At the Mobile World Congress 2008, Microsoft announced that Sony Ericsson will deliver a new Windows Mobile phone, the Xperia X1, which blends mobile Web communication and multimedia entertainment, to meet consumer demand for a premium mobile experience for work and play.
Xperia X1, which includes 3-inch clear wide VGA display and a full QWERTY keyboard within a quality metal-finish body, is an arc slider phone. The phone has quad-band GSM (850/900/1800/1900MHz) and 4 bands of HSDPA/HSUPA (850/1700/1900/2100MHz or 900/1700/1900/2100MHz) support.
It includes also WiFi connectivity and a 3.2 megapixel camera with auto-focus. Xperia X1 measures 110mm x 53mm x 17mm (4.3" x 2.1" x .7") and weighs in at 145g (5.1oz) and also includes GPS support.
For those customers who do not like the touchscreen phones, Sony Ericsson Xperia X1 offers a stylus and handwriting recognition. The phone, which will be delivered in two colors, Solid Black and Steel Silver, is scheduled to be available in the second half of 2008.
“Xperia is our promise to think foremost about user experience and to deliver on our goal of providing a true premium experience — anytime, anywhere, anything, with anyone,” said Rikko Sakaguchi, head of Portfolio and Proposition at Sony Ericsson. “By working with Microsoft on the XPERIA X1, we have been able to couple our excellence in creating compelling consumer propositions with the productivity capabilities of Windows Mobile to deliver a seamless blend of mobile Web communication and multimedia entertainment within a distinctive design.”
The X1 means that all the world's top handset makers apart from Nokia, which dominates with a 40 percent market share, will now have Windows Mobile devices. Sony Ericsson sold more than 100 million handsets in 2007 and excelled in sales of imaging and music-enabled devices, such as Cyber-shot and Walkman phones.
In fiscal year 2007, Microsoft sold 11 million Windows Mobile licenses and expects to sell more than 20 million licenses in fiscal year 2008, making Windows Mobile a leading smartphone platform globally.