Aside from the fact that Maria Sharapova's the official brand ambassador of Sony Ericsson, there are a lot that you guys can expect from the mobile manufacturer. A prime example would be that they plan to release the XPERIA X1 smartphone this year.

The XPERIA X1smartphone will be a touch screen slider phone with a typewriter-style qwerty keyboard that will be based on the Windows Mobile operating system. The company has plans of releasing the mobile in the second half of 2008.

The XPERIA X1will let users enjoy programs for work and for play. Much of its features are backed by Microsoft Windows and various applications and services of Windows Mobile.

With much of their fame coming from the Walkman brand, Sony Ericsson plans to do the same thing with this definitive step they're taking with the X1 smartphone model.

Having this at hand, Rikko Sakaguchi, head of Portfolio and Proposition at Sony Ericsson, commented:

XPERIA is our promise to think foremost about user experience and to deliver on our goal of providing a true premium experience - anytime, anywhere, anything, with anyone.

By working with Microsoft on the XPERIA X1, we have been able to couple our excellence in creating compelling consumer propositions with the productivity capabilities of Windows Mobile to deliver a seamless blend of mobile Web communication and multimedia entertainment within a distinctive design.