You can currently create either code-based panels, written in a language such as C++, or HTML-based panels, which are obviously written using HTML.

However, both types require you to use Microsoft's Visual Studio development environment, which is not exactly for the faint-hearted!

Fortunately, the guys at MySonyEricssonBlog have created an easy-to-use online panel creator, which lets you create the HTML panels you want and then upload them onto your XPERIA.

Best of all, it's free, too,and doesn't require the 4GB that Visual Studio does!

[Source: MySonyEricssonBlog]

Not all of them are pink - some are even burgundy! - but they're all undeniably gorgeous, while featuring some killer features that make you the hero of Christmas in her eyes.

Without further ado, then, read on to find the best mobile phone you can get for your other half this side of Christmas.

10. LG Viewty KU990 - in Purple

OK, so purple might no be everyone's idea of a good looking colour, but it's certainly different and more refreshing than the standard mobile phone black these blocks normally come in.

The new LG Viewty KU990 isn't exactly underspecced, either. Featuring a 5 megapixel camera, and video recording at 120 frames per second for slow motion playback, it's a gadget-lovers drream, and with a touchscreen interface as well, it's got the sleek designer appeal she'll love.

Better still, there are some great deals on offer including free Nintendo Wiis, iPod Touches and XBox 360s being thrown in to tempt you further.

Buy the LG Viewty in Purple from just £10.

9. Samsung Tocco F480 in Pink

Another touchscreen phone, the Samsung Tocco F480 also comes with a good range of features. As well as the touchscreen interface, which features a desktop with icons that can be pushed around, the Tocco also comes with a 5 megapixel camera, super-fast 7.2Mbps downloads, and an MP3 player and FM radio.

And although it's pink, it's an understated, more subtle hue, so it looks suitably feminine without shouting out "I'm for girls!"

Cheaper than the Viewty, the Tocco is also being bundled with all sorts of goodies, from a Nintendo Wii to a £150 cashback deal, and all for free!

Buy the Samsung Tocco F480 for, well, nothing, now!

8. Samsung U600 in Baby Pink

For those who do love the uber-pink look, there's the Samsung U600. A slider phone, the U600 has always been popular with women because it looks great and is seriously thin, at just 10.9mm thick.

It's not as feature-packed as the Viewty or the Tocco, coming with just a 3.2 megapixel camera, MP3 player and FM radio, but if the lady in your life loves looks and sleek design - and you're on a bit of a budget - you can't go far wrong with the Samsung U600.

You can pick up a Samsung U600 in pink today from free, and get a free Wii, unlimited texts, and £130 cashback all throw in. Now that's one way of beating the credit crunch!

7. Samsung Soul U900 in Pink

If it's a slim pink phone you're after, but you want all the features thrown into it as well, then go for the U600's bigger brother, the U900 Soul. The Samsung Soul has been one of Samsung's best selling phones. With a 5 megapixel camera with face detection, 7.2Mbs downloads and an MP3 player that features a digital amp by none other than Bang & Olufsen, the Samsung Soul looks and sounds seriously classy.

There's no touchscreen, but it's a sleek slider with neat OLED navigation keys on the front that change according to the functions being used.

You can buy the Samsung U900 Soul for free at the moment, and get unlimited texts and £195 cashback thrown in.

6. Sony Ericsson C902 in Red

As camera phones go, the Sony Ericsson C902 is a tough one to beat. With Sony Ericsson's legendary Cyber Shot camera internals powering the 5 megapixel photo-taking features of this phone, the C902 produces glorious images that beat nearly all other camera phones out there. The C902 achieves this with high quality parts, face detection, auto-focus and image stabilization.

It's also the slimmest 5 megapixel camera phone, at just 10.9mm thin, and with its red sides and back set against its black fascia, it makes a bold, yet warmly elegant statement. The C902 is perfect for the girl in your life who likes her tech, loves her pictures, yet still wants her phone to look seriously cool.

You can buy the Sony Ericsson C902 for free, and get a free Nintendo Wii Fit, unlimited text messages and £85 cashback thrown into the deal.

5. Nokia N95 Red Sport

The Nokia N95 has been Nokia's best selling mobile phone for over 18 months now. So powerful is the N95, it's easier to list what it doesn't come with. That would be less interesting, though, so here are some the things it does feature: 5 megapixel camera, WiFi, DVD-quality video recording, high speed 3.6MBs downloads, MP3 player, FM radio, GPS Sat-Nav - the list just goes on and on.

Now in a lively red "Sports" livery, the N95 still looks seriously cool, with the red and silver contrasting nicely to add a bit of glam. The combination of top features, good looks, and some amazing deals that are now being offered on this wonder phone, make the N95 a tough phone to beat. If you girl has gadget-lust, get her a Nokia N95.

You can pick up a Nokia N95 today for just £35 and get a free 16GB iPod Touch, 512MB memory card and free unlimited landline calls.

4. Blackberry Pearl 8110 in pink

If your other half is a crackberry addict and a lover of pink, then you have to go for the Blackberry Pearl 8110. The pink might be a little too gaudy for some, but I know some women who rave over this object of rare desire.

Primarily intended as a business phone, the Blackberry 8110 isn't short on features. In addition to the array of messaging services provided, including email, browser, text messaging (SMS and MMS), instant messaging, and organiser applications,you also get a digital camera, MP3 player, and even SAt-Nav GPS. If it's office cred the girl in your life is after, you've gotta get her a Blackberry!

You can buy the Blackberry Pearl 8110 now for free, with half price line rental for the first 6 months.

3. Blackberry Pearl 8120 in Red

If the Blackberry Pearl 8110 in pink is too much for your other half, but you still want to get her a Blackberry, go for the Blackberry 8120 in red.

No GPS, but with a 2 megapixel camera, WiFi, media player and an understated sophisticated quality about it, the Blackberry 8120 is a must for the businesswoman in your life who thinks pink is the next best thing to divorce!

It's still got all the same messaging features that Blackberry are famous for, so she can still be hooked on the near constant stream of messages that drive non-Blackberry users nuts, but with a sleek red finish, the Blackberry Pearl 8120 makes much of a statement than the classic black Blackberry.

You can buy the Blackberry Pearl 8120 today for free with half price line rental.

2. LG KS360 in Pink

If you're still after a phone that's great for office-based messaging, yet is also just as at home at, well, home, then go for the LG KS360. Featuring a touchscreen interface, the LG KS360 also comes witha slide-out QWERTY keyboard, making text messages, emails and instant messages a snap.

In addition, the KS360 also comes with a 2 megapixel camera, MP3 player, Web browser, and FM radio, and with its subtle pink shading around the edges and the back, it looks feminine without looking too girly.

You can buy the LG KS360 today for free, and get a free iPod Touch, unlimited text messages, and £120 cashback! That has to be the bargain of the season!

Finally, the number 1 mobile phone to get the lady in your life - the Sony Ericsson W890i. And yes, it's not pink, or any shade of red - it's silver. It's not as feature-packed as some of the other phones here, either. Sure it's got a 3.2 megapixel camera, fantastic sound quality and 3.6Mbs downloads, but there's no touchscreen, Sat-Nav or any of the other myriad features you could squeeze into a mobile phone.

What it does have, though, in bucketloads, is style. The W890i is seriously slim at just 9.9mm, super-light at just 78 grams, and with its metal finish in glorious silver, it makes a superb fashion statement.

The reason I've listed it as number 1 it's because it's the phone of choice for nearly all of my female friends who positively rave about it. As soon as one went out and bought one, nearly all of their friends followed suit, and are all, without exception, delighted with it.

If there's one phone you can guarantee will be a hit with your significant other this year, go for the Sony Ericsson W890i. She'll love it, and you for getting it for her, and what more could you ask for this Christmas?

You can buy the Sony Ericsson W890i for free and get a free iPod Nano and unlimited text messages thrown in. If that doesn't suit you, pay a bit more, and get a free Nintendo Wii, PS3, iPod Touch or XBox 360, and make both your Christmases a happy one!

Obviously Wi-Fi will help, but if you're outside of a Wi-Fi hotspot, the W705 also comes with HSDPA, meaning you can download your tunes at 3.2Mbps wherever you are (unless you're with T-Mobile, who for some odd reason seem to have a blackspot in Slough and Devon!)

No GPS, unfortunately, although it does come with Google Maps. Apparently the W705 can triangulate your position from the radio masts that are used to connect the device to the mobile network, but this isn't as accurate as GPS.

However, the W705 is aimed firmly at music lovers, which is why there's no GPS support (Sony Ericsson have always focused on doing one feature well, rather than throwing everything and the kitchen sink into their phones); that said, the company has omitted a standard 3.5mm headphone jack from the W705, which seems a bit odd for a music phone.

The camera's the usual 3.2 megapixel, you can watch YouTube vids on its Web browser, and the W705 will be reasonably thin at 14mm.

Nothing jaw-dropping, then, but with a price that shouldn't cause your local bank to fail (unless it manages that of its own accord!), it should make a good value package when it's launched in the new year.

[Source: Dialaphone]

The G705, like the N82, is clearly focused on multimedia content. Not only do you get the usual features - 3.2 megapixel camera, video recording, web browser, HSDPA and WiFi - you also get a few nice touches that enable you to actually use those features.

For example, there's a dedicated zoom button that lets you zoom into a Web page, which saves you having to do this by fiddling around with menus. There's also a Google button, which unsurprisingly takes you straight to Google with just the click of a single button. Building on that, the G705 also comes with built-in YouTube integration, enabling you to upload and download YouTube videos directly.

No more having to faff around finding the video and then working out how to connect to YouTube in order to upload your latest masterpiece. Just record the video, click a button and select "Send to YouTube" and you're done...

...just like you can on the Nokia N82! That's not the only similarity, either.

More details of the Sony Ericsson G705 after the jump.

The G705 also comes with an accelerometer that switches the Web browser and a few other apps from landscape to portrait mode according to the orientation of the device. Sony Ericsson are also promoting its built-in aGPS unit and Google Maps, which together ensure that you never get lost. Again, just like the N82!

The only difference between the two devices, in fact, seems to be the camera, with the G705 sporting a 3.2 megapixel unit, while the Nokia N82 goes for a 5 megapixel version. The G705 also comes with UMA, which enables you to switch seamlessly (and automatically) between your mobile network and a WiFi network, which the N82 doesn't do. Other than that, the differences are merely cosmetic, with different looks (the G705's a slider, the N82's a candybar) and different user interfaces.

Speaking of which, the G705 seems to have a somewhat different user interface from previous Sony Ericsson phones, and not before time either. There's even a mouse pointer, which you control via the center button, giving the G705 a much more smartphoney look than Sony Ericsson's previous user interface. First impressions seem to be very favourable, and it'll be interesting to see what it looks like in the flesh when it's released.

Ultimately, though, the choice between the G705 and the Nokia N82 is yours, as there's not much to choose between the two. Fortunately, I'll doubt you'll lose with either phone. I've not had chance to test the G705, but I've had an N82 for the past few weeks and it's a glorious phone, with all features working really well, and really nice to use as well. Sony Ericsson phones have always implemented their features well, too, so I should think their usability will be on a par with the N82's, though wait for the reviews to come in first before you rush out and buy it!

[Source: Sony Ericsson]

All this bodes well for Sony Ericsson, who could do with some good news as they've been struggling recently with poor sales and a lukewarm reception to many of their latest handsets.

The XPERIA X1 looks set to change all that as it's a gloriously-designed Windows Mobile smartphone with a bold new user interface that Sony Ericsson designed especially for the phone. They've even released a developer's kit for the XPERIA X1 to enable anyone to develop new applications (or "panels") for it.

That said, they had no choice but to build their own UI. The standard Windows Mobile interface is so pants, there's no way it could be plastered onto a Sony Ericsson. Besides, it would have made the XPERIA X1 look like every other Windows Mobile smartphone out there, which is exactly what Sony Ericsson don't want to do.

Sony Ericsson do need to get this thing shipping before the Christmas period, though, especially with some tough competition in the smartphone market, with the Nokia E90, iPhone, HTCs, MWgs and even Googele Android phones all about to get in on the action.

Let's hope the rumours are right and the XPERIA X1 is released next month.

[Source: Dial-a-Phone, Phones4U]

The question is - how well does it work? Only one way to find out - read on after the jump for our Sony Ericsson C905 review.

Sony Ericsson C905 overview

First of all, an overview of the C905. It is, as you can see, a slider phone, with a keypad that's apparently extremely easy to use, and a simple sliding design that actually looks rather good.

It's not the smallest of phones, but then it wouldn't be, given the amount of features that Sony Ericsson's managed to cram into the thing!

Ah yes, the features - let me remind you of just some of them:

• GPS and aGPS
• Bluetooth™ technology
• Modem
• USB support
• Wi-Fi™
• DLNA™ support, letting you share your pics and vids wirelessly across hundreds of other devices
  
• Video streaming, recording and playback
  
• Bluetooth 2.0
• MP3 player
• FM radio
• GeoTagging and mobile blogging features
• TV-Out
  

Did I mention the 8 megapixel camera?! Yes? Well what about the following camera-specific magic:

• 8.1 megapixel camera
• Xenon flash
• Auto focus Face detection
• Smart contrast
• Image stabilizer
• Red-eye reduction
• BestPic™
• Digital zoom – up to 16x
• Photo fix
• Photo flash
• Photo light
• Video light
• Video recording
• Video stabilizer

What all this means is that the Sony Ericsson C905 isn't just a camera phone - it's actually more camera than phone, and is set raise the bar for camera phone when it launches in October.

The Sony Ericsson C905 camera

An 8 megapixel camera takes photos at a resolution of 3264 x 2448 pixels, which leads to photos that can be blown up to ridiculous sizes without loss of resolution or detail. However, in doing so, any shortcomings from the camera are also made immediately apparent. So confident are Sony Ericsson with the quality of their C905's pics, though, that during its launch they displayed its photos on A3 display boards - that's 297mm x 420mm - and there wasn't a trace of any picture degradation.

The C905's face detection feature will also ensure that people's faces always remain in focus when you're taking a pic, regardless of whether there's one, two or three people in the shot. Apparently, it'll even recognize ugly people, although really ugly people may cause it to throw a bit of a wobbly!

There's the usual array of image improvement software, including digital stabilization, smart contrast (which helps ensure you don't over-expose your subject) and red-eye reduction. There are also several different modes that you can shoot with, including panorama for extra wide shots.

There are even a couple of applications that make use of the camera in innovative ways. CamPlus, for example, is a Java application that lets you take time-lapse photographs of a sense at time intervals that you define, and also lets you take photos whenever any motion is detected within the camera's field of vision. Imagine the fun you could have with this!!

The picture above was taken by the C905 and published on Flickr. There aren't that many sample photos taken with the C905 yet, as it hasn't officially been launched, but you can find a few over at Flickr (note that some of the pics that have incorrect colours are due to the C905 unit in question being a prototype, which hadn't had its colour imaging adjusted correctly at the time the picture was taken).

Things you can do with the Sony Ericsson C905

What's exciting me the most with the C905 isn't just the amazing picture quality, it's the combination of the camera and all the features that the phone contains. HSDPA and WiFi, for example, will let you upload the pictures at high-speed no matter where you are. The aGPS device will let you GeoTag your pictures so you can view them by location as well as by time.

Better still is the DLNA compatibility, which lets the C905 communicate and share media with a variety of other home entertainment devices, such as a PlayStation 3. For example, you can wirelessly connect the C905 to a PS3, and using DLNA, use the PS3's controller to browse through the C905's videos (it records at 30 frames per second) and pictures, which are displayed on your TV. DLNA is also available in other devices including HDTVs and HiFis, all of which are able to seamlessly share the videos and pics contained within the C905.

Sony Ericsson C905 reviews across the Web

It's a bit early for proper in-depth reviews of the C905, but here are what some of the people who've had early pre-release devices have been saying:

GSMArena had a hands-on test with the Sony Ericsson C905, and were "...highly excited by it even at this pre-release stage and we just can't wait to get our hands on a final unit. For now we are left with good impressions that we hope will be reaffirmed when we start a full featured review some time in the future."

KnowYourMobile, meanwhile, were there at the press event, and were really impressed with the demos that they saw: "Overall then, the Sony Ericsson C905 is a very impressive looking mobile phone. Sony Ericsson has addressed most of the issues with the K850i and come up with a phone that feels good in the hand and does all the standard phone things well, but also boasts the highest specced camera on the market."

Availability and Sony Ericsson C905 Release date

The Sony Ericsson C905 release date is expected to be early October, with October 7th being the most likely date.

• You can see a video and read more about the offers that will be available for the Sony Ericsson C905 at Phones4U.co.uk
• Alternatively, you can see more offers and read a comprehensive Sony Ericsson C905 review at DialAPhone.

Both companies will have their hands on the C905 as soon as it's released, so check back there often in early October to be the first to get one.

Given that the old T610 was released five years ago, comparing it to the new T700 gives an excellent impression of just how far phones have come in the past five years. So read on after the jump for a direct comparison between the T610 and T700.

Sony Ericsson T700

First up, the new T700. It's a mid-range candybar phone, just like its predecessor, that even adopts the old T610's looks. It's thinned down a bit since the old days though, as the T700 is 10mm thin compared to the T610's positively obese 19mm.

The T700 isn't brimming with features, but you do get a decent 3.2 megapixel camera, 2" TFT screen, 512MB of memory, MP3 player, external speakers, video recorder and player.

More impressively, the T700 is a quad-band GSM phone that also comes with HSDPA, meaning you can download videos over the air at 3.2Mbps and watch them quickly after starting the download, or even stream them direct to your phone over the air.

In short, it's a nice mid-range phone with a good feature set that looks good and should be rather cheap when it's launched. The Sony Ericsson T700 release date is set for the first part of Q4 2008 (i.e. October!)

Sony Ericsson T610

Now for the fun part. We've seen what the T700 will offer when it comes out in a few months' time. What did the T610 offer for the same money five years ago?

• The T700's camera offers 3.2 megapixels. The T610? Just 352 x 288 pixels. That's a 0.1 megapixel camera, for those of you who prefer megapixellage!
• The screen of the T700 is a 2" TFT screen offering 240 x 320 pixels and 262,144 colours, whereas the old T610 was only an old STN screen offering 65,000 colours and a screen size of just 128 x 160 pixels!
• The T610's browser offered only WAP support (for those of you who remember it); there was no HTML web browsing, but then you wouldn't want it, as the fastest download speeds the T610 could offer was just 40kbps. Ouch!
• Finally, storage. The T700 offers 512MB, whereas the T610 came with a laughable 2MB of onboard storage.

Sony Ericsson T700 vs Sony Ericsson T610

Put another way, the T700 offers a camera with a resolution 3,100% times better; a screen that's 275% bigger; a data transfer rate that's 7,900% faster than the T610; and a 25,500% increase in storage capacity! Add to that all the other fancy extras of the T700 (video playback, recording, streaming, MP3 player, stereo speakers, radio, Bluetooth streaming, and full Web browsing), and it's pretty clear that we really have come a long, long way in just five years.

[Source: GMSArena]

Unlike the W902, though, which Sony Ericsson are touting as a premium handset (even though it's just a mid-range one!), the W595 and W302 are designed for more sensitive wallets, and so are cheaper and come with fewer features.

More details after the jump.

Sony Ericsson W595

The W595 comes with a 2GB memory stick compared with the W902's 8GB stick, a 3.2 megapixel camera and a "share jack", which lets another person plug their device into your W595 and play its music through the W595's speakers. Yes, I know you should be able to do this with Bluetooth rather than with something as old fashioned as wires, but I did say this was a cheaper phone!

Interestingly, the W595 also comes with HSDPA so the only real difference from the W902 is the smaller camera and the smaller Memory stick that comes with it. We'll have to wait until the reviews come in to see if there are any more differences between the two. If there aren't, it might be more sensible to buy either the W595 or the W980, which will be Sony Ericsson's top end Walkman phone, with the W902 kind of falling between two stools.

The Sony Ericsson W595 release date is Q4 2008.

Sony Ericsson W302

Finally, we have the Sony Ericsson W302, a cheapy Walkman phone that really does celebrate three years of the Walkman phone by having the same set of specs as the original three year old models (2 megapixel camera, 512MB storage, and that's your lot!).

That said, it does look extremely good, which given its expected low price should see it fly off the shelves. You can think of it as a modern update on the old W800, for those of you who remember that - just a lot cheaper!

You also get the following features:

• Walkman™ player – music on the go
• FM Radio –Just plug in the handsfree, turn on the FM radio and tune in
• Premium style and design – compact metal finish and only10.5mm wide
• 2 megapixel camera – capture your favourite moments forever
• Bluetooth™ Stereo – send & listen your music wirelessly

The Sony Ericsson W302 release date is also Q4 2008.

More details and pictures of the Sony Ericsson W902 after the jump.

Sony Ericsson W902 overview

The Sony Ericsson W902 is a high end Walkman phone, and so it's not just great sound quality you can expect from the device.

The W902 also comes with a 5 megapixel camera, 2.2" QVGA screen, an 8GB Memory Stick Micro that'll store up to 8,000 tunes, video playback and HSDPA.

And, er, that's about it! In their press release, Sony Ericsson bang on quite a bit about "...pioneering features that take Walkman™ phones beyond music and expectations...", but turns out to be just the camera and the video. Not exactly innovative!

The W902 does come with Shake control, which lets you change to a different tune just by shaking the phone, and SensMe, which matches the music it selects to your mood, but these have already been seen in other Walkman phones, so again, nothing particularly innovative.

It's a good looking phone, without question, and with its range of features it'll do most things that you'd want from a music phone. I'm just not sure it's as innovative as Sony Ericsson are making out! If you want a really really high performing Walkman phone, you'll need to wait for the Sony Ericsson W980, which apparently will be announced very soon. Of course, that'll be a much more expensive phone than the W902, so the choice is yours, I guess.

Sony Ericsson W902 press release

No longer do you need to make a choice between music, media and imaging when picking your next phone. Compromise is now a thing of the past thanks to Sony Ericsson’s new W902 Walkman™, a phone that goes beyond music and gives users everything they need in one pocket-sized stylish device. Downsize your bag, free your pockets and leave your music player and camera at home - use the premium W902 phone to play your favourite tunes, snap those precious moments or watch crystal clear video on the bright, scratch-resistant 2.2” QVGA display.

“We all want more from our mobile phones than ever before.” said Ben Padley, Head of the Music Category at Sony Ericsson, “If you love music but don’t want to compromise on imaging and video, we have used our expertise as music phone specialists to give users a truly multimedia experience with this latest phone. The W902 is one of our most high-performing phones yet and perfect for those who want it all.”

The W902 delivers music as it was meant to be heard through Sony Ericsson’s revolutionary clear audio experience. With crystal clear sound quality and a dramatically richer bass, together with Sony Ericsson premium headphones, HPM-77 included in-box, your favourite tracks will sound better than ever. The W902 features the same superior sound quality as the W980, about to launch shortly, which was rated ”best audio experience” this month, in a trial conducted in Germany by TESTfactory**.

List of features

• Outstanding music sound – Clear Stereo + Clear Bass+ premium headphones = clear audio experience
• Retro music navigation keys – skip forward, back, play and pause with the push of a button
• Crystal clear video playback
• 5 megapixel camera – snap your stills and videos
• Scratch-resistant 2.2” QVGA screen and lens - made with mineral glass
• 8GB Memory Stick Micro™ (M2) for more than 8,000 songs

The Sony Ericsson W902 release date is scheduled for Q4 2008.