Thats pretty much the gist of Sony Ericsson General Manager Dennis Manzano’s message during the launch of their newest Xperia device today, the X8. With a retail price pegged at Php 11,600, its certainly the most affordable Xperia out there.
Aside from the usual smartphone specs (3-inch touchscreen, 3.2 megapixel camera, 600MHz Qualcomm processor), the X8 will also come with their own UI layer called Timescape and a 3 month trial version of McAfee Wave Secure, a complete mobile security solution that lets users back up their data including SMS, call logs, contacts and media such as photos and videos to their secure server where it can be accessed and viewed, and this can be restored on any smart phone of their choice. It lets users remotely lock the phone and wipe data from a lost phone, and tracks the missing phone through map locations and through a patented track SIM feature. It works even if the SIM card in the phone has been replaced. The application functions fully protect the user’s information when the phone goes missing, and can work to help get a lost phone back.
It has to be said though, that the X8 was a bit of a letdown not because of the hardware, but because of the software. It’s still going to be running Android Cupcake 1.6 when it hits the stores, which Sony Ericsson says can be upgraded to Eclair 2.1 come November. That still is a version short of what their competitors are flaunting, and there will definitely be stiff competition come the holidays and any edge will come in handy.
Here’s a few more pictures of the X8. It’ll be available for Php 11,600 once it hits stores.
