Future XPERIA handsets to drop Windows Mobile?
updated 05:00 pm EDT, Mon September 15, 2008
Xperias not to use Windows
The lack of Sony Ericsson staff commitment to future XPERIA-branded handsets suggests they may not use Microsoft’s Windows Mobile operating system, alleges a Monday report. The news originated at the company’s digital marketing campaign launch for the range-topping Sony Ericsson XPERIA X1 handset, which, ironically, is the first phone from the company to make use of Microsoft’s Windows OS.
"The brand is not tied into any specific technical platform," said Magnus Andersson, product manager for the X1, at the campaign launch. Company executives were also mum about any future XPERIA handsets, and one wireless industry researcher pointed out the conspicuous lack of a commitment to Windows as well as suggesting AT&T would be most suited to carry the handset in North America. The X1’s supported frequencies, as well as AT&T’s previous initial problems when launching the iPhone, make the carrier the best prepared to integrate it into its network in North America.
The touchscreen device will be Sony Ericsson’s first entry into the high-end smartphone market currently occupied by the likes of Apple’s iPhone. Sony Ericsson will announce specific launch dates of the X1 for North America on November 3. Britain, Germany and Sweden markets will get the X1 on September 30, with other European countries, Asia and Latin America getting it in the fourth quarter. No announcements have yet been made about China and Russia, and no pricing information is known.
