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Those of you who own Sony Ericsson's flagship smartphone Xperia X1 already found out that the device doesn't feature the much-acclaimed TouchFLO 3D interface. Instead, you are limited to Microsoft's boring Windows Mobile 6.1 interface, which doesn't offer the desired functionality and flexibility. Moreover, 'thanks' to the high-resolution display (800x480 pixels), you'll definitely need to stick the stylus to your hand, as the device is NOT thumbable.

All that you see on the touchscreen has been shrunk to the point where even long nails won't be able to do anything. Everything is so tiny that working with the smartphone without a stylus is a pain. Fortunately, there's a way to change that by adding a third-party application. The software brings two major things: TouchFLO look and the possibility to control the device using ANY of your fingers.

Spb Mobile Shell, developed by Spb Software, can be used for free on Sony Ericsson Xperia X1, but it is also compatible with various Windows Mobile devices that don't feature the TouchFLO user interface. The application is NOT installed on the X1, but there's a way that you can download it for free. As you can see from the screenshots, the Xpanel innovative feature enables users to quickly gain access to any function of the phone with only one click, directly from the Today screen.

Basically, this is what Spb Mobile Shell is trying to do. Besides the 7 pre-installed panels included with the device, Sony Ericsson enables users to download other panels suited for their needs. One of these includes the Spb Mobile Shell application and is probably the only one that heavy users should install for the moment.

So, click on the Xpanel button and then on the Settings one (right bottom) and choose an empty spot on the screen with a briefcase icon. In case you already filled up the 2 remaining panels you can always choose to delete or edit any of these. Then, click More panels, and you'll be led to a wap page where you can find a few more panels. One of them is called Spb Mobile Shell and is free for Xperia owners to download and install. As a matter of fact, all the other panels are free, but Spb Mobile Shell costs 29.95 USD for those who are trying to install the application on other devices. Anyway, after installing it, click on the Xpanel button again and select the panel with the installed Spb Mobile Shell. Your Today screen will look like the one in the screenshots. The Tabs placed on the screen should be: Recent (used programs), Programs, Organizer, Internet, Multimedia, Tools, Messaging and Settings. Each of these Tabs has many other features included, so check the screenshots for more insight.

The application is intuitive, user friendly and fully customizable. At the bottom of the screen there are 3 special Tabs that can be selected by clicking on each of them or by simply swiping your finger on the screen, to the left or to the right. I have already presented the first Tab on the left. The second Tab in the middle displays a nice Widget, Organizer, Time and Date, Messaging, Missed calls and Profiles. The third Tab is in fact the place where you add your contacts for quick access. You only need to click on any Plus icon and add any name from your phonebook. The graphics emulate the TouchFLO 3D interface, but don't have 3D effects. These are replaced with animations when you browse through the menus. These animations can be deactivated in case you own a device with a low-power CPU or smaller memory.


Spb Mobile Shell is one of the best Today screen organizers, offering the most important information on ONE screen. Even after an endless number of customizations the application continued to work flawlessly. I strongly recommend Spb Mobile Shell to any Sony Ericsson Xperia X1 owner, but also to those heavy users who like to access any info about the phone with only one click. What's more important is the fact that you can do all this without the need of a stylus.

In case you don't own a Sony Ericsson Xperia X1, you can either buy the application here or simply get the trial version here.


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