The Sony Ericsson X1 is the first in the new range of Xperia products by Sony Ericsson.

The X1 is the first, and possibly the last Sony Ericsson handset to use the Windows as an operating system. It uses Microsoft Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional. Sony Ericsson have not yet commented on whether the handset can be upgraded to Windows Mobile 7, however it doesn't seem they plan to release any further Windows based handsets.

The screen on this handset is amazing. It has an 800x480 W(Wide)VGA screen. The handset only has 65k colours, as opposed to a lot of other handsets that have 256k. However, you wouldn't know to look at it. The resolution is amazing, and videos are close to DVD quality. The handset is also able to play videos and music in Windows Media format (WMA and WMV). The screen is also a touchscreen, measuring 3 inches.

Next up, the camera. Again this could have been slightly higher spec based on the fact this is supposed to be a premium handset. The camera is a 3.2 megapixel, which in itself does produce quite good picture quality, not too far from the standard of the 5MP camera on the Nokia N95. The camera doesn't have too many settings, just the basic ones as seen on most of the Sony Ericsson handsets (excluding the K and C series, which often have additional settings for red eye removal, etc). However, one nice function is the 'touch auto-focus'. When looking at the image you are able to take, you can touch an area of the screen which in turn focuses on that part of the image. This can be used to blur out other parts of the picture, which in turn can create some quite professional looking images.

The phone comes with Bluetooth version 2, including Bluetooth Audio. This allows you to use Bluetooth headphones and other accessories, allowing you to interface with your device 'wirelessly'.

-3D Fish panel - a panel that showcases the 3D features of the phone; a fish tank with 3D fishes.

However, Sony Ericsson has announced that they will also be offering other panels for download via their 'Fun and Downloads' section on their website. You can also download these panels straight to the handset using the X1's internet functions.

•Internet Explorer Mobile

•Utility applications: File Explorer, Pictures & Video, Notes and Calculator

The X1 is a 3G handset, and also comes with video call function using the front VGA camera. 3G is not the only way to connect to the internet, as the X1 comes with Wi-Fi, which allows you to connect to wireless hotspots and routers.

There are four main input methods for the X1. The first, and most obvious is the touchscreen. A lot of the controls are large enough to be able to use your thumbs and fingers to control the phone. Although, there are some that are too small to do this. However, not to worry, as the X1 does come with a nice metal stylus for this purpose.

Underneath the screen is the next input method -actually both of them. The first being the directional keys (up, down, left, right and select buttons). This can be used to control the phone functions in the same way as you would on a phone with a joystick (such as the K800). However, at the centre of the directional keys, is something a bit clever! It's an 'optical joystick'. You can basically move your finger over this to scroll through the menus and select options. I did have my doubts that this would work well enough to be viable, but it really is very responsive and easy to use.

The battery life is actually quite good, especially considering the size of the screen and the functions available. At full charge, I had to recharge the handset around every other day (every two days). However, this was with Wi-Fi in almost constant use, occassional camera usage, and frequent texting, calls and emailing.