xperia

Down the line: Smartphones

iPhone, schmiPhone. Now wait, don't go calling me an iPhone hater because I'm not. I'm just saying that there are a lot of other hot smartphones out there that deserve as much attention as Apple's starlet, and I've rounded up five of the hottest models.

Whether you're into the BlackBerry Bold or the Samsung Omnia, this group represents some of the most popular and highly anticipated smartphones this year.

I get a lot of reader e-mail wondering about their availability date, pricing, and so on, so I thought I'd try to kill five … Read more

iPhone wannabes or smart alternatives? You decide

CORRECTION July 9 at 10:48 a.m. PDT: This article misstated the BlackBerry Bold's display type. It does not have a touch screen. The story has been updated to reflect this change.

Apple's iPhone 3G hits store shelves on Friday, but if you haven't been struck with iPhone fever, don't fret. There are plenty of alternatives that offer similar style and features. And they may even be easier on your wallet in the long run.

To some Apple fans, phones such as the Samsung Instinct or the HTC Diamond are simply iPhone wannabes. But to … Read more

Possible mid-September release for Sony Ericsson Xperia X1

Let the Xperia hysteria begin. Thanks to loose-lipped mobile content provider Handango, we may now know the general launch date of the Sony Ericsson Xperia X1. According to a newsletter Handango sent out to its partners, the highly anticipated Windows Mobile smartphone will launch in "mid-September 2008" with the Handango InHand service onboard. The company also noted that if partners want their software to be considered for the catalog, it must support "International English, French, German, Italian, and Spanish," so presumably, the smartphone will be available in appropriate markets. Now, we're not taking this as … Read more

Hands-on with the Sony Ericsson XPERIA X1

Sony Ericsson may have been a sleeper at CTIA, but one good thing came out of it: I finally got my hands on the Sony Ericsson XPERIA X1. Unlike at GSMA where you had the battle the crowd and public relations folks just to get a picture of the darn thing, I was able to spend a few minutes with the highly anticipated smartphone and all I've got to say is "me-ROW."

It's pretty easy to see why there's so much buzz about Sony Ericsson's first Windows Mobile device. The hardware is elegant and … Read more

Photos: Impressions of the Sony Ericsson X1

The folks at Sony Ericsson were pretty strict about letting us try out the interface of the new XPERIA X1, but we were still able to get close enough to have a few good impressions. (See more photos here.)

Sony Ericsson has always been pretty hot when it comes to handset design, and the X1 is no exception. Looking at it, you forget that this is a Windows Mobile PDA-phone because, very often, the products in that category are pretty clunky. The keypad slides out at an angle, and the keys look pretty well spaced-out for typing.

While the "… Read more

Sony Ericsson does Windows with XPERIA X1 smartphone

As CNET News.com's Ina Fried reported earlier this week, Sony Ericsson has teamed up with Microsoft to release Windows Mobile smartphones and sure enough, the first such device was revealed at GSMA and its name is the Sony Ericsson EXPERIA X1. In the past, Sony Ericsson smartphones, such as the P1i, have used the Symbian mobile operating system (UIQ). The launch of the XPERIA line marks the debut of Windows Mobile on the company's devices. The X1 is the first in the series, and makes quite the impression.

It has a cool arc slider design (think Motorola … Read more

Photos: Sony Ericsson GSMA

Sony Ericsson made a strong showing at the GSMA World Congress in Barcelona. The company announced several new models, all of which make an effort to stand out. And you can see them here in our Sony Ericsson GSMA slide show. The biggest news is its new Xperia X1. The first Sony Ericsson Windows Mobile phone, it features a full alphabetic keyboard with a unique "arc" slider design. The Sony Ericsson booth staff isn't letting the two Z1s we saw out of their hands, so we didn't get a good chance to play with it yet. … Read more