Sony Ericsson XPERIA X1 slowed by parts shortage
updated 04:20 pm EST, Tue November 4, 2008
XPERIA X1 parts shortage
Sony Ericsson is shipping less units than expected of its top-of-the-range XPERIA X1 due to a parts shortage, according to Tuesday's news. While Sony Ericsson won't divulge which parts are causing the production delay, it is known that the areas where the X1 was first launched, namely Sweden, Germany and the UK, are experiencing the largest shortages.
To help overcome the issue, Sony Ericsson has added staff to the project, and is working closely with the X1's manufacturer, HTC. More phones are expected to ship to Sweden later this week, with shipments coming to the UK and Germany over the next two weeks, according to the company's European public relations manager.
Sony Ericsson says other markets will not be affected by the shortage, including North America, which is due to get the handset sometime in November. European countries including Austria, Switzerland, France, Italy and Norway are due to get the X1 on time, along with Singapore and Hong Kong, with phones currently shipping.
The slider phone went on sale on October 10 and sports a 3-inch touchscreen display and a QWERTY keypad, along with a Wi-Fi and GPS module and HSPA data network support. When it reaches North America, pricing is expected to be in the $200 or less range in order to compete with the likes of its nearest competitors, the iPhone 3G and T-Mobile G1.
