Sony Ericsson Xperia X10

Year: 2009
Prototype level: Non-Final
Codename: Rachael

Overview

The Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 was the company’s first Android smartphone and became one of the most important devices in the early Xperia range. Announced in late 2009 and released in 2010, it combined a large 4-inch touchscreen with a 1 GHz Snapdragon processor, an 8.1-megapixel camera and Sony Ericsson’s new Android interface, including Timescape and Mediascape. Its curved design and large display marked a clear shift towards the modern smartphone form that would define the Xperia brand.

The specimen in this collection is a non-final version of the X10. The most noticeable differences are subtle rather than changes to the overall design: the back cover uses a different paint material and finish, with a non-sticky, entirely matte surface rather than the finish used on the commercial version. The pictograms for the three buttons below the display are also different from those on the final retail handset.

Although these changes may appear minor, they make the phone a good example of the kind of hardware refinement that took place shortly before a commercial release. The specimen is therefore included as Prototype II, preserving a physical version of the X10 that differs from the phone eventually sold to consumers.