The Fantastic Sony Ericsson Xperia Mini Pro-A Feature Laden Compact Smartphone

Traditionally mobile phone handsets classified as a mini version of a larger phone sacrificed a great amount of functionality in order to be presented in a miniature form.  This idea has changed considerably over the past year with miniature phones now boasting many of the features that can be found on larger models.  Indeed some areas such as processor speed and screen resolution are helped by the more compact size.  The recent announcement of the new Sony Ericsson Xperia Mini Pro has seen things taken a step further by now including a fully functional Qwerty keyboard on one of these more compact models.  So does the reduced size of the phone hamper the functionality of the keypad or could this be a glimpse into the future of all mobile phone handsets.Perhaps the most surprising thing about this phone is how the developers have managed to incorporate the keypad beneath a screen that measures just 3 inches.  When you hold the phone in landscape mode the screen slides upwards to reveal the keypad.  The first thing to note is just how well built this mechanism feels in comparison to some of the cheaper slider designs that are available.  When activated the keyboard presents you with four rows of keys that are remarkably well spaced out, despite the obvious constraints on size.  At times deploying the keyboard is not practical and in such situations the capacitive touch panel offers a virtual keypad which is perfect for typing a quick text message.  The Xperia Mini Pro is one of the first handsets to benefit from Sony Ericsson new Facebook intergration that offers more interactive content than ever before.  Now you can easily share both audio tracks and photographs from your phone as well as bolster your contacts list with various information from the site.Being such a compact device makes the Sony Ericsson Xperia Mini Pro one of the most portable phones available.  The down side to having a phone that can easily be slipped into a jeans pocket is that inevitably it will come into contact with keys, coins and all manner of other material.  At one time items such as these would have marked the phones display but thanks to new Gorilla Glass being used the handset now is incredibly scratch resistant.  This not only keeps the phone looking better for longer but also helps to maintain the responsiveness of the screen which can be impaired by marks and scuffs.  The screen itself has undergone some work to enable maximum user friendliness from the small display.  Unlike other larger phones where icons are presented centrally on the phone Sony have fully used all four corners.  In these corners are shortcuts to your favourite functions which not only makes them easy to find but also reduces crowding on other areas of the screen.The Sony Ericsson Xperia Mini Pro proves that smaller phones need not sacrifice features or functionality.  The screen on this model is a joy to use and the social networking features further enhance the overall appeal of this new model.The Sony Ericsson Xperia Mini Pro and the Nokia X7 are coming soon.