It's Sleek, It's Powerful, It's Awesome - Why You Should Get the Sony Ericsson X1

It's been a while coming, but the stunning Sony Ericsson
X1 is finally about to hit the shops. Is this the king of mobile phones that we've all been waiting for? And is this the mobile phone you should buy? Read on to find out why you should get one!

The history of Sony Ericsson smartphones

The history of the top-end of Sony Ericsson's range goes back a good few years, back to the days when mobile phones were built like bricks, and did, basically, nothing interesting at all, whatsoever. In fact, it goes back to before they were even Sony Ericsson, back before Sony got involved, and they were just plain, common or garden Ericsson. That first foray into the world of 'smart' mobile phones was the Ericsson R380, and although it's nowhere near being even a speck of a patch on modern mobile phones, for the time, it was groundbreaking, with a touchscreen, and a flip (containing the keypad), that folded over the screen. And if that design sounds familiar to Sony Ericsson fans, it should...

You see, the same design was used on the iconic Sony Ericsson P800, the first proper, state of the art smartphone from the Swedish/Japanese joint venture. And once again, at the time, it was quite simply light years ahead of all other mobile phones, having a camera (a rarity in them'thar days), full internet access, and music and video playback. Put simply, it was stunning, and with it, Sony Ericsson changed the game. And yes, I had one. And its successor the P900. And the P910. And the Sony Ericsson P990. And the P1. (you may notice that I have a bit of a thing for top-end Sony Ericsson mobile phones). Not all of them have been majorly successful mobile phones, and they had their flaws (the Sony Ericsson P990 springs immediately to mind, in that respect), but they were advanced, powerful mobile phones, and they routinely set benchmarks about what phones could and SHOULD do.

Well, there might not be a P-Series Sony Ericsson coming out this year, but it seems their top-end smartphones have a new standard bearer, and a new home. The home is in the Xperia range of mobile phones...

And the standard-bearer, the flagship, the new face of smartphones is the glorious Sony Ericsson X1.

Sony Ericsson X1 - an objective look at its features

I'll do the objective bit first, since I know full well I'm going to start gushing about the Sony Ericsson X1. Best get the specs out the way before I do, eh?

First up is the shell of the Sony Ericsson X1, and even here, is breaking new ground not taken by other mobile phones, with its unique 'arc slider' design. Basically, as you slide open the QWERTY keyboard, it angles the screen upwards, to put it at a more natural viewing angle, when you're typing away. VERY clever, that. In terms of other hardware, the Sony Ericsson X1 also gives you a 3 megapixel camera, HSDPA internet access (as well as WiFi), and GPS, putting it right up there in the top echelon of mobile phones. Software-wise, the Sony Ericsson X1 is powered by Windows Mobile, but, like an increasing number of Windows Mobile phones, it uses a proprietary interface on top (the panels interface, in this case), that takes the power of Windows Mobile, and actually makes it user-friendly (surely a first in mobile phone history). All in all, this is one feature-packed and powerful mobile phone.

Right, that's the objective bit out the way, time for me to get all subjective over it.

Sony Ericsson X1 - the unprofessional, subjective bit, where I go 'squeeeeeeeeee' a lot

Anyone who's read my articles in the past will know that when I come across mobile phones that I really, really, really like, I tend to get a bit excited and lose all objectivity. Well, frankly, I'm amazed I've kept up the objectivity this far into the article, since I've been waiting to get my hands on the Sony Ericsson X1 since February! I mean come on, it's stunning. I always judge a mobile phone's quality on how much it makes me want it, and with the X1, Sony Ericsson have got me drooling with anticipation. It's a true powerhouse of a mobile phone, it looks like a work of art, and I get a little warm tingle inside whenever I look at it. I know full well that's sad to be in love with a mobile phone, but that's how good the Sony Ericsson X1 is. I want one. no two ways about it, I want one, and after it gets released tomorrow, I confidently predict you'll want one too!