Sony Ericsson’s miniaturised version of their Android Xperia X10 handset is just days away from an Australian launch.
The phone will launch exclusively on Optus for the duration of the FIFA World Cup, at which time I assume some of the other carriers will start selling it. According to the press release, it’s also the “Official Mobile Handset of the 2010 FIFA World Cup” Like all other Optus phones, you’ll be able to watch every World Cup match on the X10 mini live and free, as well as a heap of bonus football action.
The handset, which runs Android 1.6, is powered by a 600MHz processor and has a 2.6-inch touchscreen, will be available for $0 upfront on a $49 social plan, or $549 outright.
Australia, 7th June 2010: Today sees the launch of the new Xperia™ X10 mini, the small and sociable version of the Xperia™ X10. Discover and enjoy mobile entertainment and the best of the 2010 FIFA World Cup™, only with Optus, in an ultra compact form, without compromising on the high quality features and performance expected from an Xperia™ handset.
Exclusive to Optus for the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ period, the stylish human curvature design of the Xperia™ X10 mini, combined with touch navigation optimised for compact screens, offers you the easiest way to connect and communicate with one hand. Keep on top of the FIFA World Cup™ action with one touch access to match scores, news, statistics, highlight clips and 500 FIFA archived video on demand clips provided by Optus.
A clever graphical user interface, with four customisable touch corners and intuitive navigation, opens up limitless possibilities to access favourite applications, social networking, web links and email with just one touch.
Determined not to miss a minute of the FIFA World Cup™? Simply customise one corner with a link to the Optus 2010 FIFA World Cup™ mobile site and watch free live and uninterrupted streaming of every match, especially filmed for mobile and exclusive to Optus2. Build a unique mobile phone experience and download games, movies, music and thousands of free and best-selling applications at Android Market™ (available in Australia and New Zealand).
Keeping track of your football obsessed friends during the FIFA World Cup™ has never been easier. The Xperia™ X10 mini makes communicating so simple with Timescape™, which brings together all messages, missed calls, photos, Facebook™ emails, SMS and Tweets in chronological order onto one screen.
To enjoy music on the Xperia™ X10 mini at its best, press the Infinite button when enjoying a music track, to be transported to related content on YouTube™ and find out more about your favourite football anthems.
“As the Official Mobile Handset of the 2010 FIFA World Cup™, we are kicking off the world’s smallest* Android™ phone–the Xperia™ X10 mini–in time for the world’s biggest game,” said Brendan Johnston, Managing Director, Sony Ericsson Oceania. “The Xperia™ X10 mini lets you stay up to date with all communication in one place, and what better time to do this than when you’re mad with football fever and texting game meeting points to friends and watching live streaming of games! The Xperia™ X10 mini opens up limitless possibilities, both during the FIFA World Cup™ and in your everyday life, with one-touch access to your favourite apps, web links and more.”
Michael Smith, Managing Director, Optus Consumer said, “As the exclusive 2010 FIFA World Cup™ Mobile Broadcaster in Australia, Optus is excited to be providing live streaming of all 64 matches of the FIFA World Cup™ free to our customers, demonstrating our support of the game at all levels. Customers using the exclusive Optus Sony Ericsson Xperia™ X10 mini will experience our groundbreaking content; offering world leading ‘made for mobile’ streaming of the FIFA World Cup™, with dedicated cameras providing a mobile optimised feed making our customers feel closer to the action than ever before. We’re looking forward to seeing our customers experiencing this free stream when the Socceroos face Germany in their opening match on June 14 at 4:30am – go Socceroos!”
Sony Ericsson is letting you be a part of the pinnacle of the football calendar, with a host of fun activities taking place at the International FIFA Fan Fest™ in Sydney. From 11 June – 12 July 2010, Sydney’s Darling Harbour will be transformed by football fervour, as matches are broadcast live on giant screens and a dynamic entertainment program plays out.
Sony Ericsson will be offering interactive and fun activities for football fans at Fan Fest™, while also rewarding ‘Fan-tastic Fans’ with prizes via the Sony Ericsson Australia Facebook page. Optus and customers will also have access to free live streaming of 2010 FIFA World Cup™ matches. Optimised for the 3G mobile, the Xperia™ X10 mini is the perfect device for catching all of the FIFA World Cup™ action.
Availability and Pricing
– Xperia™ X10 mini will be available exclusively through Optus in Australia throughout the FIFA World Cup™ period
– Xperia™ X10 mini is $0 upfront on the ‘yes’ $49 social plan3 over 24 months (min total cost $1126), including 500MB of data
– RRP: $549