Sony Ericsson Xperia X1 vs. Nokia N96

02112008453 Sony Ericsson Xperia X1 vs. Nokia N96

As you may know I’ve attended the Mobile World Congress 2008 in Barcelona. Nokia’s hottest and most popular device was with no doubt the N96. Going to Sony Ericsson’s stand everybody just spoke about the Xperia X1. Now, 9 months later, both devices are on the market and luckily on my desk too. These two flagships offer almost everything being Wi-Fi, GPS, a huge screen and a lot more. I’d like to compare it in the next days or weeks. However before posting my first comparison I’d like to hear your opinion. Which device do you prefer? What are the advantages or disadvantages of the N96 and of the X1?

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  3. Sony Ericsson Xperia X1 vs. Nokia N96: Flash Comparison
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  5. N82 Black vs. Sony Ericsson G900 vs. E66: Whose flash is better?






by Norman John on November 2nd, 2008 |

9 Responses to “Sony Ericsson Xperia X1 vs. Nokia N96”

  1. The N96 is better with it’s camera
    but the OS of the Sony Ericsson is better than N96’s OS.
    But if I had $2000 I would buy them both!

    Raptole said this on November 2nd, 2008 at 17:05

  2. True, N96 is better with it’s camera..
    and it’s 16gb internal memory is just so nice to have!
    Xperia has a bigger screen by 0.2″ than N96 and it’s also touch screen, with 4 rows of qwerty keyboard as well!
    I reckon each device has it’s own advantage and disadvantage..
    I’d buy both if i have enough money! They’re both top of the list of the most powerful phones out there

    billy k said this on November 2nd, 2008 at 19:00

  3. @ Ratpole,
    WinMo is better than S60?? Since when? The global sales figures, device hardware, features and capabilities, developer language support, and open source roadmap speak otherwise.

    I prefer the N95 8gb to the N96, but the N96 is just yards beyond the Xperia1. The Xperia1’s screen is nice, but doesn’t make WinMo any simpler, more stable, or easier to use than the N96, nor S60 in general. Let me explain how.

    1. The obvious main feature is the camera. The Nseries is the industry leader in this area, and the Xperia1’s effort, while valiant, is merely a couple generations behind.

    2. The biggest disadvantage is the OS interface. While both are great, with a nice set of native capabilities, S60 just allows the user and developer to do more, and make the device into whatever the user decides to make it.

    WinMo knows all the right moves, but does them with two left feet. Xperia1’s Panels interface is a step forward, but still behind Symbian for power users. I compare the two like this:

    WinMo is like the space shuttle. Complicated if you’ve never flown one, but with unrivaled capabilities. S60 is also like the space shuttle, but with enough labelling and simplicity to have you star trekking in no time.

    3. While both have great developer tools, S60 just involves more developers. With c++, Mscript, Python, Java, Qt, Flashlite, Web 2.0, and other languages, nearly any developer can easily create apps for S60, better than any other platform.

    4. Most will disagree because of perception, and obviously society has been brainwashed. Either way, our favor for mini QWERTY devices is silly. Test after test proves T9 is superior in speed to mini QWERTY, hands down. Speaking of hands, the N96 only needs one. The Xperia1 takes two. So the N96 is a better business productivity tool.

    5. The browser. The Nokia OSS Webkit browser works well, not just at browsing the web, but using it. Web based apps work well, and video plays in the browser, with full access to the file system. It doesn’t require a login to use the browser, and achieves full HTML via meager WAP connection settings.

    6. Ngage. Online gaming is a plus, and no one but Nokia does it well right now.

    So this looks pretty simple from my end. But I’m an admitted Nseries fanboy. Sue me! ;)

    christexaport said this on November 3rd, 2008 at 04:48

  4. You are? You could’ve fool me.

    The undestament of the year!

    bustafone said this on November 3rd, 2008 at 16:43

  5. Well they’re no rivals! each has it’s own advantages nd disadvantages .. X1 is more hardcore while the N96 is more portable … anyway I’ll put it this way …

    X1 advantages:

    1. Heavily Improved Windows Mobile 6.1
    2. ATI 3D Graphics Chip
    3. Higher Res 3 inch WVGA “800×480px” Touch Screen (compared to a 2.8 inch QVGA 320×240px normal screen)
    4. More powerful processor (dual 528mhz ARM11 (RUMORED) … compared to dual 264 mhz ARM9)
    5. 3X times bigger RAM (382MB compared to 128MB)
    6. Higher Quality video recording (I’VE SEEN VIDEOS). And more video recording options (many video formats available)

    Its hard to find any more advantages =| … now for Nokia …

    N95 advantages:

    1. 5 Megapixel HIGH QUALITY Camera (compared to 3.2mp)
    2. More Colorful (16 million colors compared to 65 thousand)
    3. More Memory Storage (16GB hard drive,plus an up to 16GB SD card compared to 512MB internal memory upgradable to 16GB)
    4. About 20 grams lighter (am not sure if that one counts lol)
    5. A MOBILE PHONE (the X1 is more like a portable PC)

    That’s pretty much it … well if you ask me I think I’ll go for the N96 coz it’s lighter, smaller, nd more like a MOBILE PHONE that’s its purpose!! … but since I’m a (Sony, Sony Ericsson) fan I’ll take the XPERIA ;) … Portable PC?? I-DONT-CARE XD

    Sony fan :P said this on November 11th, 2008 at 14:17

  6. @christexaport

    couple generations behind??? is that some joke?? everyone knows that Sony is the world leader in camera productions, nd their cameras are the very best in video recording … anyway you have your opinion, nd I have mine :) … but for the link out for the X1’s camera still images and video recording samples:

    http://blog.se-nse.net/2008/10/28/xperia-x1-camera-samples-photo-and-video/

    I wonder if you still think XPERIA is generations behind ^^

    X11111 said this on November 11th, 2008 at 14:41

  7. Does anyone know abouts when this beeyootiful Experia X1 phone is coming to the US market? I prefer not to purchase an unlocked version from overseas but i may have to do it. =(

    steveygti said this on November 14th, 2008 at 07:47

  8. I have tried both, as i used to have an n95 8GB device, and have to say, the sony is just a better all round device, sturdy and reliable, compared to the plastic toy nokia. Add to the x1 you can port in the touchflo and iphone touch screen interface and it’s hands down winner over the nokia. Nokia webbrowser is clunky and the sony integrates with my pc perfectly.

    Upshot: nokia is more of a media player come phone, the sony is leagues ahead in using mobile web and email. I have a decent digtal camera (better than both the x1 and n96 - yes it’s sony cybershot) and only use my phone for snapshots whilst on the move. I just wish the sony had the better speakers of the nokia, but that;s why i have bluetooth headphones!

    richard said this on November 16th, 2008 at 01:19

  9. Sony man i was a bit disappointed with storage space come on and the colors and camera (sony is great with cameras =() but over all SONY i like both phones (and also id like to applaud sony on its phones sleek metal design and sturdy slide in slide out and lighting design =) go sony But the N96 still owns meh…=)

    TreBeck said this on November 18th, 2008 at 03:24

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