The Sony Xperia X1 smartphone will be very hard to find under trees this holiday season because there is shortage, most likely due to a recall.
Unlocked Windows Mobile Xperia X1 phones with iPhone-like features (Wi-Fi touchscreen, GPS) as well as video capture, 3.2 megapixel camera and keyboard sold-out of some Sony Style Stores the last week in November.
Following the lead of the San Jose Mercury News reporter, who called Wal-Mart stores to scoop the Wal-Marting of iPhones, Wireless and Mobile News called several Sony Style stores.
The Xperia X1 smartphones were received just before Black Friday and sold-out shortly after that, one store associate told us. Their shipment of Xperia X1 were all gone by Black Friday noted another employee at another Sony store. Fifty Xperia X1 phones sold-out quickly, in the Garden City Sony Style Store in New York, also around Black Friday. While the New York City Sony Style store concierge said they didn't have any.
Here's where the story gets interesting, at two stores, we called, the concierges stated that the Xperia X1 were delivered but they were sent back. One concierge said that they had a call-back. Neither knew the reasons why. Another store we called had the best details. The concierge stated that there was a recall due to an operating system software issue and that there were problems of compatibility with U.S. carriers (T-Mobile and AT&T). The store received an email in the morning and was not allowed to sell the Sony Xperia X1 at all.
Today there were reports of shortages and later ship dates of the Sony Xperia X1 on the Internet.
Best Buy was taking pre-orders and WM Experts wrote that the Best Buy website now states, “Coming Soon.” George Ponder also wrote that, “those who pre-ordered the Xperia through Best Buy (including a few around here) are reporting having multiple gloomy e-mails about stock delays.”
The Sony Style Holiday Guide shows the Xperia X1 as” Temporarily out of stock. Estimated ship date: 01/12/2009.” Earlier this fall Sony announced that the Xperia would be available online on November 12 and in stores on Black Friday.
Today at 1:00 pm PST, there were only 54 Xperia X1 phones on eBay at any price. Some were Buy-it-now for $899 which is $100 more than the $799 MSRP.
Wireless and Mobile News sent an email o to Sony Ericsson public relations in the UK for the official answer. When the Xperia was first announced at CTIA, it received a lot of attention and great first impressions. We don’t expect to hear back from them today. In November, IDG News Service reported that were delays in the shipping of Xperia due to a lack of materials. Now there appears to be a new issue.
Not matter why the Sony Xperia X1 is in short supply, don’t expect even Santa Clause to deliver one, any time this year.
Another phone that is very similar to the Sony Xperia X1 is the HTC Fuze which one reviewer found to be snappier.
EDITORS NOTE TO REPORTERS AND MEDIA
As far as we know, Wireless and Mobile News broke the “recall” aspect of this story. We’d appreciate links back the story and attributions. If you have any questions we can provide more details and commentary. You are weclome to call or email editor[at]wirelessandmobilenews.com.