Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 smartphone FCC approved

The Sony Ericsson Google Android-powered smartphone that was announced last month has received approval by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

In filed documents to the FCC, the Xperia X10, Sony Ericsson’s first Android phone, is a quad-band GSM device that will work on the T-Mobile and AT&T networks.

The phone is powered by a 1GHz Snapdragon processor, Android 1.6, 4-inch touchscreen (854×480-pixel), Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and 8.1-megapixel camera.  Some bloggers were disappointed it is running Android 1.6, not 2.0, but a possible update could take place depending on consumer demand.

The device, of course, ships with Gmail, Maps, Talk, Search and the Android Market.  The phone also has an accelerometer, 3D gaming support, gesture controls, and the Google WebKit browser.

Even though it seems appealing that the phone will work on two different networks, T-Mobile and AT&T reportedly haven’t signed on to sell the phone through retail stores.  If the phone is sold unlocked without being subsidized by a phone provider, it’s unknown if consumers are going to be willing to pay out of pocket for the X10.

Sony Ericsson previously had success with a wide variety of music-enabled phones, but they have been unable to keep up as consumers switch to smartphones.  I’ve credited the company for finally making necessary changes, but if the device is unlocked — and isn’t subsidized — having the fastest Android-powered phone is useless if no one wants to pay for it.

Sony Ericsson’s previous Xperia phones, Microsoft Windows-powered devices, weren’t picked up by any wireless providers in the United States.  This opportunity is something that Sony Ericsson cannot afford to mess up. Due to this, I hope that they decide to work with T-Mobile, AT&T or both providers to make the phone more accessible to consumers.