Sony Ericsson Xperia X1

The Sony Ericsson Xperia X1 is an interesting proposition for a number of reasons. The first the will hit you on holding the X1 is the novel arc slider QWERTY keyboard. The X1 curves when you slide out the keyboard; and bizarrely it all makes ergonomic sense. The keyboard itself is firm and responsive and certainly fairs well against models that are currently available, such as the F700. Aside from the sliding keyboard the X1 is dominated by a 3 inch touchscreen display. The screen itself has a resolution of 480 x 800 which is ideal for internet browsing and thanks to HSDPA compatibility websites are loaded quickly, avoiding the frustrations that often plague lower spec handsets.

The X1 is also the first Sony Ericsson device to be compatible with Windows Mobile, but it has some differences that give the X1 some cosmetic appeal that goes beyond the frankly dull windows operating system. The X1 has a customisable panel interface that is optimised for the touchscreen. This puts the X1 firmly against the iPhone (something I’m sure the recently retired Mr Gates will relish) as this feature definitely gives the X1 a boost in the user experience stakes.

The X1 has a bountiful array of media support features to attract the tech savvy user. A three megapixel camera has been included, which is not spectacular in the dawning era of readily available five megapixel handsets, but it does the job. GPS, WiFi and Bluetooth 2.0 round this out and you can expect the ubiquitous MP3 player. Contrary to some reports the X1 does include an FM radio but it does not have RDS support like previous Sony Ericsson models. Storage is handled internally by 400 MB of memory and there is also a microSD card slot if this is not enough for you. Add in the 500 Mhz ARM processor and you can see that the X1 is a serious piece of kit.

So, the X1 is going to be a phone for business and pleasure. If you are interested just leave your name and e-mail in the box above.

Here’s the full specs of the SONY ERICSSON EXPERIA X1
Camera
Auto focus
3.2 megapixel camera
Photo light
Video recording

Music
Bluetooth™ stereo (A2DP)
Media player
Music tones
PlayNow™
Windows Media Player Mobile
3D games
FM radio
Java
Video streaming
Video viewing

Internet
Internet Explorer® Mobile
RSS feeds

Communication and Messaging
Polyphonic ringtones
Speakerphone
Vibrating alert
Video calling
Email
Picture messaging (MMS)
Predictive text input
Text messaging (SMS)

Design
XPERIA™ panels
Optical joystick navigation
Navigation key
Picture wallpaper
Touch navigation

Organiser
Alarm clock
Calculator
Calendar
Document editors
Document readers
Flight mode
Handwriting recognition
Notes
Phone book
Tasks
Touchscreen

Connectivity
aGPS
Bluetooth™ technology
Modem
Synchronization
USB support
WLAN

Windows® Mobile® Operating System
Microsoft® Outlook Mobile: email, contacts, calendar, tasks
Microsoft® Office Mobile: Word, Excel, PowerPoint
Internet Explorer® Mobile
Windows Media™ Player Mobile
Windows Live™
Exchange ActiveSync®
Voice control
Utility Applications: file explorer, calculator, pictures & video, notes

Facts and Figures
Size: 110 x 53 x 16.7 mm
Weight: 145 grams

Available colours
Black
Silver
Main screen: 65,536 color TFT
Resolution: 800 X 480 pixels
Size: 3 inches

Memory
Phone memory: up to 400 MB
microSD™ memory card support

Availability and versions
Networks
GSM/GPRS/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900
UMTS/HSDPA/HSUPA 900/1700/1900/2100 MHz
UMTS/HSDPA/HSUPA 850/1700/1900/2100 MHz