As a long standing Sony Ericsson fan, since making the break from Motorola, I have owned a W810i, a K850i & and C905 - the latter despite a reputation for speaker problems was my favourite phone as it had the best camera (8mp) which was important for capturing shots of my young son as he grows up.
Hence when my contract came up for renewal I looked at my options very carefully before settling on the Arc (LT15i) as the replacement. This decision was largely based on the camera function which included Exxor technology for low light photography and the Bravia screen. The aesthetic appeal of the phone was a bonus.
I am extremely happy with my choice as the camera and HD video are truly excellent with the widescreen format (reducing the resolution slightly but also at an acceptable level) being particularly appreciated for it has allowed me to take shots which ordinarily would not have been possible.
This is my first encounter with a smartphone and the Android OS seems to be relatively stable with a great range of apps that have allowed me to customise my phone and compensate for the absence of features such as a light which I made great use of on my previous phones. Indeed there are so many free useful apps available that my phone is not far from making my computer redundant - one of only two paid for apps I have is a banking one which is as good as MS Money and better because it's mobile!
My contract permits 750mb of data per month plus unlimited wifi and I did exceed this one month and ended up with a huge bill which fortunately was written off by my network provider. Since that experience I downloaded a free app to monitor my web usage and keep me within my limits.
I use the phone for all my email accounts and to listen to both the radio and mp3's as well as play free games that I have downloaded - Angry birds, backgammon, mahjong, chess etc.
It has had some bad press for short battery life and when I first got it this was also my experience but I discovered that by tweaking the settings and being aware of what drains the battery I have managed to obtain a decent life out of it. Keeping it connected to my laptop gives it a trickle charge whilst using the usb mains plug recharges it very quickly. The main drain on the battery is the screen so playing games is the quickest way to use the battery power up whilst listening to music has very little effect.
I am certainly glad that Sony Ericsson have gone the Android route because as far as smartphones go I personally believe it is the best platform being free of ties to the manufacturer such as is the case with Apple & Blackberry.
There are times when there is a noticeable delay in an app opening and this includes the phone directory but fortunately these are few and far between and the recently launched Arc S has addressed this by increasing the processor speed.
Overall my 'Xperiance' is extremely positive such is the 'state of the Arc'!