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Hands-on with the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10

AT CES 2010, CNET gets its first chance to handle Sony Ericsson's first Android phone, the Xperia X10.

Kent German Former senior managing editor / features
Kent was a senior managing editor at CNET News. A veteran of CNET since 2003, he reviewed the first iPhone and worked in both the London and San Francisco offices. When not working, he's planning his next vacation, walking his dog or watching planes land at the airport (yes, really).
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Kent German

Hands-on with the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 (photos)

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Sony Ericsson announced its first Android phone, the Xperia X10, in London two months ago, but I had to wait for CES to get my first look at the device on this side of the Atlantic.

As you'd expect, the Sony Ericsson stand at the massive Sony Electronics booth was crowded with people wanting to get a look at the handset. And there's no wonder why--the X10 is a sight to behold. Its slim profile and clean lines hit high on the beauty scale, and I enjoyed how sturdy and comfortable it felt in my hand. Front and center is a brilliant display that measures 4 inches; that's bigger than the display on the Moto Droid.

Inside, the X10 offers plenty to gape at. It runs on a Snapdragon 1GHz processor and offers an 8.1-megapixel camera with flash and video recording, a music and video player, Wi-Fi, GPS, a full Web browser, PC syncing and USB mass storage, a personal organizer, and a speakerphone.

The X10 runs Google Android, and Sony Ericsson adds on another interface layer with its User Experience Platform. Though we don't see any reason to hide Android behind a mask, the Timescape feature was somewhat appealing. Like Motoblur on the Motorola Cliq, it organizes your communication in a central place.

For more on the X10, check out our hands-on slideshow. North American availability currently is limited to Rogers Wireless in Canada, but we hope to have a review model in the next couple of months.