The hot news at this year’s Mobile World Congress show was the premier of Sony Ericsson’s new XPERIA X1, a Windows Mobile touch screen smartphone with a “Wide VGA” display, a unique “arc slider” keyboard, and the customizable XPERIA Panels user interface.
Wide VGA display
From the front, the XPERIA looks like a traditional Windows Mobile touch screen device. But it sports a “Wide VGA” color display. Measuring 3 inches diagonally, it’s not the largest display on a Windows Mobile device, but its 800 x 480 pixels make it the highest resolution screen we’ve seen, which should make the display easier to view.
Arc slider QWERTY keyboard
Other Windows Mobile devices have slide-out keyboards, but the XPE-RIA’s 42-key QWERTY keyboard has an unusual “arc slider” design. As you slide the display up to expose the keyboard, the device tilts slightly to make it easier to use the keyboard and view the display. As with other devices, the display rotates to horizontal viewing mode when the keyboard is in use. (The device incorporates integrated motion sensor technology to auto-rotate the user interface.)
XPERIA Panels
In an attempt to overcome the real (and perceived) limitations of the standard Windows Mobile OS, the XPERIA will include a user-customizable nine-panel interface to launch your favorite applications and access news, weather, slideshows, and more. It also includes a Media Experience Panel, which allows you to navigate seamlessly through captured photos and video clips, pictures, photo tags, games, music, videos, and more.
Two built-in digital cameras
The XPERIA has two built-in digital cameras. The main camera is a 3.2 megapixel video and still-image camera with auto and touch focus capability. Pictures can be shared as a picture message or e-mail, or by using any available transfer method, such as Bluetooth. There is also a QCIF camera located on the front of the device for video-conferencing calls. Apparently, the version of the XPERIA released in Europe will be capable of capturing VGA videos at 30 frames-per-second, while the U.S. version will only be capable of QVGA video at 24 fps.
Wireless capabilities
The XPERIA includes a quad-band GSM phone with GPRS and tri-band UMTS data capability. In addition, the device incorporates 802.11 b/g Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP wireless capability. The XPERIA also has an integrated FM radio.
Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional
The XPERIA is a touch screen smartphone based on the Windows Mo-bile 6.1 Professional software. A full description of the software found on Windows Mobile devices can be found on page 78. A description of the enhancements made to the platform with the release of 6.1 can be found on pages 8 of this issue.
Other features
The XPERIA is powered by a Qualcomm MSM7200 528 1MHz processor, which also has built-in GPS capability. It was unclear at press time whether the device incorporated a graphics accelerator or not. It has 128 MB of RAM, 256 MB of flash ROM, and additional file storage can be added via the microSD card slot. A 1,500 mAh Lithium Polymer rechargeable battery provides power, but usage estimates were unavailable.
An iPhone killer?
Everyone seems to be very excited about this device. Some see it as a challenger to the iPhone, offering not only a simple user interface but things the iPhone doesn’t have, like the Wide VGA screen, ArcSlider keyboard, better (3G) broadband connectivity, and a smaller form factor. The 3.2 megapixel camera is also an advantage. The unanswered question is whether the XPERIA’s Panel interface will be as easy to use as the iPhone’s UI.
Xpedia X1 (left) and Apple’s iPhone (right)
Price may also be a big advantage—if the device is sold by a wireless carrier. No formal announcements have been made, but speculation is that the XPERIA will be priced in the $200 range at launch, compared to the $400-$500 price of the iPhone. The price of the XPERIA assumes that, like the iPhone, it will be sold by a wireless carrier and require a 2-year service contract. If it is sold as an unlocked GSM device without a service contract, you can expect the price to be considerably more.
The iPhone does have an advantage over the XPERIA in terms of internal storage space. Exact figures have not been released, but the XPERIA ships with 256 MB of flash ROM, and a portion of that is used to store the Windows Mobile OS and applications. That probably means that it will have 150-170 MB of file storage. You can add file storage to the XPERIA with a microSD card, but that will raise the price. So, for example, if you wanted your XPERIA to have similar storage capacity to the $400 version of the iPhone, you’d need to purchase an 8 GB microSD card, which will set you back another $140. You’d be spending $340 for the XPERIA and $400 for the 8 GB iPhone—still a savings but not quite as compelling an advantage. NOTE: The iPhone has no storage card slot.
Sony Ericsson is promoting the XPERIA as a “game changing” convergent device that will blend productivity and entertainment features.
The high resolution display, FM radio, and a variety of other hardware features discussed in this overview certainly support the entertainment end of things. And Windows Mobile offers plenty of productivity fea-tures. Will the Sony Ericsson XPERIA X1 change the game? In the end, the consumer will decide. The Xpedia is expected to ship in the second half of 2008.
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by Gary, on 07.01.08 @ 9:21 pm
It’s features are awesome. But iPhone still looks better.