There's really no denying it -- T-Mobile's G1 and Sony Ericsson's XPERIA X1 are two of the hottest mobiles around right now, and as predicted, all sorts of sparks flew when the two sat down for a side-by-side photo session. In a Dutch comparison of the two handsets, reviewers pointed out that the G1 was "significantly larger" than the SE counterpart, and while it's completely subjective, they also asserted that the X1 was a "true piece of art in comparison to the dusty look of the G1 [nice one, Google Translator]." Do yourself a favor and check out the whole thing in the read link.

[Via CoolSmartphone]

Now that Sony Ericsson's mighty X1 has earned the FCC's love and affection, you won't be an outlaw for using one in the States -- but unfortunately, you won't be a speed demon everywhere, either. The version that just nabbed approval here is the X1i, and anyone familiar with Sony Ericsson's naming scheme can tell you that an "i" means a phone's not really meant for North American consumption; in this case, we're lucky to squeak by with UMTS Band II support, which means we'll theoretically be able to pick up some of AT&T's 1900MHz signal. On 850, though, you'll be stuck with EDGE. Of course, a true global launch has been in the cards for the X1 from day one, and we're not worried that we won't see a more 3G-rife model getting torn down by the feds -- this just ain't it.

Sure, Knight Rider is probably the worst show ever in the history of the moving picture, but that doesn't stop Sony Ericsson from wanting to throw some money in its direction (or not, seeing as the company's logo has apparently been scrubbed). Between the nearly intolerable dialogue and absurdly fake green-screen car chases, check out a glimpse of the forthcoming Xperia X1... if you can tolerate even a moment of this abomination.

[Thanks, Marco]

We've known for what feels like ages that Sony Ericsson's Xperia X1 would be based on Windows Mobile, but we wouldn't count on the X2, X3 or X99 to just follow suit. At the launch of its digital marketing campaign for said handset, the firm made clear that future SE Xperia phones may not be based on Microsoft's OS, with Magnus Andersson, product manager for the X1, noting that "the brand is not tied into any specific technical platform." Unfortunately, he didn't elaborate nor give any indication what other systems we could eventually see, but at least we know that there will be life after the X1 in one form or another, right?

Sony Ericsson is taking the viral route on marketing with its forthcoming Xperia X1, launching a new "alternative reality thriller" centered around a mysterious character named Johnny X. There's not much meat in the video the company is desperately trying to sneak into your daily YouTube diet, but at least we get to see action-packed chases, Memento-stealing plot points of the highest order, and one weird, seemingly backmasked utterance of "Johneeeeeeeeeee... X!" Hit the read link for the full clip, and check out another video after the break which helps to unravel the mystery.

[Via Pocket-lint]

Sony Ericsson finally came clean with that September 30 launch date for the XPERIA X1 this morning, and now the carrier situation is starting to resolve itself -- as previously hinted, Vodafone will launch the sleek WinMo slider in the UK, and both Voda and O2 will have it in Germany. O2 UK hasn't confirmed anything yet, and we still haven't heard from any carriers in the third launch country of Sweden, but we'll keep you posted over on Engadget Mobile as soon as we hear anything.

Feel that heat, Touch Pro? That's right -- the Great QWERTY Smartphone War of 2008 is officially gearing up for kickoff now that Sony Ericsson has announced a firm date for the first handful of lucky countries to be scoop up the mighty XPERIA X1. Sweden, Germany, and the UK will be the inaugural launch sites come September 30, with no fewer than 32 more on tap in Asia, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America for the fourth quarter of the year. North America, China, Australia, and Russia are also listed as committed launch regions, though dates for those will be announced "in the coming months" -- scary verbiage considering that they weren't even willing to slap the Q4 label there. 2009's a long way off yet, and if there's a Touch Pro in front of us... well, let's just say that a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush, if you catch our drift.

We know what you're thinking -- it's Windows Mobile 6.1 fool, we've got the developers kit already. True, but not the SDK that allows developers to create custom, interactive panels for the touchscreen QWERTY's Panel Interface. Sony Ericsson claims that, "The Xperia X1 will offer the richest mobile user experience, putting the world at the fingertips of the user." In other words, the expectations have been set, developers, so you'd best get to downloading the free SDK -- you've got your work cut out for you. Sony Ericsson will offer a panel download service in the future, showcasing all the panels built by you, Google, and other partners.

The Panel Applications are meant to be simple, rich, and fully-interactive allowing quick access to your data -- eMail, calendar, multimedia, games, IM... you name it. But don't take our word for it, SE explains the new panel ecosystem in the video posted after the break.

Update: Screenshot of the rudimentary, "Get More Panels" interface after the break.

Read -- SDK download
Read -- Press Release

Rumors of the XPERIA X1 being delayed to 2009 have been floating around forever, and the chatter's only gotten louder at IFA -- to the point where Sony Ericsson's been forced into damage-control mode for a second time, telling Reuters that "there is absolutely no delay" and that the company's first WinMo phone is "on target" to "roll out in Q4." That's not quite the "second half of 2008" SE's been saying since the X1 was announced, but it's still in the window -- and given the half-baked nature of the devices we got to play with at IFA, we'd say taking a little extra time to get things right isn't the worst idea in the world, even it means missing that rumored October Vodafone release date.

[Via WM Power User]

Sony's XBR6 / XBR7 / XBR8 models are still waiting in the wings for their U.S. debut, but along with HDTVs that push the extremes in thin and fast, the company announced these more conventional models it's deemed "the highest quality BRAVIA HDTVs in history." The XR1 (read: XBR8) series will feature a 1,000,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio (3,000:1 static) courtesy of those new TRILUMINOS three-color LEDs, 10-bit BRAVIA Engine 2 processing and Motionflow 120Hz technology. If you can live without 240Hz or WHDI, the 1080p 55-inch edition runs ¥750,000 ($6,489 U.S.) with a 46-inch for ¥600,000 ($5,479 U.S.). The next level down is the X1 (read: XBR6 / XBR7) series, based on old school CCFL backlights limited to a 3,000:1 contrast rating, ranging in size from 40- to 52- inches and in price from ¥530,000 ($4,866 U.S.) to ¥320,000 ($2,922 U.S.) when they go on sale October 10. Digital Media Extender support, DLNA connectivity and all the other high end feature's make their expected appearance across the lineup. With fears of watered down technology effectively quelled, Sony wouldn't make us wait until October to find out when we can buy an HDTV in the U.S. or Europe from this lineup -- somehow we doubt it.

Here's how the smartphones compare:

• HTC Dream: 115 x 55-mm
• iPhone 3G: 115.2-mm x 62.1-mm
• Xperia X1: 110.5 x 52.6-mm
• HTC Touch Pro: 102 x 51-mm

Image of HTC's label exchange request after the break.

[Thanks, OC]

We're hoping beyond hope that Sony Ericsson's XPERIA X1 is actually nearing a launch date, but astute reader Kingsley just pointed out to us that SE's US web site no longer lists silver as an available color choice, only Solid Black. That's notable only because we've only mostly seen silver editions of the X1 until now, but a limited color palette's not going to stop us from snapping this one up as soon as it hits -- what about you?

The uncertainty of trying to predict exactly when -- and where -- Sony Ericsson's beastly X1 would launch has come to be one of the more entertaining dramas in the mobile world this year, but it looks like Vodafone's ready to shut down the rumor mill. The Windows Mobile superphone has now been slapped with an "expected" launch date in October for Voda's UK audience, which means we can probably expect it in at least a few other European locales in the same timeframe. Americans (of both the South and North variety), Asians, Africans, Australians, and Antarcticans, though -- well, there's no telling where you guys stand at the moment, so hang tight.

[Via CoolSmartPhone]