Many of you will agree that Sony Ericsson Xperia X1 and T-Mobile G1 – the first smartphone to run on Google's Android platform – are two of the most expected mobile devices of 2008. The handsets also have about the same target, since they're both touchscreen enabled and come with full QWERTY keyboards. 

So it's kind of obvious that there will be lots of users who might find it difficult to chose between the two – supposing that we're talking about users in need of high-end QWERTY-equipped smartphones, of course.

Luckily, a side-by-side set of photos with the G1 and the X1 has recently appeared on the Dutch website JouwMobiel, so now we can easily see the main differences between them. 

It's worth noting that, although the G1 and the X1 come under different brands, they are actually built by the same manufacturer – HTC, the Taiwanese company that has sealed production agreements with both Sony Ericsson and T-Mobile/Google.

At first glance, the G1 looks kind of cheap beside the elegant Xperia X1, and it's also a bit bigger. Thus, when it comes to design, the latter scores higher. But the design is by no means everything in a mobile device, so let's run over the features of the two handsets.

The display of G1 is a bit bigger than the one of Xperia X1: 3.2 inches as opposed to 3.0 inches. But the screen of X1 has a wide 480 x 800 resolution, while G1's display only supports a 320 x 480 pixel resolution, so it looks like the winner here is Xperia X1. 

Connectivity-wise, the two smartphones are kind of the same, coming with support for quad-band GSM frequencies as well as HSDPA. Moreover, both devices have internal GPS, A-GPS and Wi-Fi, though G1 also offers Google Street View and a digital compass, two features that might attract some users on its side.

In terms of photography, the smartphones are, again, similar, as they each pack a 3.2 Megapixel camera with auto focus and video recording. The X1 has a flash too, and that should be an advantage for those who need to take pictures in low-light conditions.

When it comes to storage space, none of the handsets have a really big internal memory, so users will have to rely on external cards if they want to carry a lot of content with the devices.

In the end, the T-Mobile G1 vs. Sony Ericsson Xperia X1 "fight" is also related to the OS: T-Mo's smartphone runs on Google's open source Android platform, while the X1 is a proud runner of Windows Mobile 6.1. The two Operating Systems allow users to install a myriad of third-party applications, so they're both cool from this point of view.

Of course, for one to actually decide which smartphone is better, both G1 and X1 should be seen and tested in "real life", as there are lots of other aspects to take into consideration. Still, the above-mentioned stuff can represent a solid source for you to decide over the handsets.

Both Xperia X1 and G1 are set for release in lots of markets around the world, although Sony Ericsson's smartphone will probably get to reach more countries – since the G1 is T-Mobile bound and the magenta carrier operates only across Europe and the US.

As a bonus for the side-by-side images with X1 and G1, here's a hands-on video with the latter (in Dutch, unfortunately):