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Sony Xperia X1 Delayed Until January

If you were hoping to have an American version of the Sony Ericsson Xperia X1 for Christmas, you're out of luck. Reports are saying that the touch-screen smartphone with a full QWERTY keyboard will be delayed until January.

The smartphone was first introduced in February, and it's supposed to be Sony Ericsson's new flagship handset. It was released in Europe and other markets in September, and it was supposed to come to the United States Nov. 28.

But Best Buy changed the status from "Pre-order" to "Coming soon." Over at Sonystyle.com, the device isn't expected to ship until Jan. 12 (which just happens to be my birthday ... I'm just saying).

So, it's a little disappointing that there's a delay, and Electronista says it could be due to a potential parts shortage. At nearly $800, I didn't think it would be a big seller anyway, but I think a few cell phone aficionados would have splurged for the holidays. It's a stylish device, and I like the touch screen, physical keyboard, and think the panel interface could be intriguing.

But, if it ships in January, that will be almost a full year since it was unveiled. That's way too long to care about and hold out for any smartphone, particularly when we're in the middle of one of the best periods in smartphone history. In roughly the last six months, we've seen the iPhone 3G, E71, Touch Pro, G1, and the BlackBerry Storm and Bold.

Of course, companies like to show off their wares a little early in order to generate some buzz. But if you show your stuff too early, you may find yourself the subject of backlash (the Bold was a good example). The Xperia X1 could wind up being the best thing since sliced bread, but I doubt many U.S. buyers will wait to find out.

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