Let's just get this out in the open: The Sony Ericsson Aspen left us wanting. Maybe we were blinded by our desire to see a new front-facing QWERTY Windows phone with a touchscreen, just like mama (erm, Palm and others) used to make. Instead what we got was a so-so keyboard with a touchscreen-optimized operating system on a 2.4-inch diagonal screen. Even those of you with small hands would find hitting the tiny icons on the screen a little ridiculous.

Still, the name of the game with Sony Ericsson this week has been "Think small" -- at least in the physical size of its phones. And that definitely was achieved here. See what we mean after the break.

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We're expecting to get a better look the Sony Ericsson Aspen in just a few short days at Mobile World Congress. But in the meantime, Russian YouTuber Zavackiy managed to get his hands on a couple of them. It's good to see Windows Mobile 6.5.3 in action on a front-facing QWERTY device, but the hexagonal start menu looks like a pretty inefficient use of space at such as small screen size. See for yourself after the break. [via Engadget]

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Sony Ericsson this morning announced the Aspen, the front-facing QWERTY keyboard phone we previously saw as the Faith. What's more, this is the first Windows Mobile phone to officially launch with Windows Mobile Professional 6.5.3 (and that solves the mystery of what version number would be next). It's also the first front-facing keyboard phone with a touchscreen that we've seen in a while.

You will be able to pick up the Aspen in either "Iconic Black" or "White Silver," and it will be available in the second quarter in "selected markets." Where those markets are, we don't yet know, nor do we know pricing. Chances are we'll get a better look at this guy soon at Mobile World Congress.

Video, specs and full presser after the break.

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