Sony Ericsson Launches Xperia X10 Android Smartphone

Sony Ericsson has taken the wraps off its first Google Android-based device, the Xperia X10, which will go on sale in early 2010

“I have seen the device and think that Sony Ericsson is finally moving in right direction,” said Roberta Cozza, principal research analyst at Gartner’s mobile device team. “The form factor looks very good and the screen is wonderful. But the main thing is Android platform, and Sony Ericsson have put their own user interface on top of Android.”

“It is a social networking focused handset, and technology like Mediascape leverage’s Sony Ericsson’s expertise in music and media,” she told eWEEK Europe. “We expect to see Android being increasingly used in high end devices in 2010, but also expect to see it being used in mid tier devices as well.”

And Cozza thinks the increasing use of Android this will impact Windows Mobile 6.5. “We are going to see more android handsets in 2010, and by 2012 we think Android will be the second largest platform after Symbian with 60 percent market share, which mean market will dominated by open source.”

“Nokia is going to fully open source Symbian in 2010,” she said. “Microsoft will be squeezed in middle from open source from one end, and the other end by closed platforms such as RIM’s BlackBerry and Apple. Microsoft is losing share, and it will have to do something truly drastic in 2010 in order to get back in the game. Windows Mobile 6.5 was all right, but by 2012, it will be the 5th platform in mobile ranking, after Symbian, Android, RIM, and Apple.”