In the midst of my Sony Ericsson Xperia X8 review found here, I was lucky enough to also receive the LiveView to complement the package. The LiveView consists of a small cube – similar to a watch and incidently, it does come with a watch strap to wear it in that position.

You can also attach the LiveView on to a keychain so the carrying ability is almost endless and only restricted by your imagination. It is a little bit bulkier than a standard watch as it sits-up away from the wrist in a position I do not favour. My preference was to use the clip on the LiveView.

On initial inspection, the display is totally black and looks to be switched off when it is actually on. The buttons on the top-left and top-right are easily accessible. Unfortunately, my one weakness is disregarding manuals, so it took me a while to find out all the functions available and I did, eventually have to refer at times to the manual. Pairing was instantaneous and I had no problems with pairing-failure or the X8 or LiveView not recognising one another. The available options are easily scrolled through, but in amongst the UI you have options to scroll up, down, left or right. I am of the opinion, that it should show the additional view options via the display so you are aware where you are within the menu process and what is the next available feature. The LiveView offers you the facility to receive and read text messages as well as RSS feeds and check received or missed calls. It displays incoming calls along with the telephone number with such clarity that you only need to glance once at the screen and you can mute the ringer for incoming phone calls. In addition you have access to your social networks such as Twitter and Facebook updates. Everything worked with speed and efficiency and I have no complaints in that direction. Music player controls is a brilliant innovation – you can choose the next track or the previous one that you wish to hear, you can pause tracks, you can view the track title and you can adjust the volume quickly and effortlessly. The LiveView software is downloadable from the Android Market store and took a very short time to download and install to the X8. Once the LiveView and X8 were paired there was nothing further to do. Lastly you can view calendar reminders and search for your phone and the display shows the time and date of the present day. The additional LiveWare Manager application allows direct access and search of the Android Market store and any available enabled applications will be presented to you.

The LiveView came with the following accessories and is available in several different Experience Packs suited to the customers experience. At present their exists the Sony Ericsson Live View – The SportyPal Pro and several more are on offer.

In conclusion, I found the Sony Ericsson LiveView to be a useful product, which is also very small and discreet, an innovative device with zero faults to its functionality. My only complaint was in the aesthetics. However, considering the very small size of the X8 that I had for review, I did not feel that I personally would require the use of the LiveView on a day to day basis.  But, if you are an owner of one of the larger Andoid devices, then I would consider it a recommended piece of equipment to add to your needs. It is far less instrusive in meetings and does not necessitate you carryng a phone in full view or resting it on a table for checking regular telephone activity.

The LiveView Specifications are as follows:

Bluetooth technology: range approximately 10m
Micro USB connector
1.3″ colour OLED display: 128×128 pixels
Size: 3.5×3.5×1.1cm
Colour: Black
Kit content for basic Sony Ericsson LiveView – clip, wristband (watch strap), micro usb charger and user guide.

The LiveView is compatible with the Xperia X10, Sony Ericcsson Xperia X10mini, Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 mini pro and the majority of Android 2.0 handsets. Please check that your phone is one of the ranges available before purchase via www.sonyericsson.com

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dani2xll
Hi! My name is Dani and I am a student reading Linguistics at university. My passion is technology and I love to write and share my thoughts, ideas and views on the subject. Thank you for reading my article. You can add me via twitter @dani2xll http://dani2xll.com
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