x1
Latest
Engadget Podcast 118 - 11.14.2008: Cellphone freakout edition
You knew we'd be back, right? It's that time again, ladies and gents: Engadget Podcast time. This week, thrill to the delectable sounds of your hosts -- Josh, Paul, and Nilay -- as they cover all things smartphone. Excite your senses with discussion of BlackBerry wishes and G1 dreams. Hear insight and outrage on the Fuze, X1a, iPhone 3G, and more. And the best part? It's entirely cholesterol and MSG free!Hosts: Joshua Topolsky, Paul Miller, and Nilay PatelProducer: Trent WolbeMusic: Welcome to the Jungle02:02 - RED's Digital Still and Motion Camera System now official04:24 - Verizon schedules Storm for November 21 release, $199.99 on contract13:05 - AT&T BlackBerry Bold hands-on26:40 - HTC Fuze now for sale on AT&T's web site32:53 - Sony Ericsson XPERIA X1 review37:00 - HTC MAX 4G officially announced, world's first GSM / WiMAX phone39:53 - Windows Mobile 6.5 confirmed by Steve Ballmer, might solve half your problems49:10 - Apple's new iPod chief ordered to stop working52:17 - Epic Android bug interprets your typing as system commands57:15 - iPhone 3G overtakes the RAZR as best-selling domestic handsetSubscribe 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 MarketplaceDownload the podcastLISTEN (MP3)LISTEN (AAC)LISTEN (OGG)Contact the podcast1-888-ENGADGET or podcast (at) engadget (dot) com.
Keepin' it real fake, part CLXVI: the Sany Ericssan X1 with Wyndowz Mobil
Strategic advantages Sany Ericssan holds over Sony Ericsson: A quarterly sales volume measured in the hundreds is considered a rousing success. Neither Sany nor Ericssan have any intention of pulling out of the joint venture. "Outsourcing" of industrial design saves time, money, and staff. None of those pesky Windows Mobile licensing fees to worry about. GPRS data speed isn't a problem -- it's a way of life. [Via PMP Today]
Sony Ericsson's XPERIA X1a prodded by the FCC
If you've read through our thorough review of Sony Ericsson's XPERIA X1, by now you're probably champing at any number of bits to get your hands on the device. Well, thanks to the FCC, you can rest easier knowing you're one step closer to actually touching, holding, and hugging the phone (the US-destined X1a, that is). Amongst other things, the documents seem to disclose -- we'll stop short of saying confirm -- that a black version will be in play when it arrives in the States, though we feel that page 46 of the 114 page test report was more revealing in many ways. Don't believe us? Hit the read link and take a look for yourself.
Sony Ericsson XPERIA X1 makes date with US: Black Friday for $799.99
At long last, the Sony Ericsson XPERIA X1 has a firm date for its launch into the topsy-turvy US market. Those who've been holding off time and again in anticipation of this WinMo 6.1 powerhouse can finally pat themselves on the back, as those rumors of the handset slipping into next year were greatly exaggerated. In fact, SE's doing itself a huge favor by getting this gem into the market place prior to the holiday season, and better still, on Black Friday proper. You heard right -- while most folks are frantically scouring B&M floors for door buster deals, those with copious quantities of disposable income can waltz on over to a Sony Electronics outlet or any of its authorized retailers on November 28th and pick one up. Wondering if this marvel is worth $799.99? Check out our review for a little insight, and peek the full release just after the break. Oh, and before you ask, there's no word yet on a subsidized version for any US carrier.
Sony Ericsson XPERIA X1 review
Sony Ericsson has produced some exceptional handsets over the years, with certain gems like the W950, W300i and W580i (just to name a few) catching the eyes and hearts of casual and hardcore mobile fanatics alike. Even so, it's hard to argue that any single phone in the outfit's history has caused more of a stir than the XPERIA X1. Sure, half of that is because we here in America have been waiting on the thing since February, but the other is due to pure, unadulterated sex appeal. 2008 has been a banner year for smart- / touchscreen-based handsets, and even though this one is lagging behind most of the other guys in terms of time to market, the X1 is still a formidable rival. We had a chance to spend a few quality days with the North America-bound X1a ($799.99; ships November 28th) -- which is different than the X1i that has already landed in certain parts of the globe -- and if you've come here looking for opinions, you haven't come in vain. Follow us past the break for a look at the pros, the cons and the middling minutiae of SE's slickest smartphone yet. %Gallery-35886%
Sony Ericsson's X1A surfaces in Best Buy's inventory
It looks like the long, slow road to a domestic street date for the XPERIA X1 could be coming to an end with the phone's recent entry into the inventory system over at Best Buy. Of course, we're taking all of this with the proverbial grain of salt, but looks like the X1A (as it's known in North America) might actually hit the shelves on December 7 of this year, with a retail price of $799.99. There is no word on a possible contract price yet, and with all of the other options out there (Touch Pro and G1 come to mind) SE might have a tough time selling this one to consumers whenever it does see the light of day. We'll have to wait and see.
Video: TouchFLO 3D demoed on Sony Ericsson's XPERIA X1
While SE's Panel interface is a nice XPERIA X1 extra on top of the otherwise vanilla Windows Mobile 6.1 load, we know just how fond of TouchFLO 3D some of you characters are. There's really not too much to say beyond that -- we mean, it's TouchFLO 3D on an XPERIA X1 -- but there's plenty more chatter in the vid just past the break.
Manufacturing delays said to be slowing XPERIA X1 sales
As you might have noticed, there's already plenty of Sony Ericsson XPERIA X1s out in the wild by this point, but there's apparently not quite as many as SE would like, and it's laying the blame on some slightly mysterious manufacturing delays. According to IDG News, Sweden, Germany and the U.K. have been hardest hit by the delays, but Sony Ericsson isn't about to get much more specific than that about the matter, saying simply that a lack of "certain materials" is causing the shortages. The company has said, however, that more phones should be shipping into Sweden in the next few days, with the U.K. and Germany set to get additional shipments in the next few weeks. It also says that planned launches in other countries like Switzerland, France, and Singapore, to name a few, won't be affected by the delays, and that the phone is still on track to be released in the US sometime in November.[Via the::unwired]
Video: Sony Ericsson's XPERIA X1 gets white-glove dissection
White glove delivery? Puhlease. Try white glove dissection, as in, the four part saga shown to us via the miracles of YouTube by gadget lover CyK1. Using a cautious approach, a pair of tweezers, what appears to be a guitar pick and a pair of delicate white gloves, he details the disassembly of SE's highly-anticipated XPERIA X1 in four captivating clips. Granted, two of the four actually show reassembly efforts, but you know you're not about to leave after just watching half of the show. Hop on past the break once your popcorn is ready.
Sony Ericsson posts XPERIA X1 user guide for your perusal
We won't embarrass you by asking when the last time you read a book was, but we know good and well you'll be fixated on this here PDF. As the run-up to the long-awaited release of Sony Ericsson's XPERIA X1 continues, the outfit has been kind enough to post up the official 26-page user guide for all to see. Granted, you pretty much know everything that's in there, but if you're looking to hone your battery changing skills before taking possession of one, the appropriate documentation is just a click away.
Sony Ericsson XPERIA X1 unboxed, played with on video
Oh yeah, you've seen Sony Ericsson's succulent XPERIA X1 unboxed in still image form, but there's just nothing like a little unpacking on video to really whet your appetite, right? Oh, and there's also some comparison action thrown in with the HTC Touch Pro, and of course, we get to see the OS in action. Hop on past the break to have a look, but we're warning you, those who covet easily will want to restrain themselves.[Thanks, Oscar]
The Sony Ericsson XPERIA X1, unboxed at last
Wow, that was one hell of a wait, wasn't it? Some eight months after its February announcement, X1s are finally available for sale in some parts of the world -- and naturally, any retail availability comes with the distinct possibility of a properly-documented unboxing. The packing materials don't look like they're anything terribly special, but to the Windows Mobile faithful of the world, the contents certainly are. Ain't that black, brushed metal casing awfully purdy?[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Two flavors of hot: differences between Sony Ericsson X1i and X1a explained
As we already know, Sony Ericsson won't be unifying all the awesomeness that is its X1 in a single retail model -- there's just too much awesome for any one phone to handle, apparently. Instead, there'll be an X1a and an X1i, and thanks to a quick post over on Sony Ericsson's semi-official Xperiancers site, we now know exactly where the differences lie. The X1a will be sold exclusively in North America, Latin America, and Australia, featuring a different "networking configuration" (presumably referring to the presence of 850, 1700, and 1900MHz HSPA there) and 24fps video instead of 30 -- kind of out of the blue, but whatever. We also now know that the North American release date will be announced on November 3, which isn't nearly as cool as a release on November 3 last time we checked.[Thanks, Dustan]
T-Mobile G1 and Sony Ericsson X1 seen side-by-side, molten lava hangs head in shame
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]
FCC approval ensures American Sony Ericsson X1 users aren't bandits
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.
Screen Grabs: Mike Traceur needs to speak to his girlfriend... on her X1
Screen grabs chronicles the uses (and misuses) of real-world gadgets in today's movies and TV. Send in your sightings (with screen grab!) to screengrabs at engadget dt com. 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]
XPERIA X1 gets examined in-depth on video
Sony Ericsson itself showed off its XPERIA X1 handset in a webcast the other day, but if you just can't get enough of it (and, judging from the number of comments the phone has gotten, plenty of you can't), you may want to hit up the::unwired website, which has an even more extensive hands-on video of a pre-production unit. Among other things, it shows that switching from portrait to landscape mode takes far less time than before, and the all-important panels seem to be a good deal more responsive as well -- the build being used is from early September, so it should be a reasonable indication of what the final software will be like. Hit up the link below to check out all sixteen minutes of it for yourself.
Future Xperia phones may not rely on Windows Mobile, sez SE
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?
XPERIA X1 gets demoed in Sony Ericsson webcast
Those following the XPERIA X1's every move no doubt caught this as it happened earlier today, but for those that missed it, the Inexperia website has now posted most of Sony Ericsson's latest webcast, in which the X1's interface gets shown off to a far greater extent than we've seen previously. That includes a look at the phone's much talked about panel system and a glimpse of its video-playing abilities, plus some expected gushing about the phone's design, which is described as feeling like a well-tailored suit. Head on past the break for the video courtesy of Inexperia, and look for the whole thing to be available direct from Sony Ericsson on September 17th. [Thanks, Reginald]
Sony Ericsson goes viral with Xperia X1 marketing
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]
