As Sony Ericsson unveiled its Xperia X1 smartphone earlier today in London, it also confirmed earlier comments that its new premium brand would not necessarily be tied to Windows Mobile. Magnus Andersson, product manager for the X1, said that “The brand is not tied into any specific technical platform.” But Sony Ericsson also did not reveal any details about future XPERIA models. Is Sony Ericsson using the X1 to gauge interest in Windows Mobile before committing further to the platform?
The XPERIA X1 is an arc-slider phone powered by Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional and the XPERIA Panels user interface. It features quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE and tri-band UMTS/HSDPA/HSUPA connectivity, a 3-inch WVGA (800×480) touchscreen display, a QWERTY keyboard, up to 400MB of internal memory, aGPS, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth (A2DP), a 3.2MP camera, and a microSD expansion slot. It will be available in Solid Black or Steel Silver.
The XPERIA X1 will start to ship to Britain, Germany and Sweden on September 30th. Another 30 countries in Europe, Asia and Latin America will follow in Q4 2008. Sony Ericsson will reveal its North American plans for the XPERIA X1 on November 3rd.