Iphone Killer

Sony-Ericsson intros XPERIA X1 'iPhone killer'

Sony-Ericsson opened the Mobile World Congress today by unveiling the XPERIA X1,
its first true touchscreen-focused cellphone. Following a deal with
Microsoft, the handset is Sony-Ericsson's first device to use Windows
Mobile for its OS but also uses a custom interface of "XPERIA panels"
rather than the default Microsoft front-end: users simply tap panels
with their fingers to access calling, media, and other functions,
according to the phone
designer. Though dominated by its 3-inch, 800x480 touchscreen, the
device also includes both optical and physical navigation pads at the
bottom as well as a unique arc-slider QWERTY keyboard that tilts
outward for more comfortable typing. The X1 is also the most Internet-connected Sony-Ericsson device
in history, the company boasts: unlike even most advanced 3G phones, it
offers HSUPA (High Speed Upload Packet Access) that sends video and
other media almost as quickly as it comes downstream. Wi-Fi is onboard
for short-range networking and is backed by assisted GPS for route
finding. A 3.2-megapixel camera with autofocus and a microSD slot (versus Sony-Ericsson's favorite Memory Stick Micro format) round out its key features.



The first XPERIA phone is expected sometime in the second half of 2008;
with quad-band GSM and an unprecedented five-band HSPA/UMTS connection,
the device should be available both in North America as well as Europe
and includes the key 1,700MHz band needed for T-Mobile USA's upcoming
3G service.