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As with the superb little X10 Mini and X10 Mini Pro, the X8 is a great performer when it comes to battery life. The low-spec 600MHz processor and small-ish three-inch screen keep power use low, so as long as you're not GPS-ing your way around the country, it'll last.
Connectivity is impressive for a phone in this price range, although well within Android standards. You get GPS support, with the X8 hooking onto your satellite position and starting up quicker than most phone sat navs we've used. It's hard to believe that your £140 gets you a fully featured GPS device, thanks to Google's incredible Maps Navigation app.
There's an FM radio, Wi-Fi connectivity (which was super-reliable and quick to connect), Bluetooth, micro-USB connector and seamless operation as a mass storage device for dumping your files onto its memory card.
The phone comes with Sony Ericsson's PC Companion suite on the 2GB microSD card, designed to simplify the stuff-putting-on process, which is amazingly unnecessary, since the phone identifies itself as an external drive in standard Android fashion.
The PC Companion also enables you to sync your phone's content, another needless duplication of Google's Android backup system, plus there's Sony Ericsson's Media Go tool for music organisation. But you'll be best off not using any of it and just chucking all your tunes in big a folder and letting Google handle your Contacts.
