Sony Ericsson Windows Phone Delayed?

Back in February Sony Ericsson announced its first Windows mobile smartphone — but it still hasn't appeared — has it been delayed?

It was February when handset maker Sony Ericsson announced it would be coming out with its first smartphone to use a Windows OS, the Xperia 1, and that it would be available in the second half on 2008.

It still hasn’t appeared, and rumors in blogs and a Swedish newspaper have quoted unnamed sources to say that the product has been delayed and might miss the crucial Christmas sales time.

However, Sony Ericsson spokeswoman Merran Wrigley insisted to Reuters that "There is absolutely no delay. The product is on track. We have said it will roll out in Q4, and we are on target to do that."

It was unusual to announce a product so far ahead of rollout. Certainly Windows Mobile 6.1 hasn’t been able to compete with the BlackBerry or the iPhone as a mobile platform, and has managed to struggle to gain only around 10% of the smartphone market, missing its sales target for the last year.