Sony Ericsson's Xperia X1 Takes the Windows Mobile Plunge

Barcelona this week is the world showcase for new cell phones. Here is a collection of those handsets that interested us the most (warning--not all will be available in the U.S.) For instance: Due in the second half of this year, the Xperia X1 goes where Sony Ericsson has never gone before--into the realm of Windows Mobile. But thanks to a custom interface featuring nine square panels--each of which launches a different application--you might not realize that you're looking at an HSDPA handset based on the Microsoft platform for mobile devices. The X1 is the first entry in Sony Ericsson's new "premium" (read, expensive) Xperia line; future models may be based on other operating systems. But observers say the company chose to stray from its Symbian/UIQ roots to reach out to corporate customers.