Sony Ericsson Xperia X1 pushed back to 2009 - UPDATED

Mystery delays for new slider smartphone

3 March 2008 7:05 GMT / By Amy-Mae Elliott

When we brought you news of Sony Ericsson's first Windows Mobile smartphone, the capable looking X1 from their new "Xperia" range, it was announced the phone would be available soon - in the second half of 2008 - but it seems this is not the case.

Unconfirmed delays, with no explanation behind the change in timescale, appear to have pushed the debut of the phone back to February 2009.

The news of this delay comes from Sony Ericsson's own site that is showing the X1 as due to be available on 10 February 2009, which is roughly a year after the device was announced.

The X1 is an "arc slider" phone, combining a 3-inch wide touchscreen VGA display and a full QWERTY keyboard, a four-way key and optical joystick navigation within a metal-finish body and boasts HSDPA/HSUPA and Wi-Fi support with AGPS too.

UPDATE: We've received word from Richard Dorman, senior marketing manager, UK & Ireland, Sony Ericsson mobile communications who says: "X1 will, as previously communicated, launch during the second half of 2008. Any other information is merely rumours and speculation".

Or your own website getting the facts wrong, Richard...