Getting Xtremely Xcited About the Sony Ericsson Xperia X1

These eyes bear witness to a lot of phones. I like the majority of what’s out there, but there are a few I wouldn’t touch with a 10-inch phone antenna. One phone that catches my fancy is the Sony Ericsson Xperia X1. When trying to imagine the perfect smartphone, save your brain fuel and behold – Sony Ericsson painted you a masterpiece with the X1.

The X1 has a super-sleek design with modern casing, unobtrusive buttons (at first glance, I thought they were decorative accents) and a 3-inch crystal-clear, Wide VGA touchscreen display. For those touchscreen keyboard-haters, the X1 let’s you slide out the full QWERTY with metal finish. The phone is GPS-enabled, allows you to link contacts to pictures, maps, phone numbers and SMS, and with its TWO cameras – that’s right, you phone paparazzi – taking snapshots, videos or participating in a video call has never been easier. Music, calendars and the Internet can be accessed with the touch of a button, and when you don’t want to use the touchscreen for scrolling, employ the optical joystick.

My only issue (and believe me, it’s minor) is the home screen. It houses nine panels that are easily added or removed, but I prefer the scrolling home screen of the iPhone that provides me with any button I might need. I can't complain too much though. It's a great, refreshing look at an aging platform (Windows Mobile 6.1). We haven't seen a U.S. launch date for the X1 just yet, but as soon as it crosses our international borders and hits the shelves, prepare for it to be smothered by yours truly.