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Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10 catches FCC on a good day
Oh, to live the life of an FCC certification lab employee: setting up test benches, writing reports, playing with devices that won't be released for months or years. Instead, we're stuck enjoying their fun vicariously at an arm's length through a little portal we know as the FCC Office of Engineering and Technology, where gems like the X10 occasionally pop up complete with pretty in-the-wild pictures, teardowns, and user manuals. What we're looking at here are test results for EDGE 850 / 1900 plus WCDMA Band IV (that'd be T-Mobile's and WIND's spectrum, by the bye), WiFi, and Bluetooth, so even if T-Mobile ultimately chooses not to offer it on contract, you should be able to score it one way or another N900-style. The user's manual is basically just 40 pages of good stuff plus a bunch of conformity statement mumbo jumbo, but it's still a good read -- so if you think this might be your phone of choice come 2010, have a look.
New XPERIA X10 hands-on video brings the snappy
Sony Ericsson's Android-based XPERIA X10 was mighty sluggish when we played with it at the launch a couple weeks ago, but this new video from hdblog.it shows what looks like a much newer software build that's dramatically faster and more responsive. There's nothing much new here in terms of features, but just the fact that the X10 is in the wild and running well is encouraging -- especially since we're really digging that media playback interface. Now all we need is some Stateside shipping details and we'll be all set. Video after the break. [Thanks, Nils]
Sony Ericsson lets XPERIA X10 videos and press shots loose
If you weren't up all night following Engadget (and why wouldn't you be?), the first place you'll want to visit this morning is our extensive hands-on of Sony Ericsson's inaugural foray into Android territory. There you'll find the full XPERIA X10 announcement details and spec sheet, which is highlighted by a 4-inch capacitive display and a deeply customized user interface. With plenty of time to go before that first quarter of 2010 release date, though, we thought we'd get the anticipation revved up a few notches with a selection of handsome images of the device below, and a pair of videos -- one a spit-polished advertising promo, the other a useful demo of Speed Forge 3D -- after the break.
Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10 announced, we go hands-on
The first Android device from Sony Ericsson may have undergone an upgrade in the naming department, jumping from X3 all the way to XPERIA X10 (probably to avoid confusion with Nokia's X3 handset), but what lies under the hood is reassuringly in line with what we've been hearing. That is to say, a 1GHz Snapdragon chip from Qualcomm, wide 4-inch capacitive touch display, 8.1 megapixel camera with LED flash, and a thoroughly tricked out Android skin named Rachael. Sony Ericsson stressed to us the symbiotic importance of both the new flagship device and "open OS" UI -- the X10 was presented as the patriarch of a whole new family of handsets, which we can expect to see in the first half of 2010, all sporting the beauty of Rachael and perhaps helping to bridge the gap between featurephones and, well, more advanced featurephones. So don't be shy, come along past the break to see our uncensored first impressions of both, along with hands-on video and pictures. %Gallery-77045%
New Sony Ericsson Rachael UI video hits, still looks nothing like Android
Calling this Rachael UI an Android "skin" is like calling Windows 95 a "DOS skin," but that's not to say there's nothing to love about it. In fact, we're rather relieved that Sony Ericsson seems to be addressing Android's incredibly lackluster media playback interface, the SE "mediascape" version of which dominates this particular video -- a sequel to the first Rachael UI tease we got back in July. You know what else is great? The video title name drops the same luscious screen resolution as the DROID, 480 x 854, which spells all sorts of good things for SE's first Android entry. Video is after the break, and if that doesn't do the trick for you, the Rachael hardware is being teased over on this end of the internet. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Sony Ericsson Rachael teaser video plays with our hearts
The Motorola DROID might be at the forefront of the Android scene right now, but it looks like it's going to have some high-end competition soon -- Sony Ericsson's been hyping the Rachael / XPERIA X3 launch on November 3, and today it's put out this little teaser video. Nothing much here other than some fleeting glimpses of the handset in Luster White, but it's looking quite sharp, and if the final specs are close to the DROID's we could have a real battle on our hands -- especially since SE's crazy Android UI skin looks pretty sweet. Check the video after the break. [Thanks, Lars]
Sony Ericsson looking ready to come clean with Android-powered Rachael on November 3
It could be argued that Sony Ericsson owes the world some love after it built up its last event only to introduce a single, solitary A2DP headset, but we might finally get what's coming to us in just a few days' time. It looks like November 3 is the date SE has chosen to unleash the first volley in its Android strategy on the world, likely the XPERIA X3 (or X10, or whatever the heck they decide to call it) with that wild Rachael UI that we've been tracking for a few months. How do we know? Well, it does line up with the latest and greatest rumors -- but more importantly, digging into the event page's HTML source reveals several mentions of Rachael by name, so... yeah, that's pretty much a lock. Should the unannounced Dragon and Sholes / Droid both be shaking in their boots already? [Via se-blog.com]
Curious XPERIA X3 tweet by Ericsson Labs makes you wonder
Obviously, not every part of Ericsson (or Sony, for that matter) knows what's going on over at Sony Ericsson HQ -- though they share names, joint venture Sony Ericsson is a separate company, by and large, joined to its corporate parents more by ownership than by mindshare. Still, though, you can't help but find it interesting that Ericsson Labs' official Twitter account is tweeting about a story on Softpedia echoing recent rumors that the Android-powered, Rachael-skinned XPERIA X3 will finally bow next month. In the most sensational version of the conclusion-drawing that's about to occur, we'd say that Ericsson just underhandedly confirmed the story, the product, and the product's name -- and in the least sensational version, a dude in one division of a largely unrelated company is simply throwing out a story that he finds interesting. Considering the rumored specs on the X3, we're hoping its the former -- and realistically, we might only have a few more weeks before we find out.
Sony Ericsson Q3 slump buoyed by new financing, a rumored November launch for XPERIA X3
Bad news, good news, and potentially great news time, folks. First with the bad: Sony Ericsson posted another loss for its fiscal third quarter, to the tune of 164 million euro (about $244 million US), blaming a large chunk of that on a drop in sales. Sales dropped year-over-year 40 percent to 1.6 billion euro, and unit shipments comparably down 45 percent. That's the bad, now what's good for SE is that its secured more financial backing to reshape its future into something more profitable. External financing totals a reported 455 million euro ($676 million US), 255 million of which is already in the company's position and 200 million as a two-year backup. SE also managed to beat analyst estimates, losing less than anticipated, and that's gotta induce some bittersweet smiles in the corporate boardrooms... oh, the potentially great news? Well, SEMC blog has boldly announced that the Android-imbued Rachael (a.k.a. XPERIA X3) is due out this November, same specs as we heard before and two color options, Sensuous Black and Luster White. Unfortunately, we're not seeing exactly where this news is coming for, so until SE speaks the magic words, we're considering it a rumor for now -- but we're hopeful. [Via GSM Arena; thanks, Gillz and Christo] Read - Rachael in November? Read - Sony Ericsson 3Q loss widens Read - XPERIA X3 in the wild
Is this Sony Ericsson's Android-powered XPERIA X3?
As always, Mr. Blurrycam isn't doing us any favors here, but we're cautiously optimistic that the image you see above is one of the first real glimpses at Sony Ericsson's forthcoming XPERIA X3. Granted, the WinMo-packin' X2 is still in its infancy, but every true SE fanboy knows that Android is where it's at. The skin, which is obviously early in development, is definitely unlike anything we've ever seen, and while we can't make out much about the hardware, the general shape certainly jibes with what we'd expect an X3 to look like. Le0n_Pro's original post is down there in the read link, but we just couldn't leave well enough alone; thankfully, he was kind enough to gift us with a gallery's worth of (admittedly shaky) shots. Dig in![Thanks, Le0n_Pro]Update: Looks like someone actually got ahold of a white version. Real? Fake?%Gallery-73569%
Sony Ericsson's Android-powered XPERIA X3 sorta confirmed by way of retailer
We don't take the word of just any retailer at face value, but when a big player like eXpansys decides that it's time to list a new phone in its inventory, that usually means something's afoot. The company's British outpost has now listed full details for a phone it's identifying simply as "Xperia" in its headline, but if you read further in, you'll see that the product code is "SEMXP3_BLK_UK", suggesting X3 is the likely moniker for Rachael. For your hard-earned (but yet-to-be-determined) money, you'll get pretty much everything you could possibly want, spec-wise: 10Mbps HSDPA and 2Mbps HSUPA, 8 megapixel cam with image stabilization and LED flash, 3.5mm headphone jack, a 4-inch 800 x 400 display (a first at this resolution for a production Android device), AGPS, and microSDHC expansion. Sadly, it's listed as 900 / 2100 only for the 3G radio, so we'll need to rely on the telecommunication gods (and Sony Ericsson, we suppose) to deliver a North American version as well.[Via Slashgear and the::unwired]
Engadget Podcast 154 - 07.11.2009
The podcast is a little late this week, but for good reason -- special guest Michael Gartenberg joins Josh, Paul, and Nilay this week as they sort through the Google-dominated week in news. We've got Chrome OS, the myTouch 3G, some more HTC Hero hands-on time (as well as a Magic flashed with the Hero ROM), and the leaked Sony Ericsson Rachael on tap -- oh, and to top it all off, Sony backtracked huge and released its first true netbook, the VAIO W. It's a bit of a wild one, we won't lie -- buckle up. Hosts: Joshua Topolsky, Nilay Patel, Paul Miller Guest: Michael Gartenberg Producer: Trent Wolbe Song: No Rain Hear the podcast 00:01:22 - Google announces Chrome OS, coming to netbooks second half of 2010 00:26:37 - myTouch 3G hands-on (with video!) 00:39:35 - New HTC Hero ROM leaked, Flash 10 already chugging along on a few lucky G1s 00:56:25 - Sony Ericsson Rachael UI video leaks out, Kiki comes for the ride 01:04:55 - Android 1.5 gets official SDK for native development 01:12:58 - Sony announces VAIO W... netbook! Subscribe to the podcast [iTunes] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in iTunes (enhanced AAC). [RSS MP3] Add the Engadget Podcast feed (in MP3) to your RSS aggregator and have the show delivered automatically. [RSS AAC] Add the Engadget Podcast feed (in enhanced AAC) to your RSS aggregator. [Zune] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in the Zune Marketplace Download the podcast LISTEN (MP3) LISTEN (AAC) LISTEN (OGG) Contact the podcast 1-888-ENGADGET or podcast (at) engadget (dot) com. Twitter: @joshuatopolsky @futurepaul @reckless @engadget
Sony Ericsson Rachael UI video leaks out, Kiki comes for the ride
We've been on pins and needles waiting for more info about the Snapdragon-powered Sony Ericsson Rachael ever since we spotted those early images over the weekend, and while the latest pics are still just potentially fan-made renders, it's the accompanying UI video that we're freaking out over today. Just like HTC's layered the Sense UI over Android on the Hero, the Rachael looks to have a polished custom Sony Ericsson interface over its Android build, and we're definitely digging the vibe -- especially the unified messaging interface that displays Facebook, Twitter, email, SMS, and calls all from one screen. It's pretty slick stuff -- let's just hope it's real, and shipping soon. There's also a couple more renders of the funky rear-display Kiki featurephone, but until we figure how SE intends for humans to actually use it, we're focused on Rachael. Renders and video after the break.Read - Rachael and Kiki picsRead - Rachael UI video
Sony Ericsson "Rachael" Android XPERIA handset unveiled?
Hello, beautiful. Danish phone site Mobil has uncovered "internal documents" on what appears to be Sony Ericsson's upcoming Android-based handset, an XPERIA number codenamed Rachael. Under the hood is a 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, HSPA and an 8 megapixel camera. It's unclear how big the touchscreen is, and other details are scarce -- there is a 3.5mm headphone jack, so that's nice, but unless we're severely misguided, there doesn't seem to be a slide-out keyboard tucked away inside this thin chassis. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
