It’s been a long time coming, but Sony Ericsson’s Xperia X1a is now officially (and finally) available online at SonyStyle.com and a couple of Sony retail stores throughout the USA. The phone is listed online at $799.99, though it probably doesn’t include tax, as some users paid $867 for it. The contents of the X1a are similar to the X1i, so there are no surprises there. The million dollar question is: are you willing to spend such an insane amount of money for a mobile phone?

Pictures of Sony Ericsson's W595 Sandy Gold have surfaced. The Sandy Gold version of the phone is expected to be released in the European market this February. The W595 is the successor to the W580, and will boast an improved 3.2-megapixel camera. Shake control is still available, which will allow users to change the volume or tracks by shaking the phone.

They sure don’t make cell phones like they used to. Back in the day, we could probably knock someone out with a good swing of your trusty cell phone, though you certainly wouldn’t be able to do that anybody. We’ve already seen plenty of reports this year regarding the cracks appearing on Apple’s iPhone 3G, now it seems that Sony Ericsson’s recently released Xperia X1 might not be exempt from such a problem too. Some users around the Internet have reported that their Xperia X1s have cracks, which certainly isn’t a good thing. If you own an Xperia X1, drop us a comment to let us know how your X1 is faring, and hopefully it hasn’t experienced any cracks.

HTC probably won't be too happy about this latest development, as news is going around that Sony Ericsson has decided to ditch HTC in favor of a Taiwan-based company called Mobinnova to make its next-generation Windows Mobile device. Sony Ericsson's current crop of Xperia X1 is made by HTC, but Mobinnova will take over Sony Ericsson's Windows Mobile phone production once the current Xperia X1 production is finished. There isn't any mention of why Sony Ericsson chose to ditch HTC just yet, so stay tuned and we'll keep you updated.

Motion sensing on mobile phones is the latest fad in the mobile phones industry, and Sony Ericsson probably wants to remind us that they're in the market with motion sensing devices too, as it has launched a funny video of some guy enjoying his motion sensing phone.

Sony Ericsson has a new accessory for you shutterbugs out there, which is the IM502 phone tripod. Measuring in at 27x59x10mm, it isn't that big, but it should help you prop your phone up in case you're having some trouble taking a particular shot. Your phone will need to be using Sony Ericsson's newer connector in order for this to fit.

Users who are lucky enough to be using Sony Ericsson's Xperia X1 will be interested to know that the Xperia Facebook panel has been updated. If you're using an older version of the panel, the update should give the panel better performance and faster loading times.

News that Sony Ericsson would be joining the Open Handset Alliance was greeted with much enthusiasm by Sony Ericsson fans, after all, Android is all the rage nowadays. The question that everybody was wondering was whether Sony Ericsson would be using Android in a mid-range or high-end phone, and fortunately for techies, it looks like it’s going to be a high-end device. According to Sony Ericsson’s spokesmen Gustaf Brusewitz, the initial Sony Ericsson Android devices will be for the “higher segment”, and should hit retail shelves sometime in the middle of next year, which isn’t all that far away. Hopefully said device won’t be priced as high as the Xperia X1 though.

News of Sony Ericsson joining the Open Handset Alliance has spread like wildfire, and now we’re seeing user-created designs that depict what the upcoming Android-powered Sony Ericsson device could look like. The concept design looks a little like a mix between a Sony Ericsson P1i and the HTC Touch Pro. Of course, this is just a concept design, hopefully we’ll see something official from Sony Ericsson sometime soon.

For those of you waiting for Sony Ericsson’s C905a, you’ll be happy to hear that the FCC has given the phone its seal of approval, so the phone is one step closer to hitting retail stores near you. The phone will be available in Copper Gold, Ice Silver or Night Black color schemes, and will be bundled with a 2GB M2 Memory Stick. Features of the phone (in case you forgot) include:

• 8.1 megapixel CMOS sensor with autofocus
• Xenon flash
• Face detection (up to 3 faces)
• 16x digital zoom
• QVGA video recording capability
• Quad-band GSM with 3G American band support
• QVGA (240 × 320) 2.4" 18-bit scratch-resistant color LCD display
• A-GPS with picture geotagging support
• Wi-Fi connectivity
• Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync and Apple iSync support
• Bluetooth connectivity
• Integrated FM radio
• MP3 playback
• 160MB internal memory
• M2 memory card slot

While this isn’t an official concept design by Sony Ericsson, it’s nice to check out what users tend to come up with now and then, more often than not, these user-designed concepts are quite cool. Maybe Sony Ericsson could take a few design hints from the user-designed “Sony Ericsson phones” that are floating around the internet and incorporate them into future handsets.

Fancy getting a Sony Ericsson mobile phone for your girlfriend? What about the T700 that is now officially available from Sony Ericsson. The phone even has 7 different colors, and the Shining Pink version should be available at stores from Q1, 2009.