For anyone that has seen the new Sony Ericsson Xperia home launcher on the yet to be released Xperia Ray handset and been curious as to when it might become available for the current Xperia handset range, then news of the leak of the home launcher itself may be welcomed.

Working on the Xperia X10, Xperia Arc, Xperia Play and the Xperia Neo, the home launcher can be installed using a file manager to transfer and install the leaked .apk file. It adds quirky new features to the current home launcher including the ‘floating’ widgets when in the widget screen and shaking the phone – the widgets move around the screen, activated by the movement. Also featured is the ability to uninstall apps more easily.

The home launcher .apk file can be found here for anyone that wants to experience the new home launcher for themselves.

Sony Ericsson have now released the Android 2.3.3 update for this year’s range of Sony Ericsson Xperia handsets, the Xperia Arc and Xperia Play. Depending on your region, the update will also be available for the Xperia Neo.

The update has begun rolling out and is being done the same way as the X10 2.1 update, with it being released in “kits”. Meaning depending on your region and handset sim lock or branding, the update may not yet be available to you. Here in the UK, the update has been released to O2 branded handsets, unlocked handsets and Vodafone branded handsets.

The update has also been released in China, Croatia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Indonisia, Luxemburg, Malaysia, Netherlands, Norway, Polan, Portugal, Serbia, Spain and Sweden. These are confirmed countries to have received the update (list courtesy of XDA).

The update can be performed over the air, via SEUS or PC Companion. As well as bringing the Android version up to 2.3.3 from 2.3.2, the update adds the recently announced Facebook inside Xperia, which provides a deeper intergration between your handset and Facebook.

As well as the announcement of two new handsets, the Xperia Mini and Mini Pro, Sony Ericsson have also announced a new feature called “Facebook inside Xperia”. Facebook inside Xperia will be on the Xperia Mini and Mini Pro at launch, while other 2011 Xperia models will receive an update to include this new feature. It doesn’t look like the 2010 models will be receiveing Facebook inside Xperia though.

Facebook inside Xperia provides a deeper intergration on your phone with Facebook. With one single login, you can then use this for the Facebook app and Timescape and any other apps that require a Facebook login, as opposed to the current system, where you need to login to Timescape and Facebook app individually. If you sync your contacts, there will now be more info that you can access about your contacts, such as photos, likes and status. You can also sync your calander with Facebook so you can see upcoming birthdays and events.

Other new stuff includes being able to see your Facebook photos in your phones gallery. While listening to music you will be able to “Like” it, which will post it on your wall. Or if you’re stuck for ideas on what to listen to or watch, the Media Discovery widget shows you what your friends have recommended from Youtube, Spotify etc.

Sony Ericsson have previously announced that they will indeed be working on releasing handsets powered by Windows latest mobile OS, Windows Phone 7. It would also make sense for at least one of the WP7 handsets from Sony Ericsson, to be in the Xperia range, following on from the Windows Mobile 6.0 powered Xperia X1 and the Windows Mobile 6.5 powered Xperia X2.

A document has been leaked, which puts a Windows Phone 7 handset as being the Xperia X7. Again, this would be a very logical move and very possible. It also wouldn’t be the first time Sony Ericsson have gone down a model number in the Xperia range, with the Xperia X8 being revealed and released after the Xperia X10 had been released. Read the rest of this entry »

According to the latest O2 catalogue, the Sony Ericsson Xperia X8 handset will be an O2 exclusive release in the UK market.

The X8 is advertised for sale in the October 2010 edition of the O2 sales brochure at a cost of £129.99 plus £10 airtime top-up charge on the network as a Pay as You Go handset. O2 have then gone on to claim that the X8 smartphone handset is “Only on O2″ which looks set to be a great exclusivity deal for the UK carrier as the Xperia X8 should prove very popular with consumers due to it’s fairly low price and it’s not too shabby list of specifications for such a low price.

O2 also advise in the catalogue that customers wishing to enter into a monthly contract for the X8 handset should enquire within O2 stores regarding the deals on offer.

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I’m sure it will come as no surprise to many that the official Sony Ericsson blog post concerning the Android 2.1 delay has received hundreds of comments, over a 1000 in fact. Not all are from angry customers though, some are from Rikard Skogberg who is the Nordic Product Marketing Manager and he has tried to calm things down and answered many of the questions on the blog. How calming his responses will be to some though, remains to be seen.

The folks at XperiaX10 have compiled a list of the additional points regarding the delay, along with other interesting tidbits. A full list of what XperiaX10 have noted can be found after the jump.

In summary however, Skogberg admits that he knows the company failed, especially in regards to their planned timings. He also knows they have issues, which is why they had to delay the release. Because of the delay, the second part of the 2.1 update (2.1x) will also be delayed, meaning we won’t see it till 2011. When the update is released, it appears that it won’t include Arabic letters, nor does it appear that there will be an update for the camera flash. With regards to the in call volume, nothing has been mentioned surrounding this.

Skogberg also went on to say that there are no plans committed for 16m colors, multi-touch or Adobe Flash. The possibility of Android 2.2 on the Xperia range also hasn’t been ruled in but, it also hasn’t been ruled out, so there is still some hope that we may see Froyo on the Xperia X10.

With regards to the Xperia X8, it will receive the same Android updates as the X10 Mini and Mini Pro. However the updates will come later but, still within 2010. The X8 should also be released in the next two weeks.

Read the rest of this entry »

XperiaX10.net have recieved what could be an official Sony Ericsson Xperia ‘roadmap’ which has apparently been leaked from the IFA 2010 tradeshow in Berlin that took place in early September. The document seems to be a guide or ‘map’ of the future for updates on the Xperia X10 range of handsets and on the upcoming Xperia X8 handset.

Disappointingly, there is no mention at all of any future update to Android 2.2 OS (or Froyo as it is also known) for any of the X10 line up or the X8 although, we can’t be 100% sure that the document is genuine or that it is complete and of course, just because a 2.2 update isn’t mentioned in this document it doesn’t necessarily mean that Sony Ericsson have absolutely no intention of bringing Froyo to the newer handsets in the Xperia range at some point in the future. Look at how long it has taken the company to just discuss bringing Android 2.1 to the Xperia X10 and that should give some indication that Sony Ericsson aren’t exactly forthcoming with information on an update that may take months to come about.

There are numerous features listed on the roadmap, which specifically mentions updates ‘named’ Android 1.6x, Android 2.1 and Android 2.1x, that the Xperia X10, X10 Mini, X10 Mini Pro and Xperia X8 are due to receive with updates including 720P video recording capabilities, 5 homescreens for the  X10, HTML5 compability and Bluetooth 2.1 plus a change of how the corner buttons are used on the Mini series and Xperia X8. The document also claims that Sony Ericsson will update their Mediascape and Timescape applications and add a social phonebook feature to the X10.

All the positivity of the prospect of new updates and features could be slightly soured for Xperia X10 owners though, with the possibility, however true it may be, that the Xperia X10 range and the Xperia X8 may never see Froyo at all.

For many years, Sony have sponsored the UEFA as well as other football (soccer) tournaments. This year, Sony Ericsson are sponsoring the Union of European Football Associations and will be until 2012. The Xperia range of handsets have been dubbed the “official mobile” for UEFA.

As well as sponsoring the UEFA, European X10 owners will also be able to download an exclusive EUFA app. The app will cover all the latest news and action from the tournament. It should be available for all the X10 handsets, so Xperia X10 Mini owners won’t be left out. It’s also possible that the app may be available on the Xperia X8 as well.

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This year at IFA in Berlin, Sony Ericsson showed up and one thing that got people talking, is their Xperia themed chopper. People could sit on the Xperia motorcycle and have their picture taken. Engadget report that a Sony Ericsson cameraphone was used to capture the photos. They’re also holding a caption contest for the photo. Can you come up with anything better than one’s already suggested? Some of the captions submitted are rather “lame” but, others are really great.

The top list by Engadget is below, although my personally favourite is “nice engine, is it a 1.6 or a 2.2?”.

Chris: “It’ll be available at local dealers mere moments after you finally stop wanting it.”
Nilay: “Unfortunately, it runs Android 1.6″
Darren: “A fine substitute for the PSP Phone you’ve been dreaming of.”
Laura: “Fail hog.”
Ross: “Still no pinch-to-zoom, but at least here, that kind of makes sense.”
Don: “Mr. Stringer, your chariot awaits.”
Vlad: “Sony just couldn’t help throwing in a bit of product placement in its Terminator 2 remake.”
Tim: “It’s bigger, heavier, slower, and way more expensive than other models — but hey, look at all that chrome! Oh, yeah, the bike isn’t bad either.”
Sean: “Active shutter glasses sold separately.”
Thomas: “**Model shown is coming soon. Actual product is a horse.”

Spreading the X10′s wings even further afield, Sony Ericsson has announced that in partnership with distributors Krishna International and network Safaricom, their Xperia X10 range of Android based smartphones will now be available in the Kenyan market.

Jorgen Berg, Sony Ericsson’s general manager covering their operations in Africa, has said that the company “aims to capitalise on the mobile phone boom in the country as well as introduce internet-enabled phones that will enhance internet penetration”

There are more mobile phones than fixed line phones in Kenya according to country manager Jonas Gronqwist and to fulfill the demand for Android devices, Safaricom will be retailing the Xperia X10, the Xperia X10 Mini and X10 Mini Pro in their 32 retail stores countrywide. The handsets will cost: X10 mini – Kes. 24,999.00 , X10 mini pro Kes. 27,999.00. There is no information on the cost of the X10 itself as yet.

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