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The Android onslaught continues with the announcement of Sony Ericsson's Xperia X10 and the rumors of Verizon's HTC Droid Eris. Though we will get to see the Droid Eris in our hot little hands--and for the bargain price of $99--the X10 may never see life in North America. We're not thrilled that the Moto Droid skimped on the finger-pinching multitouch. Also in the podcast, Nicole talks rips on the Twitter Peek.

Xperia X10

(Credit: Sony Ericsson)

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Sony Ericsson Xperia X10

(Credit: Sony Ericsson)

Editor's note: As of this writing, Sony Ericsson has not announced North American availability for the X10.

Sony Ericsson's announcement yesterday gave Google Android fans a preview of what we can expect from new handsets in 2010. And as we gear up for the inevitable battle, the lines are being drawn with devices like the new Xperia X10.

On the hardware front, the Xperia X10 boasts specifications not found in today's Android handsets. For starters, the 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor is considerably faster than the 528MHz chip that we've seen so far. It's also faster than the iPhone 3GS' 600Mhz processor. What's more, the scratch-resistant 4-inch screen even tops the recently announced Motorola Droid , which currently holds court with a 3.7-inch screen.

The 8.1 mega-pixel camera offers the same features and functionality found in many consumer-grade digital cameras. Aside from the 16X digital zoom, the X10 comes with auto-focus, image stabilization, smile detection, and touch focus. Intelligent software can recognize up to five faces in any photo and automatically match them with contacts in the phonebook.

The Xperia X10's user experience is called "UX," but on paper, it might sound similar to HTC Sense or MotoBlur. For example, the Timescape application manages communication with contacts by integrating all conversations in one place using the "infinite button." Text messages, MMS, and e-mails are found in the same location as updates from Facebook, Twitter, and more. Mediascape, another Sony Ericsson app exclusive, handles music, videos, and photos in comparable fashion. Content is accessed and organized from a number of sources including the phone's memory, YouTube, and PlayNow.

Even though the handset is based around Android 1.6, it shows just how flexible the platform can be. So far, nearly every Android handset manufacturer has added its own signature software experience. Sony Ericsson is doing that as well. And with plenty of time left between now and the first-quarter 2010 launch, we're hoping Sony Ericsson is able to find a way to integrate Android 2.0 into the Xperia X10.

Xperia X10

(Credit: Sony Ericsson)

Sony Ericsson has released details and a video of its upcoming Xperia X10 smartphone based on Google's Android operating system.

The X10, which had been code-named Rachel, has a 1GHz Snapdragon processor, which should make this one of the fastest Android phones yet. The phone will sport version 1.6 of Android--aka Donut--and it will run applications from the Android Market and Sony Ericsson's PlayNow arena. The device will also feature an 8-megapixel camera, with autofocus and an LED photo light.

Expect to see the Xperia X10 in stores in the first quarter of 2010. Meanwhile, here's a video that Sony Ericsson posted Monday.

Read more of "Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 hands-on photos: Hello, Rachel" at Crave UK.

We've read about the upcoming Android-based Sony Ericsson Xperia X3 too many times to count. There was a video of its interface, images published by Expansys, even leaked specifications. Well, those speculations may soon come to an end if the latest teaser from the Japanese-Swedish company is anything to go by. If you visit www.sonyericsson.com/whatsnext, the November 3 date is prominently displayed with a few lines of text under it.

Sometimes there's a thin line between extraordinary and the magical. Did we cross it?

With a bold statement like that, it'd better be something worthy of the hype. We'll be monitoring this like a hawk, so check back for the full story come November 3.

(Source: Crave Asia via Unwired View)

Sony's Fujio Nishida gives the press a brief glimpse of the new Sony Vaio X Series laptop.

(Credit: Erica Ogg/CNET)

BERLIN--Sony introduced a digital camera and a smartphone, and gave a brief glimpse of an ultrathin laptop, as well as a new look for its global advertising, at IFA Berlin Wednesday.

At the tail end of the company's press conference here, the head of Sony Europe, Fujio Nishida, briefly showed off a new laptop, the Sony Vaio X Series, which has yet to be officially announced. It has a black carbon fiber exterior, will weigh less than 1.5 pounds, have an 11.1-inch screen, and be less than half an inch thick. Beyond saying that it will have built-in wireless 3G and an "all day and into the night" battery, Nishida gave no internal specifications or a price for the PC.

Earlier in the day, Sony revealed the new Xperia 2 smartphone. It's the first phone with Windows Mobile 6.5, which was unveiled by Microsoft on Tuesday. Though Nishida did not give a price, he said it will be for sale during the fourth quarter of this year.

Sony Ericsson Xperia X2

(Credit: Sony Ericsson)

Holy cow, it's been a busy morning of phone announcements. In addition to the Nokia N97 mini, Nokia X6 and X3, and the HTC Touch2, the Sony Ericsson Xperia X2 made its official debut on Wednesday.

As the successor to the Xperia X1, the X2 will run Windows Mobile 6.5, bringing new features such as Flash support in Internet Explorer Mobile and Microsoft's app store, and the Windows Marketplace for Mobile. Sony Ericsson also added something called the SlideView feature that notifies users to missed calls or new messages and provides quick access to them.

The Xperia panel interface is still there with 14 panels preloaded on the smartphone and 16 others available for download, including those for Skype, CNN, and Google. You also get a 3.2-inch WVGA touch screen, a full QWERTY keyboard, an 8.1-megapixel camera, and TV out capabilities. The quad-band world phone supports North American 3G bands (specifically, AT&T's), Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and GPS.

Sony Ericsson did not reveal a specific release date or pricing (hopefully, it won't be $800 again) for the Xperia X2, but, according to the company, it will be available in select markets in early Q4. It will come in two colors: black or silver.

Sony Ericsson Xperia X2 photos

The X1 becomes a cover story.

(Credit: Kent German/CNET Networks)

Since I can read United Airline's in-flight magazine only so many times on a 10-hour flight between San Francisco and Frankfurt, Germany, I took a few minutes to leaf through the ubiquitous Skymall catalog as well.

Normally, for every one thing I would consider buying in Skymall, I find 20 completely useless things (seriously...who really wants to make a bulletin board out of wine corks?). But this issue of the catalog had the fancy Sony Ericsson Xperia X1 on its cover.

As you may recall, the touch-screen smartphone debuted at the 2008 GSMA World Congress. And even as the Idou grabbed most of the headlines in Barcelona this year, the X1 continued to be a top draw at Sony Ericsson's booth.

As my colleague Bonnie Cha said in her Xperia X1 review, the handset offers a full range of features and a unique panel-based interface. Yet because no U.S. carrier offers the X1, it's not readily available stateside. An appearance in Skymall might just help make the ordering process easier, but the first-class price of $799 for the unlocked model remains. No, we don't think it's worth it either.

More panels for the Xperia X1.

(Credit: Corinne Schulze/CNET Networks)

A year after it launched its Xperia X1, Sony Ericsson used the 2009 GSMA World Congress here in Barcelona to launch launch new panels for the high-end smartphone. All panels will be available for download from Sony Ericsson in mid-March.

The Skype panel will offer quick access to the calling service. You'll be able to tell which of your friends are online, browse contacts, and call and instant message your friends. The evening, daylight, and event-based effects will let you customize your handset at will.

The CNN panel will constantly update with the latest news, sports, and weather, all of which can be tailored to your location. You'll also be able to access CNN's "i-Report" citizen journalism tool.

If you're ready for gaming, you can use the Mytopia panel to play bingo and poker with other users around the world and collect virtual coins.

Finally, the On the Road panel brings drivers' call-handling features and quick access to music and navigation tools. The interface will feature large icons and a simple design.

Nokia N97

(Credit: Nokia)

Twenty-four hours after teasing us with news of a major product announcement, Nokia officially took the wraps off its mystery smartphone on Tuesday at the Nokia World 2008 conference in Barcelona, Spain. And despite some close guesses, no one got it quite right, so without further ado, let us introduce you to the Nokia N97.

Part of the company's high-end N series of multimedia computers, the N97 trumps all previous models with a slide-out full QWERTY keyboard and a tilting 3.5-inch touch screen (anyone else reminded of the AT&T Tilt or Sony Ericsson Xperia X1?). Yes, there's the Nokia N810 Internet Tablet, but the N97 includes phone capabilities and is designed for the "needs of Internet-savvy consumers."

For example, the smartphone provides easy access to a number of social-networking sites, and the Web browser supports streaming Flash videos. The N97 also introduces something Nokia calls "social location," which uses the capabilities of the integrated A-GPS sensors and electronic compass to automatically update users' social networks, or let them share their location via photos or videos with friends.

The Home screen can be personalized with widgets of favorite Web and social-networking sites. Finally, the N97 is fully compatible with Nokia's Ovi Internet services, which include the Nokia Music Store, Nokia Maps, and the N-Gage gaming platform--though these services have yet to fully launch in the United States.

The Symbian-based smartphone also features a music and video player, a 5-megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss optics, and a whopping 32GB of onboard memory that can be expanded with a 16GB microSD card.

The quad-band (GSM 850/900/1800/1900) world phone is HSDPA-capable handset, but it currently supports only the 900/1900/2100MHz bands (AT&T's 3G network runs on 850/1900MHz, while T-Mobile runs on 1700/2100MHz). There is integrated Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, however.