Handsets like the Magic and the Hero – which was my first smartphone – were followed up by phones like the Desire and the Legend, with the former providing the slickest Android experience we’d yet seen and the latter boasting some of HTC’s most experimental design.

However, HTC’s firm grip on the Android scene has been shaken by an influx of eager competitors as Android itself has risen to prominence. Samsung has led the charge with its Galaxy S and Galaxy S II handsets, but other manufacturers have also made waves: we’re fans of Sony Ericsson’s Xperia Arc and Play, and the LG Optimus 2X. Motorola’s Atrix is also garnering plenty of attention.

The companies behind these handsets dipped their toes into the Android waters with sub-par handsets but, crucially, they’re now producing phones that are just as good – and, sometimes, better – than anything HTC offers. Their flagship phones now look nicer, are thinner and lighter thanks to more adventurous design. We also prefer their screens: the vibrant tones of the Super AMOLED Plus plus display on the Samsung Galaxy S II and the LG Optimus 2X’s IPS unit are superior to those of the S-LCD displays in use across the HTC range. And, while HTC’s Sense has long been the standard-bearer for Android software integration, it’s beginning to feel bloated and surplus to requirements.

I’m a huge fan of HTC, but the firm’s recent handsets just don’t excite me like they used to. If you want innovation, it’s clear you’ll have to look elsewhere: the accessories available for the Motorola Atrix may not be particularly good, but producing them at all is a chance that HTC just doesn’t seem willing to take.

HTC’s current slogan is “quietly brilliant” and, when HTC introduced it, that was true. Top of the Android heap, HTC’s phones weren’t the flashiest but, crucially, they were the best. Now, though, HTC’s competitors are churning out equally brilliant handsets and, while phones like the Sensation are still excellent, they’re no longer the best or the most innovative.

It’s the company that kick-started the Android revolution – and the firm’s obviously doing well, as its recent profits testify – but HTC is in danger of falling behind its rivals. Perhaps its quiet approach needs to be scrapped if it’s to regain some of its old brilliance.

The front is dominated by a gorgeous 4.2in multitouch, capacitive screen. Sony Ericsson claims this is enhanced by a “Mobile Bravia engine” that borrows technology from Sony’s TV range, but that feels like marketing puffery to me.

Another more impressive piece of technology it borrows from Sony is the low-light engine in the camera. Coupled with an 8.1-megapixel sensor this means the Xperia arc could feasibly rival a low-end compact camera for quality.

Note the word “could”; I took some photos and a video with the arc on the show floor, and they were fine, but we’ll be putting the arc through our smartphone camera tests when it arrives for a full review.

The software isn’t much different from the Sony Xperia X10, other than the inclusion of Google Android 2.3. As you’d expect from a phone with a 1GHz processor and 512MB of RAM inside, performance was smooth (aside from a couple of very minor stutters).

I was pleased to open up the back to find a 1,500mAh battery. I’m optimistic that will translate into above-average battery life when PC Pro receives a sample to put through our real-world tests – too many companies sacrifice battery capacity for the sake of design.

Key specs:

Operating System

Android 2.3 (Gingerbread)

Processor

1GHz Qualcomm MSM8255

Display

4.2in 854 x 480 capacitive multitouch screen

Camera

8.1-megapixel auto focus with LED flash, face detection and image stabilizer

Video

Records 720p; plays back MPEG4, H.263, H.264

Audio and Speakers

MP3, WMA, AAC, AAC+, AMR, WAV, OGG

Browser

Supports Adobe Flash 10.1

Storage

512MB built-in, microSD and microSDHC slot up to 32GB

Connectivity

Wi-Fi 802.11bgn
Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR

Dimensions

125 x 63 x 8.7mm

Weight

117g

Battery

1500mAh

Dubbed the Xperia Pureness, it’s certainly a good looking handset though quite whether it justifies the following piece of PR fluff is a matter of debate.

“The Xperia Pureness approaches the mobile phone as a work of art rather than technology. The company’s designers aimed to sculpt an object of design that reflected the purity of water and a sense of calmness when not in use.”

Eh? What’s utterly brilliant is that it’s quite literally all style and no substance, with Sony Ericsson unleashing a barrage of stylish press shots backed by absolutely no technical details whatsoever.

The company is promising to reveal more details closer to the November 2009 release date. Until then, I suggest you peruse the following pictures and bask in the phone’s reflected glory, following the secret story contained within.

1. “Yes, I’m surprised they let me use my phone in prison, too. Did you bring the file so I can saw through the bars and make my escape?”

2. “Yes darling, I’ve hidden two of them in my ear rings, they’ll never suspect a thing.”

3. “Blast, caught and thrown into prison for fifty years. Don’t I feel the fool? On the bright side, I get to keep my phone and it’s making me feel strangely calm ahead of my midnight meeting with Butch Linda.”