Sony’s first smartphone featuring Android is the new Xperia X10. It features 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. Here are the full specs:
Camera
• 8.1 megapixel camera, up to 16x digital zoom
• Auto focus
• Intelligent face recognition features
• Geo tagging
• Image and video stabilizer
• Photo and video light
• Send to web (photo and video upload)
• Smile detection
• Touch focus
• Video recording
• Recent shot tray
Music
• Album art
• Bluetooth™ stereo (A2DP)
• Media player
• Music tones (MP3/AAC)
• PlayNow™
• TrackID™
Web
• Google™ search (from standby)
• Web feeds
• WebKit web browser Communication
• Sony Ericsson Timescape™
• Speakerphone
• Vibrating alert
Messaging
• Conversations
• Email
• Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync®
• Picture messaging (MMS)
• Predictive text input
• Text messaging (SMS)
Design
• Auto rotate
• Gesture control
• Picture wallpaper
• Touchscreen
Entertainment
• 3D games
• Media browser
• Infinite button
• Video streaming
• Video viewing
• YouTube™
Organiser
• Alarm clock
• Calculator
• Calendar
• Flight mode
• Infinite button
• Office suite
• Phone book with dialer
• World clock
Location-based services
• A-GPS
• Google Maps™
• Wisepilot™ turn-by-turn navigation* (free trial version)
Connectivity
• 3.5 mm audio jack
• Bluetooth™ technology
• Micro USB connector
• Synchronisation
• USB support
• Wi-Fi™
Screen
• 262,144 colour TFT touchscreen
• 4.0 inches
• 480 x 854 pixels (WVGA)
• Scratch-resistant
Facts
• Size: 119 x 63 x 13 mm
• Weight: 135 grams
• Phone memory: Up to 1 GB
• Memory card support: microSD™
• Memory card included: 8 GB
• Operating system: Google™ Android Donut, version 1.6
• Processor: 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon™ QSD8250
Availability and versions
• Networks
• UMTS HSPA 900/1700/2100
• GSM GPRS/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900
• UMTS HSPA 800/1900/2100
• GSM GPRS/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900
• Available in selected markets in Q1 2010
Color
• Sensuous Black
• Luster White
We have to start off by noting that Sony Ericsson is calling its modified Android version the UX for now — meaning User eXperience — although we suspect it will revert to the more familiar Rachael naming scheme as soon as the lawyers have cleared a few hurdles and cashed a few checks. Part of a big “open OS” push by the company, this new interface will make appearances on a number of future handsets though Windows Mobile support sounded like something SE might consider only if there’s much public demand for it.
There are three central modifications that Sony Ericsson has made to the default Android 1.6 installation, beyond the obvious visual overhaul. Taking the lead is Timescape, a spiritual sibling to the MOTOBLUR, which aggregates all of your communications on the phone, whether they be Tweets by your favorite NASA astronaut, missed and placed calls, received text messages, or Facebook status updates.
It’s all there, in one big gorgeous integrated pileup. Naturally, all that can be filtered by source or by person, making for a seamless environment for interacting with your friends over the otherwise quite fragmented social networking space. Mediascape does the same for the media on your phone, presenting what you have available locally or online, and making track suggestions on the basis of the song you’re listening to or stuff it has discovered your friends like via their communications with you.
Finally, there’s face recognition, which automates photo tagging by recognizing your friends after the first time you tag them, and also allows you to call someone by simply tapping on their face when viewing a picture.
Browsing and Google Maps
The two apps that were already optimized, Google Maps and the WebKit-based default Android browser, showed us a happy glimpse of what the X10 is capable of. The 3G connection was lightning fast, and webpages were rendered quickly and accurately, with a satisfyingly smooth scrolling action that reminded us of Motorola’s DROID. Similarly, Google Maps was responsive and relatively snappy, and showed off a little of what the Snapdragon under the hood can do.
XPERIA X10 hardware
It sports the same 1,500mAh battery as the X2, so the battery like should be decent. Input duties are handled by the standard Android on-screen keyboard, and the minimalist trio of hard buttons do their jobs with relatively little fuss. We say jobs because the Options and Back keys change functions according to the context of what you are doing. Further testing would be required to tell if that’s a boon or a hindrance.
The handset itself is pretty much what you might expect of a high end device — it’s full of appealing curves and slopes, which do nothing for usability (a physical keyboard might’ve helped), but give it a clean, uncomplicated, and relatively durable look. In our limited time handling it, we found it comfortable enough, though you could tell you were holding a 4-inch device rather than something more compact like the original X1. Touring the outside reveals a MicroUSB charger / connector port, 8.1 megapixel camera, 3.5mm headphone jack, and an 8GB MicroSD card will be made part of the standard retail package.
Wrap-up
The X10 is very snappy and responsive with its 1GHz snapdragon processor, and with its rich feature set would make a great tool for any mobile professional. Expected to be available early 2010.
via engadget
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