Xperia™ X10 mini and X10 mini pro with slide out QWERTY keyboard offer an open and intuitive communication entertainment experience and build on the human curvature design philosophy debuted by the Sony Ericsson Xperia™ X10. Combining the Android platform with signature applications and a customisable UX platform, communication truly becomes entertainment with these new mobile phones. To enhance the experience, pick and choose from a multitude of applications at Android Market™ and co-create a mobile phone experience that is entirely unique. Users can go one step further and customise the home screen’s four corners and widgets to access the most needed applications for limitless possibilities.

Xperia X10 mini and X10 mini pro key features: 5-megapixel camera, Bluetooth A2DP, Sony Ericsson Timescape, MS Exchange Activesync, Auto Rotate, Slide-out keyboard (mini pro only), FM radio, A-GPS, 3.5mm headphone jack, microUSB, WiFi, and a 2.55-inch 16.7 million color 240 x 320 pixel scratch-resistant touch screen.

X10 mini and X10 mini pro supports HSPA 900/2100 and EDGE 850/900/1800/1900, HSPA 850/1900/2100 and EDGE 850/900/1800/1900. The X10 mini will be available in selected markets from Q2 in the colours Pearl White, Black, Pink, Lime, Red and Silver. The X10 mini pro will be available in selected markets from Q2 in the colours Black and Red.

Android lovers to our north get ready for your chance at the Motorola Milestone in early 2010.  According to a Press Release this morning, Telus will begin selling the Motorola Milestone in early 2010 to compliment their growing 3G+ network.  The Milestone will feature the highly coveted Android 2.0 OS along with the beautiful 3.7-inch WVGA resolution touchscreen that even has a few iPhone users starting to feel jealous.  To sweeten the deal, Telus and Motorola have decided to include a 16GB memory card like the European launch and the device is capable of supporting up to 32GB cards.

For more information on the Motorola Milestone coming to Canada you can visit http://www.motorola.ca

The rumored Android-powered XPERIA X10 is now official, complete with a 1GHz processor and spacious 4-inch OLED display.  The device went live in a Sony Ericsson Press Event early this morning in the far East, but that is not stopping the news from rolling into our West Coast headquarters.  The key specs we must note immediately besides the processor and display are the 8.1-megapixel camera with LED flash, quad-band GSM / tri-band 3G (UMTS) support and Android 1.6.  For the full details on the XPERIA X10 including the official press release check out Cellfanatic here.

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As promised Verizon Wireless broke their silence on the Motorola Droid and confirmed the device will be released November 6 for $199.99, exactly as expected.  The Droid will run Android 2.0 (Eclair) and require a data plan of $29.99 or higher.  Now all we have to do is find a way to stay busy for the next week and the Droid will be upon us.  Full press release after the jump

BASKING RIDGE, NJ, and LIBERTYVILLE, IL — High-speed Web browsing, voice-activated search, customizable large screen, access to thousands of Android applications and hundreds of widgets and the best 3G mobile network in the country: DROID by Motorola arrives on Nov. 6.

Verizon Wireless, the company with the nation’s largest wireless 3G broadband network, and Motorola, Inc. (NYSE: MOT), a pioneer in the mobile industry, today unveiled DROID by Motorola, the first smartphone powered by Android™ 2.0. DROID by Motorola features the brainpower and breakneck speed of a modern smartphone, designed to outperform where other smartphones fall short.

“We’re proud to work with Verizon Wireless and Google™ on the first smartphone to feature Android 2.0,” said Sanjay Jha, co-chief executive officer of Motorola and chief executive officer of Motorola Mobile Devices. “DROID by Motorola delivers a rich consumer experience with warp-speed Web browsing, a mammoth screen, and Motorola’s expertise in design and voice quality. Combined with Android’s open, flexible graphical user interface and the power of Verizon Wireless’ 3G network, DROID is a smartphone that simply doesn’t compromise.”

“This is an exciting announcement for Verizon Wireless, as the DROID by Motorola is the first device that we are bringing to market under our ground-breaking strategic partnership with Google,” said John Stratton, executive vice president and chief marketing officer for Verizon Wireless. “DROID by Motorola gives customers a lifestyle device with access to more than 12,000 applications that will help them stay in touch, up to date and entertained, using the best 3G network in the country.”

DROID by Motorola has a solid exterior, intelligent interior and is one of the thinnest full-QWERTY slider phones available. It is a no-fuss, high-tech, location-aware, voice-recognizing, over-the-air updating, multi-tasking machine – and it is available just in time for holiday wish lists.

With DROID by Motorola, you can:

* Zip through the Web: Access the Internet at 3G speeds via the nation’s largest and most reliable 3G network or from any Wi-Fi hotspot. The multi-window HTML browser with a massive processor delivers the Web the way you expect.
* See it all in cinema-style: View the Web, e-mail, Google Maps™, videos and more in widescreen on a brilliant 3.7” high-resolution screen. Boasting a width of 854 pixels to reduce the need for side-to-side panning and more than 400,000 pixels total, DROID has more than twice that of the leading competitor.
* Run multiple applications at once: Customize your DROID with thousands of applications and hundreds of widgets available on Android Market™. Toggle back and forth between up to six applications at a time to juggle the universe and your apps.
* Perform Google Search™ at the speed of sound: Simply tell DROID what you’re looking for using voice-activated search, and it will serve up Google search results based on your location. If you want more, simply type what you’re looking for into the search bar on the home screen and DROID will also search content on your phone, such as apps and contacts, and the Web.
* Capture moments: Snap digital camera-quality photos with a 5 megapixel camera loaded with the works, such as a dual-LED flash, AutoFocus and image stabilization, or capture your friend’s antics in 16 million colors with DVD-quality video capture and playback. Store it all on the included 16 GB memory card, so you always have it on hand.
* Multi-task like a master: Keep tabs on all your messages with integrated Gmail™ and Exchange e-mail pushed directly to you, but don’t let them get in your way. With the handy Android notification panel, go straight to the message or simply ignore it, and get back to the task at hand. And, a smart dictionary learns as you type and automatically includes your contacts.
* Get where you need to go with Google Maps Navigation (Beta): DROID is the first device with Google Maps Navigation, providing turn-by-turn voice guidance as a free feature of Google Maps. It’s powered by Google and connected to the Internet. Use voice shortcuts and simply say “Navigate to [your destination],” and you’ll be on your way. See live traffic, use Street View or satellite imagery to view your route, and get access to the most recent maps and business information from Google Maps without ever needing to update your device.

Pre-loaded Applications and Enhancements to Google Mobile Services:

* Google Maps: With layers in Google Maps, view geographic information, such as My Maps, Wikipedia, and transit lines, right on the map.
* Gmail: Multiple accounts support and undo for common operations.
* YouTube™: One-touch recording and playback from homescreen widget or app, one-touch sharing with friends, and the ability to view your own uploaded videos and high-resolution videos.
* Google Talk™: Easily switch between chats, search your chat history, and preview pictures and videos sent by links.
* Android Market: Browse and download applications created by third-party developers.
* Calendar: Ability to see who has R.S.V.P.’d to your meeting invitations.
* Amazon MP3 Store: Download the latest tracks over the air.
* Verizon Wireless Visual Voice Mail: Delete, reply and forward voice mail messages without having to listen to prior messages or voice instructions.

Pricing and Availability:

* DROID by Motorola will be available in the United States exclusively at Verizon Wireless Communications Stores and online on Friday, Nov. 6, for $199.99 with a new two-year customer agreement after a $100 mail-in rebate. Customers will receive the rebate in the form of a debit card; upon receipt, customers may use the card as cash anywhere debit cards are accepted.
* Experience the all-new DROID by Motorola at www.droiddoes.com.
* To get the most from DROID by Motorola smartphone, customers will need to subscribe to a Nationwide voice plan and an Email and Web for Smartphone plan. Nationwide voice plans begin at $39.99 for monthly access for 450 minutes and an Email and Web for Smartphone plan is $29.99 for monthly access.
* For additional information on Verizon Wireless products and services, visit a Verizon Wireless Communications Store, call 1-800-2 JOIN IN or go to www.verizonwireless.com.

You didn’t really think Google would let Verizon Wireless steal the thunder of Android 2.0 (Eclair) now did you, or course not.  Google has officially announced the launch of Android 2.0 today with two big announcements: SDK support  so that developers can go ahead and start building their wonderful apps and a comprehensive list of the changes found in 2.0.

• Support for multiple Google and Exchange accounts
• Third-party “sync adapters” allow apps to tie in to the phone’s sync services
• Quick contact menus for fast access to specific key pieces of contact information
• Unified email inbox (yes!)
• SMS and MMS search
• Text message auto-delete after a user-defined thread size is reached
• Significantly improved camera controls with white balance, macro, effects, and more
• Improved keyboard layout, dictionary, and algorithm based on multi-touch support
• Double-tap zoom in browser, support for HTML5
• Bluetooth 2.1 support with addition of OPP and PBAP profiles
• “Better” graphics hardware acceleration

Unfortunately Google did not make any announcements regarding the roll out of Android 2.0 to other carriers so we’re still waiting for new on that.

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Our favorite smartphone manufacturer, HTC, has just launched a new Global Ad campaign as part of their new branding “Quietly Brilliant”.  To help boost the volume and HTC devices worldwide and reiterate the company’s goal of focusing on “You”, HTC has released several videos on their YouTube Channel.  The message is simple, it is all about “You”, the consumer and HTC is here to help customize your device to match your personality.  For the full Press Release hit the link.

HTC Corporation, a global smartphone designer, today unveiled a global advertising campaign that is based on HTC’s new Quietly Brilliant brand positioning. As HTC’s first global advertising campaign, the YOU campaign is being rolled out across 20 countries in the coming weeks and features the tagline, ‘You don’t need to get a phone. You need a phone that gets you.’ This represents HTC’s commitment to focus on people, their needs and how they work and live to ensure that HTC devices suit them.

“Quietly brilliant is doing great things in a humble way, with the belief that the best things in life can only be experienced, not explained,” said John Wang, chief marketing officer, HTC Corporation. “The YOU campaign is the perfect embodiment of ‘quietly brilliant’ and is core to HTC as a company, innovator and partner.”

The YOU campaign is focused on driving broad, global visibility and understanding of HTC’s unique brand promise – that it’s all about YOU, the consumer, and in fact not the device. HTC worked with Los Angeles-based advertising agency, Deutsch LA Inc. to create the YOU campaign that will employ an integrated-media approach to reach consumers via television, print, outdoor and online. HTC’s design expertise will be echoed throughout the campaign, with commercial spots highlighting the unique functionality of HTC smartphones.

“We’ve come to have a very emotional relationship with our phones. Many of our key experiences in any given day come through this one device and yet most of the advertising in the category is still about utility,” says Eric Hirshberg, co-CEO and chief creative officer, Deutsch LA. “HTC’s whole design philosophy is very personal. They make phones where your experience is completely unique, so we think there is a connection between how people feel about their phones and how HTC makes them.”

HTC worked with London-based creative consultancy, FigTree to create the quietly brilliant brand positioning. The ‘quietly brilliant’ positioning was inspired by HTC’s culture of putting customers first, born from a heritage of creating breakthrough products and continued innovation. As part of HTC’s culture, the “quietly brilliant” positioning will be rolled out in all forms of communication and brand touch points across the company.

“Some of life’s most brilliant ideas started with a simple doodle on the back of a napkin,” said Simon Myers, CEO of Figtree. “HTC’s new look uses this visual language of doodles to explain all the quietly brilliant features and benefits of HTC devices in a simple and human way.”

About HTC
HTC Corporation (HTC) is one of the fastest growing companies in the mobile phone industry. By putting people at the center of everything it does, HTC creates innovative smartphones that better serve the lives and needs of individuals. The company is listed on the Taiwan Stock Exchange under ticker 2498. For more information about HTC, please visit www.htc.com.