With Sony Ericsson's long-awaited launch of the Xperia X1 in the UK last month, it was only a matter of time before our greasy finger marks clogged the trademark panels on this coveted touchscreen smartphone. Here are ten handy tips for those seeking a better Xperia experience, fresh out of the box.

Tip 1: Invest in a good screen protector

Trust us - you'll know about it if you leave your X1 and house keys in the same pocket for any length of time. To avoid unwanted decoration on your handset's display, buy a good screen protector. They're cheap, easily available and easy to clean. Just make sure you don't trap air bubbles underneath the layer when you first apply it. They can be a pain to get rid of.

Tip 2: Get a good size memory card

This is an obvious one, but if you want to make full use of your new phone's capacity as a ‘Pocket PC' (they don't call it that for nothing), you'll want a decent sized memory card. The maximum stated size (in theory) is 32GB, although we've found that an 8GB Micro SD card will afford you plenty of space - and is kinder to your wallet. Now you'll have endless room to store those mysterious pictures and videos that appear on your mobile, after a night on the tiles.