Even though the Android 2.1 update has so far only been made available to X10 owners who have Norwegian handsets, or SEUS Pro account holders the folks over at XDA-Developers have found a way around this. In fact two ways around it have been found. Unfortunately neither method works for the Xperia X10a, so folks in Canada or America are out of luck for the time being. However if you have an X10i, there are two ways to get Android 2.1 quicker than what Sony Ericsson are releasing. The first method is to debrand your handset to Nordic firmware which involves flashing your phone. Complete instructions on how to do this can be found here. Once debranded, you can start SEUS up and it should then say you have an update and will proceed to install Android 2.1 on to your handset.
The second method may be slightly easier for some. You will however need to have a rooted handset. With one click root apps released for the Xperia X10, this shouldn’t be too much of a problem. Once rooted, you’ll need to download Root Explorer from the Android Market. Once installed you’ll need to edit some code within the system/default.prop file. Complete instructions can be found here. Likewise, once connected to SEUS it should now tell you that there is an update for the handset as this essentially installs the Nordic firmware on your phone. Depending on which region your handset currently is there may not be much of a difference, or there might be. Many users have expressed that there isn’t any difference between the Nordic firmware and the UK firmware.
If you do decide to go ahead with this, it’s very likely that this could void your warranty, so proceed with caution if you really can’t wait any longer for the Android 2.1 kit to be released for your handset.