QUICK LOOK

• Slide out QWERTY keyboard
• Admirably small dimensions of 90x52x17mm
• Expandable memory

So, in my snapshot review I called the Xperia X10 Mini Pro the ‘reverse mullet’ of phones, since it’s all party in the front and all business in the back. After getting to know the phone a little better, I’m happy to say that I can stand by that assessment. It’s not a bad choice for a girl who wants something that looks cuter than a Crackberry, but can still keep up with her emails. That said, it’s got some serious limitations that become apparent when you live with it for a few weeks, and (again, like the mullet) it probably shouldn’t be your first choice unless you’re a very particular kind of person.

Let’s start with the size, since it’s what the phone is probably best known for. It’s not overrated (or is that underrated?): the Xperia really is an adorably mini phone. It’s also sleek and sexy. A little chunky, because of the slide-out keyboard, but definitely something that you’ll love slipping out of your handbag. Sony Ericsson’s been very good about compensating for the small screen size, too, so you seldom feel limited in terms of what you can see.

And, *sigh, the keyboard: how do I love thee, let me count the ways… it’s just fabulous. Very quick to type on. Smoother and more spacious than the Blackberry keyboards. You can crank out 20 emails in 2 minutes without breaking a sweat, and it’s a dream for instant messaging. The QWERTY is the one compelling reason to get this phone over other mid-range smartphones. If you’re an uncoordinated dork like me, it’s reassuring to feel like you’ll never need to learn to type on a touchscreen.

So, the Xperia X10 Mini Pro has a lovely body. Unfortunately, we also need our phones to have brains, and that’s where this little cutie will let you down. The truth is, the Xperia just does not have the power to keep up with a modern girl’s busy lifestyle. And by power, I mean both the battery- and processing- variety.

You’d get better battery life from a Land Rover running on AAs. If you’re using it (and you should be using a phone, dammit) it lasts less than a full working day. Yes, it charges quickly and you can turn off features to make it last longer, but you end up having to carry a charger around with you all day, which immediately nullifies the advantage of the phone being small enough to fit into a pocket.

The processing power isn’t wonderful, either. When you first start using the phone, it’s better than you expect, but you definitely start to feel how slow it is as you use it more heavily. I had applications crash on me quite often – Tweetdeck seemed to be the worst culprit but some of the more intensive Android games just never loaded at all.

The screen freezes at times, often just as the phone starts ringing so you can’t answer the call (doesn’t the phone understand, that could be the Lotto calling! Even though, um, I’ve never entered the Lotto in my life).

I have some gripes about the UI, but they’re not insurmountable. The phone ships with the antiquated Android 1.6 (why, Sony, why?), but you can update that to the lovely 2.2 (Froyo) quite quickly. This friendly YouTube video will show you how. Do it as soon as you get the phone, because if you don’t have a memory card you won’t be able to back up your data before you upgrade.

The home screen spaces are handled well given the screen size. You have 20 screen spaces to play with, so you can spread out all of your widgets very comfortably. Delete the Timescape feature the phone comes pre-installed with (it aims to integrate your social media, email and SMS streams, but it’s phenomenally crap). Rather stick to your old favourite social media widgets.

With this sweet little gadgetling, Sony Ericsson nearly got it very right: it created a gorgeous but compact phone that would still be able to handle serious typing. But it’s hard to get over the battery life and the processor. If you don’t think you’ll be using the phone heavily and you want something cute and small, consider getting it. But if you want a phone with brains, look for something else.

Turn ons

• Good looking and absolutely tiny
• The hardware’s solid and it has all the features you need
• Great slide-out keyboard

Turn offs

• Awful, awful battery life
• Ships with Android 1.6 (the equivalent of a new PC shipping with Windows XP)
• It can be s-l-o-o-o-o-w

Price: R3999.00