| Sony Ericsson releases first Windows phone |
Feb. 11, 2008
 Sony Ericsson, previously associated mainly with phones using the Symbian operating system, has announced its first Windows Mobile-based smartphone. The Xperia X1 features an ultra-high resolution 3-inch touchscreen display with custom user interface, slideout QWERTY keyboard, an optical joystick, and FM and GPS receivers.
(Click here for a larger view of Sony Ericsson's Xperia X1)
The Xperia X1 is a Windows Mobile 6 Professional-based device, with standard facilities such as Internet Explorer Mobile, Microsoft Office Mobile, Windows Media Player, and ActiveSync. Sony Ericsson has dressed this up, however, with a custom user interfae it refers to as Xperia panels. Nine configurable onscreen panels allow fingertip navigation and access to "different experiences," according to the company.
There is room for detail on these panels, because the Xperia X1's 3-inch touchscreen display has a very high pixel density, with 800 x 480 resolution. In addition, the device comes with a slide-out QWERTY keyboard, a standard four-way controller, and an optical joystick.
Sony's Xperia X1 has a slide-out QWERTY keyboard
The satin black case also houses a 3.2-megapixel camera, offering autofocus and what Sony Ericsson refers to as a "photo light." Another entertainment feature is the FM receiver, compatible with the Radio Data System (RDS) for receiving program information.
Sony Ericsson has not specified the processor used in the Xperia X1, but according to PC Magazine, it will be a 520MHz ARM11-based CPU. Memory is quoted as "up to 400MB phone memory," and storage is expandable via a microSD slot, making this one of the first products that Sony has not tied to its proprietary Memory Stick format.
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.
Features and specifications listed by Sony Ericsson for the Xperia X1 include:- Memory -- up to 400MB phone memory
- Display -- 3-inch touchscreen display with 800 x 480 resolution
- Keyboard -- slide-out QWERTY keyboard, 4-way controller, optical joystick
- Camera -- 3.2 megapixel with autofocus and "photo light"
- Wireless interfaces:
- 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
- FM receiver with Radio Data System (RDS)
- Other I/O: USB port
- Expansion -- microSD slot
- Dimensions -- 4.4 x 2.1 x 0.7 inches (110 x 53 x 16.7mm)
- Weight -- 5.1 ounces (145g)
Microsoft says that in fiscal year 2007, it sold 11 million Windows Mobile licenses and expects to sell more than 20 million licenses in fiscal year 2008. The addition of the XPERIA X1 from Sony Ericsson means "four of the world's top five makers of mobile phones will ship Windows Mobile devices in 2008," according to Microsoft's reckoning.
Sony Ericsson has not announced pricing for the Xperia X1 but said it will be available "in selected markets" from the second half of 2008.
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