Although Sony Ericsson had never confirmed the release date for the updated version of the Android operating system used on it’s Xperia X10 hansdets, the company has now moved to announce on it’s official blog that the update is not imminent and will not arrive before October 2010.

The Xperia X10, the Xperia X10 Mini and the X10 Mini Pro all run on the Android operating system currently and are using the 1.6 version of the Google OS. Whilst other handset manufacturers have pushed out their mobile phones with Android 2.1 or 2.2, the Xperia range has sadly been left behind by the reluctance of Sony Ericsson to update the firmware to a firmware that many users desire greatly. Sony Ericsson have never actually explained why there is such a delay to update and the latest announcement could see some Xperia users leave their Sony Ericsson handsets behind and move on to brands such as Samsung, HTC and Apple.

Running on an outdated firmware such as 1.6 Android is slowing the development of Android applications and games for the Xperia range and with the upcoming release of another Xperia handset, in the form of the Xperia X8, the Xperia phone range is left unable to play many games and applications available on the Android market because many applications are created with 2.1 or 2.2 compatibility in mind. This is a shame for Xperia owners who paid a healthy sum for their handsets and are struggling to get the best use out of their phones.

Hopefully Sony Ericsson are a big enough company, with enough care about their customers to resolve the updating issue sooner rather than later. They certainly aren’t a company that lets their customers down regularly so fingers crossed that Android 2.1 arrives soon.

Official SE blog

According to latest reports, Sony is planning an Xperia X10 “medium”. Codenamed “Shakira”, the handset will be bigger than the X10 Mini and smaller than the X10. The specifications are still unknown.

The screen is expected to measure between 3.2 to 3.5 inches. There is no information on the hardware yet. If reports are to be believed, the phone will run on Android 2.1, which is in the early stages of development.

Images of the Android 2.1 running on an X10 have also been leaked. Images have been posted on a Chinese site. Looks like Sony is having a tough time with its security!

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Here is some good news for all those communicator fans. Sony Ericsson is allegedly developing an Android device which is similar to the Nokia Communicator. The device will feature a 5.5 inch screen and will have a sliding QWERTY keyboard.

The device is more of a miniature netbook than a smartphone because of its relatively large size.

This image was posted on It168 by reliable sources. The above shown device is a prototype and is currently undergoing the early stages of testing.

It will run the Android 2.1 version and is expected to be unveiled in Q3.

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