Mobile Phone News

Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10 To Get Android 2.2 Upgrade?

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With excitement mounting over the latest range of Sony Ericsson Android phones, word has it that they may be leapfrogging the Eclair build of Google’s operating system and chomping into Android 2.2 in the second half of the year.

The Asian launch of the Android trio of the XPERIA X10, X10 Mini and X10 Mini Pro was the scene where the manufacturer confirmed to crave that these handsets will be getting a boost from their current customised 1.6 build of Android, and that it “will be an Eclair variant, so it could be 2.1 or even 2.2″, according to a rather overzealous spokesperson.

Great news that the X10 gang will be getting futureproofed in due course, but without a timeline of when that might be, Sony Ericsson’s hardcore refurbishment of the Android user interface could result in these handsets constantly playing catch up amongst the smartphone elite…

Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10 Unboxed, Captured In High Definition By Vivaz

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Sony Ericsson has capitalised on the tech geek’s love of removing products from their protective sheaths, and today has put up an unboxing video of the Android powered XPERIA X10.

Mårten is the master of ceremonies, and they even have gone all ‘meta’ by shooting the video using another phones, in this case the high-def skills of the new Sony Ericsson Vivaz.

With both the ’sensuous black’ and ‘luster white’ models (named in typical Sony hyperbole) on display, the X10 looks to be a sleek device to show off the latest in what Google’s operating system can do with a bit of ingenuity and a lot of customisation.

Being Sony Ericsson’s first Android device, the X10 pulls no punches in being a smartphone powerhouse, with 1Ghz of Snapdragon processor purring under the bonnet and an 8-megapixel camera to handle any photo opportunity that arises.

The X10 is also the first phone to show off Sony Ericsson’s new user experience, merging the best of on and offline content by feeding status updates, messages and alerts from many social networking sites into an single thread, which they call ‘TimeScape’.

With a late March/early April release date looming, we’ll be able to give you our own impressions on the Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10 soon enough.

Source: Sony Ericsson Product Blog

Sony Ericsson XPERIA X2 Gets Software Support Timeline, Won’t Make It To WinMo 7

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A glimmer of sunshine for the few that opted to purchase the ill-fated Sony Ericsson XPERIA X2, they can take brief solace in the fact that the manufacturer is looking to keep the business handset going with a schedule of software updates.

The Xperiancers blog notes that the Windows Mobile 6.5 powered device will be getting an upgrade in March 2010 to the new 6.5.2, which improves general speed and GPS functionality, as well as bringing video telephony and FM radio support. Embrace the future!

The second update scheduled for May is the ‘big one’ apparently, introducing multi-touch, support for capacitive screens, browser improvements and tweaks across the board…much of which the XPERIA X2 could greatly benefit from.

Incidentally, this 6.5.3 build of Windows Mobile will make its global debut in a Sony phone, namely the Sony Ericsson Aspen.

Don’t go holding out for the Sony Ericsson XPERIA X2 to make a comeback though…whilst we know that it missed the boat on Vodafone, the final nail in the face for the bulky slider according to the blog is that it “won’t ever go onto Windows Mobile 7, it won’t support the hardware.”

It was all going so well…

Sony Ericsson XPERIA X1 Hacked To Run Android

By Ernest DokucloseAuthor: Ernest Doku Name: Ernest Doku
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Whilst we are all on tenterhooks waiting for Sony Ericsson to release their first Android handset, the XPERIA X10 (week 13 on Vodafone, release date fans!), eager folk on XDA Developers have managed to get one of the latest builds of Google’s open source firmware to run on the normally Windows-powered XPERIA X1.

Android 2.0.1 is shown in the below video, running surprisingly happily on a heavily modified version of the XPERIA X1 with the lion’s share of core functionality making the leap intact!

Step-by-step guide here but be warned, it isn’t for the faint of heart…our advice is just to wait for Sony Ericsson to do it for real.

Source: Android Community

HTC Desire Deals | Cheap HTC Desire Offers Compared | UK

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T-Mobile are getting out the big guns in the smartphone battle against the iPhone, with an opening salvo of the Android-powered LG InTouch Max, Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10 and the HTC ‘Bravo’  in early 2010.

Leading with the promise of unlimited internet for their range of ‘always-on’ devices and profusion of free apps available in the Android market, the network hopes to steal attention (and sales) away from the ever-popular Apple iPhone and give consumers a selection of some cutting edge hardware.

Leading the charge is the LG InTouch Max, a recently announced social networking slider with a plethora of features (which you can read more about here), and will be for sale on the 4th of February.

UPDATE: The InTouch Max has jumped the gun and is available now! Check it out on our GW620 deals page!

The XPERIA X10 – launching as a joint flagship for Sony Ericsson with the Symbian-toting, HD-shooting Sony Ericsson Kurara – will be March’s first heavy hitter with a 4-inch WVGA touch display, 8 megapixel camera and Snapdragon processor.

Sporting a heavily customised interface that merges the best of on- and offline content in a single screen, the Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10 is heavily tipped for success by network and manufacturer alike.

With a reported ad spend in the region of £4 million on the X10, not to mention the issues faced with the Satio, Aino and X2 upon their respective launches, it will have to be.

The final push at the end of the month is the HTC Bravo -  a ‘near identical’ device to the Nexus One according to sources – bringing advancements like an optical trackpad for scrolling (getting one over on the Google phone’s old-school trackball), multi-touch for iPhone-esque pinching to zoom and the Sense user interface that we fell in love with on the HTC Hero.

Whilst Bravo may not be the final name for the device, we can confirm that the handset will be equipped with the latest Android build, the same 3.7-inch display and 5 megapixel autofocus camera currently seen on the Nexus One, and be available for free on a £35 per month tariff.

If there is one phone that seems likely to topple Apple’s ivory tower, this one could be it…oh, and check out our sneaky exclusive picture of the HTC Bravo in the flesh, optical trackpad and all!

UPDATE: The official name of the HTC Bravo has been leaked…it’s the HTC Desire!

With a strong handset line-up like that, the network could have a serious chance of turning the heads of those not seduced by the iPhone’s almighty presence, as well as dramatically increasing the meagre 2% share of the market that Android currently represents.

However, the allure will be in the price point as much as anything, but with the X10’s big presence and the Bravo’s killer specs, these could well be the phones to turn the tide for both T-Mobile and Android in the smartphone wars.

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Check out our mobile phone deals available for decidedly more current-gen phones on Omio.com, and HTC Desire deals ahead of the April release!

Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10 Facing Release Date Delays?

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Eldar Murtazin, the all-knowing editor of Russian site Mobile Review has dashed our hopes for an early 2010 appearance for the Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10, with his latest tweet stating the handset has been delayed to ‘mid-March 2010′.

The Android-toting X10 set pulses racing late last year with its refreshing take on Google’s OS, Snapdragon processor as well as snazzy social networking and media integration, quickly calming them again when the Nexus UI proved laggy and unresponsive upon its premature first reveal.

The X10 is running on Android v1.6 – also dubbed ‘Donut’ – shared by handsets like the HTC Hero but is without some features that the post-2.0 devices like the Motorola Milestone/Droid and Google Nexus One have been parading in front of excited journalists in recent months.

Eldar’s tweet also mentions that a potential update to the newest version of Google’s open source platform for the X10 is still some ways off – due in no small part to the Herculean efforts they are already putting in on the customisation front for 1.6. Updates may be on the way in future, but the phone is almost certain to ship with Donut on board.

We’re currently contacting Sony Ericsson to find out a little bit more…

Similar incremental delays put the XPERIA X1 at a real disadvantage at launch, and the XPERIA X2 missed the boat altogether due to not being ready for Vodafone’s launch window…third time lucky perhaps?

Oh, and I wonder if Philip K. Dick’s estate is going to sue Sony Ericsson for also using the Nexus name…

Source: SEN-SE

Sony Ericsson XPERIA X2 On Vodafone: Release Date Delayed To January 2010

By Ernest DokucloseAuthor: Ernest Doku Name: Ernest Doku
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Another blow for Sony Ericsson as their Windows phone for the year slips into 2010.

Missing out on the big Xmas season, the Sony Ericsson XPERIA X2 is now slated for a January release on the official Vodafone site, the network set to have a period of exclusivity for the business slider.

With a 3.2-inch high resolution touchscreen and 8.1 megapixel camera, the X2 is ready for pleasure as well as business…well, it would have been if the Windows Mobile 6.5-powered device had made its Q4 release window.

Between the Sony Ericsson Satio being pulled from shelves over problematic firmware and the Aino getting roughed up over touchscreen performance issues, the delay for their third pillar of winter handsets is the last thing the manufacturer needed…

With a swathe of hot handsets earmarked for launch early in the new year — including Sony Ericsson’s own Android-ready XPERIA X10 — the luxurious X2 might well be buried amongst an array of releases from the competition.

The XPERIA X1 paid dearly for its protracted journey from announcement to release, let’s hope that the X2 does not suffer the same fate.

Source

Gameloft Issues Press Release, Pledges Hi-Def Gaming For Android Phones

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Eager to play down recent statements, Gameloft have issued a press release unveiling plans to launch High Definition gaming on forthcoming Android phones including the Motorola DROID/MILESTONE and Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10, as well as cementing their support of current generation Google-powered devices.

Earlier this week, Gameloft’s finance director Alexadre de Rochefort spoke of scaling back investment for the fledgling platform, citing iPhone sales as being 400 times higher than on Android Market for their games in the last quarter, as well as a lack of assistance from Google in the promotion of titles.

Whilst the press release places a great deal of emphasis on referring to the ‘2nd generation’ of Android phones, it seems as though Gameloft are attempting to clarify their intentions of maintaining a presence on the operating system, at present as well as in the future.

In that case, is Gameloft easing off on Android investment or not?

This latest announcement does little to play down rumours that Gameloft may concentrate their efforts on iPhone apps in the immediate future, with a view to ramping up development on Android once the platform has a bigger slice of the smart phone market, and a wider range of handsets available to consumers.

Sony Ericsson ‘Kurara’ Spotted, Compared To Soft Drink

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Oh Sony Ericsson, why are you so leaky?

The Sony Ericsson ‘Kurara,’ a Symbian S60-wielding Satio sequel that has been doing the unofficial rounds has had another photoshoot, this time leaning seductively against a Coke can for Sony-Ericsson.ru…

The can is both wider and taller than the Kurara, whilst the Coke can doesn’t have the 8.1 megapixel camera, curvy form factor or the Kurara’s silver finish. We also doubt the Kurara’s thirst-quenching abilities.

Word has it that the Sony Ericsson Kurara has a 3.5″ AMOLED touchscreen and will also be able to record HD video, which got us thinking just how much this looks like a silver Samsung i8910HD, another Symbian phone with a huge display and great camera.

The final choice of opting for a refreshing beverage or a Sony Ericsson phone rumoured for a 2010 release is up to you.

Oh, and the Kurara name is a placeholder, much like ‘Rachel’ became the Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10.

If you want some proper mobile phone comparison, check out our phone compare tool and size up the features of over 600 phones!

Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10 Video: Timescape And Mediascape Demo

By Ernest DokucloseAuthor: Ernest Doku Name: Ernest Doku
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This video explains exactly why the content-merging TimeScape and Mediascape applications on Sony Ericsson’s new XPERIA X10 are so exciting…

The comination of local and online content, suggested music and movie picks and the intuitive navigation are all demoed in this video hosted by Erica Kato Marcus – head of application planning for the X10.

The Android phone onslaught has begun in earnest…and we like it!