Sony Ericsson today took the wraps off a somewhat modest update to their premium Xperia line, showing off the Sony Ericsson Xperia X2 at the IFA 2009 show in Germany. The Sony Ericsson Xperia X2 will be part of the new Windows Phone family, running the new Windows Mobile 6.5 update that will be available early next month. On top of Windows Mobile 6.5, the Sony Ericsson Xperia X2 will also run Sony Ericsson's enignmatic Panels interface, just like it's predecessor, the Sony Ericsson Xperia X1. In addition to the Panels interface concept, the Xperia X2 will also get Sony Ericsson's new SlideView feature, which will offer users an overview of missed incoming activity and make it easy to jump to missed calls, messages and the like.
The Sony Ericsson Xperia X2 doesn't get much of a hardware boost, at least not in the officially released spec sheets. The screen sports the same 800 by 480 pixel resolution as its predecessor, though to be fair this WVGA resolution still pegs the phone at the top of the mobile marketplace. Still, the phone will use resistive touch technology, like the Xperia X1, so buyers should expect a mix of stylus and finger input.
The biggest hardware boost comes in the Sony Ericsson Xperia X2's camera, which takes a leap from the 3.2-megapixel sensor on the Xperia X1 to a new 8.1-megapixel sensor on the new Xperia X2. The Sony Ericsson Xperia X2 will also use touch focus, one of our favorite photo features on touchscreen devices. To help with images, there will also be an image stabilizer on board, and users will be able to geo tag and upload photos from the device.
Like the Xperia X1, the Sony Ericsson Xperia X2 will rely on the Panels interface on top of Windows Mobile, and to help spur development Sony Ericsson is also promoting an improved Panels SDK with a Panelizer function. Developers interested in creating new panels for the WinMo 6.5 phone will be able to convert existing Flash, Java and Windows Mobile applications into a Panel using the Panelizer. Panels will have to be approved by Sony Ericsson, much like Apple approves apps for their popular iPhone App Store, but approved panels will be distributed by S/E in their own mobile store, the PlayNow Arena.
At launch, the Sony Ericsson Xperia X2 will ship with 14 panels on board, with another 16 panels available for download. First round panels will include Skype, Mytopia, Google, CNN and Windows Live, along with Sony Ericsson's 3D signature panel, offering an improved touch interface for basic phone functions. The Xperia X2 will also let users schedule panels, so that your favorite panel will appear at certain times of day. For instance, you might get traffic and news info on your morning commute, then schedule the YouTube app to appear on your train ride home.
Sony Ericsson hasn't offered specifics about pricing or availability, but there are some clues to be found. The phone will ship in two quad-band configurations, and one of those includes the 850 MHz band necessary to access AT&T's 3G data network. Sony Ericsson has yet to announce an official price, but rumors suggest it could cost up to 700 Euros, or more than $1000 without a carrier subsidy. While that's shockingly high, it isn't surprising, as the original Sony Ericsson Xperia X1 launched for around $800 or so a year ago.
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