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Sony Ericsson XPERIA X1 unboxed, played with on video


Oh yeah, you've seen Sony Ericsson's succulent XPERIA X1 unboxed in still image form, but there's just nothing like a little unpacking on video to really whet your appetite, right? Oh, and there's also some comparison action thrown in with the HTC Touch Pro, and of course, we get to see the OS in action. Hop on past the break to have a look, but we're warning you, those who covet easily will want to restrain themselves.

[Thanks, Oscar]

The Sony Ericsson XPERIA X1, unboxed at last


Wow, that was one hell of a wait, wasn't it? Some eight months after its February announcement, X1s are finally available for sale in some parts of the world -- and naturally, any retail availability comes with the distinct possibility of a properly-documented unboxing. The packing materials don't look like they're anything terribly special, but to the Windows Mobile faithful of the world, the contents certainly are. Ain't that black, brushed metal casing awfully purdy?

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Two flavors of hot: differences between Sony Ericsson X1i and X1a explained

As we already know, Sony Ericsson won't be unifying all the awesomeness that is its X1 in a single retail model -- there's just too much awesome for any one phone to handle, apparently. Instead, there'll be an X1a and an X1i, and thanks to a quick post over on Sony Ericsson's semi-official Xperiancers site, we now know exactly where the differences lie. The X1a will be sold exclusively in North America, Latin America, and Australia, featuring a different "networking configuration" (presumably referring to the presence of 850, 1700, and 1900MHz HSPA there) and 24fps video instead of 30 -- kind of out of the blue, but whatever. We also now know that the North American release date will be announced on November 3, which isn't nearly as cool as a release on November 3 last time we checked.

[Thanks, Dustan]

T-Mobile G1 and Sony Ericsson X1 seen side-by-side, molten lava hangs head in shame


There's really no denying it -- T-Mobile's G1 and Sony Ericsson's XPERIA X1 are two of the hottest mobiles around right now, and as predicted, all sorts of sparks flew when the two sat down for a side-by-side photo session. In a Dutch comparison of the two handsets, reviewers pointed out that the G1 was "significantly larger" than the SE counterpart, and while it's completely subjective, they also asserted that the X1 was a "true piece of art in comparison to the dusty look of the G1 [nice one, Google Translator]." Do yourself a favor and check out the whole thing in the read link.

[Via CoolSmartphone]

FCC approval ensures American Sony Ericsson X1 users aren't bandits


Now that Sony Ericsson's mighty X1 has earned the FCC's love and affection, you won't be an outlaw for using one in the States -- but unfortunately, you won't be a speed demon everywhere, either. The version that just nabbed approval here is the X1i, and anyone familiar with Sony Ericsson's naming scheme can tell you that an "i" means a phone's not really meant for North American consumption; in this case, we're lucky to squeak by with UMTS Band II support, which means we'll theoretically be able to pick up some of AT&T's 1900MHz signal. On 850, though, you'll be stuck with EDGE. Of course, a true global launch has been in the cards for the X1 from day one, and we're not worried that we won't see a more 3G-rife model getting torn down by the feds -- this just ain't it.

XPERIA X1 gets examined in-depth on video


Sony Ericsson itself showed off its XPERIA X1 handset in a webcast the other day, but if you just can't get enough of it (and, judging from the number of comments the phone has gotten, plenty of you can't), you may want to hit up the::unwired website, which has an even more extensive hands-on video of a pre-production unit. Among other things, it shows that switching from portrait to landscape mode takes far less time than before, and the all-important panels seem to be a good deal more responsive as well -- the build being used is from early September, so it should be a reasonable indication of what the final software will be like. Hit up the link below to check out all sixteen minutes of it for yourself.

Future Xperia phones may not rely on Windows Mobile, sez SE

We've known for what feels like ages that Sony Ericsson's Xperia X1 would be based on Windows Mobile, but we wouldn't count on the X2, X3 or X99 to just follow suit. At the launch of its digital marketing campaign for said handset, the firm made clear that future SE Xperia phones may not be based on Microsoft's OS, with Magnus Andersson, product manager for the X1, noting that "the brand is not tied into any specific technical platform." Unfortunately, he didn't elaborate nor give any indication what other systems we could eventually see, but at least we know that there will be life after the X1 in one form or another, right?

XPERIA X1 gets demoed in Sony Ericsson webcast


Those following the XPERIA X1's every move no doubt caught this as it happened earlier today, but for those that missed it, the Inexperia website has now posted most of Sony Ericsson's latest webcast, in which the X1's interface gets shown off to a far greater extent than we've seen previously. That includes a look at the phone's much talked about panel system and a glimpse of its video-playing abilities, plus some expected gushing about the phone's design, which is described as feeling like a well-tailored suit. Head on past the break for the video courtesy of Inexperia, and look for the whole thing to be available direct from Sony Ericsson on September 17th.

[Thanks, Reginald]

Sony Ericsson goes viral with Xperia X1 marketing


Sony Ericsson is taking the viral route on marketing with its forthcoming Xperia X1, launching a new "alternative reality thriller" centered around a mysterious character named Johnny X. There's not much meat in the video the company is desperately trying to sneak into your daily YouTube diet, but at least we get to see action-packed chases, Memento-stealing plot points of the highest order, and one weird, seemingly backmasked utterance of "Johneeeeeeeeeee... X!" Hit the read link for the full clip, and check out another video after the break which helps to unravel the mystery.

[Via Pocket-lint]

Vodafone, O2 to launch the XPERIA X1 in UK and Germany


Sony Ericsson finally came clean with that September 30 launch date for the XPERIA X1 this morning, and now the carrier situation is starting to resolve itself -- as previously hinted, Vodafone will launch the sleek WinMo slider in the UK, and both Voda and O2 will have it in Germany. O2 UK hasn't confirmed anything yet, and we still haven't heard from any carriers in the third launch country of Sweden, but we'll keep you posted over on Engadget Mobile as soon as we hear anything.

Sony Ericsson launching first round of XPERIA X1s on September 30


Feel that heat, Touch Pro? That's right -- the Great QWERTY Smartphone War of 2008 is officially gearing up for kickoff now that Sony Ericsson has announced a firm date for the first handful of lucky countries to be scoop up the mighty XPERIA X1. Sweden, Germany, and the UK will be the inaugural launch sites come September 30, with no fewer than 32 more on tap in Asia, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America for the fourth quarter of the year. North America, China, Australia, and Russia are also listed as committed launch regions, though dates for those will be announced "in the coming months" -- scary verbiage considering that they weren't even willing to slap the Q4 label there. 2009's a long way off yet, and if there's a Touch Pro in front of us... well, let's just say that a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush, if you catch our drift.

Sony Ericsson releases SDK for Xperia X1 Panel Interface, panel download service in the works (updated: video)


We know what you're thinking -- it's Windows Mobile 6.1 fool, we've got the developers kit already. True, but not the SDK that allows developers to create custom, interactive panels for the touchscreen QWERTY's Panel Interface. Sony Ericsson claims that, "The Xperia X1 will offer the richest mobile user experience, putting the world at the fingertips of the user." In other words, the expectations have been set, developers, so you'd best get to downloading the free SDK -- you've got your work cut out for you. Sony Ericsson will offer a panel download service in the future, showcasing all the panels built by you, Google, and other partners.

The Panel Applications are meant to be simple, rich, and fully-interactive allowing quick access to your data -- eMail, calendar, multimedia, games, IM... you name it. But don't take our word for it, SE explains the new panel ecosystem in the video posted after the break.

Read -- SDK download
Read -- Press Release

Sony Ericsson says XPERIA X1 still on track to ship in Q4


Rumors of the XPERIA X1 being delayed to 2009 have been floating around forever, and the chatter's only gotten louder at IFA -- to the point where Sony Ericsson's been forced into damage-control mode for a second time, telling Reuters that "there is absolutely no delay" and that the company's first WinMo phone is "on target" to "roll out in Q4." That's not quite the "second half of 2008" SE's been saying since the X1 was announced, but it's still in the window -- and given the half-baked nature of the devices we got to play with at IFA, we'd say taking a little extra time to get things right isn't the worst idea in the world, even it means missing that rumored October Vodafone release date.

[Via WM Power User]

FCC outs HTC Dream's dimensions: it's smaller than the iPhone 3G


Attempts to keep the most hotly anticipated consumer electronics devices under wraps these days are getting more and more futile. It's hard enough for companies to control disgruntled employees and leaks in the international supply chain, stir in a giant government organization and things quickly unravel. Case in point: T-Mobile's HTC Dream, widely believed to be the world's first Android handset. After Engadget loosed the Dream from its FCC constraints on the 18th of August, HTC contacted the agency on the 19th with a request to use a less detailed diagram for the FCC label placement. Fortunately for us they complied, giving us what can only be construed as official measurements in the process. The newly unveiled 115 x 55-mm dimensions tells us that it beats the iPhone 3G in terms of length and width but is almost certainly thicker than the iPhone due to the Dream's sliding QWERTY. The tiny dimensions come as a surprise if you've seen the videos of the purported Dream and Dream reference design. So small, yeah, but it's still longer and wider than both the Xperia X1 and HTC's own Touch Pro QWERTY handsets.

Here's how the smartphones compare:
  • HTC Dream: 115 x 55-mm
  • iPhone 3G: 115.2-mm x 62.1-mm
  • Xperia X1: 110.5 x 52.6-mm
  • HTC Touch Pro: 102 x 51-mm
Image of HTC's label exchange request after the break.

[Thanks, OC]

Sony Ericsson's XPERIA X1 reviewed in breathtaking detail


If you're looking for pictures from every conceivable angle of Sony Ericsson's first foray into the danger-fraught tar pit that is Windows Mobile, well, here you go. In fact, Smape goes so far as to take a look at both the black and metallic versions of the X1 (but don't get to attached to the metallic one just yet, seeing how it might have gotten the axe in some markets), noting that they're assembled exceptionally well and exude a premium look that's rarely seen in the WinMo realm. Unfortunately, they've dinged the keyboard for the same crappy feel observed elsewhere, something we're all hoping gets fixed by the time it hits production in a couple months' time. With that wild panel interface, you might expect some pretty miserable performance when you have the thing going at full tilt; fortunately, though, Smape reports that lags occur "only occasionally," which is better than "frequently" or "always" as far as we're concerned. Camera performance is said to be better than the Touch Pro's, though both HTC and Sony Ericsson (via HTC, ironically) still have plenty of time to tweak that via a well-placed firmware update or two. At any rate, we're definitely looking forward to seeing this thing finally materialize so the Touch Pros and X1s of the world can start duking it out in those rough, dog-eat-dog professional trenches of the world.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]




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