Sony Announces the Budget Xperia E1 Smartphone

Sony is announcing a new budget-phone for the music-loving crowd with the Xperia E1. The phone is its first in a long time to come with a dedicated Walkman key and a crazy loud loudspeaker.

The display you get upfront is 4″ large and comes with uninspiring 800 x 480 resolution, which only reaffirms the phone’s starter status in the Xperia line-up. The 12mm thick body and the absence of a front-facing camera further clears any doubts left.

Upon scratching the surface (just kidding) there is a 1.2Ghz dual-core SnapDragon MSM8210 processor with 512 MB RAM and 4 GB expandable storage.

Around the back is a 3 mp camera with WVGA video recording. The biggest attraction there is the gargantuan loudspeaker capable of emitting sounds as much as 100dB loud. Coupled with that are the shake-to-shuffle controls and a dedicated Walkman key.

Here are the full specs of the phone:

• Customized Android 4.3 Jelly Bean
• 4″ display with 480 x 800 resolution
• 120g heavy
• 12mm thick
• Optional dual-sim compatibility
• 1.2Ghz dual-core SnapDragon MSM8210 processor
• 512 MB RAM and 4 GB expandable storage
• 3 mp rear-camera with WVGA video recording
• 100 dB loud speaker and dedicated Walkman button
• microUSB, 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 3.0
• Available in Black, White and Purple
• 1750 mAh battery

The phone will be released in the coming few weeks with an unannounced price tag. A dual-sim version will also follow later onwards.