After a tremendous amount of waiting, X10 owners will finally receive an updated Android OS. When the Android powered handset was released in Europe the phone came with an already outdated Android version, Google Android 1.6, when most other devices had 2.1. Eventually the Xperia X10 was released in America but, still came with the same version of Android. Now users can rejoice as Sony Ericsson prepare to launch Android 2.1 for the X10, X10 Mini and X10 Mini Pro.

The actual release date and week will vary for various regions but, according to Sony Ericsson Spain, the update is due to be released in the week 38. This brings us to the 20th to the 26th September. Sony Ericsson UK have also confirmed that the update is due to be released before the end of September, presumably the same week as Spain. One reader from the Xperia X10 blog commented that Sony Ericsson Brazil had also given a guideline for the Android 2.1 release. Unfortunately this is slightly later and is slated for a week 43/44 release. Now all we need is for Sony Ericsson to reveal information regarding the release of Android 2.2 on their handsets.

The next handset to be released in the Xperia range has hit the FCC, which hopefully means we should see a US release soon. On the FCC website, users can view photos of the upcoming Sony Ericsson handset of both the outside and inside. As well as the photos of the Xperia X8, you will also find the user manual for the X8 posted which can be downloaded for viewing.

There’s no new surprises with the handset itself however. The specs remain the same as what we had previously heard. The Sony Ericsson X8 features a 3 inch display, making it in essence a middle sized X10. However the camera is downgraded from both the X10 and X10 Mini and will feature a 3.2 megapixel camera but, this is Sony Ericsson so the camera should still be pretty decent. Unfortunately, it seems that the handset will also ship with Android 1.6 instead of 2.1 which Sony Ericsson have promised will be available for the X10 in late Q3.

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Justin Timberlake is a known Sony spokesperson but, he’s also a known BlackBerry user. Recent photos and Twitter updates suggest he’s now ditched BlackBerry for Android. A recent Tweet from the celebrity, said it had come in via Twitter for Android. This left Engadget hunting for photos of the celebrity in possession of an Android phone.

What they dug up, is a photo of Justin Timberlake carrying an Xperia X10, from Sony Ericsson. However, this also led to rumours that Timberlake could have an X10 running Android 2.1 or even 2.2. The Tweet was sent through the Twitter Android application, which is only available on Android handsets running 2.1 or above, which the X10 doesn’t have yet, for consumers anyway. Could Justin Timberlake been have given the celebrity treatment for his handset? While that is possible, it’s more likely that he has more than one handset, or someone manages his Twitter account, which are both more likely possibilities.

Adobe’s Flash Player for Android has finally been taken out of Beta and has officially available on Android. The ability to download and install the beta version of the app has made Android 2.2 even better looking. So now it’s out officially, it will have more consumers upgrading to Froyo if possible, or desperately wanting their Android OS updated to 2.2.

Unfortunately, even though it’s no longer in beta, it still requires Android 2.2 which the Xperia X10 is lacking. It should receive 2.1 soon but, there hasn’t been much information regarding 2.2 on the X10, except many petitions started from angry, frustrated X10 owners. When the X10 does get 2.2 though, the app should be even better.

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When Sony and AT&T released the information that the Xperia X10 would be available from August 15th, one thing that was omitted among the specs and features of the phone, was the Android version the X10 would be running. In light of this, XperiaX10.net sent a Twitter message to Sony Ericsson North America. They have confirmed that, when the X10 is released in America, it will also be running Android 1.6.

Will this put you off getting the X10? As many handsets are already receiving the Android 2.2 update. Sony Ericsson have confirmed they are working for a late Q3 release but, will this be too late to save the handset in the US? With the Xperia X10 already being out 4 months in the UK, many would have thought Sony Ericsson could have finalized the Android 2.1 OS for the US launch.

One of the most popular Twitter clients on the iPhone is making it’s way to the Android Community. TweetDeck will soon be released for Android. A beta version has been released this week. Unfortunately however, the beta version is only available for Android 2.0 and above, something which the Xperia X10 currently lacks. In the post which makes the beta public however, it has been stated that once the final version is released, it will come with support for 1.6. Which if the company are quick to release the full version, may be a relief for X10 owners, if we still haven’t got 2.1 on Sony Ericsson’s Xperia X10. You can keep up with the latest developments of TweetDeck on their blog here.

A while back someone claimed to have rooted the Xperia X10 which meant great news for X10 owners a like. Unfortunately it was later proven to be a fake but, after some persistence, the Xperia X10 has finally been rooted, for real this time. Folks over at the XDA-Developers forum have managed to bring root access to Sony Ericsson’s first Android powered handset and have managed to make it as simple as can be. The root process can be performed in as little as 3 steps after finding the Device ID. Xperia X10a owners will have to perform two additional steps to X10i owners. A fix for the Market is also included as some users have experienced difficulties since rooting. Again this is a simple process. You can follow the guide on how to root your phone here. Additional steps for 64 bit Operating systems may need to be performed, which you can find out about here. One thing I’ve noted after doing the root myself, is the guide says to run RunMe.cmd in step 2 and then run step2.cmd but, the RunMe.cmd file mentioned isn’t in the download folder but, other users have said you just need to run step2.cmd and I can confirm this works.

Unfortunately, the bootloader hasn’t been cracked yet, which means it isn’t possible to run custom roms on it, including Android 2.1/2.2 but, this is being worked on. You can however remove default apps which you don’t want or use, such as Moxier, Play Now, MediaScape etc. Again, the guide on how to uninstall the default apps can a found here. A quick video guide has also been created on how to uninstall the default apps.

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We recently learned that Sony Ericsson had pushed the release of Android 2.1 forward to Q3 from Q4. This may have been partly to user uproar, from users wanting the update sooner, or even skipping 2.1 altogether for Android 2.2 which has just been released. Or it may be because, Sony Ericsson have now committed to a Q4 release for Android 2.2.

Currently, Android 2.2, aka Froyo has been released on the Google Nexus One and will be making it’s way to other handsets over the next few months. It’s confirmed to be released on HTC devices sometime during Q3, with the possibility that those handsets will receive 2.2 before the X10 receives the 2.1 update. Other manufacturers have also confirmed they are working on 2.2. Samsung will update their Galaxy S series range to 2.2 but, a time line hasn’t been specified, while Motorola will be releasing the Droid X in the coming weeks, with Android 2.2 already installed. While X10 owners may have to wait longer than other devices, many X10 owners will be pleased that we get a 2010 release for Android 2.2, assuming it isn’t delayed anyway.

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If the leaked information regarding Android 3.0 are true, it could mean that the Xperia X10 will never get Android 3.0, aka Gingerbread and will be stuck at Android 2.2 when it’s released for the Xperia X10. On a Russian podcast, Eldar has revealed that the next Android iteration could impose minimum specification requirements. While the X10 meets most of them, the X10 Mini and X10 Mini Pro won’t but, there’s also one spec which the X10 can’t meet. According to Eldar, Android 3.0 will require the handset to have at least 512MB of RAM, where as the Xperia X10 only has 384MB. Other specs needed are a 1GHz processor and a 3.5 inch display. The time frame for Android 3.0 is around mid October, with the first handsets with the 3.0 OS coming November/December. The user interface is said to be revamped and for devices with screens above 4″, a new resolution of 1280×760 will be available. Obviously we hope that the need for 512MB RAM isn’t correct but, we do hope they resolution rumor is.

Here’s some news that most Xperia X10 owners will be happy to hear. Sony Ericsson have pushed the release of Android 2.1 forward. Originally the updated OS was to hit the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10, as well as the X10 Mini and X10 Mini Pro sometime during Q4. Sony Ericsson have now announced however, that the firmware update is due to be released in late Q3. Some will argue there isn’t much difference between a late Q3 and a Q4 release but, a month sooner will be a relief to many owners. Other users are still wanting the company to release Android 2.2 on the X10 instead of 2.1 when it is released as Froyo (Android 2.2) has just been released on the Google Nexus One and will be making it’s way to other Android powered handsets over the coming weeks, with some phones such as the HTC Desire dubbed to receive 2.2 before the X10 even gets 2.1

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