Sony Ericsson unveils its first Android phone
Reuters | 11/03/2009 6:36 PM
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HELSINKI - Sony Ericsson unveiled its new X10 flagship mobile phone on Tuesday, its first to run on Google's Android operating system, but said it would not go on sale until early next year.
Android has gained a lot of traction this year as handset vendors look for ways to beat Apple's iPhone. Loss-making Sony Ericsson, the world's fourth largest handset maker, has suffered since 2008 from a lack of attractive high-end models in its offering, and saw overall third-quarter sales shrink 45 percent year-on-year.
The XPERIA X10 will have a 4-inch-wide touch screen, use Qualcomm's Snapdragon processor, and come with an 8.1 megapixel camera.
“The XPERIA X10 is a fantastic example of our make.believe philosophy because we are pushing the boundaries of what is possible and demonstrating that anything consumers can imagine, we can make possible. With the X10, we are raising the bar we have set ourselves with entertainment-rich phones like Aino and Satio by making communication more fun and playful, multiplying and enriching opportunities to connect," Rikko Sakaguchi, EVP and Chief Creation Officer of Sony Ericsson, said in a statement on the Sony Ericsson website.
Sony Ericsson's current top model Satio, with a 12 megapixel camera, has just gone on sale and the announcement could hurt sales in the key sales period ahead of year-end holidays.
"I think some consumers will think about waiting until the first quarter to get their hands on the X10 rather than get a Satio for Christmas," said Gartner analyst Carolina Milanesi.
"It was a difficult call to make trying not to negatively impact products like the Satio ... while at the same time announce something that will persuade consumers not to go to another brand," Milanesi said.
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