Sony Ericsson and Billabong clothing partner for special edition Xperia

Designed to target extreme sports enthusiasts.

Sportswear label Billabong is a popular brand among surfers, skateboarders and snowboarders, and Sony Ericsson has teamed up with the firm in order to reach out to the extreme sports market.

The pair have partnered for the Xperia active Billabong Edition smartphone, which has features including a durable scratch-resistant body, dustproof, and water resistance enabling wet finger tracking.

Stephan Croix, VP and head of global marketing creation for Sony Ericsson, said: "Billabong brings a new, enthusiastic and engaging audience who are early technology adopters and influencers in the areas of sports and technology. This partnership is a perfect fit with our brand and the XperiaTM range of smartphones."

Wearers of Billabong are described as being tech-savvy with interests including music, photography and social networking in addition to the extreme sports and it's for these reasons that the companies believe the device will appeal to consumers.

Scott Wallace, Billabong's international VP of strategic partnerships & new media, said: "We're working on some exciting apps and accessories that should add to the user's experience. The first to benefit will be the athletes at our major international events who will be testing the XperiaTM active device in conditions as diverse as the snowfields in Austria, surfing the big waves of Tahiti and even skateboarding in Singapore."