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SE X10

Sony Ericsson has released the “whatsnext” microsite, a portal for more information on the now official Sony Ericsson Xperia X10. The website adds a few new images of the X10 along with a promotional life-style video that demonstrates the kind of audience they’re after (or what type of person you will become using this device…). In all honesty, we gain little extra information from the website than what we had already pieced together ourselves. Everything is now just presented officially in the high-gloss finish we would expect from an outfit like SE. For those that do not know, SE are currently the world’s fourth largest handset maker but currently make a loss. This has been attributed to a lack of attractive high-end models and to compensate SE are releasing a few in time for Christmas. Alas, the X10 will not be one of them, and is due out early next year. If you are prepared to wait, some of the feature points that Sony Ericsson are pushing including Timescape™, Mediascape and automatic face recognition of your five best friends in any photo you take.

UPDATE: A full specification list has been provided to me by Sony Ericsson and I have appended it as a comment to the news item. I have also appended the full press release before the videos. For more information, check out their blog here!

Timescape™ is Sony Ericsson’s answer to integration of different forms of social networking and different social networking websites such as Facebook™ and Twitter. It effectively draws together all your social interactions into one place and organises them for you. Mediascape is SE’s attempt at some continuity between feature naming, and offers you all your music, videos and photos. Allegedly, you can access your media from everywhere – PlayNow™, YouTube™, your phone memory. The infinity button that we’d all started to speculate over was in fact part of the feature list Sony Ericsson are pushing, with an ‘Infinity Button’; “All your comms with your friends via Timescape™, all the artist info you want through Mediascape: just touch the infinite button and have it all. Instantly.” Does anyone actually say “comms”, by the way?

Noticeably, one of the things lacking from the Xperia X10 website include the mention of Android as an operating system. Sure, they throw in the term Android Market. Indeed, they list this as one of the feature selling points “You choose – Android Market™: Going out? Finding out? Or perhaps just chilling out? Download any application you want from Android Market™ and customise your Xperia™ X10 to make it exclusively yours.” However, there is no mention more on the feature list or on the specifications list of the operating system or what version it will be running.

In terms of the physical specifications, the X10 will weigh in at 135.0 g (4.8 oz) and measure up as 119.0 x 63.0 x 13.0 mm (4.7 x 2.5 x 0.5 inches). These measurements are really a side effect of the 480 x 854 pixels WVGA 16,536 color TFT touchscreen. For a complete specifications list, head on over here to check out their official website. For now, however, check out some images and the new video.

London – November 3 2009 – Sony Ericsson today unveils the XPERIA™ X10, the first phone in a family of phones to deliver a consistent user experience where communication truly becomes entertainment. Building on Sony Ericsson’s entertainment heritage and combining rich graphics with intelligence capabilities, the XPERIA™ X10 introduces a new UX platform that will evolve across the product portfolio and expand over time continuously introducing new features and capabilities.

The UX platform builds on top of the Open OS and creates a unique Sony Ericsson user experience by combining best-in-class entertainment features with signature applications, unrivalled integration of social media services and a rich graphical user interface. The XPERIA™ X10 is the first mobile phone to truly humanise the way people interact with their phones.

Bert Nordberg, President, Sony Ericsson said, “The XPERIA™ X10 and the family of phones launching in the first half of 2010 underpin our commitment to an open and multi-platform strategy that maximises choice for the consumer and delivers the best possible consumer experience. The reaction from our global operator partners to the XPERIA X10 has been extremely positive and we will be rolling out across the world including Japan from the first half of 2010.”

Rikko Sakaguchi, EVP and Chief Creation Officer, Sony Ericsson said, “The XPERIA™ X10 is a fantastic example of our make.believe philosophy because we are pushing the boundaries of what is possible and demonstrating that anything consumers can imagine, we can make possible. With the X10, we are raising the bar we have set ourselves with entertainment-rich phones like Aino and Satio by making communication more fun and playful, multiplying and enriching opportunities to connect.”

Introducing signature applications like Mediascape and Timescape™, the XPERIA™ X10 lets consumers organise everything in their phone in an intuitive way:

• Sony Ericsson Timescape™ manages all your communication with one person in one place. Browse through your conversations the bright way to check out your Facebook™, Twitter™, photos, emails, and texts all in one go

• Sony Ericsson Mediascape is the smart way to get all the music, photos and videos you want from your favourite friends and artists. It accesses content from everywhere – your phone, YouTube™, PlayNow™ – and presents everything for you

Intelligence capabilities, integrated into Mediascape and Timescape™, can automatically recognise connections between contacts, content and media. By recommending alternative ways to communicate or guiding to new media experiences, consumers can discover more in a truly open way. For example:

• Pressing the new “infinite button” guides you through the connected world, aggregating all your interactions with one person into one view

• Intelligent face recognition features recognise up to five faces in any picture, automatically connecting them with your social phonebook and all other related communications with that person.

Sony Ericsson’s open approach gives consumers maximum choice and with the XPERIA™ X10, users can download any application that they want direct from a wide variety of stores including PlayNow™ and the Android Market™, co-creating an experience that is entirely unique to them.

Sony Ericsson is also introducing the new Wireless Stereo Headset with FM Radio – WM600. Featuring advanced Bluetooth™ technology and a built-in FM radio, WM600 lets you stream music to your headset in high fidelity through sound-enhancing ear-buds. With a crystal clear OLED display, easy access controls and RDS radio station information, you don’t even need to take your phone with you to tune in to your favourite radio station.

The XPERIA™ X10 supports GSM GPRS/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900, UMTS HSPA 900/1700/2100 and UMTS HSPA 800/850/1900/2100. The XPERIA™ X10 will be available in selected markets from Q1 in the colours Sensuous Black and Luster White.

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