The Daily Dog for Tuesday, November 03, 2009

Though data service appears to be largely unaffected, reports have poured in regarding a nationwide T-Mobile voice outage.  Earlier in the evening, T-Mobile officially acknowledged the service challenges, issuing the following statement:

T-Mobile customers may be experiencing service disruptions impacting voice and data. Our rapid response teams have been mobilized to restore service as quickly as possible. We will provide updates as more information is available.

At approximately 9:10 PM EST, T-Mobile issued a second statement:

"We're making good progress restoring voice and messaging service to affected customers. At this time, approximately 5 percent of T-Mobile customers are experiencing service disruptions. Issues began at approximately 5:30 pm Eastern time. Our rapid response team is working continuously to fully resolve this disruption. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience that this has caused our customers."

Though my review units were down earlier, they appear to be back to normal.  Are you still having service issues?  Let us know.

Via: PhoneScoop, TmoNews

More fodder for the cost-conscious: According to a recent cost comparison from BillShrink.com, the cost of owning a Palm Pre or MyTouch 3G is $1,250 less than AT&T’s iPhone or Verizon’s Moto Droid.  

To come up with this number, it assumed unlimited voice and data, which of course works out in favor of America’s #3 and #4 carriers. (Actually, the cost savings would probably still bear out for any device they carry.)

But the question is — is it worth saving some bucks to suffer through blackouts (see Aaron’s post on Tmo’s nationwide voice outage) or data wipes (remember the Sidekick/Danger fiasco)? Only you and your wallet knows. In any case, I think Tmo might be putting its award-winning customer service skills to the test this evening.

As for the numbers, see how they stack up by check the chart below or click here to read the full story.




Via: BillShrink.com, MobilitySite

Though it's not 6 AM as originally rumored, Verizon Wireless corporate stores will be opening between 7 and 8 AM on Friday to handle the expected increase in traffic as a result of the Motorola Droid launch.

As a recap, the Droid will be the first to offer Android 2.0 at launch, along with a 3.7-inch touchscreen, a 550 MHz processor,  EVDO Rev. A, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g, and a 5.0-megapixel camera.  It will be available at $199.99 after a $100 mail-in rebate debit card and a new two-year customer agreement. 

Are you planning on waking up early to secure a spot in line?  Be sure to disclose your strategies below!

WAKE UP, HUMANS: DROID BY MOTOROLA GOES ON SALE EARLY
 
Extended Hours, In-Store Demos, Unique Times Sq. Billboard, Other Events Planned For Nationwide Debut at Verizon Wireless Communications Stores
 
BASKING RIDGE, N.J. – Many of Verizon Wireless’ more than 2,000 Communications Stores will open early Friday (Nov. 6) to give customers the earliest opportunity to purchase the DROID by Motorola on its first day of sale.  Some stores will open at 7 a.m. and others at 8 a.m.  Customers should check local stores for their opening hours.  (Mall stores will not open early.)
 
Customers visiting Verizon Wireless Communications Stores on or after Friday, Nov. 6, will not only be able to purchase the world’s first smartphone with Android™ 2.0, they can also learn about its variety of advanced features and functions.  Verizon Wireless will host demonstrations at select locations to help customers get the most from their new DROID by Motorola devices.
 
Also on Friday, Verizon Wireless will create a first-of-its-kind interactive experience in New York City called, “DROID Does Times Square.”  This experience will let callers control two of Times Square’s largest digital billboards – the NASDAQ and Reuters signs – using only voice commands.
 
The digital billboards will instruct passersby to call a toll-free number (1-888-376-4336) to search locations in the Times Square area.  Participants can search for practically anything (e.g. their favorite cuisines, plays, movies, stores), and the search results will be displayed on the digital billboards using Google Maps.  This activity takes place from Nov. 6 through Nov. 20, daily from 12:30 p.m. to 2:10 p.m. and from 6:30 p.m. to 8:10 p.m. and from 6:00 a.m. on Nov. 27 through 2:00 a.m. on Nov. 28.  Beginning Nov. 6, Internet fans worldwide can also view the experience in real-time by visiting www.droiddoes.com/timessquare.
 
DROID by Motorola will be available in the United States exclusively at Verizon Wireless Communications Stores and online on Friday, Nov. 6, for $199.99 with a new two-year customer agreement after a $100 mail-in rebate.  Customers will receive the rebate in the form of a debit card; upon receipt, customers may use the card as cash anywhere debit cards are accepted.
 
The DROID by Motorola features high-speed Web browsing, voice-activated search, a customizable large screen, access to thousands of Android applications and hundreds of widgets, and the largest 3G mobile network in the country.  To learn more, visit http://news.vzw.com/news/2009/10/pr2009-10-27.html. Experience the all-new DROID by Motorola at www.droiddoes.com.
 
For a list of Verizon Wireless Communications Store locations, visit www.verizonwireless.com/b2c/storelocator/index.jsp.

Macworld’s Editor-in-Chief Jason Snell has just been rebuffed by the App Store. According to his Twitter feed, Snell’s reference guide to the Apple handset has been rejected for — get this — actually having the word “iPhone” in the title. Was it to avoid confusion with Apple’s own onboard apps or other functions (none of which actually include the phone name)? Or was he just snubbed? After all, NYT’s David Pogue got his book, iPhone: The Missing Manual, approved.

Who knows? I've stopped trying to apply any sort of logic to the App Store approvals process.

Via: EngadgetMobile

It was only a matter of time before AT&T got their feelings hurt and decided to sue Verizon for their "there's a map for that" comparison advertisements, seen all over television as of late due to the upcoming launch of the Motorola Droid.

Here's the real kicker: according to AT&T, Verizon is misleading the public by comparing the two 3G coverage areas.  Instead, AT&T proposes that Verizon includes their EDGE coverage.  Not quite sure how the nation's second largest wireless carrier justifies that request, as EDGE most definitely isn't 3G (and shouldn't be compared as such), but since it covers 1.75 million square miles, it would fill in their blue map shown in the picture above (thus making it more visually appealing to customers watching at home, pondering a switch to Big Red).

Instead of trying to sue Verizon for a claim that is largely true, I'm thinking that continuing the investment in 7.2 Mbps HSPA is a better way to spend money.  What's more, it will quell complaints about coverage, thus killing two birds with one stone.  What do you think?

Via: BGR

Last time China Ontrade said that it had an iPhone component early on in the development process (for the 3GS back then), it turned out to be totally true. In fact, there were teardowns of the handset that clearly showed it in the build. Now, the same company’s claiming it has some hardware for the iPhone’s next iteration.

Normally, something like this would be firmly situated in rumor territory, but given C.O.’s now-verified track record, this recent assertion has become more interesting. However it’s not the part itself that’s exciting (the company calls it the iPhone 4 Generation Midboard); it’s the fact that this seems like a way, way early component leak.

Generally iPhone launches happen in the summer. And Apple’s items, like other phone makers’, tend to be built nearer to launch (to incorporate last-minute tweaks and ensure manufacturers’ supply-chain flow). Given that we’re nowhere near summer 2010 yet, how does a vendor get its hands on a part this early?

This, my friends, is the true object of speculation: Is it actually a ridiculously, incredulously early appearance? Not likely. No one has parts ready eight months before a release. That’s leading some people to wonder if it hints at something bigger — like a moved-up release (or at least announcement) for the next-gen iPhone.

[Pause]

Let’s take a moment to absorb that: “Early,” “moved-up,” “release” and “next-gen iPhone.”

Gentle readers, you can’t tell from this writing, but even as I type this, my eyes are popped open wide and my jaw is on the floor. While I don’t buy this completely, the mere fact that this is a topic of conjecture (based on something other than a fanboy claim) is enough to send tingles up my spine.

If it were going to happen, the holidays would be an ideal time. But that seems totally crazy. Or is it?

When Gizmodo posted about Phil Schiller stating there wouldn’t be any more Apple products this year beyond what’s been announced, they were corrected by Apple itself. Seriously. Cupertino contacted the blog and provided a specific quote to publish: Not that there would be no more Apple products, but that "the holiday lineup is set." (Note: “Set,” but not announced, as some hopefuls are pointing out.)

And industry pundits don’t necessarily think this “early launch” theory is so far out there. The key, they say, rests with one simple word: ANDROID. The recent explosion of this OS across multiple carriers has now made inroads to a mass market of consumers.

It’s even evident here on PhoneDog. While my forte may be the iPhone, I’ve been sort of moonlighting as an unofficial junior Android editor around here due to the overwhelming amount of news, rumors, device announcements and launches that’s come out for the platform. Gone are the days of a single clunky handset on a lone carrier offering a proto OS for mostly open-source nerds. Android is growing up nicely, and the vehicles to deliver it are getting pretty stunning.

Dare I say it? If I ever leave the iPhone, it will likely be for an Android device. And that’s exactly the kind of “mindshare” that probably has Apple reevaluating its modus operandi.

But — and I can’t stress this enough — an accelerated launch might be a tempting thought, but it has not been confirmed. While based on a leak from a source that’s been proven right in the past, it is still just a theory. It just happens to be one that people are watching pretty closely right now.

Care to make any guesses about whether this will pan out or not?


Via: China Ontrade, Gizmodo

Introduction

The Motorola Droid for Verizon is a big deal. But you knew that, thanks to the "iCan't but DroidDoes" marketing blitz that Verizon has just started to unleash upon the American media in the weeks leading up to Droid hitting stores this Friday, November 6th. Verizon is positioning Droid as their "iPhone Killer," to use a beat-to-death-overused phrase, and while that positioning is rather unfortunate, it also makes sense. Verizon wants to challenge both iPhone's dominance at the top of the U.S. smartphone sales charts and AT&T's back-and-forth claim to VZW's spot atop the U.S. wireless carrier pile.

And then there's the whole Google-Apple love/hate affair, which I frankly can't quite keep up with anymore. 

But I digress … Moto Droid is a big deal for Motorola, as well, as it cements the company's return to the fore of top-tier cell phone makers. Whether or not Moto will keep pace with the big boys, let alone return to the glory days of StarTacs and RAZRs remains to be seen, but Android has given Motorola new life with the T-Mobile CLIQ and Verizon Droid (just launched in Europe as the GSM "Milestone").

The Phone, The Device, and The Battery

I've had a Droid in hand for almost a week now. How is it? In a word, excellent. I'll save the head-to-head with iPhone 3GS for a video Dogfight, but suffice it to say that when Droid hits Verizon stores on Friday it will deserve its spot as Big Red's flagship device for the holiday season. BlackBerry users and other hard-core email/texters may not be drawn to Droid (more on that in a minute), but other smartphone users will no doubt be won over by the device's gorgeous screen, high-end features, and the usability and potential of Android OS 2.0.

First off, Droid works very well as a phone. Verizon's network performed very well for me out here in the San Francisco Bay Area, and calls came through loud and clear whether I used a headset, speakerphone, or just the phone itself. Droid has one of the louder speakers I've heard on a cell phone in recent days, as well, which is handy both for voice calls and the new Google Navigation app with its voice prompts.

Secondly, battery life has been okay, but just barely. My device has been in dire need of a recharge pretty much every night that I've had it. That said, it only ran completely out of gas during abnormally heavy testing, and my rule of thumb is that I charge my phone every night, period. Droid gets better battery life than CLIQ, but fares slightly worse than an iPhone 3GS or Palm Pre under similarly heavy but "normal" use of voice and data features. Interestingly, I've heard and read some pretty wide-ranging reports on battery life from other early reviewers, so your mileage will no doubt vary depending on use habits and network coverage in your area.

The phone is made largely from metal and glass. It feels solid in hand, and is rather large and a little bit heavy as compared to other smartphones. That's not necessarily bad, just how it is - it's still quite pocketable. Droid's slider mechanism lacks a spring hinge, but it also doesn't wobble too much. The three touch-sensitive buttons located beneath the display work just fine for me, though I'm not so sure that plain old buttons don't work better than fancy touch controls, in the long run.

As for the phone's looks? Totally a subjective thing, so judge for yourselves. Me, I think the gold accents are kind of funny, but I otherwise like the stealthy black looks of the thing.

The Good: Beautiful Screen and Updated OS

Droid's best feature is its gorgeous 3.7" touchscreen display. The 16:9 widescreen renders 854 x 480 pixels at a whopping 267 pixels per inch, which means it shows more pixels than most competitors and has plenty of room for widescreen Web browsing and high-quality video watching. And the screen is just beautiful to look at. The capacitive touch system is quite responsive, as well, and supports multitouch input to a degree: multitouch on the virtual keyboard is a yes, pinch-to-zoom on the Web browser is a no, though double tap-to-zoom has been implemented.

In all honesty, Droid's display is probably the best-looking I've ever seen on a mobile phone. And the touchscreen is almost as responsive as iPhone 3GS' … but not quite. You won't notice the difference, though, unless you're obsessed with trying every cell phone on the market, so let's just say it's one of the most responsive displays out there.

Droid's next best feature is probably Android 2.0. This is quite simply the fastest, most responsive Android device I've seen to date. Yeah, yeah, I know that statement will likely only stand true for a month or so (Snapdragon, anyone?), and a Samsung Moment running 2.0 could make for an interesting race, but for now Droid's the fastest Android on the block.

Android's been more of a geek's playground than a consumer-ready platform since its inception, and while version 2.0 isn't quite as polished as some of its competitors, it's definitely much more ready for mass adoption than any 1.x version. The Web browser, contact manager, and Email clients have all seen notable upgrades and the OS itself now supports syncing with Facebook accounts in addition to Google and "Corporate" (Exchange) accounts. And the aforementioned Google Maps Navigation Beta is great. No, it's not perfect, but it's great for a Version 1 Beta, and between the solid integration with Android's voice search and the power of Google Maps behind it, it will only get better with subsequent releases. And it's free; iCan't, indeed.

Droid is notably lacking Motoblur, the widget-heavy social networking fiesta that graces CLIQ's home screens, apps, and PIM utilities. While I don't mind the lack of Blur here, having used CLIQ I do wish Droid took advantage of certain aspects of Blur - notably its rich messaging composer and RSS feed widget. Android 2.0's universal Email inbox is nice, but I like Motoblur's Messaging widget even better, as it lets me scroll through Emails and other messages without leaving the home screen. Still, Android 2.0 debuts a plug-in framework that should allow for all sorts of social network integration and other nifty widgets and add-ons that could bring some Blur-type functionality to Droid users in due time. And Droid ships with a Facebook widget that's pretty decent.

The Bad: Another Disappointing QWERTY

Droid's worst feature is its physical keyboard. Let me preface what I'm about to say with this: Phone keyboards are a very personal thing, and you may well love what I can't stand (I'm looking at you, Palm Pre users). So take my opinion for what it's worth and try the darn thing for yourselves, okay? And our own John Walton may well disagree with me when his Droid review comes out.

Okay. Now, then … 

Droid's hard QWERTY board is disappointing. I love, love, love the idea of a high-end Android phone with a slide-out keyboard. I love that MOTO managed to keep Droid super-thin and sleek while still packing a real keyboard in. But I hate typing on the thing. For my money, Droid's QWERTY board is too flat and too shallow. It's also a wee bit cramped, and suffers from being oddly offset to the left thanks to the D-Pad positioned to the keyboard's left. Said offset resulted in my right thumb having to stretch over the D-Pad during typing, a minorly uncomfortable thing. But it's those flat, flat keys and that short, short travel that left my thumbs screaming for mercy after a few sentences at a time. Imagine the old HTC Touch Pro ("Tilt" on AT&T) keyboard, all grid-like and chiclet-y, but worse, and you've got Droid. CLIQ's keyboard offers contoured buttons and a bit more key travel, which makes for a slightly better experience.

The combination of Android 2.0 and Droid's huge display and limited multitouch support makes for a nice virtual QWERTY experience, except for some occasional lag. The software doesn't miss my taps, but it sometimes hangs for a second while I'm still typing, and then catches up by registering multiple letters in rapid sequence. That said, landscape and portrait modes both offer pretty good typing experiences, enhanced by user-controllable haptic feedback. Virtual QWERTY also lets you take advantage of Android's excellent autocomplete/user dictionary system, something oddly missing from the display when you're using the hard keyboard. 

Experienced Android users will likely replace the virtual QWERTY, anyway, so you may well have skipped most of that last paragraph.

Personally, I'd rather see a thinner, lighter Droid with the physical keyboard lopped off. That pretty much sums up my reaction to the virtual and real QWERTY experiences offered here.

The Rest: So-So Camera, Okay Media, and Excellent Nav

What else can I tell you? Droid's camera is so-so. On the one hand you've got five megapixels, a dual-LED flash, and a great camcorder mode. On the other hand, the camera is slow to focus, slow to capture, and really slow to reload for the next shot. Compared to other Android phones, it's fine. Compared to iPhone 3GS it's slow (sorry, Verizon, you're begging for the comparisons). Photo quality was good except when the focus was kinda iffy or I missed the shot entirely waiting for the device to set up and shoot.

Droid's media player is good but not great, being Android 2.0's stock install. This is one area where customization really benefits device makers - take a look at a recent HTC Android phone or, better yet, Sony Ericsson's forthcoming Xperia X10 and you'll see what I mean. Still, I could load media onto a microSD card, pop it into Droid, and play it back. Videos looked great and music sounded great. No headset is included, but Droid supports 3.5mm wired 'phones and Stereo Bluetooth.

A 16GB microSD card is included with the phone, which is cool. The microSD slot is hidden beneath the battery cover, and you actually have to pull the battery to get the card in and out, which isn't so cool. Android also lacks a decent media sync solution, so get ready to implement the good lo' "USB drag and drop" method to manage your music, photos, and media … at least until somebody comes up with something better.

Oh yeah, Moto is also offering two accessory docks for the device: One for home and one for car. They'll run thirty bucks each. I've tried the home dock and it's pretty neat, though I wish it had audio-pass through so I could leave it hard-wired into a speaker system. Still, it more or less turns Droid into the old Verizon Hub, as you can see in this video.

And Google Navigation? Like I said, pretty awesome. I mean, it got me to frozen yogurt, as you can see in this video.

Wrap-Up: It's Very Good, This Droid

Verizon should wind up selling a bunch of these things when Droid goes on sale this Friday for $199 after rebate with a two-year contract. Motorola, Verizon, and Google have done a solid, solid job crafting the first Android 2.0 phone. iPhone haters and Verizon loyalists finally have themselves a sleek, flashy touchscreen smartphone to call their own, and everyone else has the fastest Android phone to date and their first chance to buy something with 2.0 pre-installed.

Do I recommend Droid? Yes. The usual caveats apply, and in this case I highly recommend you try the device's physical keyboard out for yourself. My thumbs didn't much care for it, but I'm sure some of you won't take quite so much issue with the setup. I wish Droid had a pinch-and-zoom Web browser like Milestone, it's European counterpart, and I wish some of those Motoblur features had crossed over to this device, too. 

Would I rather have Droid than any other device on the market? Not sure I can say that. Will iPhone users leave AT&T in droves for Droid? Some will, but likely more for Verizon's network than Droid itself. Will BlackBerry users jump ship for Android on Verizon? Not if they like their BBerry's keyboards, they won't. 

But is Droid an excellent smartphone? Absolutely. And if I had to use Droid and only Droid for the foreseeable future, would I be alright with that? Yep. The hardware is solid, the virtual QWERTY is there for me when my thumbs get tired, and Android 2.0 has a very promising future.

Rejoice, Android, Motorola, and Verizon fans: Droid Day is upon us and it should be a happy day, indeed.

(Top: MOTO Droid; Bottom, l-to-r: HTC Sprint Hero, Verizon HTC Imagio, AT&T Apple iPhone 3GS, Sprint Palm Pre, T-Mobile MOTO Cliq)

Sammy’s first T-mobile Android device has been snapped before, all glammed up and shiny. But images of the handset, caught in the wild, have been infamously hard to come by. Well, if you want to see what it will look like, minus the Photoshopping, then lookie here.

Seems like David over at TmoNews got his hands on some unofficial photos of the smartphone in various states of play, including some that feature the TouchWiz interface. (Consider the shot below as a teaser. To peep the full bonanza of images, click here.)

Behold2 fans on Magenta don’t have long to wait now. November 18 is just 2 weeks away, at which point the carrier’s expected to slap a $249.99 sticker price. That’s $50 more than Tmo’s other recent release (the Moto Cliq) as well as Verizon’s Droid, and it’s $70 more than Sprint’s Moment. Most who have been anxiously awaiting this device think it’s a no-brainer, but what about the fence sitters? Are you taking the plunge, opting for the Blur-tastic Cliq, waiting to see where the spectastic SE XPERIA X10 will end up or jumping ship to one of the many Android offerings on another carrier? (Choices, choices, choices... talk about a good problem to have.)

Via: TmoNews

That little item underlined in red may have gotten some WebOS fans’ hopes up. (And it had some of us in the industry do a doubletake). That is, until someone at Sprint HQ noticed the colossal mistake of listing Wifi as a feature on the Pixi. Looks like the online ad’s been corrected now, but as far as I’m concerned, it still contains a gaffe: “Huge touchscreen”? Um, not exactly.

Will the real Palm Pixi please stand up? Yes, you there — without the Wifi card. Get ready for your launch on 11/15. If only you really did have it, I’m pretty sure that your $99.99 (after MIR) would’ve made you a fairly popular kid. Still, let’s see what happens when PhoneDog puts you through the paces in the coming weeks. 

Here’s some PD background info for you: Noah asked me to check out the Pre’s “slimmer kid sister” for the site. I know — I don’t generally do a whole lot of device reviews, instead sticking mainly to industry news and iPhone-related topics. So why did the Krav kick this to me? Maybe because I have smaller fingers, and that keypad looks TINY… Or maybe because Palm launched Pixi back at Fashion Week in New York and he likes my style ... Or, most likely, because it's high time I got myself into gear, reviewing some non-Apple smartphones. Maybe I'll even get my hands on a hot Android device really soon, hmm?


Via: PreCentral, Engadget

Sony Ericsson made it all official today, ending the teasing and announcing the Xperia X10, the first of what SE says will be a family of Android OS devices to ship next year. X10 is expected to be available in Q1 of 2010, though no specifics were given as to pricing or availability.

A few hands-on reports have popped up from the SE launch event, and it sounds like the canned demos of the "Rachael" UX (User Experience) are pretty amazing, but the sole X10 prototype shown to media was suffering from severe pre-pre-pre-release performance issues. Engadget went so far as to say that "Calling the present interface 'laggy' would be paying it an unearned compliment." Heh.

That said, SE's got a great history with media-centric devices, and their "Timescape," "Mediascape," and face recognition features sound really nifty. X10 looks less like an Android device and more like a brand new Sony Ericsson device - at least from the demos SE's showing - which is a testament to the power of an open OS upon which developers can build custom user interfaces. 

Sounds like SE's got quite a job on their hands if they're going to ship this thing in a few short months. But I'll echo most all of my peers in saying that if they can get X10 into stores in Q1 of next year, and if the production units look like and act like the press photos and demo videos SE's been getting out to the media, we'll have ourselves one whale of an entertainment-focused Android phones on our hands. 

From SE's new Product Launch Blog:

Some quick facts about the X10:

• Users will be able to download apps from a variety of stores, including Play Now Arena and Android Market.
• 4.0 inches, 480 x 854 pixels (WVGA), scratch-resistant capacitive screen
• The processor is the 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon
• 8.1 megapixel camera
• Available colors will be Sensuous Black and Luster White

More on the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 product page.

With highly subsidized offerings like Verizon's BlackBerry BOGO deal and Apple's iPhone (combined with a high eBay demand), the opportunity to activate a new line, sell the equipment, and pay the early termination fee (ETF) is lucrative.  There have been plenty of times where I've tried a device and instead of returning it to the store (and dealing with countless customer service people in an attempt to cancel the line without penalty), I've sold it and paid the termination fee.  At times, I have actually made money doing it that way.  I find it to be much easier than returning the device, calling in, canceling the line, having them adjust the bill, and making sure they refunded the ETF properly.

Verizon Wireless appears to be seeking a halt to this type of behavior, as current rumors are pointing to a new termination fee pricing scheme, beginning on November 15th.  While normal devices will be priced at the normal $175, "high-end" devices will be slapped with an early termination fee of $350, decreasing by $5 monthly.  It's safe to say that "high-end" encompasses the BlackBerry Storm2, Tour, HTC Touch Pro2, and Motorola Droid - though no specific definition was mentioned in the rumor.

With a $350 ETF, Verizon is beginning to push the full retail price point, and my thought is that people might skip signing the contract and opt for paying full retail instead.  What say you?

Update: As of 11/4/09 at 11:00 AM, the ETF rumors have been confirmed - see here.

Via: BGR

Congratulations to A. Saelen from MI who won our Samsung Instinct HD review unit  at 11:35AM on Tuesday November 3rd.  "I've been playing for months but I never expected to actually win.  I'm a college student and can't afford to buy a new phone right now, so this is an amazing surprise!  Thank you so much PhoneDog!"

Technology: GSM
Announced Carrier: Not available
Rumored Release Date: Q1 of 2010

Sony Ericsson made it all official today, ending the teasing and announcing the Xperia X10, the first of what SE says will be a family of Android OS devices to ship next year. X10 is expected to be available in Q1 of 2010, though no specifics were given as to pricing or availability.