Sony Ericsson has announced its hotly anticipated follow up to the XPERIA X1 smartphone — the XPERIA X2 — will launch in Australia in "early Q4".

One of the first smartphones to be shipped with Windows Mobile 6.5, the XPERIA X2 promises a "best in class" e-mail and multimedia experience. It is a full touch screen smartphone with a slide-out QWERTY keyboard. The XPERIA X2 also has an 8.1-megapixel camera, a 3.2in display, built-in GPS, Wi-Fi and HSDPA connectivity.

The Sony Ericsson XPERIA X1 was a well built-handset with a strong feature set, but suffered lag and slowdown that resulted in an overly frustrating user experience. The XPERIA X2 is set to benefit largely from Windows Mobile 6.5, though it includes the same processor and memory specifications as its predecessor.

Among the XPERIA X2's new features is SlideView, providing quick access to frequently used phone applications, including contacts and messages. XPERIA's panel system — first seen in the X1 — has been expanded to include 14 preloaded panels from the likes of Skype, Google and CNN; there are 16 panels available for download.

"The XPERIA X2 brings together best in class technologies for people on the move," said Steve Wilson of Sony Ericsson. "Today more than ever, people need to seamlessly switch between their work and private lives and the XPERIA X2’s unique panels allow them to do this in one touch."

Sony Ericsson also announced the XPERIA X2 will come with a dedicated after-sales support service, called XPERIA Services. In addition to a service that allows handsets to be replaced under warranty even if the user has travelled abroad, XPERIA Services provides walkthroughs and troubleshooting guides for the smartphone's users.