Gingerbread for the SE Xperia X10

By Alex Angove

Last updated 21 June 2011

Sony Ericsson’s last gen flagship phone, the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10, is finally going to receive the Android 2.3 Gingerbread update come August.

When it was released the Xperia X10 was never really on par with the competition. While it did have a touchscreen it didn't support multitouch until it was later patched in with a software update. It also ran on the embarrassingly out of date Android 1.6 (Donut) out of the box until a software update brought it up to Android 2.1 (Éclair) where it has stayed ever since. As a result of this lack of operating system (OS) support the Xperia X10 missed out on the multitude of services and functions that came with the huge Android 2.2 (Froyo) release. Features such as wireless tethering, improved voice commands, Flash support and significantly increased browsing and operating speeds.

It really has been a shame because hardware-wise the Xperia X10 was in-line with its contemporary competitors. It boasts a single-core 1GHz processor, 384MB of RAM, a 4 inch 480 x 854 display and an 8MP camera. Other than the obvious flaw of the display being designed with single-touch interfacing in mind it was actually a very good phone on paper.

Gingerbread for the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10

Now it seems that in August Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 owners will finally be brought up to speed with the Android Gingerbread update. Gingerbread is the latest version of Android currently available on mobile devices and should improve the performance and range of functionality of the Xperia X10 significantly.

The video provided by Sony Ericsson demonstrates a few of the improvements that will be coming to the X10. The Timescape widget (essentially a social media and contacts stream) seems to scroll much more smoothly than on previous versions of Android. There’s Facebook integration for the camera app now and the UI has received some overall improvements in style and ease of use. All the previous little goodies we mentioned will be coming as well. That is: tethering, Flash compatibility and speed improvements.

If you’re interested in seeing the X10 on Gingerbread demonstrated we’ve embedded SE’s video below for your viewing pleasure.

The WhistleOut Opinion

This is not only great news for Xperia X10 owners but a good sign that Sony Ericsson is heading in the right direction. SE has always had the potential to be one of the major players in the Android Market and with support like this we hope to start seeing them making some more moves in the near future. Listening to your customers is a good start, now let’s see if they can move beyond improving their current stock and wow us with some new and juicy hardware.