Sony Ericsson confirms Android Xperia
Kimono opened, Rachael revealed
Sony Ericsson has finally undressed 'Rachael' – its latest flagship smartphone known for ages only by its sexy pseudonym.
Leaked images, pictures and specifications have been doing to rounds for months. But today marks SE’s first official confirmation that the X10 smartphone will launch during “the first half of 2010”.
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The X10’s innards put it on an equal footing with several other high-end handsets, not least the HTC Touch HD2, which shares the same CPU: Qualcomm’s 1GHz Snapdragon processor.
It’s disappointing that the X10 is expected to ship with Android 1.6 – not version 2.0. However, don’t forget that the latest Google OS update will be available for free download by one-and-all at – it’s rumoured - some point later this month.
Sony Ericsson's Xperia X10 runs Android
In the meantime, SE has overlaid its own UI - sorry, “User eXperience” - onto the X10’s Android OS. The UI supposedly impoves Android by combining “best-in-class entertainment features with signature applications, unrivalled integration of social media services and a rich graphical user interface”. So there.
SE also promised to add more features and capabilities to the X10’s UX over time.
Lurk further under the X10’s shell and the smartphone has some strong technical features on offer, including an 8.1Mp camera with 18x digital zoom, and both Wi-Fi and HSDPA 3G support.
The 119 x 63 x 13mm X10 smartphone can even handle 3D games and should prove an indispensible mapping aid thanks to its on-board Assisted GPS and geo-tagging features.
A real contender for smartphone success?
SE hasn’t given a firmer UK launch date for the X10 than Q1 next year. Body colour options will stretch to “Sensuous Black” and “Lustre White”. ®
COMMENTS
@FAIL UR RONGG
*shudder* Urgh. Text speak on a website.
That aside, perhaps you could point the flash out - as I certainly can't see one.
Plus as I said previously - the aperture is tiny, so the pictures in low light are going to be terrible, and they'll be way too soft in normal light.
I'd love to be proven wrong ( that's the correct spelling of 'rongg' by the way ).
I just wish I could take he Camera & Flash off my N82 and add it to this phone as that would be pure perfection.
FAIL UR RONGG
Actually the x10 does come with a flash. Also Sony Ericsson have made awesome cyber shot cameras so mayb this will hav a good camera too!!
Should be here, but battery life?
I'm a fan of SE Phones here in the US, but I usually unbrand them since ATT cripples them so much. I wonder if SE has a really new phone battery for this X10, like a 2,000 mAh (I think I saw 1500 mAh spec). I was just looking at one of their new AINOU and it's only got a 1000 mAh in it -- you can't stream video on a battery that small for long, even the GPS will give out after a couple hours. My 4 year old phone has the same battery and actively using the web, etc gives its 3 hrs at the most and 2 on the GPS....
Additionally if it ships with Android 1.6 plus the SE UX on top, what if anything would happen if you updated it? Or do you have to rely on SE? Is it a app that runs on top of Android or is it more deeply embedded?
SE has set itself right in the direction of it's new phones, they have a new Java Platform (JP-8.5) phone (Ainou), a new Symbian platform phone (Saito) and a Android phone. (I was so disappointed when the X1 came with Windows.)
FWIW to those decrying the lack of updates, my current 4yr old SE phone has been updated several times by SE's OTA updates or SE's PC Suite and there have been noticeable improvements in performance and function. If my phone was still branded it would have had NO updates at all since there is no profitability for ATT to spend time customizing new versions - they want you to have a new phone with a new contract. Maybe because of the carrier customization the updates were blocked?
With SE PC Suite v6 ( downloads blocked for most US phoen versions), my phone connects as a USB Ethernet device to my laptop giving me HSPDA speeds without the usual *99 dial up which would limit me to slower EDGE speed since I don't pay a for a premium data plan ($10 vs $30 or $60+ for a legit tether). BTW, the phone still charges while connected via USB, so if your laptop is plugged in....until you reach the ATT 5GB limit.
SE Phones: the battery can be changed, they tether and the contacts directories have multiple addresses and phone numbers per contact. They even have push email with MS Exchange. The calendars suck but Google Calendar can sms you.....
Stan
75% perfect.
1) No Flash (not even a crappy LED one)
2) Crap Camera.
8 megapixel it may be, but with an aperture size smaller than the one in my knob it won't be able to take pictures worth shit.
