This morning Sony Ericsson unveiled a futuristic smartphone called the XPERIA X1 that offers a wild arc-sliding design to hide its QWERTY keyboard inside its 17mm-thin body. Sure to become an alternative to Apple’s iPhone, it also has a finger-based touchscreen designed around “flickable” panels, a second touchpad much like you find on a laptop, and uses Windows Mobile to offer both movies and office applications. And yes, it’s coming to Canada, although not until later this year. The X1 is just the first in what will be a new line of premium cellphones Sony Ericsson is branding as EXPERIAT. Not designed to replace their current lines of Walkman and Cybershot handsets, the new “sub-brand” is a response to what the company sees as a growing demand for more sophisticated cellphones that are driven by entertainment as well as productivity.
Although Sony Ericsson Canada is quick to confirm that the slick device is “definitely” launching in Canada, like their US counterparts, they have yet to make any announcements as to who the carrier will be or what the expected price will be, although they will admit that the X1 is designed to be an expensive phone, full of cutting-edge features and as such will be in the higher-end of their price range. They are committed to bringing it to retail for the second half of 2008. The are a number of interesting innovations, the first being the X1’s “arc-sliding” design. Using a stainless steel body, a QWERTY keyboard rolls out from under the bottom of the handset, in a curved fashion, along an arc.
The main, 3” touch screen LCD is designed to be used with your finger. To make it easier to use Microsoft’s Windows Mobile 6 software, Sony Ericsson has created a special interface that organizes your applications and menus into a set of nine panels, each designed to work like a mini-desktop. Using your fingertip, you can “flick” through the panels “like a deck of cards”. In addition to being able to use these panels to work with Microsoft’s programs, Sony Ericsson is currently developing a number of exclusive applications for the phone as well.
Underneath the touchscreen, and designed to make it easier to access your phone when closed, is a small optical navigation pad, similar to the touchpad you can find on a laptop. It’s placed within a four-way key control, so there are plenty of options for navigating the phone.
The quad-band, EDGE phone will also offer “DVD-like” video playback using Windows Media Player (30 frames per second), support for GPS, a 3.2 Megapixel camera, and offer 400 MB of memory along with support for MicroSD cards. The final battery life has yet to be determined (they are waiting for the software to be finalized), but they do know it will be available in either silver or black colour designs.
Here’s the full specs:
CameraAuto focus3.2 megapixel camera
Photo light
Video recording
Music
Bluetooth stereo (A2DP)
Media player
Music tones
Windows Media Player
MobilePlayNow 3D games
FM radio
Java
Video streaming
Video viewing Internet
Internet Explorer
MobileRSS feeds
Communication and Messaging
Polyphonic ringtones
Speakerphone
Vibrating alert
Video calling
EmailPicture messaging (MMS)
Predictive text input
Text messaging (SMS)
Design
XPERIA panels
Optical joystick navigation
Navigation key
Picture wallpaper
Touch navigation
Organizer
Alarm clock
Calculator
Calendar
Document editors
Document readers
Flight mode
Handwriting recognition
Notes
Phone book
Tasks
Touchscreen
Connectivity
GPS
Bluetooth technology
ModemSynchronization
USB support
WLAN
Windows® Mobile Operating System
Microsoft Outlook
Mobile: email, contacts, calendar,tasks Microsoft Office Mobile: Word, Excel®, PowerPoint® Internet Explorer MobileWindows Media Player Mobile Windows LiveExchange ActiveSyncVoice controlUtility Applications: file explorer, calculator, pictures &video, notesFacts and FiguresSize: 110 x 53 x 16.7 mm (approx.)Weight: 145 grams (approx.)Available colors: Black and SilverMain screen: 65,536 color TFTResolution: 800 X 480 pixelsSize: 3 inchesPhone memory: up to 400 MBmicroSD memory card support Availability and versionsNetworks:GSM/GPRS/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900UMTS/HSDPA/HSUPA 900/1700/1900/2100 MHzUMTS/HSDPA/HSUPA 850/1700/1900/2100 MHz
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