Android and Me » sony ericsson xperia x10

Gingerbread for Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 available now

Dustin Earley — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 19:51:23 +0000

If there’s anyone out there still using a Sony Ericsson Xperia X10, there’s no doubt you’ve been waiting a long time for this. Now available for download and installation, Gingerbread for the Xperia X10 has been finally released.

Among the normal Gingerbread-flavored enhancements throughout Android 2.3.3, you’ll find a whole slew of new Sony Ericsson specific features that’ll have your device feeling young again:

Facebook inside Xperia – A series of unique Facebook integrations with multimedia apps, phonebook and calendar

The ability to use your phone as a Wi-Fi hotspot

Music player with equalizer

USB tethering – Share your 3G data connection via the USB connector

Photo widget – One click access to your photo gallery app

App tray sorting – Arrange your apps in the order you want them

Since the update to Gingerbread will completely replace the software on your X10, there will be a lot of data overwritten. Some content will no longer be supported, including:

User data (contacts, messages and more) saved in your phone memory will be overwritten; user data saved on the phone’s memory card is not affected

DRM content will be overwritten

The Backup and Restore app will be overwritten and cannot be used to restore data (check out Android Market for alternative apps to back up and restore your data, such as MyBackup)

The Creatouch, Neoreader and Quadrapop apps will be removed

Mediascape, homescreen operator customization and app tray operator customization will no longer be supported

Moxier Exchange will be replaced by Android 2.3 Gingerbread Exchange support

To download Gingerbread, Android 2.3.3, for your Sony Ericsson X10, head on over to Sony’s new software page. You’ll need to have PC Companion installed to update your device. It can be found here. Good luck, and happy updating!

AT&T’s XPERIA X10 finally gets a taste of Eclair

Nick Gray — Tue, 31 May 2011 15:02:35 +0000

The wait it finally over! Android 2.1 for the SONY Ericsson XPERIA X10 on AT&T is finally available. If you were hoping for a smooth OTA update, think again. Updating the XPERIA X10 to Éclair is a manual process that will completely wipe your phone. Fortunately, SONY Ericsson has put together a foolproof update guide (pdf link) which walks you through every single step of the process.

In addition to the typical Android 2.1 feature updates, Éclair on the X10 also delivers 720p video capture, multi-touch support, continuous autofocus in still and video capture, face detection while recording video, and an expanded home screen with two additional panels.

An Android 2.1 update may seem a bit antiquated at this point, but the update may be enough to get X10 owners through the end of their contract. The Éclair update brings the XPERIA X10 to the end of its life cycle, which is certainly disappointing since the phone has only been available on AT&T for less than a year. Would any current SONY Ericsson customers be willing to give them a second chance?

SONY XPERIA X10 finally gains root access

Nick Gray — Sun, 11 Jul 2010 17:05:33 +0000

The SONY Ericsson EXPERIA X10 is a formidable phone for Android enthusiasts, but things are about to heat up. The Snapdragon powered Android 1.6 phone has finally been rooted after being available in Europe and Asian since the middle of April.

Those who have used the X10 mainly complain about the fact that it’s running Android 1.6, a build that it nearly a year old. With root access, ROM developers now have the opportunity to cook up some new builds and hopefully give XPERIA X10 owners of taste of Eclair of even Froyo in the coming weeks or months.

For a detailed look at the rooting process and step-by-step instructions, be sure to check out the source link below. Our question to you: does root access change your stance on the XPERIA X10 and what it’s capable of?

Samsung’s Super AMOLED display takes on LCD and AMOLED in direct sunlight

Nick Gray — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 16:27:58 +0000

Those in the market for a new Android phone have quite a daunting task ahead of them. Back in the day (only a about a year ago), customers simply had to choose between the touch-only HTC Magic and Samsung Galaxy and the QWERTY equipped HTC Dream. Internal specifications for all three handsets were pretty much identical and Android 1.5 was the standard build for all three. But today, things are a little more complicated. There are different versions of Android, different customer UI choices, a slew of options in different form factors, and a variety of different features and specifications to look at.

Most newcomers to android who are simply moving up from a feature phone will most likely opt for the most reasonable handset on their current carrier, but those reading this blog are already pitting their current android phone against phones that haven’t even hit the market yet. While most people focus on speed and performance, Samsung is hoping that their new Super AMOLED technology will take center stage in the years to come. Their Super ALOMOED technology offers a much brighter display while saving battery power. By reducing the number of layers between the human eye and the actual screen, Samsung is able to reduce the price, while increasing brightness and battery efficiency.

Techblog has just posted up a side-by-side comparison of the SONY Ericsson XPERIA X10, HTC Desire, and Samsung Galaxy S to show off how the SUPER AMOLED display on the Galaxy S fairs against the competing technologies. The video demonstration shows that the older LCD display on the X10 still has slight advantage in direct sunlight, but Super AMOLED is a huge improvement over the stander AMOLED screen on the HTC Desire.

For now, Samsung appears to be keeping their entire production of Super AOLED screen t to themselves for the Galaxy S and their Bada lineup. But as production of the new technology rams up over the next year or so, we should start seeing the new Super AMOLED display show up on other Android devices as well. Out question to you: is Samsung’s Super AMOLED technology a key you are looking for in your next Android smartphone?

Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 could receive Android 2.1 for U.S. launch

Taylor Wimberly — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 19:12:38 +0000

The Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 was announced so long ago that most people have became bored of waiting and set their sites on newer, faster Android phones. We originally thought the X10 would land on AT&T or T-Mobile, but neither carrier has made any announcements on the device.

Now that newer Android phones have launched to market, the Xperia X10 looks to be aging with its outdated Android 1.6 firmware. Sony Ericsson was trying to tell us the version of Android didn’t really matter by pushing the customizations they added to the phone (like Mediascape and Timescape), but we know better.

Sony Ericsson finally wised up and said Android 2.1 would be coming to the X10, but it would not be available till the second half of the year after launch.

So where do we stand now? Review units are being passed around to some of the blogs, but no U.S. launch date is in site. Considering their current lineup, we still believe AT&T and T-Mobile would like to carry the high-end phone in their stores.

Gizmodo was one of those lucky sites to receive a demo unit and they decided not to review it.

The reason? Sony Ericsson confirmed the phone is coming in Q2 2010 (presumably to the U.S.) with a “muchly updated OS”. They did not specifically say which version of the firmware it will include, but Android 2.1 is the next logical step after 1.6.

The Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 with Android 2.1 on AT&T or T-Mobile. Would you buy it?

Yikes! Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 to cost $879

Taylor Wimberly — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 18:05:18 +0000

Can you say sticker shock? A report out of the Wall Street Journal is reporting the highly anticipated Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 will cost around 6,000 Swedish kronor (or $879) in stores. I’m aware the United States Dollar is sinking like a rock and we could face hyperinflation next year, but $879 is a little surprising even to me. I guess this explains why we haven’t seen more Snapdragon phones in the market yet.

The most expensive Android phone to hit retail floors has been the Motorola Droid, which goes for $599 $559 off contract.

We were hoping T-Mobile would pick up the Xperia X10, but that is one hefty subsidy they would need to offer in order to make this phone competitive. If the phone actually goes around $879, that would be about $43.95 each month on T-Mobile’s new 20-month equipment installment plan.

What do you guys think? Is anyone willing to throw down nine bills in exchange for the Xperia X10?

In its 3rd quarter earnings, Sony Ericsson reported a loss of $245 million. It was also reported that Sony Ericsson is closing four facilities and laying off 2,000 employees in a measure to cust costs.

Sony Xperia X10 sample pictures and video

Taylor Wimberly — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 15:24:07 +0000

We are still waiting for an announcement of a United States release (it’s coming), but here are some new sample pictures and video taken with the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10. These were posted over at the official Sony Ericsson Product Blog. The X10 will become available in Q1 2010 and initially ship with Android 1.6. Sony Ericsson is claiming the UX platform used for Xperia X10 will evolve to Android 2.0 over time.

The sample video looks about as good as my Creative Labs Vado HD.

Below are some sample pictures taken with the Xperia X10 8.1 megapixel camera.

A few notes from the blog author:

I’m not that used to X10 yet so I haven’t found all the settings and such to really optimize my shots.
These are not tripod-shots so camera shake could be more visible than some of the Satio samples.
This is of course with pre-release SW and prototype HW so don’t take these samples as true indications on what the final quality will be like, there are lots of things still to be fine-tuned and changed.

For more full res images, see the Sony Ericsson Product Blog.