Of all the mobile phones announced over the last year, you may well have noticed one particular handset that I’ve been banging on about like there’s no tomorrow. That handset is the Sony Ericsson X1, which I have decided, today, to start calling the X1 Xperia, because 1/ it’s shorter, 2/ it sounds cooler and 3/ it might actually make me sound more exciting than I, in fact, am. Regular readers will know that I’ve expounded the virtues of the X1 Xperia at great length, and will continue to do so, in the vain hope Sony Ericsson might send me one to shut me up, since too much praise can be cringe-makingly embarrassing.
That plan hasn’t worked, so I will, with 99% certainty, be buying an X1 Xperia myself. Unless of course Sony Ericsson announce an Xperia mobile phone with an 8 megapixel camera, before I get my X1.
Ah, but… therein lies an interesting question, and it’s one that’s actually important for the future of Sony Ericsson. The X1 Xperia is just about the nicest Windows Mobile phone ever made (though my colleague, Matthew, when he gets his new HTC Touch HD, might dispute that). But the name ‘Xperia’ doesn’t just apply to one mobile phone; it applies to a whole series of mobile phones, specifically, Sony Ericsson’s absolute top-echelon, feature-packed, world-beating smartphones. The ones right at the top of their portfolio.
The X1 Xperia is only the first of many. So, realistically, as that brand grows, what new mobile phones can we expect from the Swedish/Japanese giant?
Windows Mobile
The X1 Xperia, when it was announced, was a bit of a shock. It was Sony Ericsson’s first ever Windows Mobile phone, and no-one was sure how well they’d pull it off. Now the handset’s been released the answer’s apparent: really, really well. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, the X1 Xperia is honestly the first mobile phone to ever make Windows Mobile desirable. It’s fast… as in properly fast, none of this lagging screen when you open the keyboard… and it’s truly a magnificent device.
Basically, it’s not a case of if another Windows Mobile Xperia will be released, it’s a case of when it will be. You just know there’ll be another one coming along. Plus, if and when Microsoft get themselves in gear and release Windows Mobile 7, I can’t imagine there not being an Xperia mobile phone based on it. Which, given how nice the X1 Xperia is, is something I’m really seriously looking forward to…
Symbian S60/Foundation
For years, Sony Ericsson smartphones were based on Symbian. Specifically, they were built on Symbian UIQ. Well, with UIQ on the way out (a sad day, indeed, but one has to move on), and with Sony Ericsson being a key member of the Symbian Foundation, we are going to be seeing Symbian-powered mobile phones, that much is almost inevitable. And although no-one actually knows what it’ll be like, I’d say you’d be silly not to bet on something… hmmm, how to put this… something not a million miles away from the Nokia N97.
After that, who knows. The sky is very much the limit, as long as they don’t hobble the capabilities of the Symbian Foundation OS, and actually push the OS to perform at a high level, something they didn’t always do with UIQ. In hindsight, UIQ’s death is at least partially down to manufacturers not supporting that system fully, so any future Symbian mobile phone from Sony Ericsson really does need support.
Google Android
Well, I reported on it yesterday, but it’s big enough news to warrant further discussion. Sony Ericsson have announced they will be developing a Google Android-powered mobile phone, and they’ve said they aim to get it to market next year. I have high hopes for the first Sony Ericsson Android phone, and let’s be honest, with the top-end features and clever stuff that Android’s punting, it’s almost a dead-cert that the first one they make will be an Xperia mobile phone.
Basically, the whole point of the Xperia range of mobile phones, as Sony Ericsson themselves said when it was first announced, is to give you a whole gamut of different experiences on their mobile phones. So, while we may see Android phones in the Cyber-Shot range, or Symbian Foundation mobile phones in the G-series, I’m willing to bet a large number of pounds that the first place we’ll Sony Ericsson mobile phones with those systems built into their guts will be in the Xperia range.
Grab the first of a new breed, grab the ace X1 Xperia today!