Android Thoughts: Engadget Reviews The Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc: They're Getting Better

"Like all good things Sony Ericsson, the Xperia Arc didn't wait for an official announcement to make itself known."

There are two product names that are not allowed in my house, Apple and Sony. I've been burned enough by the "if you don't buy all of our stuff it really isn't going to work well for you" ecosystem. Memory Stick anyone? Though it appears that if you try and squeeze a little Ericsson into the mix things aren't quite as bad.

All of Sony Ericsson's Android exploits to date have been what I would call a borderline tragedy. Horribly outdated versions of Android, terribly slow and buggy custom UIs, and not a drop of support or even an update. The Arc on the other hand might actually be an okay device. Almost. It's still skinned to death yet the most annoying features of SE's previous Android adventures, Time Scape and Media Scape, have been reduced to simple widgets which you can quickly drag to the trash (where they belong). You are then left with a somewhat stock, yet overly skinned, Android experience. An absolute surprise is that the device will actually ship with the latest version of Android, 2.3! The SE launcher can be fixed with some Launcher Pro love, so if you can get passed the mess they've made of the stock messaging and contact apps and such this might not be too bad of a smart phone. What are your thoughts on Sony Ericsson's latest Android attempt?