BostonPocketPC

Well we had heard rumors of this becoming a possibility over a year ago at CES 2007 and further details sprinkled throughout the year,but Sony Ericsson at Mobile World Congress made an announcement of the XPERIA™ X1, a stand-out, arc slider phone from Sony Ericsson designed to address the growing need for a premium, converged mobile experience with ease of integration with Windows business computers.

The XPERIA X1 combines a 3-inch clear wide VGA display and a full QWERTY keyboard within a quality metal-finish body. The OLED optical touch screen allows you to interface with the device via a custom User Interface on top of Windows Mobile 6. The custom user interface consists of 9 square icons that look like minature high resolution screen captures of the application it launches, that Sony Ericsson calls panels (much better than ZenZui IMHO). The company also said the XPERIA brand was not tied to Windows Mobile, so that future Xperia models could support other mobile phone platforms maybe Android.

The video on the website of the UI is very impressive for what we see of the phone (less paper airplanes and more of the phone please!) I like the kinetics icons of the full screen used.

The specs aren't bad:

Size

• 110 x 17 x 53 mm
• 4.3 x 0.7 x 2.1 inches

Weight

• 145 gr
• 5.1 oz

Available colors

• Solid Black

Screen

• 800 X 480
• 65,536 color TFT

Memory

• Up to 400 MB Phone Memory
• Memory Stick SanDisk Micro™ support

Networks

• GSM 850
• GSM 900
• GSM 1800
• GSM 1900
• EDGE
• HSDPA
• HSUPA
• UMTS 850
• UMTS 900
• UMTS 1700
• UMTS 1900

So in the US it looks to be on either AT&T or T-Mobile, no news on the processor, but it has a nice camera at 3.2MP, aGPS triangulation, WiFi, standard mini USB port. So far I like it! The X1 looks like won't appear until the second half of this year (I am assuming around the holidays).

Here is some of the official press release:

“XPERIA™ represents the first brand that is truly borne from within Sony Ericsson. It represents our vision for a premium, energised communication experience,” said Dee Dutta, Head of Marketing, Sony Ericsson. “This launch, and the announcement of the X1, further strengthens the overall Sony Ericsson brand and places us at the forefront of mobile convergence.”

“Our vision for the XPERIA™ X1 is to deliver a seamless blend of mobile Web communication and multimedia entertainment within a distinctive design,” said Rikko Sakaguchi, Head of Portfolio and Propositions, Sony Ericsson. “XPERIA™ is our promise to think foremost of user experience and to deliver the premium experience – anytime, anywhere, anything, with anyone.”

Sony Ericsson XPERIATM X1 – energised communication, the premium experience.

• Convergence of multimedia entertainment and mobile Web communication
• Unique arc slider with wide pitch easy-to-use QWERTY keyboard
• XPERIA™ panels  - arrange as you want for easy access
• Enjoy multimedia entertainment on bright wide VGA display
• Windows Mobile® capabilities

XPERIA™ panel interface – experiences just the way you want them
Enjoy access to different experiences – Web, multimedia, applications – from your desktop. Navigate with the tip of your finger. Configure and have your XPERIA™ panels just the way you want them.

Multiple navigation – the choice is yours
XPERIA™ X1 lets you interact with your
phone in different ways. Touch, full QWERTY keyboard, 4-way key and optical joystick  navigation. Switch seamlessly between operation modes.

Arc slider design – makes it stand out
The arc design gives a distinct and unique feel. Slide the screen upwards to reveal the wide pitch QWERTY keyboard. Ample distance between keys makes writing fast and easy.

Ultimate mobile experience – performance on the move
With Windows Mobile®, the highest data transfer rate (HSDPA/HSUPA) and WiFi™ support, you can enjoy your favourite entertainment and work efficiently on the move. Mobile access to everything that is important to you. aGPS gives you the freedom to explore the world.  XPERIA™ X1 is a premium mobile experience.

More info here and the official MS Press Release here.