O2 and Orange take on Sony Ericsson X1 Xperia

Sony Ericsson’s most eagerly awaited device, the X1 Xperia, will enter Carphone Warehouse stores with the next two weeks, and will be available on O2 and Orange.

The manufacturer’s new flagship device will be available on prepay for £600 and free on tariffs from £45 per month.

The X1 Xperia (pictured) faces stiff competition in the Christmas market, due to the number of high-spec devices being released at a time when consumers are thought to be looking to cut back financially.

Other devices arriving before Christmas include the much hyped Nokia N96, the Samsung Pixon and LG Renoir, both eight-megapixel camera devices, and HTC’s Google phone, the G1.

The X1 Xperia is a touch-screen handset with a slide-out QWERTY keyboard. It operates on Windows Mobile 6.1 and comes with a 3.2-megapixel camera. The device was initially announced at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona back in February.