When money is not an important issue, people can easily relish small things in life. Luxury phones are having a tough time being unique nowadays. Mobile phones by manufacturers like the Gresso, Vertu, and Mobiado are segmented at the very same target audience of people, who don’t mind spending more money on expensive phones. On the other hand, mainstream phone-makers rarely have models that belong to this particular price category, i.e.: HTC offers the Nexus One and Touch Diamond2; LG sells Prada branded phone; Nokia with its flagship, the N900; while the Samsung to offer Wave and Giorgio Armani. However, we cannot assume this is a prevailing trend.

Therefore, Sony Ericsson has decided to join the club, rolling out the Xperia Pureness X5, a phone with basic functionality and magnificent transparent screen. It would set you back with approximately $1,000. And, for that you get nothing but the basics, you can make calls, text and receive MMS and browse the Web. Exterior wise, the phone has a see through glass panel screen and a glossy plain black keyboard, which lights up when taken off stand by. There also isn’t a camera.

As you may notice from the special brochures coming with the phone, buying the Xperia Pureness X5, give the user the right to take advantage of certain privileges like getting the device replaced within 48 hours in case it breaks down (valid for most countries), plus dedicated web portal and customer support team to answer all questions about product. Moreover, users are also entitled to Pureness concierge (a service that buyer need to register with providing the device IMEI) that provides information on events; posh restaurants, to book a hotel room, to buy tickets for a game, etc. and allows the users to book places right away.

Aside from booklets and the phone itself, which is the main talking point of this phone is it see through screen which, although a nice gimmick, is the only wow factor this phone brings to the table. There is no mini camera, no mini USB port and certainly no color reproduction from the display. Actually, the display uses twin LED’s around the edges to bounce the image around, which resulted in me finding it so hard to read in daylight. So, maybe, this phone is best suited for a night out? To toss around your mates’ hands and see they gawp.

Key features:

• Transparent greyscale display (1.8″, 240 x 320 pixels), scratch-resistant surface
• Quad-band GSM support
• 3G with HSDPA & HSUPA support
• Very lightweight, only 70 grams
• Bluetooth with A2DP and USB (Fast Port connector)
• 2 GB internal memory
• Excellent audio quality
• FM radio with RDS and TrackID
• Smart dialing

Main disadvantages:

• No camera
• No mini USB port
• No color reproduction from the display
• Small screen is poor on legibility
• Non-removable battery
• Fast 3G connectivity with HSDPA/HSUPA is only usable for tethering
• Fast Port instead of 3.5 mm audio jack means limited use as a music player
• Internal memory not expandable
• Looks cheap and poorly built

Nevertheless, a handset with a transparent display is nothing short of unique. However, the display certainly is a liability in terms of actually using the Sony Ericsson Xperia Pureness. It limits the physical space available inside the phone, leaving Sony Ericsson engineers with very little room to work with. The Sony Ericsson Xperia Pureness is not a gadget. Rather it takes the concept of pureness and runs with it – by leaving out all the distracting features. Only the essence of a phone remains and the transparent screen acts as the perfect metaphor for this.

Undoubtedly, the Xperia Pureness is one of the lightest and smallest handsets ever made with a unique design, spectacular and unparalleled transparent display. It is what Sony Ericsson meant it to be: the simplest of phones, impossible to match. By the sound of it, they can charge whatever they want on something like that.

Last but not least, the premium segment has a different standard of right and wrong. To the extent that poor build quality may pass as a charming eccentricity. Not to say that a certain class of customers will buy just anything as long as it comes bundled with a fat price tag and a concierge service subscription.

Other Xperia-series Phones:

• Xperia X10
• Xperia X2

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