By Oo Gin Lee

THE new Xperia X1 from Sony Ericsson offers a whole new mobile phone experience, at once turning you into a plastic surgeon and an architect.

With most phones, you can easily change the colour and design of the wallpaper to fit your moods, but with the Windows Mobile-based X1, you can give this touchscreen phone a complete facelift, over and over again.

The new feature in this Windows Mobile-based is what Sony Ericsson calls panels. Think of each panel - you see them as visual icons - as starting points with which to get into different modules of tools on the phone. The changes are not just cosmetic - the way the phone works is completely re-architected with each different panel.

For instance, a Google panel lets you do instant Google searches and gives quick access to Gmail, Google Maps and Calendar, all within that panel.

Another panel offers a nice analogue clock, live news feeds, weather and calendar.

My favourite is the 'Fish' panel, where you get up to four fishes that swim away when you touch them and swim back when you press on a blank part of the screen.

This is a far cry from the functional but boring Windows Mobile standard Today interface.

The phone comes with seven pre-installed panels, but you can go online to get more. The Cool Hunting panel, for instance, features daily updates on art, design and culture and the Slideshow panel automatically plays back your photos in a slideshow.

The X1 is all about looking gorgeous. Its surfaces feel like a combination of real metals and top-grade finishes. The 800 x 480 resolution screen offers crisp and sharp images and is excellent for viewing videos.

To type, turn the phone to horizontal mode and slide the touchscreen upwards. It will push gently upwards in a mini-arched sweep to reveal a slick metallic Qwerty keypad with large and well-spaced keys. The arc design means the screen now faces you at a slight angle for easier viewing.

Real geeks will not be disappointed with the hardware: a Qualcomm 528MHz processor, 256MB RAM, 512 flash memory with up to 400MB storage, 3.5G, Wi-Fi, assisted GPS, 3.2-megapixel camera with auto-focus for stills and video, Bluetooth 2.0 with stereo and, most importantly, a whopping 1,500 mAh lithium polymer battery which lasted me for two days on a four-hour charge. Navigate with the stylus (or fingertip), a four-way navigation pad, Qwerty keypad and an optical joystick.

The touch technology is decent but no match for Apple's multi-touch iPhone. Sliding my finger across the fan of panels was a challenge as the panels kept launching unintentionally while I was still selecting them.

Another great feature is that your SMS messages are now displayed as threads the way Gmail works, so it's easier to keep track of multiple SMS messages from the same person.

The X1 is Sony Ericsson's first Windows Mobile phone. Having owned its earlier SE Symbian-based smartphones like the P900 and the M600i, I have to say that these oldies are easier to use.

With the Symbian designs, Sony Ericsson always offered a keypad below the screen on the front panel, so you can make calls and send SMS messages using just one hand. But the X1's slide-out Qwerty keypad calls for two-handed operation for sending SMS messages, which can be a problem when you are in a hurry.

Also, sorely missing is the presence of a dedicated 'back' key and I had some problems navigating the Windows Mobile interface without it.

If you are a Windows Mobile fan, then the X1 should rank among the top on your list. Not only does it look fabulous, but the features are also top-class. What is most amazing is that Sony Ericsson managed to pack all of these into a device that is just slightly bigger than my Sony Ericsson K850i mainstream phone.

This article was first published in Digital Life, The Straits Times on Oct 29, 2008.