Sony Ericsson Xperia X10
Encyclopedia
The Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 is a smartphone
in the Xperia
series designed by Sony Ericsson
. It is the first Sony Ericsson smartphone to utilize the Android operating system. The phone was shipped with Android 1.6, but an upgrade to 2.1 was made available starting October 31, 2010, with a gradual international rollout. Originally, Sony Ericsson stated that the X10 would not receive an upgrade to Android 2.2 (Froyo) or beyond, but the phone has since received an upgrade to 2.3.3 (Gingerbread) starting July 29, 2011.
The phone features an 8.1 MP camera and a 1 GHz Qualcomm
Snapdragon
CPU. Its screen has a widescreen resolution, 480 x 854 pixels, and features a virtual keyboard
rather than a physical one. It makes use of HSPA (3G+) for its mobile connection, giving it top download speeds of 7.2 Mb/s. The UX platform features two applications which allow the user to consolidate all of their communications and media, Timescape and Mediascape, respectively.
. The overall response has been positive for the hardware, camera and screen. There were negative comments about the lack of support for Android 2.1 which were quelled when it was released later that year.
, with a 16:9 aspect ratio and FWVGA resolution of 480 x 854 pixels, along with a multi-touch enabled screen, the first from Sony. The 8.1 megapixel camera features 16x digital zoom
, image stabilization, auto-focus, geo-tagging, smile detection, and face detection. It can also record video, with an LED
for use in poor light conditions. It has a 3-axis accelerometer and built in GPS.
The hardware is limited in its multi-touch functionality. It can only track multiple touches where their X and Y coordinates are different. The firmware to enable this functionality was first released in Japan.
, there are two variants; the X10a uses 800/850/1900/2100 bands, and the X10i uses 900/1700/2100. The X10a is used by AT&T Mobility in the USA, Telstra
in Australia
, and Rogers Wireless
in Canada. It is also used in South America
. The X10i is used by T-Mobile
in the USA; Wind Mobile
and Mobilicity
in Canada
; Optus
and VHA
(under both the Vodafone
and 3 brands) in Australia
; Singtel, Starhub
and M1 in Singapore
; and through the rest of Asia
, Europe
, and Oceania
. In Japan
, it is called the SO-01B and sold by NTT Docomo
, using the X10a configuration.
On January 20, 2011 an update was released which enabled multi-touch.
On February 1, 2011, Sony Ericsson announced a future update for Xperia X10 that would bring optimizations and bug fixes along with language additions and the pinch-to-zoom feature.
On July 29, 2011, the Android 2.3.3 update was released.
which enables the loading of custom kernels. Custom ROMs have been developed, however they still use the 2.1 kernel so some features such as native Wi-Fi tethering are missing. As of January 20, 2011 there are two custom roms being developed based on 2.2 (both of which have working camera drivers).
connection disruptions in early software versions.
Several users from sonyericsson, http://www.ipmart-forum.com/ipmart and 4pda forums reported a self-rebooting bug on their X10i's. It is believed the bug appears because of defects on the phone's motherboard.
Since the Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) update the phone has suffered a stutering in play or streaming of music regardless of file association. The only solution currently is to root your phone and apply a patch located on the XDA developers forum.
Sony refuses to acknowledge the problem and have as of late offered no solution to this bug.
. The X10 Mini
and the X10 Mini Pro were released in June 2010.
Smartphone
A smartphone is a high-end mobile phone built on a mobile computing platform, with more advanced computing ability and connectivity than a contemporary feature phone. The first smartphones were devices that mainly combined the functions of a personal digital assistant and a mobile phone or camera...
in the Xperia
XPERIA
Xperia is the range of Sony Ericsson handsets which are smartphones. Since 2010 the company's main focus has been on these devices which now account for more than half of all sales. Xperia is derived from the word 'experience' which was used in the branding of the Xperia X1 in the catch line, "I ...
series designed by Sony Ericsson
Sony Ericsson
Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB is a joint venture established on October 1, 2001 by the Japanese consumer electronics company Sony Corporation and the Swedish telecommunications company Ericsson to manufacture mobile phones....
. It is the first Sony Ericsson smartphone to utilize the Android operating system. The phone was shipped with Android 1.6, but an upgrade to 2.1 was made available starting October 31, 2010, with a gradual international rollout. Originally, Sony Ericsson stated that the X10 would not receive an upgrade to Android 2.2 (Froyo) or beyond, but the phone has since received an upgrade to 2.3.3 (Gingerbread) starting July 29, 2011.
The phone features an 8.1 MP camera and a 1 GHz Qualcomm
Qualcomm
Qualcomm is an American global telecommunication corporation that designs, manufactures and markets digital wireless telecommunications products and services based on its code division multiple access technology and other technologies. Headquartered in San Diego, CA, USA...
Snapdragon
Snapdragon (processor)
Snapdragon is a family of mobile system on chips by Qualcomm. Qualcomm considers Snapdragon a "platform" for use in smartphones, tablets, and smartbook devices.The Snapdragon application processor core, dubbed Scorpion, is Qualcomm's own design...
CPU. Its screen has a widescreen resolution, 480 x 854 pixels, and features a virtual keyboard
Virtual keyboard
A virtual keyboard is a software component that allows a user to enter characters. A virtual keyboard can usually be operated with multiple input devices, which may include a touchscreen, an actual keyboard and a computer mouse.- Types :...
rather than a physical one. It makes use of HSPA (3G+) for its mobile connection, giving it top download speeds of 7.2 Mb/s. The UX platform features two applications which allow the user to consolidate all of their communications and media, Timescape and Mediascape, respectively.
Reception
The Xperia X10 was first revealed on November 3, 2009. It was first released in Japan on April 1, 2010, and has since become the quickest-selling smartphone for NTT DoCoMoNTT DoCoMo
is the predominant mobile phone operator in Japan. The name is officially an abbreviation of the phrase, "do communications over the mobile network", and is also from a compound word dokomo, meaning "everywhere" in Japanese. Docomo provides phone, video phone , i-mode , and mail services...
. The overall response has been positive for the hardware, camera and screen. There were negative comments about the lack of support for Android 2.1 which were quelled when it was released later that year.
Hardware
The display is a wide TFT Capacitive touchscreenTouchscreen
A touchscreen is an electronic visual display that can detect the presence and location of a touch within the display area. The term generally refers to touching the display of the device with a finger or hand. Touchscreens can also sense other passive objects, such as a stylus...
, with a 16:9 aspect ratio and FWVGA resolution of 480 x 854 pixels, along with a multi-touch enabled screen, the first from Sony. The 8.1 megapixel camera features 16x digital zoom
Digital zoom
Digital zoom is a method of decreasing the apparent angle of view of a digital photographic or video image. Digital zoom is accomplished by cropping an image down to a centered area with the same aspect ratio as the original, and usually also interpolating the result back up to the pixel...
, image stabilization, auto-focus, geo-tagging, smile detection, and face detection. It can also record video, with an LED
LEd
LEd is a TeX/LaTeX editing software working under Microsoft Windows. It is a freeware product....
for use in poor light conditions. It has a 3-axis accelerometer and built in GPS.
The hardware is limited in its multi-touch functionality. It can only track multiple touches where their X and Y coordinates are different. The firmware to enable this functionality was first released in Japan.
Networks
The Xperia X10 uses the 850/900/1800/1900 frequency bands for GSM. As for UMTS frequency bandsUMTS frequency bands
The UMTS frequency bands are radio frequencies used by third generation wireless Universal Mobile Telecommunications System networks.They were allocated by delegates to the World Administrative Radio Conference held in Málaga-Torremolinos, Spain between February 3, 1992 and March 3, 1992...
, there are two variants; the X10a uses 800/850/1900/2100 bands, and the X10i uses 900/1700/2100. The X10a is used by AT&T Mobility in the USA, Telstra
Telstra
Telstra Corporation Limited is an Australian telecommunications and media company, building and operating telecommunications networks and marketing voice, mobile, internet access and pay television products and services....
in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, and Rogers Wireless
Rogers Wireless
Rogers Wireless is a wireless telecommunications provider offering mobile phone and data services throughout Canada using Global System for Mobile Communications and Universal Mobile Telecommunications System technology. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Rogers Communications...
in Canada. It is also used in South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
. The X10i is used by T-Mobile
T-Mobile
T-Mobile International AG is a German-based holding company for Deutsche Telekom AG's various mobile communications subsidiaries outside Germany. Based in Bonn, Germany, its subsidiaries operate GSM and UMTS-based cellular networks in Europe, the United States, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands...
in the USA; Wind Mobile
Wind Mobile
Wind Mobile is a Canadian wireless telecommunications provider operated by Globalive Communications Corporation. The company initially launched mobile data and voice services in Toronto on December 16, 2009 and two days later in Calgary...
and Mobilicity
Mobilicity
Mobilicity is a Canadian wireless telecommunications provider. Its name is a portmanteau of the words "mobility" and "simplicity".-History:...
in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
; Optus
Optus
SingTel Optus Pty Limited is the second largest telecommunications company in Australia, and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Singapore Telecommunications...
and VHA
Vodafone Hutchison Australia
Vodafone Hutchison Australia ' is a mobile telecommunications company that operates the Vodafone, '3' and Crazy John's brands in Australia...
(under both the Vodafone
Vodafone Australia
Vodafone Australia is a mobile telephone company, a subsidiary of Vodafone Hutchison Australia. Vodafone Australia was formerly a wholly owned subsidiary of Vodafone Plc ....
and 3 brands) in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
; Singtel, Starhub
StarHub
StarHub Limited is a full-fledged telecommunications company providing a full range of services over mobile, internet and fixed platforms in Singapore...
and M1 in Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
; and through the rest of Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
, Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, and Oceania
Oceania
Oceania is a region centered on the islands of the tropical Pacific Ocean. Conceptions of what constitutes Oceania range from the coral atolls and volcanic islands of the South Pacific to the entire insular region between Asia and the Americas, including Australasia and the Malay Archipelago...
. In Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, it is called the SO-01B and sold by NTT Docomo
NTT DoCoMo
is the predominant mobile phone operator in Japan. The name is officially an abbreviation of the phrase, "do communications over the mobile network", and is also from a compound word dokomo, meaning "everywhere" in Japanese. Docomo provides phone, video phone , i-mode , and mail services...
, using the X10a configuration.
Bluetooth and Wi-Fi
The X10 has built in Wi-Fi b/g and Bluetooth 2.1, with the option to tether other devices. With the Android 2.3 update, the phone can also create a Wi-Fi hotspot.Software
Sony Ericsson has its own Android overlay called UX, short for User eXperience. It consists of design elements, themes and custom applications. The main applications are Sony Ericsson Timescape and Sony Ericsson Mediascape. Timescape is a program that brings together Facebook, Twitter, SMS, and email into a column on the home screen. Mediascape is a player and library application for media files. It can also connect to Facebook and Picasa accounts and to the phone's contacts list. This makes it possible to attach photos you have taken with the camera to your contacts or send them directly to your Facebook account.Updates
The Xperia X10 was released with Android 1.6, with an upgrade to Android 2.1 released on October 31, 2010.On January 20, 2011 an update was released which enabled multi-touch.
On February 1, 2011, Sony Ericsson announced a future update for Xperia X10 that would bring optimizations and bug fixes along with language additions and the pinch-to-zoom feature.
On July 29, 2011, the Android 2.3.3 update was released.
Rooting
As of April 1, 2011, the bootloader has been bypassed via kexecKexec
In computing, kexec is a mechanism of the Linux kernel that allows "live" booting of a new kernel "over" the currently running kernel. kexec skips the bootloader stage and directly loads the new kernel into memory, where it starts executing immediately...
which enables the loading of custom kernels. Custom ROMs have been developed, however they still use the 2.1 kernel so some features such as native Wi-Fi tethering are missing. As of January 20, 2011 there are two custom roms being developed based on 2.2 (both of which have working camera drivers).
Issues
The initial 3UK (and possibly other Mobile Operators) release of firmware contained bugs. Some users have reported Wi-FiWi-Fi
Wi-Fi or Wifi, is a mechanism for wirelessly connecting electronic devices. A device enabled with Wi-Fi, such as a personal computer, video game console, smartphone, or digital audio player, can connect to the Internet via a wireless network access point. An access point has a range of about 20...
connection disruptions in early software versions.
Several users from sonyericsson, http://www.ipmart-forum.com/ipmart and 4pda forums reported a self-rebooting bug on their X10i's. It is believed the bug appears because of defects on the phone's motherboard.
Since the Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) update the phone has suffered a stutering in play or streaming of music regardless of file association. The only solution currently is to root your phone and apply a patch located on the XDA developers forum.
Sony refuses to acknowledge the problem and have as of late offered no solution to this bug.
Xperia Series
Sony Ericsson announced two mini versions of the Xperia X10 at the Mobile World Congress 2010Mobile World Congress
The GSMA Mobile World Congress is the combination of the world's largest exhibition for the mobile industry and a conference featuring prominent Chief Executives representing mobile operators, device manufacturers, technology providers, vendors and content owners from across the world...
. The X10 Mini
Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 Mini
The Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10 Mini is a smartphone by Sony Ericsson in the Xperia series. It is the second Sony Ericsson smartphone to run the Android operating system and also the smallest Android handset to date....
and the X10 Mini Pro were released in June 2010.