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        Windows Mobile 6.5.3 unveiled on U.S.-bound Sony Ericsson phone

        Jonathan Angel | Date: Jan 12, 2010 | Comments: 1


        [Updated, 12:31 p.m.] -- Sony Ericsson says its second Windows phone, the high-end Xperia X2, will soon be available in the U.S. Apparently featuring the new Windows Mobile 6.5.3, the device features a 3.2-inch touchscreen with 800 x 480 resolution, slide-out QWERTY keyboard, 8.1 megapixel camera, and widget-based "Xperia panels" user interface.

        Sony Ericsson's Xperia X2 (right) -- a followup to Sony Ericsson's original Xperia X1 -- was released internationally last September. With subsequently announced devices such as the Xperia X10, however, the manufacturer appeared to have shifted its focus to Google's Android software stack, leading some to wonder about the company's commitment to Windows Mobile and the fate of the Xperia X2.

        At last week's Consumer Electronics Show (CES), however, the Xperia X2 was reportedly shown off running a new build of Windows Mobile (6.5.3). Now, according to Sony Ericcson's SonyStyle.com website, the X2 is "coming soon" to the U.S. with GSM connectivity -- as used by AT&T and T-Mobile -- though neither a carrier nor a specific date was revealed.

        Yet another Sony Ericsson Windows phone has also broken cover, courtesy of photos leaked today on the Daily iPhone Blog website. Said to be code-named "Faith," the device (left) reportedly has a 2.4-inch touchscreen, a QWERTY keyboard, and GPS, and appears to be running Windows Mobile without the skins Sony Ericssson employs on its Xperia devices.

        Regarding Windows Mobile 6.5.3, this incremental update to Windows Mobile 6.5 was reportedly spotted on the Xperia X2, Toshiba TG01, and Pharos Traveller at CES by Engadget and other websites. Engadget's Chris Ziegler writes that 6.5.3 includes "tiles" along the bottom of the screen "and finger-friendly adjustments throughout the UI," adding "this truly is what 6.5 ought to have been."

        Oddly, Microsoft devoted little CES time to Windows Mobile and made no mention of 6.5.3 that we've heard of. But the software giant has confirmed the upgrade in a document for developers that appears on its MSDN website. "Beginning with the Windows Mobile 6.5.3 release, touchable tiles replace soft keys," the company writes, adding that the upgrade will let developers create widgets using Visual Studio."

        Sony Ericsson's Xperia X2

        Purchasers of the Xperia X2 will see little of the standard Windows Mobile interface, whether that be version 6.5 or 6.5.3, since the phone features Sony Ericsson's "Xperia panels" user interface (see later in this story for details). Like the X1 before it, the X2 features both a touchscreen and a slide-out, "wide pitch" QWERTY keyboard, according to the manufacturer.

        While the X1 already featured a touchscreen with a resolution of 800 x 400 pixels, the X2 gets a camera that has been upgraded from the former 3.2 megapixels to a whopping 8.1 megapixels. The FM receiver that came with the X1 is no longer listed, however, nor does SonyStyle.com tout the TV output that was said to have been included on international versions of the X2.

        The company provides no information about the X2's processor, RAM, or flash storage, except to cite "110MB of phone memory." According to a variety of reports, however, the X2 uses the same processor as the X1 -- namely, Qualcomm's MSM7200 clocked at 528MHz. Storage, meanwhile, is expandable by up to 16GB using a microSDHC-compatible expansion slot, and the phone is bundled with a 4GB card, says SonyStyle.com.


        Sony Ericsson's Xperia X2 with its keyboard opened
        (Click to enlarge)

        Connectivity includes quad-band GSM (850, 900, 1800, 1900MHz) and five-band UMTS (850, 900, 1700, 1900, 2100MHz), with Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution (EDGE), High-Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA) and HSUPA (High-Speed Uplink Packet Access). The phone also includes Bluetooth, WiFi, and GPS interfaces, SonyStyle.com adds.

        Xperia panels

        A feature carried over and enhanced from the X1 is Sony Ericsson's Xperia panels feature, described by the company as "Windows Mobile applications that extend the Today Screen API [application programming interface] in order to provide a full-screen immersive experience." The finger-operable panels can be arranged by a phone's user at will: On the X1, as many as nine of them could be placed on screen simultaneously, allowing their contents to be viewed via live thumbnails.


        The Xperia panels are full-screen applications that can also be displayed via live thumbnails

        The X2 now comes with 14 of the widget-like Xperia panels, and a further 16 are said to be downloadable from the Sony Ericsson website. According to SonyStyle.com, the phone includes applications that support CNN, YouTube, Google Maps, MSN Messenger, Picasa, and Facebook. The X2 also is said to offer Microsoft's Office Mobile software and an Adobe PDF reader.

        Sony Ericsson previously announced the "Sony Ericsson Panel SDK for X2," a set of tools, Visual Studio plug-ins, and documentation that will let developers create, test, and debug their own Xperia panels. Permitting development of "native" panels, panels written in HTML, and panels that support OpenGL ES 1.1, the SDK will also offer a "panelizer" for converting existing applications, the company adds.

        The Xperia X2 SDK includes the following, according to the company:

        • An Xperia X2 device emulator that runs on Windows desktop PCs
        • Visual Studio templates, for both native and HTML panels, that create basic project containers and preliminary items
        • Developers' guidelines, with overviews, setup information, and walk throughs
        • Panelizer tools
        • An API reference guide
        • Tutorials
        • Sample projects

        Features and specifications listed by <I>SonyStyle.com</i> for the Xperia X2 include:

        • Processor -- n/s, but reportedly Qualcomm MSM7200 clicked at 528MHz
        • Memory -- "Up to 110MB of phone memory"
        • Display -- 3.2-inch touchscreen with 800 x 480 pixel resolution
        • Keyboard -- Slide-out QWERTY keyboard and four-way controller
        • Camera -- 8.1 megapixel with autofocus and "photo light"
        • Wireless:
          • WAN:
            • Quad-band GSM (850, 900, 1800, 1900MHz)
            • Five-band UMTS (850, 900, 1700, 1900, 2100MHz)
          • LAN -- 802.11b/g
          • PAN -- Bluetooth 2.0 with stereo support
          • GPS
        • Other I/O:
          • USB port
          • TV output
        • Expansion -- microSD slot
        • Battery life:
          • Talk time -- 10 hours GSM, 6 hours UMTS
          • Standby time -- 640 hours UMTS, 500 hours GSM
          • Music listening time -- Up to 20 hours
        • Dimensions -- 4.33 x 2.12 x 0.62 inches (110 x 54 x 16mm)
        • Weight -- 4.05 ounces (115g)
        Further information

        Sony Style.com says the Xperia X2 is "coming soon" to the U.S., but as noted, a carrier and pricing were not released. More information may be found on the company's website, here.

        For further information on the Sony Ericsson Panel SDK for X2, see here.

        To see the MSDN document, "Developing Widgets for Windows Mobile 6.5," that confirms the Windows Mobile 6.5.3 upgrade, visit Microsoft's website, here. For the Engadget item confirming sightings of the OS upgrade on Pharos, Sony Ericsson, and Toshiba phones, go here.

        For more information on the Sony Ericsson "Faith," see the Daily iPhone Blog website, here.

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