As previously reported, the newly released Sony Ericsson Xperia Ray is available to buy in the UK. The handset has now been picked up by at least three of the major UK mobile carriers, namely Orange, O2 and Vodafone who have the Ray listed for sale on their respective websites.

The listing on the O2 website itself shows the Xperia Ray as in stock and it is available to buy on the network if purchasers go through third party sellers such as the Tesco phone shop. It is available from £15.50 a month which offers a free handset over 24 months.  The Xperia Ray is also available on the O2 £10.50 a month tariff but, costs £79.99 upfront to purchase that way. The Orange website is now showing the Ray as ‘coming soon’ but, is confirmed as coming to the network for the first time and is expected to be available on a variety of contract options and with a pay as you go deal too. Vodafone have the phone listed as available to buy and the handset is free with their £26 a month, 24 month contract.

After Sony Ericsson changed their plans for the Xperia X10 and announced they would update the Xperia X10 to Android 2.3 after saying they wouldn’t be releasing further updates to the X10 range, there have been many angry customers and many customers left wondering if Sony Ericsson will also change the plan for the X10 Mini range, including the X8.

Sony Ericsson announced that they wouldn’t release a further update for the Xperia X10, X10 Mini, X10 Mini Pro and X8 but, later released another statement saying because of all the uproar, they would release Android 2.3 for the X10. They also said that they stood by their decision about the Mini range and still do.

Vodafone Australia however, state they are anticipating Android 2.3 in six weeks time for the X10 Mini Pro and will begin testing it. Due to many questions from customers about the status of Android updates for various handsets, they put a blog post together detailing what version of Android is running on various handsets and what the next version will be. It also says what the status is on the update, some saying it was released a week or two ago, others saying they’re going through testing. Vodafone will finish testing Android 2.3 on the X10 in a couple of weeks time. The X10 Mini Pro is also listed, with a note saying the test stage hasn’t been scheduled yet but, they anticipate to have Android 2.3 to test in six weeks time.

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Those who pre-ordered the Xperia Arc or Play on Vodafone will, unfortunately have to wait a bit longer till they get their hands on Sony Ericsson’s latest handsets it seems. Vodafone have announced that they are experiencing stock issues with both the Xperia Arc and Xperia Play. Sony Ericsson were unable to meet the demand for the devices due to freight issues and so they are working with Vodafone to ensure handsets are delivered as soon as possible. A specific timescale is as of yet unknown though.

Likewise, Three are also experiencing the same issues, with the Xperia Play at least. The earliest expected delivery date for the Xperia Play with Three is Friday 15th April, although this has already changed from April 8th.

O2 on the other hand, haven’t announced any problems with stock but, are delaying the handset. According to the O2 blog, while testing the handset, they’ve found several bugs in the software which affect the Xperia Play’s usability as both a gaming device and as a phone. O2 are the only network to have suggested there are problems with the software, leading many to believe it may be down to O2′s own firmware on top of the Sony Ericsson firmware.

Despite the handsets not being available through Vodafone or Three, many customers have managed to still acquire the Play or Arc  through third party retailers such as Phones4U or Carphone warehouse, who have some handsets in stock. The stock given to Phones4U and Carphone Warehouse is unbranded so for those who can’t wait to get their hands on Sony Ericsson’s next Xperia handsets, may be better off going through a third party retailer any way, as network branded handsets have had their problems in the past, specifically with Sony Ericsson’s Xperia X10 and it’s software updates.

While Vodafone and O2 can’t offer the Xperia X10 Mini in lime green, they are however offering the handset up for free. Neither the Vodafone or O2 website state which color X10 they have in stock but, it appears to be the basic black model. Both networks are offering the handset up for free on 18 or 24 month contracts from as little as £20 a month. The other major UK network T-Mobile is yet to offer the handset and there’s no mention on their website of the X10 Mini. They do however have the X10 Mini Pro listed, which is set for a July release. While there’s no sign of the QWERTY-less Mini X10 on T-Mobile, the other networks don’t have any information regarding the X10 Mini Pro, so it looks like the X10 Mini Pro, could be a T-Mobile exclusive.

If however you were after the X10 Mini on T-Mobile, all is not lost. Third party retailers, such as Mobiles.co.uk have the handsets in stock and they dispatch unlocked handsets, with the X10 Mini being no exception. Because of this, they can offer the handset on the networks it is available on, along with T-Mobile and Three.

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Tesco Phone Shop are now offering the Xperia X10 for sale on their website. Their deal includes a free X10 handset with unlimited texts, unlimited internet usage and 300 minutes on a 24 month “Anytime 300 Gold Internet” contract on the Vodafone network. Customers will also recieve 1000 Tesco clubcard points if they purchase the X10 through their site: here.

A spokesperson for Tesco Phone Shop commented in their press release: “We’re pretty confident we’ve put together an unbeatable deal on the X10. We don’t think anyone else is offering this incredible phone with unlimited internet for free on £30 pay monthly contract. We think our customers, Clubcard holders in particular, will love it, earning a 1000 Clubcard points when they sign-up”.

Tesco seem to have built a solid deal for their customers and all with the added incentive of free Clubcard points for those of us that like to collect. Bargain!

UK carrier Vodafone have announced that they will be offering the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 Mini to their customers after adding three new smartphones to their line-up (the X10, the Samsung Galaxy S and Wave). The Xperia X10 Mini is listed on the site as ‘coming soon’.

Vodafone already offer the Android powered Xperia X10 on their network in the UK and customers with an interest in the Mini version can sign up for updates on the Vodafone site and can be informed when the X10 Mini, equipped with it’s 2.5 inch screen, is ready for action with the carrier.

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After many months of waiting, the Xperia X10 is finally with us. In the UK, the handset is showing up in all the major shops, as well as online. Ordering from Orange no longer requires an eight day wait. While Mobiles.co.uk have the handset in stock on all the major networks. They have a section for 3 but, are showing the handset as not available on 3 while Virgin Mobile doesn’t get a mention at all. One of the best deals is with Vodafone, who from Mobiles are offering the handset free on a £30 a month contract with 5 months half price, redeemed by the company themselves. While they do have what look like great deals, it is always best to shop around though, as somewhere else, may be offering an even better deal.

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Over on the Vodafone UK website, the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 has made an appearance, as it is now available to pre-order with the expected delivery date due to be April the 6th, according to the site.  Although, a press release also dates the release of the X10, through Vodafone, as April the 2nd so this is to be confirmed. Still, it’s the closest we’ve come to pinning down a release date for the X10 so it’s a start.

The X10 is available as a free handset with either 900 or 1200 minutes, with unlimited texts and 500mb data which costs £35 for 900 minutes or £40 for 1200 over a 24 month contract with Vodafone.

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The Vodafone page for the Sony Ericsson X2 may have stayed as “due November” for a long time, including December, but the website has now been updated. Unfortunately not to a due December notice, but rather a “due January” message.  The SE-Store on the other handset as December. A December released would be great but, I feel it may be next year before we see the handset. No word on whether this will affect the release of the X10, but chances are high that the X10 will also get delayed.