Sony Ericsson X2 spotted?

A tipster tells us that the device you're looking at here is Sony Ericsson's codename "Vulcan" -- better known as the X2 -- which would presumably replace the X1 at some point in the next few days, weeks, months, or years. Though the picture's small, you can clearly make out the X Panel button in the lower left of the phone's front and a Windows key in the upper left of the keyboard, which adds a dose of credibility -- the company has, after all, put quite a bit of time and effort into pimping its panel interface SDK, and right now, the X1 is the only device that supports it. The image looks a little rough around the edges, but we can easily chalk that up to this being either a composite mockup or a very early prototype combined with the fact that our tipster seems to have blanked out the surroundings to protect the source. We're not saying it's definitely real, but this certainly looks plausible -- we're just not convinced yet that it looks better than the model it'd replace. Thoughts?

[Thanks, anonymous tipster]

[EEaudio08 @ Jun 3rd 2009 12:04PM]

Wow, that's ugly.

[Derek @ Jun 3rd 2009 12:05PM]

Seriously... I hope this isn't the replacement. The X1 is gorgeous... this looks like a KIRF.

[jacolnnn @ Jun 3rd 2009 12:31PM]

Why is it that they make the ugliest looking devices for WinMo. It's bad enough that it's destined to carried the WORST mobile operating system... does it have to look gross too? I hope Microsoft learns to use the Zune UI to make a phone OS that doesn't suck so we can all ditch the WinMo grossness.

[Ray @ Jun 3rd 2009 1:34PM]

Wow, this isnt ugly at all. Ugly is pspGo, this looks really good to me.

*crosses fingers for cdma winmo version*

[chris @ Jun 3rd 2009 2:53PM]

Here's to hoping that's just an early prototype. The first X1 was a gorgeous breath of fresh air with an aluminum body and keyboard. And with an extremely responsive high resolution screen, 3.5mm jack, FM radio, plethora of discreet buttons, dpad and trackpad, and Sony's walkman software, it is the best windows mobile phone I've ever handled.

Bottom line, the X1 will be hard for Sony to beat, they'll have to make a sexier device than pictured for it to outdo the X1.

[Zane @ Jun 3rd 2009 12:06PM]

Too bad the TouchPro2 with an awesome 5 row keyboard is already out on the shelves.

It'll take a darn good effort from SE to one-up the WinMo leader.

[Jon @ Jun 3rd 2009 1:53PM]

So I guess you didnt notice the TP2 has no 3.5mm headphone jack, no camera LED, no dpad buttons on the front, and an FM radio diabled in the firmware just for the f*ck of it. It cant even match the X1. HTC sucks.

[Barbaric @ Jun 3rd 2009 2:02PM]

yeah... one up HTC...they'll never see that comming...while they're building the device as Sony's production contractor.

[E C S Sucks @ Jun 3rd 2009 12:07PM]

So you didn't notice xperia written under the screen.

[cayton @ Jun 3rd 2009 12:23PM]

I laughed.

[y3k.nik @ Jun 3rd 2009 12:09PM]

Any SE branded WinMo device in the market will be up against a similar HTC branded device, and HTC looks like it doesnt do as good a job for phones that dont go with their own brandings.

What I am trying to say is, I think given a choice between SE and HTC, there is bound to be an HTC phone that is just better in one way or the other and without the panels. I think I would much rather pick HTC than SE.

[synn @ Jun 3rd 2009 11:14PM]

HTC isn't building the next Xperia. Foxconn is, AFAIK

[DiGiC @ Jun 3rd 2009 12:10PM]

I like it, and although its a bit early to tell I'd say that screen looks significantly bigger

[darkmax @ Jun 3rd 2009 12:16PM]

It's not ugly, it is just plain bland.

I just want them to put in the Walkman and Cybershot functions. Or else this one is just another smartphone made by HTC, branded SE. Hopefully they can put in the PS label as well.... but that's asking for too much

[Sisyphus @ Jun 3rd 2009 12:19PM]

Wow, I totally forgot about the X1 (significant to me, considering I followed it on engadget for such a long time).

What happened with that device? Do people like it? Anybody here have it?

There are so many damn cellphones coming out all of the time, everything just seems so unremarkable these days!

[Zane @ Jun 3rd 2009 12:21PM]

I had one for about 3 months but sold it last week to get the TP2. It was pretty nice and sexy (if there ever was a sexy WinMo phone) but HTC's new phone is just so much better.

[chris @ Jun 3rd 2009 2:31PM]

I've got one. I love it, and with Sony still releasing ROMS its got a lot more support than any HTC device has ever had. And no, I would never trade it for a Touch Pro 2. Which is just really a big bulky X1 without FM, without a true metal housing, and without a 3.5mm jack....

[Matthew F @ Jun 3rd 2009 5:17PM]

The XDA-devs have done a ton of work for it, there's tons of tweak apps (anyone who owns one, go download XperiaTweak), TouchFLO3D has been ported off a few HTC phones, they've got cooked roms with TouchFLO, with WinMo 6.5 (ran that for a few weeks), and so many of HTCs cab's have been ripped off their devices for enhancements like LargeStartMenu, Volume Adjustment, Notifications, and so on. My first WinMo phone, been a hardcore SE feature-phone user before this. Cant argue with WinMo's power...but it has its issues, sure.

[superhobo @ Jun 3rd 2009 12:20PM]

3.5mm jack and WinMo 7/6.5 or fail.

[Bustage @ Jun 3rd 2009 12:22PM]

Just returned my X1 to the shop after spending 3 days fighting with it.
Poo phone. Poo OS. Poo Panels.

If you want a windows phone just get a HTC Touch Pro2 or Diamond 2

[Zane @ Jun 3rd 2009 12:36PM]

FYI: The TD2 and TP2 run on the same "poo OS".

[Bustage @ Jun 3rd 2009 12:40PM]

FYI: They do not.

Not entirely anyway. HTC TD2/TP2 run on Windows mobile 6.1 WITH Touch Flo over the top. Which (for usability) is superior.

The SE X1 Runs on Windows mobile 6.1 with panels being a resource hog.

[Zane @ Jun 3rd 2009 12:47PM]

FYI: Panels and TouchFlo are just INTERFACES and not the OS.
Btw, the panels can be run on the HTC. Similarly, TouchFlo has already been ported to the X1 and any improvements that HTC made to the new devices shall be ported within a couple of weeks/months anyway.

[ZeusII @ Jun 3rd 2009 12:53PM]

Actually, you can run Touch FLO and WinMO 6.5 with ease in the X1... I have right now TouchFLO 3D, WinMO6.5 new interface and Panels runing at the same time perfectly... custom roms of course, but who wants the default rom when there's better ones out there. You can always flash the stock one in case of problems in less than 10 minutes.

ah! and I get a earpiece working Skype version + a 3,5mm headphone jack and lot's of hardware buttons that all new HTC devices lack.

Also, WinMO is not crap, I have yet to see another mobile OS so powerful and flexible. Yes, there's better "usable" interfaces out there, but no other mobile OS is so customizable and have the variety of applications of WinMO.

Looking forward to the new one althrough as they changed manufactures I think the flexibility we currently have on the X1 will not be there (great dev community behind the scenes for htc made devices).

[Bustage @ Jun 3rd 2009 12:54PM]

Ok, if you must be pedantic about it....
The X1 is a poor phone with a worse interface.
HTC TP2 and TD2 have a superior interface.

Happy?

[TareX @ Jun 3rd 2009 1:10PM]

You shouldn have rooted it and have Touch HD's TouchFLO panel.

[Bustage @ Jun 3rd 2009 1:12PM]

If a phone is not usable out of the box and without modification, it is officially a POS.

[tony @ Jun 3rd 2009 12:28PM]

3.5mm jack and WinMo 7/6.5 but still fail, if they cant get a carrier to subsidize their 1000$+ premium price

[Lundmark @ Jun 3rd 2009 12:33PM]

The problem with the absolutely useless Xperia X1 isn't the hardware, but the software. It's loaded with Windows Mobile which is utterly crap, thus this phone won't fix anything. Bad!

[Ray @ Jun 3rd 2009 1:39PM]

I dont blame winmo. It runs good on devices made by samsung and toshiba (etc.). The problem is its made by htc, who uses qualcomm chips that blow. If they get this made by another firm, it'll much better.

[binkyje @ Jun 3rd 2009 6:41PM]

I have to agree with Bustage... i own an X1, its truly awful. Not necessarily the hardware's fault but what an interface - bad, bad, bad even the vaneer of the panels fails to fully mask a clumsy OS and un-finger friendly interface.

[hated @ Jun 3rd 2009 12:47PM]

I'm a sony fanboy
This will fail
Stands no chance to compete with "the phone"

[Mike Litoris @ Jun 3rd 2009 12:50PM]

I'm all about high end Sony phones. Great quality, great picture software. Now that I'm an Android user, I won't get another one without it. You listening Sony?

[Bobby @ Jun 3rd 2009 12:52PM]

boom shaka laka!

[Big Sam @ Jun 3rd 2009 1:03PM]

Looks more like an old Thinkpad

[Dave @ Jun 3rd 2009 1:05PM]

looks like it was designed prior to the x1

[Montusama @ Jun 3rd 2009 1:13PM]

looks like a decent phone.

[Sor @ Jun 3rd 2009 1:16PM]

i really hope this isn't a plastic keyboard. With metallic keyboard in the X1 adds to the aesthetic image of the phone if SE goes with plastic will look cheap. But if it does hopefully will lower the price. The looks is between bad and "OK". There are some nice render images out there for X2 or X5 or however they r going to call it for SE to choose from.... But then again i see what Sony did with the PSP Go and i start to get worry.

Btw people saying that is WinMo is bad OS they seriously don't have a clue! It's not finger friendly yes, but so far this is the only weakness that has.

Hopefully a better model will be revealed so i can start to think with that i am going to change my X1, IF i am going to change it :)

[GlobalDia @ Jun 3rd 2009 1:35PM]

looks ok i guess, but gonna need the specs.
knowing SE we'll probably see this in 2011 and priced around $1000.

[tooql4life @ Jun 3rd 2009 1:39PM]

Sony is bankcrupt so is Ericsson

[motvikt @ Jun 3rd 2009 7:05PM]

get your facts straight nub. Sony maybe is but Ericsson is far from it. The worlds largest network company.

[[e-mail] @ Jun 3rd 2009 1:37PM]

wtf ? chris were you not slagging of sony in your last article ?

[tooql4life @ Jun 3rd 2009 1:40PM]

what

[Onyx @ Jun 3rd 2009 3:05PM]

Maybe this one won't crash twice a day.

[Quikboy @ Jun 3rd 2009 3:54PM]

I hope when it comes out, it will get the 6.5 upgrade.

[yrag @ Jun 3rd 2009 3:58PM]

X2 = Fugly.

[slingshot317 @ Jun 3rd 2009 5:55PM]

i wonder if they'll get a carrier to adopt the phone and actually make it somewhat affordable...of course that won't matter until they make the phone a little easier on the eyes

[Nick Nguyen @ Jun 4th 2009 4:29AM]

the design doesn't look very stable. the screen seems like it'll snap off easily

[bearbear807 @ Jun 4th 2009 6:24AM]

This thing doesnt look attractive to me, that machine look like a chunk of big plastic and like saito with keyboard on it =_=
im a proud x1 owner, the xda-developers has done loads of words to tweak it, even with td2 and td2 is releasing. i can just simply flash a new rom (10 min process) and i got everything just works like td2 and tp2! specification is similar in this 3 phones beside the camera. 3mp is more than good enough for convinence. If this x2 doesnt run on wm6.5/7 1ghz cpu it will sure fail (at least im not buying it :) any x1 owner after tweaking their x1 will agree with me it is the most solid, sleek and sexy wm device! but the bad point is the qc needs to improve, hope foxconn do a proper job, until now i still think htc do it on purpose on the quality of x1 just make it less competitive then other htc device

[NONO @ Jun 4th 2009 11:30AM]

Actually, they (SE) calls it prtotype but it's pretty final.

In hands it feels nice, not that clunky. Same thikness as the X1 just a bigger screen 3.2" and a 8.1MP camera.

Same chipset as the X1 though, and everything is flushed, nice little upgrade.