Sony Ericsson Xperia mini vs Live with Walkman: A Detailed Comparison

The Sony Ericsson Xperia mini and Live with Walkman were both popular Android smartphones from a bygone era. While sharing a similar core chipset, they targeted slightly different audiences. This comparison dives deep into their features, performance, and overall value to help you understand which phone was the better choice.

Phones Images

🏆 Quick Verdict

The Live with Walkman edges out the Xperia mini thanks to its superior audio capabilities and slightly improved design. Both phones share the same Snapdragon S2 chipset and 1.0 GHz CPU, resulting in similar performance, but the Live's focus on multimedia gives it a slight advantage.

PHONES
Phone Names	Sony Ericsson Xperia mini	Sony Ericsson Live with Walkman

Network
2G bands	GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900	GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
3G bands	HSDPA 900 / 2100	HSDPA 900 / 2100 - WT19i
Speed	HSPA 7.2/5.76 Mbps	HSPA 7.2/5.76 Mbps
Technology	GSM / HSPA	GSM / HSPA
	HSDPA 850 / 1900 / 2100	HSDPA 850 / 1900 / 2100 - WT19a

Launch
Announced	2011, May. Released 2011, August	2011, August. Released 2011, October
Status	Discontinued	Discontinued

Body
Dimensions	88 x 52 x 16 mm (3.46 x 2.05 x 0.63 in)	106 x 56.5 x 14.2 mm (4.17 x 2.22 x 0.56 in)
SIM	Mini-SIM	Mini-SIM
Weight	99 g (3.49 oz)	115 g (4.06 oz)

Display
Protection	Scratch-resistant glass	Scratch-resistant glass
Resolution	320 x 480 pixels, 3:2 ratio (~192 ppi density)	320 x 480 pixels, 3:2 ratio (~180 ppi density)
Size	3.0 inches, 26.8 cm2 (~58.6% screen-to-body ratio)	3.2 inches, 30.5 cm2 (~50.9% screen-to-body ratio)
Type	LED-backlit LCD,	TFT

Platform
CPU	1.0 GHz Scorpion	1.0 GHz Scorpion
Chipset	Qualcomm MSM8255 Snapdragon S2	Qualcomm MSM8255 Snapdragon S2
GPU	Adreno 205	Adreno 205
OS	Android 2.3 (Gingerbread), upgradable to 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich)	Android 2.3 (Gingerbread), upgradable to 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich)

Memory
Card slot	microSDHC (dedicated slot), 2 GB included	microSDHC (dedicated slot), 2 GB included
Internal	512MB RAM, 320MB	320MB 512MB RAM

Main Camera
Features	LED flash	LED flash
Single	5 MP, AF	5 MP, AF
Video	720p	720p

Selfie camera
Single	-	VGA
	No	-

Sound
3.5mm jack	Yes	Yes
35mm jack	Yes	Yes
Loudspeaker	Yes	Yes, with stereo speakers

Comms
Bluetooth	2.1, A2DP	2.1, A2DP, EDR
Positioning	GPS, A-GPS	GPS, A-GPS
Radio	Stereo FM radio, RDS	Stereo FM radio, RDS
USB	microUSB 2.0	microUSB 2.0, OTG
WLAN	Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, DLNA, hotspot	Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, DLNA, hotspot

Features
Browser	HTML, Adobe Flash	-
Sensors	Accelerometer, proximity, compass	Accelerometer, proximity, compass
	ANT+ MP4/H.264/WMV player MP3/eAAC+/WMA/WAV player TrackID music recognition Document viewer Voice memo Predictive text input	ANT+ MP4/H.264/WMV player MP3/eAAC+/WMA/WAV player TrackID music recognition Document editor Voice memo Predictive text input

Battery
Music play	Up to 25 h	Up to 17 h 30 min
Stand-by	Up to 340 h (2G) / Up to 320 h (3G)	Up to 350 h (2G) / Up to 400 h (3G)
Talk time	Up to 4 h 30 min (2G) / Up to 4 h 30 min (3G)	Up to 14 h 15 min (2G) / Up to 6 h 42 min (3G)
Type	Removable Li-Ion 1200 mAh battery	Removable Li-Ion 1200 mAh battery

Misc
Colors	Black, White, Blue, Dark pink	Black, White
Models	ST15i	-
Price	About 120 EUR	About 120 EUR
SAR EU	0.78 W/kg (head)	1.00 W/kg (head)

Tests
Audio quality	Noise -88.7dB / Crosstalk -90.6dB	Noise -88.1dB / Crosstalk -87.9dB
Camera	Photo / Video	Photo / Video
Loudspeaker	Voice 71dB / Noise 65dB / Ring 66dB	Voice 75dB / Noise 68dB / Ring 78dB

Sony Ericsson Xperia mini

Compact and lightweight design
Slightly better battery life
Affordable price point (at the time)

Basic display quality
Limited performance
No expandable storage

Sony Ericsson Live with Walkman

Enhanced audio quality (Walkman branding)
Slightly more premium design
Improved image processing (potentially)

Shorter battery life
Similar performance to Xperia mini
No expandable storage

Display Comparison

Both phones featured a 3-inch HVGA (320x480) capacitive touchscreen. Display quality was adequate for the time, but neither phone excelled in this area. The Live with Walkman's screen might have had slightly better color reproduction due to its slightly more premium build.

Camera Comparison

Both featured an 8MP camera with autofocus and LED flash. Image quality was decent in good lighting conditions, but suffered in low light. Video recording was limited to 480p on both devices. The Live with Walkman might have had slightly better image processing due to Sony's expertise in camera technology.

Performance

Powered by the Qualcomm MSM8255 Snapdragon S2 chipset and a 1.0 GHz Scorpion CPU, both phones offered comparable performance for everyday tasks. Expect some lag when multitasking or running demanding apps. Gaming was possible, but not a strong suit for either device.

Battery Life

The Xperia mini typically offered slightly better battery life, around 8 hours of talk time, compared to the Live with Walkman's approximately 6 hours. This difference was likely due to the Live's more power-hungry features like the dedicated Walkman player and potentially a slightly larger screen.

Buying Guide

The Xperia mini was ideal for users prioritizing a compact and lightweight device for basic Android functionality. The Live with Walkman was targeted towards music enthusiasts and those seeking a more premium design and enhanced audio experience.