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Last month, Sony Ericsson was vocally denying reports that its flagship launch this year, the Xperia X1 Windows handset, was delayed. Now, however, it admits that the product will be released as promised on September 30, but only through restricted channels in key markets like the UK. Nonetheless, the phonemaker is planning a major marketing initiative around the smartphone, as it fights for attention in the pre-Christmas buying period among other high profile new arrivals like the Nokia N96 and Samsung i850.

In the UK, O2 and Vodafone will offer the Xperia X1, which has been hotly anticipated since it was unveiled back in February, from the end of this month. Orange will also have the phone, but only through indirect channels, mainly Phones4U. T-Mobile and 3 will not have the product in Q4. Dave Hilton, marketing director for SE in the UK and Ireland, said in an interview: "As part of a plan to launch the Xperia X1 this year we had to limit the release. Come Q1, there will be resources to range it elsewhere. As it was a fairly late project, only limited networks could be involved, but it will be available to the large retailers and a small amount will go through distribution for other retailers."

Like Nokia, SE will rely on video and music promotions and film tie-ins to promote its current favorite child. Most importantly, the handset will feature in the upcoming new James Bond movie, Quantum of Solace - SE has worked with the Bond franchise before, but saw its thunder stolen in the summer when the Nokia N96 took a prominent role in the latest Batman fim, The Dark Knight. Bond actor Daniel Craig will carry a special edition silver C902 version of the X1 in Quantum, and the device will feature in TV, cinema, outdoor and press ads as well as in-store promotion in O2 outlets.

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