Sony Ericsson Xperia X1: The First Xperia Smartphone

Sony Ericsson Xperia X1 (2008): The Original Xperia Flagship | Full English Details & Specs

Brand: Sony Ericsson (designed by Sony Ericsson, manufactured by HTC)

Category: Premium flagship smartphone; the first model in the Xperia series, blending an arc-slider form factor, QWERTY keyboard, and Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional for productivity-focused users.

Core Value: 3-inch WVGA resistive touchscreen, Qualcomm MSM7200 chipset, 3.15MP AF camera with LED flash, full QWERTY keyboard, 3.5G (HSDPA/HSUPA) connectivity, and mobile office capabilities, marking Sony Ericsson’s entry into Windows Mobile-powered devices.

Launch Timeline: Announced February 11, 2008 (Mobile World Congress); released October 2008; variants: X1 (global), X1a (North America).

Core Specifications

1. Display & Design

Display: 3.0-inch resistive TFT touchscreen, WVGA (800×480 pixels), 65K colors, 320 ppi, auto-rotate (landscape when slider open), Xperia Panel UI for customizable home screens.
Body: 110.5×52.6×17.0mm, 145g; arc-slider design with a full QWERTY keyboard, plastic chassis, Mini-SIM; colors: Obsidian Black, Luxury Silver.
Models: X1 (global: HSDPA 900/1900/2100), X1a (North America: HSDPA 850/1900/2100).

2. Performance & Storage

SoC: Qualcomm MSM7200 (528 MHz ARM11 CPU, Adreno 130 GPU).
RAM/Storage: 256MB RAM; 512MB internal storage, microSDHC support up to 16GB (expandable).
OS: Microsoft Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional (upgradeable to 6.5); includes Office Mobile (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote), Opera Mobile browser.

3. Cameras

Rear Camera: 3.15MP (3MP) with LED flash, autofocus, touch focus, 3x digital zoom; max image 2048×1536; video 480p@30fps.
Front Camera: VGA (0.3MP) for video calls.

4. Battery & Charging

Battery: Removable 1500mAh Li-Po (BST-41); talk time up to 10h (2G)/6h (3G); standby up to 833h (2G)/640h (3G).
Charging: Micro USB 2.0 (charging/sync); no wireless charging.

5. Connectivity & Extras

Network: 2G (GSM 850/900/1800/1900), 3G (HSDPA/HSUPA, 7.2 Mbps down/2.0 Mbps up).
Connectivity: Wi-Fi 802.11b/g, Bluetooth 2.0 (A2DP), Micro USB 2.0, 3.5mm audio jack, GPS/AGPS, USB mass storage, GPRS/EDGE modem.
Sensors: Accelerometer, proximity, light sensor, optical joystick.
Multimedia: MP3/AAC/MP4 player, FM radio, photo editor, voice memo/dial.
Launch Price: ~€600 (Europe, 2008); ~$700 (US, 2008).

Key Features & Series Significance

Xperia Series Debut: The first Xperia smartphone, establishing Sony Ericsson’s premium mobile identity and paving the way for future Android-based Xperia devices.
Arc-Slider Design: Unique curved slider mechanism with a full QWERTY keyboard, balancing touchscreen and physical input for productivity.
Xperia Panel UI: Customizable home screens with panels for apps, media, and tools, a precursor to modern Android launchers.
Windows Mobile Shift: Sony Ericsson’s first Windows Mobile device, expanding its OS portfolio beyond Symbian.
Premium Connectivity: 3.5G (HSDPA/HSUPA), Wi-Fi, and GPS made it a top-tier business/consumer hybrid in 2008.

The Xperia X1 was a landmark device, merging Sony Ericsson’s design with HTC’s manufacturing and Windows Mobile’s productivity. It laid the foundation for the Xperia brand’s focus on multimedia, design, and innovation, influencing later models like the Xperia X10 and beyond.