connected devices.

Battery

Be prepared to charge your device several times if you are an Internet Hoe. The device sucks the juices from the power source when on 3G lasting only a couple of hours at the most. Talktime ranges from 3- 5.5 hours depending on how you use the device otherwise dusting that period , stand by time on the other hand runs into days. 3-4 days to be precise.

If you are using Wifi constantly the device lasts 8 hours, but on 3G the device can only do 3- 3.5 hours. Turn on the Portable hotspot and see your battery die out in a couple of hours tops. 

TimeScape

The new Timescape UI gives this device a  lot of flare and panache, adding interactivity and a clean interface to the otherwise splashy Android UI. With lots of customization features and layouts the Xperia Mini Pro SK17i can really become custom for each user. The addition of custom apps and features from Sony is welcome too.

Conclusion 

The device is a great mix for a user, Great multimedia and hardware specs, excellent display and Mobile Bravia Engine, not to mention the slide out keyboard. The device features Android 2.3.4 with Timescape, a 1GHZ processor and 512 MB of Ram. There is really not much more one can ask for. Sure there are the few problems, the red tint in camera ( which we don’t mind) the earpiece problem ( which we don’t have, but know that a lot of these device have) and poor battery on 3g data use ( well, Android is known for that )

We really can’t think of any QWERTY Touch slider that does better, Oh and did i forget to mention the device also has the Nexus S TV animation, during display power off, as standard.

[xrr rating=3.75/5 label=”We Rate it: ” imageset=shiny_yellow_star display_as=fraction_stars]

Price 

Indian Rupees 15,000/-

US Dollar : 300/-

Unboxing Video 

Video Sample

Full Video Review

Images