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Sony Ericsson Xperia X1 to Hit Streets First in Europe, September 30
Posted by Kit Eaton at 6:59 PM on September 10, 2008
Sony Ericsson's upcoming Xperia X1 smartphone is due to go on sale at first in Europe in just 20 days. It'll hit the streets in the UK, Germany and Sweden then, followed by many other countries throughout the remainder of 2008. To "start the countdown" SE will be launching a live global webcast on September 15 at 1PM London time, demonstrating the handset's fucntions. That's fab news, and confirms that rumour the phone would go on sale this year... just not in the US. Dates for North America and other countries will be out "in the coming months" apparently. Press release below.
AU: Apparently, we're still on track for a Q1 2009 Release here in Australia.
London, UK - 10 September 2008 - Sony Ericsson today announces 30 September 2008 as the official launch date for the highly anticipated Xperia(TM) X1 - initially available to consumers in the UK, Germany and Sweden. The handset will be available in other markets across Europe, Asia and Latin America throughout Q4 2008.
APAC:
Indonesia, Singapore, Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Malaysia, Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam
Western Europe:
Spain, France, Italy, Switzerland, Netherlands, Austria, Norway, Denmark, Belgium, Portugal
Central Europe:
Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic
Middle East:
UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait
Africa:
South Africa
Latin America:
Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Paraguay and BoliviaAvailability dates for North America, China, Australia and Russia along with other countries not mentioned above will be announced by local markets in the coming months.
Webcast
To start the countdown to the launch of Xperia(TM) X1, Sony Ericsson will host a live global webcast on September 15 at 13:00 GMT + 1, offering viewers the first in-depth demonstration of the handset. The web cast will also premiere the first episode of an alternative reality thriller Johnny X. To register to view the web cast and Q&A session with Xperia(TM) X1 Senior Product Manager Magnus J Andersson, please visit: www.sonyericsson.com/premiere."We are extremely pleased with the innovation and new user experience we have created for consumers on the Xperia(TM) X1," said Rikko Sakaguchi CVP and Head of Creation and Development at Sony Ericsson. "The in-depth demonstration on the web cast will showcase how this handset is truly unique. The nine panel eco system puts the user in total control of the primary experiences available on the phone and allows consumers to personalise the panel interface to suit their needs and lifestyle. The Xperia(TM) X1 has the highest quality screen on the market, four-way navigation keys and optical joy stick to give a stressless browsing experience and, with its super fast processor and network speed the Xperia(TM) X1 really bridges the gap between personal, entertainment and work mobile needs."
Johnny X Alternative Reality Thriller
Johnny X is about a young man with amnesia desperately piecing together his identity. The webisodic thriller comprises of nine episodes, created to demonstrate the rich, immersive and experiential elements of the Xperia(TM) X1.The storyline follows Johnny X on his mission to rediscover his identity. As he finds out more about his lost life in a race against time, he updates his Xperia(TM) X1 with new content to piece together his personality and identity, reflecting how the phone can be personalised to suit users' individual lifestyle and needs. Will Johnny X find out who he really is before it's too late?
"Producing the Johnny X thriller has given us an engaging platform to demonstrate all the capabilities and features a user can experience with the Xperia(TM) X1 phone," said Lennard Hoornik, Head of Marketing at Sony Ericsson. "The panel interface is a perfect way to reflect your personality and can be tailored and changed to suit your exact needs at any given time. No two Xperia(TM) X1 will ever have the same combination of panels on the phone; we are all individuals and deserve to have a phone that reflects that. "
Over a three week period, one new episode of Johnny X will be posted online atwww.sonyericsson.com/Johnnyx every Monday, Wednesday and Friday starting on Monday, September 22. Check out the trailer for the series at www.whoisjohnny-x.com
Global Launch
The official global launch of the Xperia(TM) X1 will take place at Tent London as part of London Design Week between September 18 - 21st. Journalists are invited to attend the official Tent London opening party on Friday evening 19 September 2008 to see the Xperia(TM) X1 and meet with Sony Ericsson spokespeople. To register, please email: sonyericsson@bm.comTent London is one of the most comprehensive and diverse design events of the year. It is a multi-disciplinary event in an exciting location that will appeal equally to designers, media and consumers - embracing art to architecture, vintage to contemporary and raw talent to established trend-setters.
Open to general public from 18-21st September, from 10am, with admission prices starting at:
Public & Students £7.50 in advance £10.00 on the door
Child (under 16) £5.00
Child (under 5) FREE
For advance ticket purchases, visit: www.tentlondon.co.uk
Address: Circa at Tent London, The Truman Brewery, Brick Lane, London, E1Xperia(TM)
The Xperia(TM) X1 is the first product under Sony Ericsson's new premium sub-brand Xperia(TM). Designed to meet consumers' needs for a converged entertainment and mobile web communication experience, the Xperia(TM) X1 is an extremely stylish handset encased in a real stainless steel body, with a striking arc-slider design, supported by a powerful multimedia ecosystem.Consumers can access a world of experiences by tapping on one of the unique customisable panels on the three-inch high resolution touch-widescreen. Windows Mobile® lets you choose from a dynamic range of activities anytime and anywhere; from enjoying your music, watching a video, checking email, shopping online or working with Windows Mobile Office on-the-move. The full QWERTY keyboard and quality metal casing completes this premium handset. For more information please visit: www.sonyericsson.com/x1
Comments (AU Comments · US Comments)
There are currently no AU comments for this post.
fleebailey33
Posted 7:44 PM 10/9/08
Sad they rebranded an HTC phone. I love my p1i and symbian uiq 3.
fleebailey33
Nighthawkz
Posted 7:37 PM 10/9/08
Yeah, about time. But it seems a little too pricey for me.
Nighthawkz
NightBlade
Posted 7:31 PM 10/9/08
Finally...
NightBlade
cr0ft
Posted 8:28 PM 10/9/08
This thing will apparently retail at over a grand? If so, then they just priced themselves completely out of my range. I mean we're talking about a WinMo phone here, not the latest marvel of the world.
Yes, that 800x480 should be fantastic for browsing, and its other features are also quite mouthwatering, but at the end of the day we're still talking about Windows Mobile with a bolted on new 3D navigation feature. It's simply not worth that kind of money.
cr0ft
diabolusunknownTheSecond
Posted 9:27 PM 10/9/08
@RobotVampire: No its not. 1000 for an unlocked high end phone is normal.
What really matters is what this thing will cost on contract. Then you can declare its demise. Otherwise, this is nothing new for high end phones.
diabolusunknownTheSecond
diabolusunknownTheSecond
Posted 9:23 PM 10/9/08
@cr0ft: Lots of phones are unnecessarily expensive unlocked. Its not going to be a grand on contract.
This is nothing new and you shouldnt be surprised that the most well equipped WM phone is going to be over a grand unlocked.
And WM is a fine phone OS. It does what it needs to do, and that is alot. Sure, the front end isnt very touch friendly, because it was designed before touch phones were even popular. The nice thing is is if you dont like the Panels interface, theres a ton of front ends that you can get for WM that will replace it. Panels can be disabled just like any WM front end. Your never forced to use it.
Im hoping it will be decent, because it looks like a great way to multitask, unlike some other phones which cant multitask at all.
diabolusunknownTheSecond
RobotVampire
Posted 9:18 PM 10/9/08
Yeah, that price is gonna kill this thing quick. $1000 for a WinMo phone with a nice screen and
gee-whiz GUI. I don't think so, even if it included a free handjob app.
RobotVampire
Go Team Venture
Posted 9:55 PM 10/9/08
ive been saving my birthday money and now where is it.
Go Team Venture
j05hu4
Posted 10:02 PM 10/9/08
I paid $1400 cash when the Sony Z5 came out. Just had to have it and it is still a classic with its HTML browser and a 4 grayscales display (80x50) whoohoo! Can't wait to get my hands on the SEx1. Germany invaded us a few years ago so I might return them the favor on the 30st.
j05hu4
Nokstar
Posted 10:29 PM 10/9/08
I hope the operating system aint slow and sluggish.
Nokstar
keysereble
Posted 11:39 PM 10/9/08
i like this device and all, but when they delay the launch by so long... there is a multitude of new devices to choose from.
this has lost its edge in my opinion.
should have been available since May of this year, two months after CTIA.
keysereble
12-Inch Idongivafuck Sandwich
Posted 1:43 AM 11/9/08
The sooner this phone gets to the states the sooner it can be competing with the iPhone and Android phone for my next purchase (which will be before Christmas).
12-Inch Idongivafuck Sandwich
Ambiguous Blob 2.0
Posted 2:03 AM 11/9/08
Finally, now can someone reputable and that has english as a primary language give us a review?.... *hint hint*
Ambiguous Blob 2.0
DelSource
Posted 3:23 AM 11/9/08
Any indication whether this will be tied to one operator per country, or open to all like most phones?
DelSource
RobotVampire
Posted 11:48 AM 12/9/08
Maybe that price is the norm for an early adopter high-end phone. More than I would ever consider paying for a WinMo phone though. Maybe I'm just cheap, or have a little bit of patience and common sense.
RobotVampire
Fused7
Posted 5:11 PM 16/9/08
Chances are SE is gonna go with ATT again... WHY!
Then again I get my phones in Singapore, with a contract AND its unlocked! (AFAIK US is the only country that sells locked phones... but maybe the UK too... anyone know?)
Fused7