Xperiancers

X2 application update at www.sonyericsson.com/update

// February 26th, 2010 // 2 Comments » // X2, X2, X2 News

Hello everyone

I wanted to share that we have posted an X2 application update on the regular Sony Ericsson Update site at www.sonyericsson.com/update – this is not the full MR1 software release I mentioned in a previous post but a .cab file that will add stability and improved performance throughout the device.  The .cab provides updates to many applications inside X2, several are behind the scenes but make sure to check out the new and improved four-tab dialer.

We really wanted to get some high-quality fixes in your hands as quickly as possible.

Update: see this video for a quick demo of how to install the update and to see some of the changes it makes.

Please stay tuned for our first full MR1 software upgrade coming next month.  That’s it for now.  Aaron

Xperia X2 software support schedule

// February 2nd, 2010 // 33 Comments » // X2, X2 News

As the X2 begins to roll out globally, it’s only fair that customers know what kind of support we’ll be giving the phone in the months to come. It’s not news to say that we attracted some criticism for this on the X1 and we’re not going to go there again with the X2. So, for the record, this is what X2 customers can expect in terms of software upgrades.

In March, we’ll launch our first upgrade (MR1). It will upgrade Windows Mobile from 6.5.1 to 6.5.2 (which will improve both the stability and usability of the device), it will bring in the use of video telephony, an FM radio and it will introduce fast GPS to get a quicker fix. As well as all this, MR1 will upgrade a lot of the applications in the phone to improve speed, usability and fix any bugs we find.

The second update will go live in May and this will be a big one as it moves Windows mobile onto 6.5.3. This is a significant upgrade in terms of usability, performance, power management and the browser experience.

That’s the extent of our plans at the moment but I’ll update this post as we make any more decisions.

Thanks. Aaron

(ps. Before anyone asks, no it won’t ever go onto Windows Mobile 7, it won’t support the hardware.) 

X2 to be launched in January

// December 10th, 2009 // 47 Comments » // ANNOUNCEMENTS, X2, X2 News

Hi All – Over the last couple of weeks there has been a few, OK more than a few rumours that the X2 is going to be delayed until January and I’m sure it will not come as a surprise when we say that these are well founded.

The software worked fine but when we started integrating it with some of the network specific apps it threw up a few issues which we’re working to fix.

It’s all minor tweaks really (extending the battery life and speeding up aspects of the software), but we want to be sure that when we ship this it is as good as it should be and that you don’t have to constantly upgrade the software as we iron out these wrinkles.

So… we’re launching first week of January. Really sorry if you were looking forward to getting hold of one before then but it will be worth it when we get there.

Thanks for your continued interest in the site.

Aaron

Sony Ericsson announces Xperia X10

// November 3rd, 2009 // 4 Comments » // ANNOUNCEMENTS, X10

Yes, the X10 is now official. Head over to the official announcement for more information or check out the Sony Ericsson product blog.

Here is the official product video for the Xperia ^TM X10. Video interviews with some of the key people behind the project will follow in the next post.

X2 Q&A responses

// September 30th, 2009 // 33 Comments » // X2

Firstly, thanks to everyone who left questions and… here are the answers as promised. Most of the questions seem to fall under a few categories so I’ll answer them that way.

The Chipset: We chose the Qualcomm 7200A for two reasons. 1: It is a chipset that we know and trust, we’ve been able to optimize the device to significantly improve its performance. We’ve also improved the way the device manages its memory so we get a better multimedia experience, a more responsive camera, panels and panel management. 2: We wanted the X2 to come in at a lower price point than the X1. Rather than start work with a whole new chipset we chose to develop what we were doing with the Qualcomm to maximize the power / speed / cost ratio.

The screen: We chose the best possible TFT LCD we could find and we’re sticking by it – the vibrant 3.2 inch display on the X2 has high color saturation, high speed and contrast and a great viewing angle.  Sony Ericsson will always look for the best and brightest in display technology and for the X2 we are happy with the display we chose.

The FM radio: This won’t be available at launch (sorry) but we are listening to your feedback and will work to bring FM Radio in at our first post-launch software release that will be free of charge for all users.

Panels: We will continue to develop panels for both the X1 and the X2 – look for more details on new panels right here on the blog.

If you have any more questions, keep leaving them in the comments and I’ll update this post.

Thanks again.

X2 SDK available for download

// September 4th, 2009 // 1 Comment » // ANNOUNCEMENTS

The new SDK for Xperia panels is available download as of now, via our developer world site.

The most significant change is the inclusion of the new Panelizer tool which turns existing flash, java and Windows Mobile apps into Panel cabs in a couple of clicks. (visit the SDK download page and scroll down for tutorials)

It’s designed to be a quick and easy way to allow developers to turn their content in Panels, and as part of this we’ve streamlined the submission process as well. Developers just need to go to http://submit.sonyericsson.com, upload their “Panelized” applications and we’ll get back to you within 30 days.

If your panel is approved it will be automatically available for download from the playnow arena and you get a 70% share of the net revenue.

Some requested specs for the Xperia™ X2…

// September 3rd, 2009 // 12 Comments » // X2 News

Hello, everyone! I’m Aaron Duke, Product Manager for the just announced XPERIA X2.  I’m at the Sony Booth at the IFA Conference in Berlin but wanted to respond to your request for some official technical specifications of the X2.

Here you go:

– The X2 has a vibrant 3.2 inch TFT LCD
– Available user flash memory up to 110 MB and we include a 4GB card with every phone; Total flash is 512 MB & RAM 256 MB; the X2 has microSD™ and microSDHC memory card support up to 16GB
– The chipset inside is the Qualcomm 7200A with 3D hardware acceleration through OpenGL ES 1.0

More to come…

UPDATE: the X2 white paper is available to download here, it should answer any further question you may have.

Xperia™ Pureness announced today

// September 3rd, 2009 // No Comments » // Pureness News

This morning at an event highlighting our new brand direction and its alignment under Sony’s make.believe brand message we showed the next device to be launched under the Xperia^TM brand to a select few journalists.

It’s called Xperia^TM Pureness and will launch during November 2009. Pureness is a really simple design phone, based around the core concepts of talk text and time but dressed up in a highly designed, sculpted shell and created around the idea of the handset as a work of art.

We’ll announce more details closer to when the phone launches but for now feast your eyes on the images below.

Windows Mobile 6.5 is officially on its way.

// September 2nd, 2009 // 5 Comments » // ANNOUNCEMENTS

Just in case anyone missed the announcement – Microsoft has put out an official release date on windows mobile 6.5 and yes, we will be one of the first to release a phone on the new system.

Our developers have been working with 6.5 for some time now and we’re really excited at the potential which the new platform offers. Talking of which, we’ve got our own announcement coming up this afternoon. Check back later today or subscribe to our Twitter stream to be the first to hear about it.

No X2 launch on the 17th. Sorry

// June 16th, 2009 // 32 Comments » // ANNOUNCEMENTS

Hi, over the last few hours there has been a consistent string of rumours regarding an event scheduled for the 17^th in Singapore. This is a local event to recap the recent launches for Aino, Saito and Yari as well as the GreenHeart phones (the C901 GreenHeart and Naite.) There will be an update on local content initiatives but no new products will be announced at the event.

We’ll have some news on the X2 later in the year, but tomorrow’s event is not it.

Sorry for the confusion

Merran