Sony Ericsson unveiled its first Android-based handset today – the Xperia X10. Due out in the first quarter of 2010, analysts will be closely watching the sales performance and market response. But with Sony Ericsson’s other brand new handset – the Satio – in stores before Christmas, is it worth the wait til after the festive period for the Xperia?

Let’s compare the two side by side. Operating system aside, here’s a quick run-down of the key features.

Physical:

Satio: dimensions 112 x 55 x 13mm, 126g weight

Xperia: dimensions 110.5 x 52.6 x 17mm, 145g weight

Winner: The Satio – whilst it’s slightly bigger than the Xperia it weighs less and is nearly half a centimetre slimmer.

Battery life:

Satio: Standard battery (Li-Po 1000 mAh) gives up to 360 hours (2G) up to 340 hours (3G) standby, and up to 11 hours (2G) and up to 4 hours 50 minutes (3G) talktime.

Xperia: Standard battery (Li-Po 1500 mAh) gives up to 833 hours (2G) up to 640 hours (3G) standby, and up to 10 hours (2G) and up to 6 hours (3G) talktime.

Winner: The Xperia – although it has a battery 1.5x the capacity of the Satio, it gives considerably longer standby time and 3G talktime – although 2G talktime is less.

Camera:

Satio: 12 megapixels, 4000×3000 pixel resolution. Autofocus, xenon flash, LED lighting for video

Xperia:3.15 megapixels, 2048×1536 pixel resolution. Autofocus, LED flash.

Winner: The Satio – not just based on the resolution, but a xenon flash is a lot better for taking pictures in low-light situations than a LED flash.

Data:

Both handsets have GPRS, EDGE, 7.2Mbit/s HSDPA and 3.6Mbit/s HSUPA for 2G/3G data, plus 802.11b/g Wi-Fi. However the Satio can also do HSCSD for slightly faster data on traditional 2G non-EDGE networks and is DLNA certified allowing easier sharing of media with other home entertainment devices on your local network.

Winner: Not much in it, but if you want to share media easily on the phone’s Wi-Fi connection and might occasionally be in an area with only a 2G non-EDGE network available, the Satio edges (no pun intended!) ahead.

Display:

Satio: TFT touchscreen, 16M colours, 3.5 inch size, 360×640 pixel resolution.

Xperia: TFT resistive touchscreen, 65K colours, 3.0 inch size, 800×480 pixel resolution.

Winner: Whilst the Xperia has a higher resolution screen, the Satio wins with a larger screen and higher colour depth.

Available apps:

Satio: Running the Symbian Series 60, 5th edition operating system the Satio also gives you access to the Sony Ericsson PlayNow Arena app store.

Xperia: As with all Android phones, the Android Marketplace is the first stop for applications for your Xperia.

Winner: It’s close, although initial thoughts are the Xperia has the lead with access to Android applications.

The overall result:

If you’re a non-tech user, and want a phone that’s not only reliable for everyday phone calls, texts and the like, but also comes with a great camera and half-decent features like GPS, go for the Satio. However if you’re seriously into smartphones, want to be with the ‘cool crowd’ by carrying an Android handset, but don’t mind having a frankly terrible camera, the Xperia is probably right at the top of your shopping list. You’ll just need to be patient, as it’s not due out until Q1 2010, whilst the Satio is in stores now.

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