Sony Ericsson's XPERIA X1 delayed to end of the year

It's a little difficult to delay a device that hasn't gotten a more specific release window than "the second half of 2008" (from official sources, at least), but Sony Ericsson is doing its darnedest. The scuttlebutt at IFA is that the XPERIA X1 has been delayed to the end of the year, and a Sony rep confirmed to us that it's looking like December 2008 or January 2009. To blame is the software, specifically Windows Mobile 6.1 (or perhaps SE's implementation of it), which appeared to be actively destroying the display units Sony has on display at IFA -- of the three devices, one had some green status lights, one didn't work at all, and one turned on briefly, only to crash hard and never return again... a pretty poor showing for day one of the show. Some hands-on shots are below, glaringly void of actual device usage.

Gallery: Sony Ericsson's XPERIA X1 delayed to end of the year

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[xValentine @ Aug 29th 2008 8:24AM]

Sigh..

But still, I'll be waiting..

[Will H. @ Aug 29th 2008 8:51AM]

Aw, there's lots of people who want this phone, NOW! 8)

[Eric @ Aug 29th 2008 9:10AM]

Sounds like you don't really want it now, unless you are into frustration.

[konshuss @ Aug 29th 2008 9:15AM]

the problem obviously isn't windows mobile, fanboys. might be evidenced by my 4 year old pda running winmo2k3 that snaps to every command, touchscreen too.

sony ericcson is driving themselves right out of the phone business. didn't they just finish reporting 98% profit loss or something? now a delay with such catastrophic errors in their public displays? pathetic.

[Jim @ Aug 29th 2008 6:54PM]

They might as well put in Windows Mobile 7.0 by the time this thing gets out

[Maozai @ Aug 29th 2008 8:27AM]

First?

[USAFMech @ Aug 30th 2008 4:26PM]

First fail. Congratulations.

[ken @ Aug 29th 2008 8:29AM]

Windows Jokes may now comence

[Sirius @ Aug 29th 2008 9:36AM]

That boot screen with the wait cursor is a fitting image~
Tho I see a lot less of that cursor on WM6 compared to WM2k3SE, which is a good thing :)

[J.P. Damico @ Aug 29th 2008 8:29AM]

Isn't that the same time mobile 7 is coming out? Is it possible they are delaying it so that it can ship with 7?

[TareX @ Aug 29th 2008 8:43AM]

My same thought. Releasing a WM6.1 device just around the time WM7 leaks are all over the web. Excellent timing.

They had to ruin their first decent thing.

[Totalfixation @ Aug 29th 2008 8:52AM]

Im sure they will allow some sort of update to WM7. Most of the phone with WM5 got a update to 6.0. So it doesn't seem unlikely it will happen to this phone.

[TareX @ Aug 29th 2008 12:39PM]

Not likely. WM7 will utilize newer technologies like visual gesture recognition, new graphics accelerator. WM7 devices will probably be driven by nVidia's Tegra processor a.k.a. APX 2500.

nVidia already said it was committed to windows mobile.

[p3ngwin @ Aug 29th 2008 2:49PM]

winmo 7 has a minimum hardware spec of 256megabytes of RAM too, so unless the Xperia gets and upgrade from it's 128megs...no winmo 7 for it.

[Kevin @ Sep 2nd 2008 10:50AM]

According to gsmarena.com, the phone has:
- 400 MB internal memory
- 256MB RAM, 512MB storage memory
- Qualcomm MSM7200 528MHz processor

So that would make it eligible for wm7

[Ovbhiedo @ Aug 29th 2008 8:30AM]

Wow, oh how lame the excuse that the problem is "specifically WIndows Mobile 6.1". So Sony can't or doesn't know how to make a phone work with an O.S (not even to DEMO), something that gazillions of other phones use and use well, and the problem lies with the O.S.....i call ectoplasmic bull crap.

Maybe they should borrow/rent/commision...i don't know Palm/Htc/HP/Samsung/Motorola who all have devices with Win Mobile and have never complained like lil beeches about their inability to have working demos.

[Dillon @ Aug 29th 2008 8:44AM]

What in the hell is "ectoplasmic" bullcrap? I'm guessing your referring that crap that a bull would expel after having been abducted and genetically modified by an alien.

[Rob Conway @ Aug 29th 2008 8:56AM]

I happen to be quite the Apple fanboy, and as much as I'd like to do some Microsoft bashing, this guys right. If everyone else can use WinMo 6.1 without a hitch, why can't SE? That just seems like passing the buck to me, so why don't we just forget the X1 and all buy iPhones?
(now i'm just starting trouble!)

[Mike C @ Aug 29th 2008 9:19AM]

*cough* touch pro * cough*

[Dopefish @ Aug 29th 2008 11:00AM]

"....they should borrow/rent/commision...i don't know Palm/Htc/HP/Samsung/Motorola ..."

http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/10/no-wonder-sony-ericssons-xperia-x1-is-so-good-htc-makes-it/

theyv'e already done it!


I guess its one of those things, when its an awesome device its HTC, when theres delays and problems its Sony Ericsson.....

[Magallanes @ Aug 29th 2008 2:42PM]

The HTC motto is : "good hardware/ bad software", specially the "no video drivers" affair.

[joyeyboy @ Aug 29th 2008 8:31AM]

On one picture it says "Hauptakku sehr schwach" as important message... if that's the unit that crashed hard and didnt switch on again, then it is because it said "Main battery almost empty"

[V Langs @ Aug 29th 2008 9:25AM]

hahahaha
you'd think they'd switch the language to english... for an english speaking trade show...

i guess sony ericsson really is gonna die out :-( i loved their products of mid 2000s some of them (K750, S710, T616 etc) were pure brilliant devices and with not too much device saturation it was always nice little brand. i chose them over nokia and sammy so many times, also because their OS was just plain better then. I guess it wasn't meant to be... if they didn't have such horrible PR and project managers maybe they'd survive past 2010.

so here's to you! Sony Ericsson. It was a fun few years, but ultimately you figured out that people like smartphones way to late...and then you were crushed and throttled and manhandled by the likes of the Touch Pro, iPhone, Treo Pro(!), and various other little smartphone minions.

[Rob Bourne @ Aug 29th 2008 8:32AM]

They've lost my custom - I can't be bothered to wait even longer when other companies using Winmo don't have a problem with 6.1 (hell, it even runs perfectly on older phones/pdas).

HTC Touch Pro it is then.

[Dan Davis @ Aug 29th 2008 11:54AM]

Same thoughts, except change "Touch Pro" to "Dream" for me

[Jash Sayani @ Aug 29th 2008 8:36AM]

Nice. But no front camara for video conferencing.

Whats the config. RAM / ROM - 3G / HSDPA / HSUPA ?

[Rich @ Aug 29th 2008 8:36AM]

SE are clueless and haven't made a decent smartphone since the P910.

No doubt the X1 will be terrible even when it is released.

[TareX @ Aug 29th 2008 8:41AM]

I can't believe it was delayed. I mean having 9 simultaneously running, active, start-up screens for Windows Mobile sounds very plausible.

I haven't seen a preview/hands-on that said the "Panels" UI was either incomplete or sluggish.

[GON @ Aug 29th 2008 9:02AM]

Well if you decide to stop waiting, you can get this:
http://wmpoweruser.com/?p=754

[p3ngwin @ Aug 29th 2008 11:30AM]

@GON:
thanks for that dude!
i'm all over it now.

if the Xperia doesn't pan out, and SOON, then i'm waiting for an "android" based device, or maybe a Qualcomm "snapdragon" device like the reference one they showed recently:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fdMww-LFPik

[ScOObyDoo @ Aug 29th 2008 8:42AM]

Something ain't right here. HTC is making these for SE, and they were able to get the Touch Pro (with fairly similar specs) from announcement to shelves in under 3 months.

[TareX @ Aug 29th 2008 8:47AM]

And this is how a company like HTC builds a reputation. Next time SE announces a device at WMC, you'll see the appropriate response.
Touch Pro was leaked when, early June? That's a good 4 months after WMC where SE had the Xperia X1 all over the place.

Yeah SE, this is why you're not HTC.

[Totalfixation @ Aug 29th 2008 8:56AM]

I think they are perfecting their software that's why there is a delay. The Touch flow isnt that nice, IMO, hopefully sony will release something better.

[Muhammed @ Aug 29th 2008 9:46AM]

@ Total Fixation: The touch Flo isn't that nice?! dude where's your brain at ? have you even used it before claiming such nonsense?
no offense man really, but I used it, and I think its one hell of a nice interface, it surely adds a special feel to HTC devices, other than the WinMo.

[TareX @ Aug 29th 2008 12:43PM]

Well Mo, before the ROM updates, TouchFlo3D was really slow and sluggish. Now it's not sluggish and is a lot faster. Yet STILL, you need to perform an action (e.g. swipe finger) and then wait for Kinetic rendering (photo moves upwards). Unlike the iPhone and Android (SDK) where the screen moves under your finger as if they were glued i.e. no lag between cause and effect. Everyone knows it's WM6's fault.

[JimmyKrackkorn @ Aug 29th 2008 8:49AM]

Isn't that the same time that Android comes out as well? WinMo 7 maybe vapored and pushed back repeatedly. The level of catchup and then testing they need to do isn't even funny.

[Dan Davis @ Aug 29th 2008 11:57AM]

The Anroid phone (HTC Dream, or G1) is *rumored* to be released in October

http://www.engadget.com/2008/08/15/t-mobile-to-sell-first-android-phone-in-october/

[TareX @ Aug 29th 2008 8:49AM]

It's a pity though regarding this magnificent VGA widescreen.... I had high hopes for the HTC Dream (G1)'s display, but looks like it will have the iPhone's HVGA screen.

[GON @ Aug 29th 2008 8:51AM]

:(

[Phil @ Aug 29th 2008 8:54AM]

There was a hickup with the shop system.... Its back to October!
Still to late for me.... HTC Touch Pro is mine.... mmmmmyyyyyy preeeeeciioouusssssssssssssssssssss.... :)

[wazzupalex @ Aug 29th 2008 8:52AM]

Windows Mobile is useless and why Sony who are experts in making usable sexy compact devices (SE K800i etc) would even consider a complicated OS lacking in consistency like WM, it beyond me. A direct contrast to my amazing Nokia E71, the flawed but usable iPhone and hopefully, Google's Android. Sony should drop WM immediately and install Symbian, Android or their own "only Sony could do this" proprietary but standards compliant OS.

[Jooseppi @ Aug 29th 2008 8:58AM]

Somehow Xperia is beginning to look ugly. Especially those "x" buttons.

[sr @ Aug 29th 2008 9:51AM]

Yeah very cheesy.

[TKWarrior @ Aug 29th 2008 8:59AM]

I love the hardware specs of this phone, but that's mainly due to a good job by HTC, not Sony. Hopefully they can fix any issues with the software, I'll wait for it until WM7 if need be. Not that WM is a deal breaker, I'm really hoping it'll be able to run android.

[why bother @ Aug 29th 2008 9:08AM]

"Isn't that the same time mobile 7 is coming out?"

why the hell does windows bother with mobile....it's sluggish stupid and useless, KTHANKSBYE

try again windows, or hey ericsson you can make a better OS than windows.

[khamel @ Aug 29th 2008 9:25AM]

this delay might officially push me into the loving embrace of the iphone. i upgraded my htc star trek to a cooked windows 6.1 just so i could get an extra couple months out of my phone but i dont think i can wait till january.

[Phoenix @ Aug 29th 2008 9:55AM]

Why not the Touch Pro since you already have an HTC... obviously you don't have much against them

[khamel @ Aug 29th 2008 10:26AM]

i dont want to pay that much for a cellphone. if i could get it for $200-300 (even with a 2-year contract) i probably would but if i remember correctly the pro wont be avaliable on att for cheap enough (and thats without 8gb or 16gb memory). i've been a loyal wm user for 3 years now (i flirted with a e62 for a month but went back) but i think i'm sick and tired of waiting for something to come out at a cost effective price-point. my sister has the tilt and its nice and all, but a little fat for my taste.

[Phoenix @ Aug 29th 2008 3:50PM]

It'll probably be about the same on contract. The hardware is very similar anyway

[Trent @ Aug 29th 2008 9:37AM]

Who cares!!!!

The BB Storm will be hitting Verizon next month. Comes with a 8G card as well. Plus you can use it to tether. And it most likely will not be plagued with all the issues the iPhone has.