Sony Xperia X10 and X8 owners on the near-antiquated Android 1.6 OS are still hanging on for a 2.1 Eclair upgrade, but a leaked roadmap from the Xperia X10 blog shows they may have to wait until next year for a 2.2 Froyo update, if they ever get it at all.
Late last month, Xperia X10 owners got a snippet of good news when we reported that 2.1 Eclair was coming at the end of September. But a document from last week's IFA show in Berlin showed no sign of an Android 2.2 upgrade for Xperia X10 or X8 devices, with some countries getting Android 2.1 as late as this December, or January next year.
The slowness of an update for the X10, X10 Mini and Mini Pro is a shame, because we quite like all three devices, and your user ratings show you're pretty fond of them too. Sony Ericsson has been very tardy with Android, although admittedly other manufacturers have had their own problems. But unlike others we're not seeing any info on any hot new handsets, so Sony Ericsson is in very real danger of being left behind.
And if you are on a network, the Android 2.1 upgrade may take even longer, as it will have to be checked by the operator before getting on your handsets. Once Xperia X10 and X8 owners do get the upgrade though, you'll be treated to Eclair goodness as well as 720p video recording with autofocus, HTML5 adoption, five new home screens, a social phonebook for Facebook and Twitter integration, as well a possible revised menu.
Sony Ericsson Android phone owners should count their blessings: Motorola Dext owners have been told in no uncertain terms that they'll be forced to stick with the Android 1.6 OS, even though the US equivalent will get an upgrade.
Are you the owner of an Xperia X10 or X8? Are you frustrated that you have to wait this long for an Android update? If you are, vent your spleen here.
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Comments 28
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anonymous 17 September, 2010 21:40
I'm an x10 owner and we want the update! !
Anonymous 17 September, 2010 21:59
Left Nokia products after 10 years of commitment, failed promises.
SONY you are leading us like ericsson's neighbour, NO WHERE!
You rely on the brand name, HTC are going places, HTC who?
Sort yourselves out, you will lose big potential customers.
Anonymous 17 September, 2010 22:20
I guess they are working hard to make the 2.1 OS operates smoothly on the X10 with the Sony customization.
I hope I get the update, on my phone soon. Best of luck
Anonymous 17 September, 2010 22:55
I like my X10, but the SE add-on (Timescape) is pointless imo. I'd rather they just left out Timescape, gave us 2.1 now, and got on with sorting out 2.2.
The phones don't have enough RAM to be able to run 3.0 when it comes out, but I'm sure 2.2 wouldn't be a problem. The X10 has some great hardware; it would be a shame to see it wasted.
Anonymous 18 September, 2010 00:29
Hope 2.1 comes out before the end of year, otherwise Sony will make it even easier for HTC to gain market share
Anonymous 18 September, 2010 01:10
come please 2.2 or 2.1 OS............come till is not to late
Anonymous 18 September, 2010 01:10
come please 2.2 or 2.1 OS............come till is not to late
anonymous 18 September, 2010 02:03
I am an X10 owner and am NOT worried at all. I think everyone doesn't seem to understand the concept of the A4 booklet. Hello, if the page was turned, there could be more info!
And if it does stay at 2.1 only, who cares? SE proved to me that 1.6 was a great option because they added a lot of the features from 2.1 already, something that some rumours are suggesting will happen with 2.1 (Save apps to SD Card support, maybe?)
Anonymous 18 September, 2010 08:18
Yeah, Im a bit frustrated. Since I bought my X10, i've been following all news and blogs regarding the 2.1 update. I was very happy when they announced that the upgrade will be this month instead of Q4. Im counting the days. Im checking my phone everyday hoping that I could get the update that everyone's craving for. Maybe we have to listen to Green Day song "When September Ends"... --Topher (Abu Dhabi, UAE)
Anonymous 18 September, 2010 13:11
Just fooling.......since i bought my x10..only announcements are coming..no update no good applications...
just they are play with us maybe....
if there is no update let them to be straight...so can buy other product...mean...HTC..NOKIA...
we love alot Sony Ericsson but maybe they ..doesnt care for us....
udate is moving....and moving...not coming....
if the update will not arrive in the end of September..maybe i will lose my x10...
without update..its like...symbian.... mobile...
so better to jump from X to other Serial....
sorry if someone mind maybe i am hurting for Update....
Anonymous 19 September, 2010 00:06
Why even bother with 2.1 now, especially since 2.2 is out already... I just go my new X10 yesterday, and I think it's awesome already... 2.2... I hope I can handle all the awesomeness. I don't see why the X10 can't handle this up'd version, especially since there are supposed to be speed improvements? SONY you're one of the biggest players out there... Make a plan... Honestly, it's a software update for crying out loud, if you can't do it, then hire people that can... We want a 2.2 update... PLEASE
Anonymous 19 September, 2010 14:19
love the x10............seems really stable...i moved from nokia n96.........(clunky, hard to navigate) but x10 seriously needs an update, you cant download a lot of recent apps as they only support from 2.1 up.
2.2 would be the smart move, as 3.0 and 3.5 are already in progress...............maybe Sony Ericsson are working on a Honeycomb update for next year..................................wishful thinking!!!!
Anonymous 19 September, 2010 18:22
I like my x10 and think we all need to learn a little patience. It will be nice have the update, but will it really improve my life much more, I think not. We need to stop being so nerdy competitors and enjoy how amazing these devices are already. Beam me up scotty: )
Anonymous 20 September, 2010 16:16
I don't see why they don't go just to 2.2 as thats the latest now, save them time re-sony ericconsing it again.
I have always had a se phone but maybe im going to have to go over to the htc's. they're pushing latest and thats what its all about!
x10 is an amazing phone though and can't wait for the 2.1 update :)
Anonymous 20 September, 2010 16:30
if this is the thing that there is no 2.2 update for x8 then they just lost it .then y would any 1 buy it . thould rather go for some other phone which could be updated . sony will never do any thing good i had xperia x1 which was denied the update to windows 6.5 and now i have x10 which i guess will never get froyo 2.2 . wait for xperia 20 i think that will have 2.2
Anonymous 21 September, 2010 09:44
just want the update...............and a firm date as to when we will get it, not to much to ask is it?
Anonymous 21 September, 2010 11:20
SE are useless and are falling behind their competitors quickly. Donut was released in September, Eclair was released in October. Even if they started work on the X8 in September, you think they would have scrapped trying to configure 1.6 and move straight to 2.1. Instead they have spent 12 months configuring an extremely out of date OS with the promise of a not so out of date OS sometime never. I don't believe it takes manufacturers over a year to test their configurations.
Anonymous 21 September, 2010 11:28
It would be so much nicer if there was a real hardware manufacturing standard.
All Android phones (excluded only by hardware limitations) should be able
to instantly upgrade once a newer version of the OS comes out.
This 'drivers' thing is the biggest slowdown.
Any shell that a manufacturer wants to use should be like a (if they want to exclusive) app.
Hardware limitations will make sure new handsets are still bought.
As I said, it would be so much nicer, but I know the compagnies are not in the bussiness
of making things nice, but in making money instead. I think it could and should be both.
Every phone I had didn't live up to the expectations raised by advertising. This probably goes
for almost all products and that just means were being fooled, to put it mildly...
Anonymous 21 September, 2010 15:16
I am a loyal SE customer for last 10 years. I feel let down by SE. My next smart phone wont be an SE phone. Adios SE
Anonymous 23 September, 2010 00:36
THERE'S NO INFORMATION ABOUT X10 MINI PRO!! WTF IS WRONG?? I WANNA KNOW THE EXACT DATE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Anonymous 17 October, 2010 00:04
sony ericsson are driving me mad not only because of the firmware issue but also the battery live in my x10 mini is rubbish. i have to charge every day or it will go flat over night.
Anonymous 28 October, 2010 23:13
I want the option of dumping timescape! I would love a better handsfree volume (you are sony ffs) but most of all I want a phone with decent battery life and regular software updates. We will it seems get 2.2 when everyone else is on 3.2. Multi touch can't come soon eneough as txting on this phone is terrible.
Anonymous 16 November, 2010 16:55
Hi remenber motorola ..oh how the mighty have fallen, nokia going the same way, sony I loved you since the T68 with attachable camera in glorous vga , but android 2.2 is 2-5x faster on games and web browsing over 2.1 and to watch football focus on bbc sport i need adobe flash 10.1 for mobile but wont install with 2.1 , so no high lights with football or any sport, sort this out or I sell my s.e. and get a phone with android 2.2 so far I seen no change from 1.6 except I can now connect my phone to your software by bluetooth, well I had the cable so nothing great there, if nothing changes I end up with a HTC they looking good and high spec and quite cheap also considering the dell 5" android phone that looks nice
Anonymous 24 November, 2010 12:06
Move on to HTC...its cheaper with high specs and high hopes.Sony is never going to listen..
Anonymous 5 December, 2010 08:21
From today onwards, I will stop buying Sony ericcsson phones and also will actively campaign against the purchase of SE phones by email, facebook, linkedin and all other social formats. This is totally unfair as I bought the X10i immediately after its launch in Dubai at a very high cost AED. 2599.00 and within a week, it dropped to AED. 2199.
Anonymous 28 December, 2010 12:15
Sony fan who moved on to Nokia. Worst mistake I made. Brought the X10 Mini pro, very pleased with it. Also pleased to find it loaded with the 2.1 operating system which I was led to believe it would not have been. Very pleased with the phone so far.
Anonymous 25 January, 2011 07:37
This is the last time im buying sony. Ive been buying sony religiously for all my life and this is what i get in return ?? they cheat us and make false promises. Only if my x10 mini pro gets 2.2 will SE remain in my life, otherwise byby SE and im going to tell all my friends NOT to buy SE EVER ! ! ! !
Anonymous 3 March, 2011 12:39
I seem to have wrongly assumed that picked a Sony phone would give me quality support and proper updates. We all live and learn! Since not doing support now seems to be the Sony way no more products from Sony be looked at. Support is as important as the product. the X10 mini pro is great just getting out of date.
Why abandon our customers Sony?