X1 shows that SE can ditch the M2 card slot

The X1's microSD card slot under the battery cover.
(Credit: CNET Asia)

Instead of an M2 card slot for memory expansion, the XPERIA X1 comes with the ubiquitous microSD card slot. The company told us that this is a "platform issue" which is partly due to the device being "manufactured by a partner" (HTC, in other words). This makes it the first Sony Ericsson handset to have no support for its own Sony-branded memory card format. That's good news for consumers because it's more likely for someone to have a microSD card than an M2 card since the majority of mobile phones use microSD.

Another thing about the X1 is its standard 3.5mm audio jack. This means you can plug in your favorite headphones easily. Ironically, the company's own Walkman-branded phones require an adapter for you to use a standard pair of headphones because of the proprietary Sony Ericsson connector.

Now, we don't want to get ahead of ourselves and say that the Swedish-Japanese company is finally adopting standard interfaces. After all, it's only one handset and it's not even manufactured by the company itself. But it does show a willingness to let go of the proprietary standards the company has held on to for years now and, hopefully, this will permeate to the rest of its mobile phones.