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.
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.
Other Windows Mobile devices have slide-out keyboards, but the XPERIA'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.)
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.
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.
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.
The XPERIA is a touch screen smartphone based on the Windows Mobile 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.
As mentioned, Sony Ericsson built a customizable "Panels" user interface into the XPERIA, allowing quick access to apps, media, and other things. Additional software has not been announced.
The XPERIA is powered by a Qualcomm MSM7200 528 MHz 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.
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.
