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Sony Ericsson Xperia X10's multitouch update rolling out now; X8, X10 Mini, and X10 Mini Pro getting ANT+ support soon
That pinch-to-zoom update for the Xperia X10 that Japanese customers got an early lead on is now rolling out around the globe according to a new blog post from the boys and girls at Sony Ericsson. That may not be the most interesting part, though: they're also chatting up a future firmware update that'll enable ANT+ support on the Xperia X8, X10 Mini, and X10 Mini Pro, a capability baked into the chipsets on those devices that Sony Ericsson hadn't previously exploited. Theoretically, that means that heart rate monitors and other wearable fitness gear -- a market where ANT+ has really blossomed -- could connect directly to your phone rather than passing through a computer with an ANT+ dongle first, perfect for analyzing jogs on the go. Of course, workout technology is always more appealing than the workout itself... but if you can solve that problem, Sony Ericsson, let us know. You can find us on the couch over there. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Sony Ericsson X10 Mini Pro successor out for another casual stroll?
Starting to look pretty real, isn't it? That rumored X10 Mini Pro replacement seems to be gallivanting about in China again; this time it's not turned on, but the point is that it's out there and certainly doesn't seem knockoff-y to be a fake. For what it's worth, the original X10 Mini series has been one of the few relatively bright points in Sony Ericsson's Android lineup thus far, so we're pretty stoked to see that they appear to be taking another shot at the diminutive form factor -- let's just hope those wild GPU results we saw last time hold up by the time it's at retail.
Sony Ericsson: no OS updates for Xperia X10 beyond Android 2.1, it's better than 2.2 anyway
The farce that has been Sony Ericsson's bungled, delayed, and deservedly maligned Android upgrade story for the Xperia X10 family is coming to a fittingly silly end. Questioned by Android Community on the possibility of a Froyo (Android 2.2) upgrade for its initial set of Android handsets, the SE team has just come out and admitted that there'll be no future OS upgrades, at least in terms of Android iterations. The X10, X10 Mini and X10 Mini Pro are not being abandoned, not at all, but the only software enhancements you can look forward to will come directly from Sony Ericsson. The company hardly sees that as a bad thing, however, judging by a recent tweet announcing its belief that an SE-customized Eclair tastes better than Google's untouched Froyo. We'd protest, but what's the use?
Android 2.1 starts rolling out to Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 line this weekend
Doesn't get much more "late October" than this, does it? Sony Ericsson has announced that it'll begin delivering Android 2.1 upgrades to its X10 line of phones at long last this coming Sunday, October 31st -- but odds are pretty good you won't be in the first batch. In fact, only unbranded X10s, X10 Minis, and X10 Mini Pros in Nordic countries will be getting boosted at first, followed by "more kits" on Monday and throughout November. As a refresher, these updates will bring 720p video capture on the X10 proper (complete with continuous autofocus), a new backup / restore app, and a bunch of other tweaks that should make your little pal feel a bit less 2009 and bit more 2010. Froyo would be nice, of course... but we'll take what we can get.
Sony Ericsson pushes Android 2.1 upgrade for X10 family back to 'late October'
Big surprises, eh? Sony Ericsson has been playing fast and loose with its calendar yet again, as it has just announced that the hotly (and by now angrily) anticipated upgrade to Android 2.1 for its X10 family of devices won't be happening until late October. We were given the gravest of assurances that the end of September would be the time our tragic wait would end, but nope, apparently "we need a couple of more weeks before we are ready to start the roll-out." Just so we're clear, this isn't Android 2.2, which is Google's current highest iteration and has been around for months now -- this is the upgrade to 2.1, aka Eclair, aka the software that's not too far away from its first birthday. SE is trying to console users with promises of HD video and continuous autofocus bundled into the Xperia X10 update, but then there's also word that different configs of the phones will get the update at different times. So don't be surprised if your French-speaking X10 Mini is still doing the Donut deep into November. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Sony Ericsson's Xperia Android upgrade roadmap leaks out, shows 720p recording but no Froyo
Sony Ericsson made it clear way back in May that the Xperia X10 family wouldn't stay at the antiquated Android 1.6 forever -- come Q4 2010, they'd get an Eclair with freshly revamped Timescape and Mediascape filling. Now, it looks like the company's codified that promise in this allegedly leaked German roadmap. Spotted by a tipster at the Xperia X10 Blog at IFA 2010 in Berlin, the document describes a 720p video recording mode (with continuous autofocus) for the Xperia X10 alone, plus Facebook and Twitter contacts integration, an HTML5-compliant browser and five homescreen pages for the entire Xperia series with the release of Android 2.1. There's also a separate "2.1x" release after that to bring the two 'scapes up to snuff, and it seems the Xperia X8's being bundled with the mini and mini pro as far as updates go. There's sadly no mention of Android 2.2, but we wouldn't yet count it out -- for all we know, the very next page of that leaflet could be oozing delicious frozen yogurt all over these phones.
Entelligence: when less beats Moore
Entelligence is a column by technology strategist and author Michael Gartenberg, a man whose desire for a delicious cup of coffee and a quality New York bagel is dwarfed only by his passion for tech. In these articles, he'll explore where our industry is and where it's going -- on both micro and macro levels -- with the unique wit and insight only he can provide. We are all familiar with Moore's law. The observation made by Intel co-founder Gordon Moore that the density of semiconductors doubles roughly every eighteen months. The net result? It's always going to be better faster and cheaper. Certainly that's been true of the phone space, with large screens, fast processors and lots of storage. In the last few weeks alone I've looked at new phones with 1Ghz processors, the latest and greatest software platforms from Google and RIM... but it's been one little gadget that's caught my attention and it totally bucks the trend. What device? It's the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 Mini Pro -- which is a lot of name for a small phone -- and it shows some very different thinking about what a smartphone is. In theory, this isn't a phone that I should like. Instead of a large 4.3-inch screen, it's running a 2.55-inch screen at 240 x 320 resolution. Don't look for a 1Ghz processor here. It's got an ARMv6 revision 5 processor at 600Mhz. Finally, forget Froyo or even Eclair. This thing's got Android 1.6 on it and may never get updated to the latest and greatest. Despite all that, I think Sony Ericsson has a potential hit on their hands if they decide to bring this to the US later this year as they said they plan to. Why am I so enamored?
Sony Ericsson adds gold X10 Mini, pink Mini Pro, infinite class
One problem with owning a phone as diminutive as the X10 Mini (or Mini Pro) is that it's pretty hard for others to notice -- and let's be honest: what's the point in owning a sweet little Android device if no one's going to spontaneously walk up to you and compliment you on your fantastic taste in gadgets? To that end, Sony Ericsson looks to be rolling out two new rather unabashedly in-your-face shades: a shiny gold (complete with gold highlights on the front) for the Mini, and pink for the Mini Pro. As you might imagine, they're both an acquired taste, which might explain why the company will only be deploying them to "select markets" starting next month.
Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 Mini / Mini Pro review
In a smartphone market saturated with 3.5-inch and larger displays, Sony Ericsson reckons there's still a little place for petite packages. Enter the Xperia X10 Mini (E10i) and Mini Pro (U20i) -- both direct descendants of the beastly X10 Android 1.6 handset. Apart from the Pro's slide-out keyboard, removable battery, and positioning of various features, the two Minis are otherwise internally identical -- same processor, same camera, and same screen. So can these cute baby form factors offer more than just some palm-cuddling time? Can we get a decent smartphone performance out of them? Follow us after the break to find out.%Gallery-96908%
Sony Ericsson X10 family to get Android 2.1 in 'Q4 2010'
The Xperia X10, one of the big mindshare-grabbing devices of the smartphone world, made us wait a cool six months between its November announcement and wide retail availability in April. One of the secret hopes while all that waiting was going on was that perhaps SE would surprise us and upgrade the dusty old Android 1.6 base installation to a fresh and creamy Eclair (2.1) or even a frosty Froyo (2.2) treat shortly after launch. Time to lay those dreams to rest, dear friends, as Sony Ericsson has come with an official schedule for upgrading the firmware on the Xperia X10 and its X10 mini and X10 mini pro siblings, which places the Android 2.1 delivery in the fourth quarter of 2010 -- and knowing the company that probably means closer to Christmas than Halloween. All we can say is you'd better really like that UX platform a great deal, because it'll be the only thing you'll be seeing for quite a while on Sony Ericsson's Googlephones.
Sony Ericsson X10 mini and X10 mini pro hands-on with video
We're kinda chuffed about Sony Ericsson's showing this year at MWC, and between the three launched sets -- Vivaz pro, X10 mini, and X10 mini pro -- this little QWERTY stands out as the best of the bunch. The idea behind the X10 mini series, of course, is to have all the features and functionality of the larger X10 in a small package designed with one-handed use in mind. The keypad is surprisingly pleasant and not cramped (provided you aren't equipped with baseball bat-sized fingers) as it looks and the key feedback is really great. The UI is generally snappy in most apps we saw, though we did see a bit of sluggishness while playing with the Timescape feature; with some months til launch, we can at least hope for some improvement there. The phone's back is soft touch plastic -- the mini is a smooth plastic, by contrast -- and the face is the glossiest finish imaginable. As you can guess, that means it's a fingerprint magnet -- so if you worry about that type of thing, bring a cloth to keep it lovely. We're absolutely stoked to get our hands on one of these for review for you as soon as possible, but until that fateful moment arrives, the gallery and vid after the break will have to do.%Gallery-85470%