The Xperia X1 changes all that, as it comes with a slide out keyboard similar to other manufacturers' smartphones (such as HTC's range or the Nokia E90). Better still, Sony Ericsson have had the good sense of stuffing the X1 with every conceivable feature they could think of!
Read on for a sneak preview of the Sony Ericsson Xperia X1 in action.
Sony Ericsson Xperia X1 smarpthone preview
From the outside, the Xperia X1 is a great looking smartphone, with a huge display and just a few buttons on the bottom. OK, so it's not as aesethically pure as the iPhone, in that it's not all touch-screen controlled, but the beauty of this design is that the buttons enable you to access often-used features with just one click no matter where you are in the X1's menuing system, one of the buttons is a touch-sensitive mouse, you get the added advantage of a physical QWERTY keyboard that slides out from underneath the phone, and you still get the benefits of a touchscreen as well, as the X1 also offers this as a feature (pause for breath!)
So, yeh, I like the Xperia's physical form a lot.
User Interface
One of the key features that Sony Ericsson are shouting loudly about the Xperia X1 is its use of Panels. These are new user interface elements that act as individual windows onto specific apps. You can think of them as dynamic thumbnails onto the apps underneath them. For example, you get a dedicated Google Panel that lets you search from within it, and a FaceBook panel showing your personal newfeed that's dynamically updated as your friends change their status or post on each others' walls.
The aquarium panel is a great new feature. Different aspects of the phone are represented by different coloured fish that move about in their panel. For example one fish will change colour if you have voicemail, while another changes colour for email, etc. This is a really novel and fun new way of interacting with the user. It can't be too long before someone develops a panel that recognizes not only a caller, but also the tone of the voice from their voice-mail, and represents them in a panel using a cartoon avatar. Picture a horse braying angrily, for example, if your wife's left a nagging voicemail, or a puzzled donkey if your bloke's phoned you asking what he did with the car keys for the 16th time in a week!
Sony Ericsson want developers to create third party Panels for Xperia X1 users, so expect many other services to appear over time, giving the X1 even more appeal.
Xperia X1's key features
I've already mentioned that Sony Ericsson have stuffed the X1 full with features, and I wasn't joking! Just check out this spec:
* Quad band HSDPA/HSUPA
* WiFi
* Bluetooth
* aGPS
* 3.2 Megapixel Camera
* Qualcomm MSM7200A CPU, 528Mhz
* 800x480 Touchscreen
* MicroSD
* MiniUSB
* 3.5mm headset jack
* 110 x 53 x 16.7 mm
* 145 grams
* 1500 mAH Battery
All this on a gloriously crisp 800x480 touchscreen. Superfast downloads with HSDPA, glorious screen and great keyboard - mobile Web surfing should be a dream (although you will have to put up with Mobile Internet Explorer, as the X1 is uses Windows Mobile underneath).
As far as battery life goes, Sony Ericsson claim you'll be able to get an unbelievable 6 hours of talk time or browsing time from it, which is unheard of for a phone with this amount of power.
Summary
This little glimpse into the Sony Ericsson Xperia X1 has hopefully given you a taste for what's to come. You can find out more over at WMExperts, who have tonnes of great pics of the X1, plus answers to some key questions from eager fans. The Xperia X1 is designed to be a world phone, and Sony Ericsson are apparently hoping it'll sell strongly in the US in particular. Expect it some time close to Christmas 2008, so better get saving now!
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