SE Xperia X1 vs HTC Touch Pro – browsing experience

November 21, 2008 | By Surur

Today we look at the browsing experience in these two competitor phones. They both use the Opera Mobile 9.5 browser, build 2005 on the Xperia X1 and build 1522 on the Touch Pro. For this test I used default settings, with no added software tweaks. The conclusion may surprise you, and I am aware the outcome may be different after some configuration changes and 3rd party software, but most users will not know about these.

As can be seen in the video, text entry without a stylus is nearly impossible on the Xperia X1 in portrait mode. By necessity you have to slide open the keyboard. The same situation does not apply to the HTC Touch Pro.

We are loading the Slate website, a web property apparently inaccessible to Opera Mobile according to Gizmodo.

When it comes to rendering the page its clear the zoom level is lower on the Touch Pro than the Xperia, resulting in the device showing more of the page, both in portrait and landscape mode. Of course due to the higher resolution and higher zoom level, the text is more readable on the Xperia, but you still need pretty good eye sight to read text at those small sizes. Additionally zooming is much easier on the Touch Pro, which uses the navi-wheel to zoom in smoothly in and out. The Xperia uses the OK key to zoom in, but there is no key to zoom out with, and because the OK key is tied up with zooming you cant use it to minimize Opera anymore.

Edit: I have just discovered one can zoom in and out using the volume keys also, but again not as smoothly as the navi-wheel.

On the Touch Pro the text also reflows to fit the zoom level, a feature which is strangely missing from Opera on the Xperia.

All these issues combined results in the browsing experience being much slicker on the HTC Touch Pro than the Xperia X1, despite that device’s larger, higher resolution screen.

As mentioned earlier, installing a 3rd party keyboard or even the same one the Touch Pro uses, and fiddling with Opera Mobile’s settings on the Xperia may cause both devices to behave similarly, but again, these are really issues Sony Ericsson sorted out before releasing the device.

Both the Xperia X1 and HTC Touch Pro are available on Expansys (affiliate link).

About Surur

Site Admin and Windows Phone enthusiast, he has been using Windows Mobile devices since before they were called PocketPC’s. He is currently sporting a HTC 7 Trophy.

Tagged browser, browsers, htc, htc touch pro, opera, opera mobile 9.5, review, sony ericsson, sony ericsson xperia x1, xperia, xperia x1

netboy

at the end of youtube, you said “the htc touch pro has a better experience than the SE Xperia X1″, this is just biased! just cus u have HTC touch pro!
you cant compare opera mobile with different version # on each device!
if u going to compare, compare it to opera mini 4.2 on both device!
and u will see X1 with 800×480 shows more data on screen = less scrolling = always better experience!
Pingback: SE Xperia X1 vs HTC Touch Pro - browsing experience
admin

Thats the version of the browsers mine came with (both of them). Does your xperia opera mobile reflow text?

I dont believe I am biased, but so far I have found many things working better on the Touch Pro than the Xperia.

While reviewing the xperia I plan to give it 4-5 days without any 3rd party hacks, but by Sunday I plan to install all of HTC’s tweaks, like the enlarged start menu, the Touch HD touch flo3d, the youtube app etc, like most expert users will do. Without those hacks the Xperia is pretty raw.
netboy

different version # on each device = different default setting! how can you compare that? if u going to compare, compare it with same version # on both device!
http://triman.co.uk Mark Cathcart

I have an HTC Touch Pro, unbranded, unlocked. Personally I find having the Opera browser the default frustrating. At least on my system the on screen keyboard keeps opening on web pages when I have no need to input anything, oscuring pages. It crashed, and I have plenty of free memory, I find the time taken to render pages is slow etc. and the zoom in/out is little more than an Apple fan-boy gimmick.

I use my HTC to do real text input on online fora, newsgroups, blogs etc. For this sort of thing clear simple text andnthe single column rendering and fixed size of IE is more productive. It would be nice if HTC provided a utility to switch default browsers rather than force opera down everyones phone.
admin

If your keyboard is popping up all the time it may mean you have flash lite 3.1 installed. Uninstall or disable it, and most of your problems may go away.

@netboy: We are comparing the devices and their default software and configuration. Thats means not installing another version of the browser.
netboy

“@netboy: We are comparing the devices and their default software and configuration. Thats means not installing another version of the browser”

that doesnt make much sense! HTC touch pro and Sony X1 both released at different date! so are u going to compare a device released in 2006 and a device released in 2008? or are u going to compare it with a device releases in 2010? haha
Soni

@netboy : that doesnt make much sense! HTC touch pro and Sony X1 both released at different date! so are u going to compare a device released in 2006 and a device released in 2008? or are u going to compare it with a device releases in 2010? haha

Yea but it makes sense to compare if the device released LATER has features missing by default that are already present in the other older device
Torpie13

Thanx for you review.
I don’t think it’s biased.

I was thinking the same thing. X1 screen is too narow.

I’ve got a Polaris right now, but I’m thinking to go for HTC HD for larger screen or TP for All-in-one device ?

BTW SE Panels works on HTC HD. Source XDAdev Forums.

Cheers
http://www.zenyee.com zen

I would agree with you that Xperia, feels raw when compared to Touch Pro, out of the box.

That’s probably my main peeve. But as a Windows Mobile user, I know that I would always do some level of customisation to my phone, and not using the device as vanilla as it could be. So, this peeve, is not the showstopper for me. The truth is, as a Xperia owner, I felt that I have a better device than a Touch Pro, which I owned for 8 weeks before swopping for the Xperia. And the reason? Superior Hardware, with software customisation. You can’t tweak TouchPro hardware, could you? (e.g. more memory, better though subjective keyboard, better sliding mechanism, better battery lifespan, and the list goes on when it comes to hardware superiority)

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think Touch Pro is a lesser product. But to write off Xperia, or thinks that Touch Pro is everything and Xperia is just a bridemaid, either shows one is either wearing a very red tinted glass, or just simply missing the point.
http://www.zenyee.com zen

BTW, I use my Xperia to access Slate.com, I don’t see any difference with what your Touch Pro renders, versus what mine, in terms of the how much the screen can cover the page.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQ5NVLPKoHE
stickks

I have had the Sprint version of the Touch Pro for about 3 weeks now and I love it! I keep finding new things on it that I havent discovered. I did try the sony phone and I am pretty sure the touch pro is about the best smart phone out there, way better than the iphone. I use it alot with the wifi and it is awsome. I love having the keyboard. All in all, the best money I ever spent on a phone.
stickks

zen, you can tweak the hardware. You can put up to a 16 gig memory chip in it. And you can easily download mp3s to your pc and transfer them to the phone. The x1 is a cool phone though. We can differ on our opinions. We got the two best ones out there. I know that a few iphone people that i know were very very jealous when they saw my phone and the fact that the iphone doesnt have alot of the really good features both the x1 and the touch pro have.. cheers!
admin

That Facebook panel sure is cool,isnt it.
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Jon Deutsch

As someone who is assessing both units, I am really at a stand-still!

This initial video makes a compelling case for the TP in terms of overall usability of browsing. However, there are two issues at play here:

The admin of wmp is clearly indicating the “OOTB” experience comparison, which is very important in terms of overall marketing and user acceptance. Most users will NOT customize their xperia’s xperience (beyond panels).

But, wmpoweruser.com is all about power users, so this comparison is kind of misleading to its target audience, all of which will happily install all the HTC design updates to their xperia’s, providing a very similar experience across both devices.

So…. I think this video is informative in terms of a general consumer piece, but also misplaced and misleading in terms of the audience that this video will attract!

If the admin of wmp would have said “OOTB browsing experience” then I think there would be less flap on the boards around how “unfair” it is compare different versions of Opera.

Speaking of which, when the heck is someone going to enable a WM6.1 solution that keeps all the software up to date automatically (Like Windows Update in Vista)? This would negate any “OOTB” version issues that are clearly an issue with today’s smartphones.

So, as it stands today, I am leaning toward the X1 over the TP. Here’s why:

1. Xperia hardware looks like a device that I would be proud to be paired with. In other words, just like Apple, Sony understands that a gadget can also be a fashion accessory. That’s a 2fer in terms of value-add.

2. I have found the FUZE to be too heavy and bricky to be pocket-friendly. This was a major disappointment when I checked it out at AT&T last week! I was all ready to buy the FUZE when I realized that it would take a serious adjustment to have that kind of weight in my pocket. It remains to be seen how I feel about the X1′s weight and thickness. But, in terms of the specs published, the X1 looks to be about 1.5oz lighter than the FUZE, which is about 25% lighter. NOTE: The FUZE for some odd reason is 1/2oz heavier than the Sprint Touch Pro and the HTC Touch Pro. No idea why.

3. The X1 has more hard buttons on the front panel, and more easily pressed hard buttons on the front panel. I have heard serious complaints about the “up” arrow on the X1 d-pad, but I will have to see for myself if that is insurmountable. I have played with TP, and the front panel buttons are not confidence-inspiring. I feel like it’s a negotiation with each press of the dpad.

4. The absence of the g-sensor on the X1 is stunning, and quite disappointing. What a huge bummer. What the heck was Sony thinking? G-sensors = cool + fun. Xperia = cool+fun. What am I missing?

5. The FUZE is about $175 w/plan on AT&T, and the X1 will be around $700 retail in a few weeks. Yikes, that’s not a marginal difference in price, is it? I’m not sure I can justify a 4x price difference for a phone that is about 1.5x as good. Or, can I? Well, it’s like buying clothing: I can spend $200 on a shirt or $10 on a shirt. They both cover my torso about as effectively, but which one do I want people to see me paired with? This goes back to the gadget-as-accessory frame.

6. Panels. I figured they would be a dead platform as soon as 09, but the new facebook panel could be a game-changer. It shows how Panels could be the equiv to iPhone apps! Will panels have market mojo? What incentives are Sony peddling for developers to get on board? What kind of penetration can panels have if limited to only 1 device? Very chicken/egg situation here, and kind of a risk for X1 owners if they are relying on panels to breathe life into WM6.1.

7. TouchFlo 3D on X1. If this really ends up being portable to the X1 with 100% functionality and no bugs, then the X1 ends up being the more flexible device of the two. It is highly unlikely for several reasons that the TP would ever get panels. Sure, they might be portable over to the TP-HD, but that’s not the TP, is it?

8. Keyboards. I’ve read some horrific reviews of the X1 keyboard, but they’ve been scattered and not consistent. So, I guess I’ll have to wait to actually try one myself to see how bad it really is. I tested out the TP keyboard, and I know it gets rave reviews, but coming from my HTC S710/Vox, I find the lack of space between the keys troubling. I’m sure I’ll get used to it, but it seems like the X1′s layout is more like my S710′s layout, which I find quite comfortable to type on. I am quite concerned about the lack of tactile feedback on the X1 keyboard, though. If there’s no feedback, then what’s the point of a hardware keyboard? Again, reviews have not been satisfactory around this aspect of the X1, so I’ll have to wait to see for myself.

So, this is where I am right now re: the two devices. I am honestly looking for excuses to cheap out and get the FUZE, and this video helped until I realized that it was an OOTB comparison, and not an optimized comparison. So, I am still creating justifications to pay $700 for the X1 right now!

Jon
pinguino1

@admin,
Look at this picture and comments from Cnet Asia
the point in your comaparison is that Xperia can’t show
as much web page as the PRO. Wrong.

A picture is worth 1000 words.
http://asia.cnet.com/reviews/handhelds/0,39001709,62047578-5,00.htm
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http://www.zenyee.com zen

@stickks,

we all know technically anything is possible. But in reality, to tweak a hardware especially on products like phone or laptops, is harder than tweaking a PC, and even much harder when trying to tweak the software.

For some reason I have yet figured out, Xperia’s battery life is so much superior than that of Touch Pro. And that’s not just from a few hrs of usage of either phones, since I owned owned Touch Pro for 8 weeks, and Xperia since Nov 1st.
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http://www.falconpcservices.com schow

I would say that the X1 is very similar to the Sidekick design, with more functionality such as games and multi-languages. Running Window Mobile provides users with more capabilities to add different features to the phone. Memory card slot where you can add more features to your everyday usage. The X1 starts up like Google Chrome, with customized theme enables you to select the 9 items you want to use at your convenience. Using touch screen and QWERTY keypad technology allows you to text and go as fast as you can. Consider having a helper who stores all your data and ready when you needed them, this phone has internal memory of 400Mbs and supports up to 16GBs external memory card. The 3.2 Megapixel camera is a fun and exciting function while you hold your X1 horizontal so it looks like a digital camera. It also has a stylus so it is best off to use it when you have sticky fingers.

One thing I like about this phone is that you are not strictly have to select a data-plan with your voice services company. It has build-in Wifi and also supports Java applications and Video calls so you won’t be bored on the road. The only problem is to find an area where you can receive free Wifi connection.The A-GPS function is linked with Google Map and their interface is very easy to use. The only problem is you will need to get to a Wifi connection or if you’ve already have the data plan in order to use it.
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