New CNN, Skype, Mytopia and ‘On the Road’ panels introduced for the Xperia™ X1

Sony Ericsson unveils latest panels for Xperia™ X1 offering further opportunities for consumers to personalise the device with the content they want most. The new panels add to those announced last week as part of the Sony Ericsson Content Awards, further enhancing the unique user experience of the Xperia™ X1 and offering yet more ways to customise their device.

Mobile World Congress, February 16, 2009 – Sony Ericsson today unveils four new panels for its Xperia™ X1 mobile phone. Available to download from mid-march March 2009, the latest panels enhance the unique user interface of the X1 that enables users to customise the handset, bringing the content and applications they want onto their active desktop.

* A new CNN panel keeps you constantly updated with the latest news, sport, or weather and a host of CNN content including access to CNN’s popular citizen journalism tool, ‘i-Report’. Browse information by category, personalise your experience or plug in your location and get instant updates for wherever you are in the world.

* A unique Skype panel brings quick access to Skype on the X1, telling you at a glance which of your friends are online. Browse easily through your contacts and call or instant message them in just a couple of clicks, or customise your handset using the evening, daylight or event based effects.

* For those who just want to have fun, a new Mytopia panel lets you play bingo and poker games with people around the world. With millions of users there is always someone online to play against or you can play by yourself. You can even collect virtual coins and improve your rank by winning live matches.

* For those always on the move, the specially developed ‘On the Road’ panel includes large touch icons and a simple layout. Offering direct access to your music playlists and tracks, navigation tools and easy to use call-handling, this panel will makes your driving convenient and entertaining wherever the road takes you.

Since its launch in Q4 2008, close to 420,000 panels have been downloaded onto X1 devices around the world with half a million unique hits for X1 panels on the Sony Ericsson Fun & Downloads service.

Catherine Cherry, Global Marketing Business Manager, Sony Ericsson commented, “We are very pleased with the success of the Xperia™ X1 and will continue to evolve the device to meet the consumer demand for a rich, individualised multimedia experience on their phones. By partnering with some of the world’s most popular content providers and applications we are giving consumers the opportunity to customise the device bringing the applications that they use most directly onto the desktop. Users can personalise the device to suite their mood and lifestyle making the mobile experience even more enjoyable and entertaining.”

“We are delighted to partner with Sony Ericsson and develop a panel that provides users with an easy way to access and experience the rich Skype internet communications experience on the XPERIA™ X1,” said Scott Durchslag, Skype’s Chief Operating Officer. “This is a further example of how we are implementing our ‘Skype everywhere’ strategy and enabling mobile phone users to access Skype wherever and whenever they want. As the world’s fastest-growing internet communications company, the valuable strategic partnerships we develop with companies like Sony Ericsson will further fuel our rapid growth and improve our 400 million users’ Skype experience on the go.”

“This type of media rich, hand held experience is where the future lies in news consumption. CNN leads the way in innovative delivery of news and partnering with brands like Sony Ericsson only helps to improve the experience for our audience.” comments Mark Haviland, Marketing Director, CNN International.

Guy Ben-Artzi, CEO, Mytopia added, “The Xperia™ X1 enables us to create connected gaming experiences that aren’t possible to deliver on other phones. The Mytopia panel allows users to play live games against their friends from popular social networks like Facebook and MySpace directly from the device. With its large screen and advanced data capabilities, the X1 is a superior mobile platform for developing games and multimedia applications.”

The Xperia™ X1, announced at Mobile World Congress in 2008, brings a totally new experience to mobile phone users by introducing nine easy-to-use, interactive panels which sit on the touch screen interface of the phone. The unique user interface gives users an “always live” experience, offering the flexibility to tailor the phone’s desktop with information that is relevant to them at any given time.

The X1 comes pre-loaded with a wide range of panels including a Google search panel. Facebook and Windows Live panels are already available on www.sonyericsson.com/fun for download onto the Xperia™ X1.

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Sony Ericsson is a top, global industry player with sales of around 97 million phones in 2008. Diversity is one of the core strengths of the company, with operations in over 80 countries including manufacturing in China and R&D sites in China, Europe, India, Japan and North America. Sony Ericsson was established as a 50:50 joint venture by Sony and Ericsson in October 2001, with global corporate functions located in London.