Sony Ericsson is happy to help you if you are in search of localised keyboard mapping information to develop your own ROM. On their developer blog, they have added the keyboard variants of Xperia pro and Xperia mini pro to those who are interested in developing region specific custom ROMs. So, if you’re one among them, it’s essential to make sure that your ROM handles the physical keyboard corresponding to the region you are developing it for. ie, your ROM should support the special characters or extra keys if your region specific keyboard demands it.

Sony Ericsson welcomes your feedback and queries regarding this and the developers out there are willing to help you achieve your goal on developing your own ROM.

For more information on the keyboard layout and to get support from the Sony Ericsson team, visit their developer blog.

XPERIA X1 is a somewhat a wonder! First thing you notice is the great touch screen on the front. It’s a 3 inch large display, and the resolution is an incredible 800 x 480 pixels! This gives an extremely sharp picture. The display can show up to 65.536 colours, due to Windows Mobile restrictions.

As just said, the platform in X1 is Windows Mobile. This means the program and games offering is a lot larger than with UIQ. This seems quite reasonable, especially because the UIQ market isn’t that large. Even though it’s Windows Mobile, Sony Ericsson has put its own touch to the user interface – one being the new XPERIA system with no less than 9 beautiful home screens.

- XPERIA™ represents the first brand that is truly borne from within Sony Ericsson. It represents our vision for a premium, energised communication experience, says Dee Dutta, Head of Marketing at Sony Ericsson.

X1 is a multimedia device with focus on fast communication, web use and GPS navigation. Therefore, the device is equipped with a full sliding QWERTY keyboard, WLAN b/g, HSDPA, HSUPA and of course a GPS.

- Our vision for the XPERIA™ X1 is to deliver a seamless blend of mobile Web communication and multimedia entertainment within a distinctive design, says Rikko Sakaguchi, Head of Portfolio and Propositions at Sony Ericsson.

With X1 you can navigate how you want. You can either use the large touch screen, the QWERTY keyboard, the 4-way navigation key or the optical joystick. The phone is 11 centimetres long, so there should be enough room for a nice QWERTY keyboard.

- XPERIA™ is our promise to think foremost of user experience and to deliver the premium experience – anytime, anywhere, anything, with anyone, Sakaguchi continues.

X1 is released in the 2nd half of 2008, we’re guessing some time around October. The price is unknown, but it’s going to be high.

Official features at a glance after the break.

Camera

* Auto focus
* 3.2 megapixel camera
* Photo light
* Video recording

Music

* Bluetooth™ stereo (A2DP)
* Media player
* Music tones
* PlayNow™
* Windows Media Player Mobile
* 3D games
* FM radio
* Java
* Video streaming
* Video viewing

Internet

* Internet Explorer® Mobile
* RSS feeds

Communication and Messaging

* Polyphonic ringtones
* Speakerphone
* Vibrating alert
* Video calling
* Email
* Picture messaging (MMS)
* Predictive text input
* Text messaging (SMS)

Design

* XPERIA™ panels
* Optical joystick navigation
* Navigation key
* Picture wallpaper
* Touch navigation

Organiser

* Alarm clock
* Calculator
* Calendar
* Document editors
* Document readers
* Flight mode
* Handwriting recognition
* Notes
* Phone book
* Tasks
* Touchscreen

Connectivity

* aGPS
* Bluetooth™ technology
* Modem
* Synchronization
* USB support
* WLAN

Windows® Mobile® Operating System

* Microsoft® Outlook Mobile: email, contacts, calendar, tasks
* Microsoft® Office Mobile: Word, Excel, PowerPoint
* Internet Explorer® Mobile
* Windows Media™ Player Mobile
* Windows Live™
* Exchange ActiveSync®
* Voice control
* Utility Applications: file explorer, calculator, pictures & video, notes

Facts and Figures

* Size: 110 x 53 x 16.7 mm
* Weight: 145 grams

Available colours

* Black
* Silver
* Main screen: 65,536 color TFT
* Resolution: 800 X 480 pixels
* Size: 3 inches

Memory

* Phone memory: up to 400 MB
* microSD™ memory card support

Availability and versions
Networks

* GSM/GPRS/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900
* UMTS/HSDPA/HSUPA 900/1700/1900/2100 MHz
* UMTS/HSDPA/HSUPA 850/1700/1900/2100 MHz