Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Area Mobile C905 review



Area Mobile has put up a test review of the C905. They liked it and they have a lot of pictures, both of the phone and picture samples. The following is a video review they did of it. Click the link on the bottom to get the review in German. Use your favorite translator to change the language if needed.



Link

C905 unboxing video

Rog over at SE Community has put up a C905 unboxing video. Very nice.

12MP Kokura coming out in 2009, QWERTY Cybershot too...



Kokura is the code name for the 12MP, iPhone like touchscreen interface, Symbian 9.4, TI3430 chipset, S60 coming out in 2009. This may just be a rumour, but SE is going to pump at least one 10MP+ phone in 2009 guaranteed. Also interesting is Yurika, the Cybershot QWERTY phone with S60 touch interface too. 2009 is going to be a great year.

News reaches of a new Sony Ericsson CyberShot phone being worked on for 2009. Currently codenamed the Kokura, it will apparently feature a whopping 12 megapixel camera, come complete with a touchscreen and iPhone-like interface, and will be based on the TI3240 chipset with the Symbian OS version 9.4 and S60 interface.

Also from the same source comes news of another Sony Ericsson CyberShot phone currently codenamed the Yurika. Apparently, this will be a message-based phone designed for the "yoof" market, and so will feature on easy access to Facebook, Yahoo!, YouTube, etc. As it's based aroud messaging, the Yurika will come with a slide-out QWERTY keyboard as well as a touchscreen and similar iPhone-like interface (again, based on S60) to the Kokura.

Interestingly, it'll move away from Memory Sticks towards the more universal SD card storage format, which represents a departure from Sony Ericsson's existing strategy of sticking with Sony's proprietary storage technology.

That said, neither phone will come with mini USB socket or 3.5mm headphone jack, relying instead on Sony Ericsson's usual proprietary connector, so they've not exactly rushed to embrace more open technology.
Truth or dare

Now, how true are these rumours? I received the tip via email, with no pictures and no indication of where the information came from, so they are, at these stage,entirely unverified rumours. However, the details in the tip aren't just very detailed: they're also mundane in parts as well, which to me, adds to their credibility.

By mundane, I mean specifying the TI chipset and the bit about the headphone jack. Anyone can invent a wishlist of amazing features, but including details about chipsets and what connectors a phone will have reveals a surprising level of detail that your average fanboy would never think of dreaming up.

The phones themselves fit rather well with Sony Ericsson's portfolio, too. Having announced a 12 megapixel camera phone for this year, it should be no surprise that a 12 megapixel one is being worked on, regardless of whether it'll be the Kokura or not.

So I'll remain skeptical until I can find out more about the source of these rumours, but my hunch is that they're not too far from the truth.


Link

Monday, September 29, 2008

More pics of W705 Rika

Here are some more pics of the upcoming W705 codenamed Rika in a nice red.


Sony Ericsson to lay off 450 employees Research Triangle Park, NC



Not good times at Sony Ericsson.


Sony Ericsson will lay off 450 workers from its Research Triangle Park location, the headquarters of the company’s North American operations.

Workers were told of the news Monday morning in a mandatory all-staff meeting at the Sheraton Imperial Hotel in Durham.

Aldo Ligouri, Sony Ericsson’s head of global communications and public relations, confirmed the layoffs. Ligouri says the RTP cuts are part of company-wide changes that Sony Ericsson announced in July. At that time, the company said it would lay off 2,000 workers worldwide to adjust to tough market conditions.

“This is our map of how we see things moving forward,” Ligouri said.

The company has about 750 workers in RTP, which serves as a key Sony Ericsson R&D hub. The handset maker, a joint venture between Japan’s Sony (NYSE: SNE) and Sweden’s Ericsson (Nasdaq: ERIC), has struggled in recent quarters. Waning demand for its high-end phones and product delays brought down profit to 6 million euros in the second quarter, down from 220 million euros a year earlier.

Sales also slumped in that quarter, to 2.82 billion euros, from 3.11 billion euros in the second quarter of 2007.


Link

Sunday, September 28, 2008

IDP-100 Preview

Rog over at SE Community has put together a video preview of the IDP-100 digital photo frame. Looks very interesting.

Sony Ericsson IDP-100 Preview - Functions, Settings and more

Thursday, September 25, 2008

Whats Sony Ericsson up to...

ZDNet UK has put up a 2 part article on the status of Sony Ericsson.

Key points
-Android not coming to SE, have other devices coming on Windows and later Symbian
-PlayNow Plus and Arena are coming out shortly
-Project Capuchin
-TransferJet
-Near Field Communication

Part 1
Part 2

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Sony Ericsson Official Mobile Handset of FIFA World Cup 2010

Lund, Sweden – September 24, 2008 –Sony Ericsson, a 50:50 joint venture by Sony, a FIFA Partner, and Ericsson, announces today that it has been appointed the Official Mobile Phone Handset of the 2010 FIFA World Cup™. This appointment is effective immediately and forms part of the Digital Life category, which FIFA Partner Sony Corporation, one of Sony Ericsson’s parent companies, acquired in 2005.

Speaking in Lund, Sweden, to an assembled audience of journalists, Lennard Hoornik, Corporate Vice President and Head of Global Marketing said, “We are very excited about this announcement. At Sony Ericsson we feel we are uniquely placed to be a champion of football fans worldwide, using the marketing and promotional rights this agreement grants us to make Sony Ericsson handsets and accessories an integral part of the fan experience. Our role in football will be to use our sponsorship to innovate the experience of fans and give them greater access to football."

The Sony Ericsson sponsorship runs to the end of 2010 and includes the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ in South Africa. As the official mobile handset of the 2010 FIFA World Cup™, Sony Ericsson will enjoy various category exclusive rights globally and will be designated a FIFA World Cup™ Sponsor. Sony Ericsson will also have access to other FIFA properties.

The agreement with FIFA enables Sony Ericsson to partner with one of the world’s most popular sports and adds to the existing Sony Ericsson sponsorship portfolio. Sony Ericsson will apply the knowledge gathered from its continuing successful sponsorship of the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour, the largest sponsorship of professional women’s sport, to engage with consumers through new and exciting experiences.

Hoornik added, "The 2010 FIFA World Cup is one of the world's leading sporting events and is watched across the world by millions of fans. It will be these fans that we focus our engagement in football on; using our relationship with FIFA and our handsets to enable them to get closer to the game in new ways and enjoy the 2010 FIFA World Cup. We are looking forward to using our handsets to capture and share their football experiences."

Sony Ericsson will announce further details of its FIFA World Cup™ sponsorship plans in due course.


Link

5MP Kate spotted




A 5mp candybar codenamed "Kate" as surfaced. Basically this is a C902 but with newer software in the form of Java 8.4 like the C905 and G705. Xenon flash is included along with QuadBand GSM and UMTS/HSDPA. No GPS, no frontal camera, but it does have a button to switch from still, video, and gallery in the camera app. Camera also has the Smile shutter feature. This should be announced in October along with some other mid/high end phones. Should also come out in time for the holidays.

PlayNow arena expand to more countries




Sony Ericsson adds unlimited music download service to its PlayNow™ brand and expands PlayNow™ arena to new countries

24 September 2008

PlayNow™ arena opens its doors in 5 new countries in the fourth quarter of 2008

Lund, Sweden—September 24th 2008—Sony Ericsson today announced the launch of PlayNow™ plus, a super-fast, high-quality music download service for Sony Ericsson customers, available for use on both phones and
PCs. The service is due to launch commercially with
operator Telenor in Sweden in the fourth quarter of this year, with further roll-outs around the world beginning in early 2009. A special edition of the Sony Ericsson W902 Walkman™ phone will be the first product released with an integrated PlayNow™ plus service.

PlayNow™ plus is due to set a new standard for the unlimited mobile music experience, with unrivalled download speeds, high-quality audio and access to the largest music catalogue of any unlimited download service. The service draws from Sony Ericsson’s collaboration with Omnifone and licensing terms have been agreed with all major international music labels—including EMI, Sony BMG, Universal Music Group, and Warner Music – as well as thousands of local music labels.

PlayNow™ plus will guarantee truly unlimited, ‘all-you-can-eat’ access to millions of music tracks. While in the service, subscribers will be able to recommend their music tastes to others in the PlayNow™ plus community, and at the end of their contract they will keep a number of tracks—DRM-free—from their most played favourites.

PlayNow™ plus is designed as the world’s easiest unlimited music service to manage as whatever you do on either your phone or your PC may be reflected on the other device. To add to the discovery and community aspects of PlayNow™ plus, TrackID™ charts, generated by Sony Ericsson consumers around the world, are also included. To kick-start the PlayNow™ plus experience right out of the box, Sony Ericsson plans to include, as part of the service, up to 1000 of recent popular tracks, both locally and globally, with each PlayNow™ plus phone.

PlayNow™arena expands

PlayNow™ arena, Sony Ericsson’s multimedia service which launched successfully in the Nordic countries on August 25th, will now also be opening its doors in the UK, the Netherlands, Belgium, Austria and Switzerland in the fourth quarter this year. On board for the expansion and adding to the music offer in the existing PlayNow™ arena markets is Universal Music Group with its massive catalogue that includes many of the world’s best selling artists. This important addition also means that PlayNow™ arena will be one of the first legal music services in these markets to offer DRM-free music from all of the major and independent labels.

"The launch of PlayNow arena is a milestone in a la carte music services to mobile phones”, said Rob Wells, Senior Vice President, Digital, at Universal Music Group International. The combination of TrackID and the variety of digital products on offer through PlayNow arena is a highly compelling proposition on its own, but when the full track downloads are available DRM-free, the offer is even more compelling for consumers."

Rikko Sakaguchi, Senior Vice President and Head of Creation & Development at Sony Ericsson comments on the market expansion and catalogue addition:
"Expanding our PlayNow service portfolio by adding PlayNow plus and by launching PlayNow arena in Belgium, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Austria and the UK during the fourth quarter, are key elements of the Sony Ericsson service strategy. These steps and the addition of Universal's catalogue to the music offering in both services gives us every possibility to provide customers and consumers with what we feel is important and requested - an unparalleled user experience on Sony Ericsson devices."

Two propositions

PlayNow™ plus is the ideal service for the casual listener offering unlimited access to every kind of music and the freedom of discovery.

PlayNow™ arena provides the full range of mobile entertainment: an unparalleled mobile games offering; unique themes and wall papers; traditional and specially developed ring tones and music tones; a wealth of free content and of course; DRM-free music tracks and TrackID charts from around the world. PlayNow™ arena is the one-stop-shop for the collector and is open for everyone.

Partner quotes
Rob Lewis, CEO, Omnifone, commented; "Whilst Sony Ericsson handsets are already famous for their legendary audio playback quality, it is the addition of unlimited music, anytime, anyplace, that turns them into the next generation mobile music experience. We are delighted to have been chosen by Sony Ericsson, and to be working closely with them, to herald a new era in mass-market digital music”.
”The PlayNow Plus service offers music fans an innovative and exciting new way to explore SONY BMG’s rich catalogue,” commented Thomas Hesse, President, Global Digital Business and U.S. Sales, SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT. “With such a vast collection of songs accessible through their mobile phones, consumers will have the opportunity to enjoy their favorites and also discover new music and new artists. We think this service is a great solution for consumers because it makes the listening and discovery experience more fun than ever before.”

Eric Daugan, Vice President, Digital Business, Warner Music EMEA, commented "Sony Ericsson and Omnifone have both separately pioneered the evolution of mobile music, so we’re delighted to now be working with their combined expertise on this highly innovative service. By bringing together a simple, compelling user experience with first –class music-enabled devices, Play Now Plus is a hugely attractive consumer offer and represents an exciting step forward for mobile entertainment. This wide-ranging music service will be a powerful platform through which fans will be empowered to quickly and easily discover, explore and enjoy our artists’ music wherever they are, whenever they want."

Ian Whitfield, VP Digital Business Development for EMI Music: "As the digital music market continues to evolve, EMI's role is to bring artists and their fans closer together by giving consumers innovative, effective and legal ways to enjoy our artists' music how they want to and PlayNow Plus is a perfect example of this. With the experience and reach of Sony Ericsson behind it, PlayNow Plus is a very exciting new service for music consumers and we're very pleased to give it our support."


Link

PlayNow Plus unlimited music download service



Today Sony Ericsson announced a new version of PlayNow, PlayNow Plus which features unlimited access to a wealth of music.

Sony Ericsson launches PlayNow™ plus - unlimited music download service

24 September 2008 PlayNow™ plus to launch with Telenor in Sweden in fourth quarter this year

Lund, Sweden—September 24th 2008—Sony Ericsson today announced the launch of PlayNow™ plus, which will offer users the ultimate mobile music experience with the freedom to discover, download, play and recommend unlimited amounts of music wherever they are and whenever they like, directly over the mobile data network.

PlayNow™ plus is due to set a new standard for the unlimited music experience on a mobile with unrivalled download speeds, high-quality audio and access to the largest music catalogue of any unlimited download service. Sony Ericsson’s PlayNow™ plus music service guarantees ‘all-you-can-eat’ unlimited access to millions of music tracks.

PlayNow™ plus is very easy to use, with millions of songs available on your PC or phone at the click of a button. No need for cables, PlayNow™ plus offers simplicity and a great out of box experience with 1000 of the best selling songs already in the phone.

Instant satisfaction:

  • Turn on the PlayNow™ plus phone and start to browse, download, and play unlimited amounts of music—anytime, anywhere
  • PlayNow™ plus brings you 1000 of the recent most popular songs, both locally and globally, already preloaded and access to millions more.
  • Using the latest high speed mobile networks you can now enjoy super fast downloads. Music is downloaded to your phone in seconds.

Enjoy music on the move and at home:

  • As well as being able to browse millions of tracks on your phone, a complimentary PC player is available allowing you to download and play as much music as you like on your PC.

Ease of Use:

  • There is no more need for slow and cumbersome cables to get music from your PC onto your phone. Send your favourite playlist from home to phone in a matter of seconds.

Keep your favourite music forever:

  • Keep your most-played music tracks at the end of your contract to play whenever you like on whatever MP3 compatible player you have.

Share the experience:

  • Create your own profile, recommend your music to your PlayNow™ plus friends, and catch up on the latest music news with direct links to artists and their songs.
  • To add to the discovery and community aspects of PlayNow plus, TrackID™ charts, generated by Sony Ericsson consumers around the world, are also included.

“All mobile consumers want to have content on their phone, but many find the experience difficult, slow and time consuming,” said Lennard Hoornik, Corporate Vice President and Head of Marketing at Sony Ericsson. “With PlayNow™ plus, there will be no more barriers, we’re giving consumers the freedom to instantly discover, download, play and recommend all the music they want—anytime, anywhere.”

The service is due to launch commercially with operator Telenor in Sweden in the fourth quarter of this year, with further roll-outs around the world beginning in 2009. A special edition of the Sony Ericsson W902 Walkman™ phone including the PlayNow™ plus service will be the first phone to be launched. Sony Ericsson will include, as part of the service, 1000 of the recent most popular digital songs, with each Sony Ericsson W902 Walkman™ with PlayNow™ plus for Telenor in Sweden. Pre-loaded music offers are also planned for subsequent PlayNow™ plus-enabled phones.

“As a mobile operator our main objective is to enable easy-to-access services to our customers. PlayNow™ plus is accessible anywhere, rich in content and easy for our customers to control through the flat-rate pricing. We are convinced this service will take the mobile music experience to a new level”, said Gunilla Dyrhage, Head of Marketing, Consumer, Telenor Sweden.

The Telenor offer for the launch in Sweden includes:

  • Unlimited access to millions of songs
  • Sony Ericsson W902 Walkman™ phone: 5 mega pixel autofocus camera,8GB storage capacity, Clear audio experience
  • 1000 of the recent most popular local and global digital songs preloaded
  • At the end of the subscription, the consumer will keep a large number of their most played songs, forever that can be played on any MP3 player
Link

MBW-200 Women watches announced




Today, Sony Ericsson announced the MBW-200 line of watches tailored for woman. We have the Evening Classic which has a black face with a black leather strap. Contemporary Elegance which has a pattern face and stainless steel strap. Finally we have Sparkling Allure with a pearl like pattern face along with white crocidile leather strap. They all have the basic functions of vibrate alert, music control, text message viewing, caller id, etc.



Link

Monday, September 22, 2008

New XPERIA X1 videos

Rog over at SE Community has poster new videos showcasing different functions of the Sony Ericsson XPERIA X1. Enjoy.

Xperia X1 Google Maps & GPS possibilities


Xperia X1 Musicplayer


Xperia X1 Internet Browsing


Xperia X1 Illumination possibilities


Xperia X1 Camera UI


Xperia X1 1 panels

Saturday, September 20, 2008

New W595 colors revealed

SEMC Blog has posted a new pic showing all 6 colors of the W595 which is coming out soon.

Thursday, September 18, 2008

More W705 Rika pics



USEB has posted another shot of the upcoming Walkman slider, the W705 codenamed Rika. According to Michell Bak/Mizzle, this phone should be announced next month.

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

New Walkman phone spotted



Over at USEB, they have posted a pic of an upcoming Walkman phone just showing an angle shot of the screen. Is this the Walkman version of the G705 (W705)? Maybe we will find out in a few days....

Next announcement: Sept 23/24?



Could the next announcement take place in as little as 6 days? According to Mobilecowboys.nl, the next announcement is scheduled for September 23/24 when SE opens up its new Lund, Sweden building. This might not be anything big, but who knows.

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

XPERIA X1 Webcast video

From InExperia, we have a video of the September 15 webcast. I broke it into 3 parts for easy viewing. We see some demos and how the phone operates. Looks like SE did a good job with the panels.

Part 1


Part 2


Part 3

Sony Ericsson Bluetooth 2.1 coming 2009

Friday, September 12, 2008

New G705: web-enabled phone supporting Project Capuchin

On September 9, 2008, Sony Ericsson announced the new G705 phone – an elegant slider-style phone designed to deliver a premium web experience. The G705 is the second phone to support Sony Ericsson's Project Capuchin API and takes the number of phones supporting Sony Ericsson's Java™ Platform 8 (JP-8) and the Mobile Services Architecture (MSA) umbrella standard (JSR 248) to 20.

G705 in more detail
The Sony Ericsson G705 is a HSDPA slider-format phone designed to deliver a premium web experience. The G705 features a full HTML browser, Wi-Fi, web short-cut key for direct access to Google™ search, illuminated internet keypad short-cuts, landscape browsing with autorotation and RSS feed support.

The G705 also features a 320x240 pixel 262K TFT QVGA display, 3.2 megapixel camera, 120MB internal memory, GPS and a DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance) server to connect to compatible devices.

The G705 will be available during Q4 2008. The G705a for the Americas will be available during Q1 2009. The G705u is Sony Ericsson's first Unlicensed Mobile Access (UMA) enabled phone and is exclusively available through the operator Orange during Q4 2008.

Mobile Services Architecture (MSA) in 20 phone series
The announcement of the new G705 means that MSA full set can now be found in 20 Sony Ericsson phone series. All JP-8 phones are based on MIDP 2.1 and have the same core JSR set based on the Java umbrella standard MSA (JSR 248).

Sony Ericsson G705.

Sony Ericsson's Java Platform 8 (JP-8) phones are organized in three sub-categories – JP-8 (8.0-8.2), JP-8 (8.3) and JP-8 (8.4). There are currently 20 JP-8 phone series and JP-8.3 represents a sub-group of nine phones with some additional functionality supported by the Content Handler API (JSR 211) and Mobile Sensor API (JSR 256). The JP-8.3 phone models are the C702, C902, G502, T700, TM506, W760, W980, Z780 and Z770.

JP-8.4 is differentiated by including the Project Capuchin API and the new G705 joins the previously announced C905 Cyber-shot™ as Sony Ericsson's two phones that support JP-8.4.

The minor revisions to Sony Ericsson Java Platform 8 (8.1, 8.2) have consisted of minor improvements but 8.3 includes some additional features to cover security domains, PIMChangeListener, Mobile Sensor API (JSR 256) and the Content Handler (JSR 211). Read more>>

Project Capuchin
Sony Ericsson's recently announced Project Capuchin SDK is a set of APIs, a packaging tool, documents and getting-started tutorials that enables developers to bridge the Java™ ME and Adobe® Flash Lite™ programming environments and is available for download from the dedicated Project Capuchin Docs & Tools web section.

Sony Ericsson's Project Capuchin allows developers to combine the richness of both Java ME and Flash Lite by encapsulating Flash Lite content in Java ME applications making content created by Adobe Flash technology appear as Java ME applications.

The Project Capuchin API and the Swf2Jar tool make it possible to use Flash Lite as the presentation layer and Java ME as the application logic, meaning that Flash tools can be used for UI design while still having access to all the phone services available to Java ME.


Link

F305 Game List revealed



The Sony Ericsson F305 is delayed till November, but we now have that list of 50 extra games thanks to SEMC Blog. Click the link below for a PDF of the full list of games with pictures.

http://semcblog.com/downloads/F305_gamelist.pdf (2.08 Mb)

Cancelled W707 Alicia caught in wild

The canceled Sony Ericsson Walkman clamshell phone, the W707 aka Alicia, has been spotted over at SonyEricsson.Blog.Pl. This phone is similar to the W980 but without the built in 8GB and was slotted slightly lesser end. A unique feature include the 3rd display on the outside which was supposed to change according to what you were doing on the phone. This includes weather, music player, clock, and more.







Thursday, September 11, 2008

X1 Webcast countdown



Sony Ericsson has launched a countdown timer for the webcast on Monday, Sept 15 at 1pm GMT+1. Follow the link for more information

Link

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

XPERIA X1 coming Sept 30

Sony Ericsson has formally announced the release date of the X1, Sept 30 in parts of Europe.

Sony Ericsson announces launch dates for Xperia™ X1

10 September 2008

London, UK – 10 September 2008 – Sony Ericsson today announces 30 September 2008 as the official launch date for the highly anticipated Xperia™ X1 – initially available to consumers in the UK, Germany and Sweden. The handset will be available in other markets across Europe, Asia and Latin America throughout Q4 2008.

APAC

  • Indonesia, Singapore, Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Malaysia, Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam

Western Europe

  • Spain, France, Italy, Switzerland, Netherlands, Austria, Norway, Denmark, Belgium, Portugal

Central Europe

  • Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic

Middle East

  • UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait

Africa

  • South Africa

Latin America

  • Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Paraguay and Bolivia

Availability dates for North America, China, Australia and Russia along with other countries not mentioned above will be announced by local markets in the coming months.

Webcast
To start the countdown to the launch of Xperia™ X1, Sony Ericsson will host a live global webcast on September 15 at 13:00 GMT + 1, offering viewers the first in-depth demonstration of the handset. The web cast will also premiere the first episode of an alternative reality thriller Johnny X. To register to view the web cast and Q&A session with Xperia™ X1 Senior Product Manager Magnus J Andersson, please visit: www.sonyericsson.com/premiere.

“We are extremely pleased with the innovation and new user experience we have created for consumers on the Xperia™ X1,” said Rikko Sakaguchi CVP and Head of Creation and Development at Sony Ericsson. “The in-depth demonstration on the web cast will showcase how this handset is truly unique. The nine panel eco system puts the user in total control of the primary experiences available on the phone and allows consumers to personalise the panel interface to suit their needs and lifestyle. The Xperia™ X1 has the highest quality screen on the market, four-way navigation keys and optical joy stick to give a stressless browsing experience and, with its super fast processor and network speed the Xperia™ X1 really bridges the gap between personal, entertainment and work mobile needs.”

Johnny X Alternative Reality Thriller
Johnny X is about a young man with amnesia desperately piecing together his identity. The webisodic thriller comprises of nine episodes, created to demonstrate the rich, immersive and experiential elements of the Xperia™ X1.

The storyline follows Johnny X on his mission to rediscover his identity. As he finds out more about his lost life in a race against time, he updates his Xperia™ X1 with new content to piece together his personality and identity, reflecting how the phone can be personalized to suit users’ individual lifestyle and needs. Will Johnny X find out who he really is before it’s too late?

“Producing the Johnny X thriller has given us an engaging platform to demonstrate all the capabilities and features a user can experience with the Xperia™ X1 phone,” said Lennard Hoornik, Head of Marketing at Sony Ericsson. “The panel interface is a perfect way to reflect your personality and can be tailored and changed to suit your exact needs at any given time. No two Xperia™ X1 will ever have the same combination of panels on the phone; we are all individuals and deserve to have a phone that reflects that. ”

Over a three week period, one new episode of Johnny X will be posted online at www.sonyericsson.com/Johnnyx every Monday, Wednesday and Friday starting on Monday, September 22. Check out the trailer for the series at www.whoisjohnny-x.com

Global Launch
The official global launch of the Xperia™ X1 will take place at Tent London as part of London Design Week between September 18 – 21st. Journalists are invited to attend the official Tent London opening party on Friday evening 19 September 2008 to see the Xperia™ X1 and meet with Sony Ericsson spokespeople. To register, please email: sonyericsson@bm.com

Tent London is one of the most comprehensive and diverse design events of the year. It is a multi-disciplinary event in an exciting location that will appeal equally to designers, media and consumers - embracing art to architecture, vintage to contemporary and raw talent to established trend-setters.

Open to general public from 18-21st September, from 10am, with admission prices starting at:

  • Public & Students £7.50 in advance £10.00 on the door
  • Child (under 16) £5.00
  • Child (under 5) FREE

For advance ticket purchases, visit: www.tentlondon.co.uk
Address: Circa at Tent London, The Truman Brewery, Brick Lane, London, E1

Xperia™
The Xperia™ X1 is the first product under Sony Ericsson’s new premium sub-brand Xperia™. Designed to meet consumers’ needs for a converged entertainment and mobile web communication experience, the Xperia™ X1 is an extremely stylish handset encased in a real stainless steel body, with a striking arc-slider design, supported by a powerful multimedia ecosystem.

Consumers can access a world of experiences by tapping on one of the unique customisable panels on the three-inch high resolution touch-widescreen. Windows Mobile® lets you choose from a dynamic range of activities anytime and anywhere; from enjoying your music, watching a video, checking email, shopping online or working with Windows Mobile Office on-the-move. The full QWERTY keyboard and quality metal casing completes this premium handset. For more information please visit: www.sonyericsson.com/x1

About Sony Ericsson

Sony Ericsson is a top global industry player with sales of over 100 million phones in 2007. Diversity is one of the core strengths of the company, with operations in over 80 countries including manufacturing in China and R&D sites in China, Europe, India, Japan and North America. Sony Ericsson was established as a 50:50 joint venture by Sony and Ericsson in October 2001, with global corporate functions located in London.

FOR MEDIA INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:

Sony Ericsson Corporate Communications & PR
Merran Wrigley: +44 7887-628358
General Press: +44 208 762 5858
E-mail: press.global@SonyEricsson.com

Sony Ericsson XperiaTM X1 – At A Glance

Camera

  • Auto focus
  • 3.2 megapixel camera
  • Photo light
  • Video recording

Music

  • Bluetooth™ stereo (A2DP)
  • Media player
  • Music tones
  • Windows Media Player™ Mobile
  • 3D games
  • FM radio
  • Java
  • Video streaming
  • Video viewing

Internet

  • Internet Explorer Mobile
  • Opera 9.5 browser
  • RSS feeds

Communication and Messaging

  • Polyphonic ringtones
  • Speakerphone
  • Vibrating alert
  • Video calling
  • Email
  • Picture messaging (MMS)
  • Predictive text input
  • Text messaging (SMS)

Design

  • Xperia™ panels
  • Optical Joystick navigation
  • Navigation key
  • Picture wallpaper
  • Touch navigation

Organiser

  • Alarm clock
  • Calculator
  • Calendar
  • Document editors
  • Document readers
  • Flight mode
  • Handwriting recognition
  • Notes
  • Phone book
  • Tasks
  • Touchscreen

Connectivity

  • aGPS
  • Bluetooth™ technology
  • Modem
  • Synchronisation
  • USB support
  • WLAN

Windows® Mobile® Operating System 6.1

  • Microsoft® Outlook Mobile: email, contacts, calendar, tasks
  • Microsoft® Office Mobile: Word, Excel, PowerPoint
  • Internet Explorer® Mobile
  • Windows Media Player™ Mobile
  • Windows Live™
  • Exchange ActiveSync®
  • Utility Applications: file explorer, calculator, pictures & video, notes

Facts and Figures

  • Size: 110 x 53 x 16.7 mm
  • Weight: 158 grams
  • Available colours: Solid Black and Steel Silver
  • Main screen: 65,536 color TFT
  • Resolution: 800 X 480 pixels
  • Size: 3 inches
  • Memory
  • Phone memory: up to 400 MB
  • microSD™ memory card support

Availability and Versions
Networks

  • UMTS 900/1900/2100
  • UMTS 850/1900/2100
  • EDGE 850/900/1800/1900
  • HSUPA/HSDPA
Link

Tuesday, September 9, 2008

Today's announcements

Who is Johnny X?







Sony Ericsson has launched a new viral marketing webpage located at www.whoisjohnny-x.com. This webpage probably coincides with the webcast next week of the XPERIA X1 on September 15 at 1PM GMT+1. There are two phone numbers that show up during the trailer.
+154114832777
+66807590136

I wonder what they are announcing....

G705 live pics

Here are some live pics courtesy of SE Community. Follow the link for more.








Link

G705 Video preview

SE Community has put up to G705 preview videos. Enjoy

G705 exclusive overview



Exclusive SE G705 UI Preview


Sony Ericsson IDP-100 digital photo frame announced



Sony Ericsson has announced the IDP-100, a digital photo frame. It is compatible with Memory Stick Duo, M2, SD, Micro SD, USB, and Bluetooth. It will be out for the holidays.

Showcase snaps stylishly with Sony Ericsson’s first digital photo frame

09 September 2008

Photos are taken to capture special moments. Today Sony Ericsson is proud to unveil the IDP-100 Digital Photo Frame, a convenient, stylish and easy way to store and share these important images with friends and family.

London, UK – September 9, 2008 - For too long mobile phone images have been confined to the phone - hidden away and viewed only occasionally and only on a small screen. Now it’s time to unleash these photos and display them with pride with the help of the superb Sony Ericsson IDP-100 Digital Photo Frame, the ideal accessory to your Sony Ericsson Cyber-Shot™ phone.

Thanks to the easy transfer of photos from not only your Cyber-Shot™ but also regular cameras, budding photographers can display their best shots in all their glory. Transfer your favourite images in a variety of ways, via Bluetooth™, USB flash memory, M2 card, micro SD, SD or MS Duo, to ensure that nothing is left unseen. With a sleek dark grey finish, which adds style to any surrounding, this stylish 7” photo frame will let you display photos in either landscape or portrait format and can be mounted on a wall or sat on a bedside table or office desk.

“Memories are priceless and irreplaceable” said Jacob Sten, Head of the accessories division at Sony Ericsson. “The IDP-100 Digital Photo Frame is the perfect companion to your Cyber-shot™ phone and lets you display your favourite moments easily and in high quality for all to see. However, it’s not just mobile phone users that can benefit from the IDP-100. We are proud that the frame receives, stores and displays up to 500 still images through a variety of options. Once uploaded they are automatically rotated, enhanced and re-sized to fit the frame - so that you can enjoy your memories instantly.”

The IDP-100 sits perfectly with the C905 Cyber-shot™ phone. The first phone to offer an 8.1 megapixel camera now has the ideal accessory that will help you show off your high quality images in all their glory. The photos can be displayed and managed with the touch sensitive control menu in the frame, just view the slideshow options and pick your personal preference. In addition, the Digital Image Correction™ (DIC)™, included with the IDP-100 will ensure the photos are displayed to perfection as it automatically adjusts your images – this includes colour correction, tone enhancement and even edge enhancement.

Get snap happy

  • 7” WVGA screen – the way they were meant to be seen
  • Auto-rotation – no need to format your pictures the frame does it for you!
  • Screen quality – brilliant and vivid colours
  • Inbuilt Bluetooth™ – Bluetooth™ your images effortlessly
  • M2 Memory Stick™ and USB compatible – versatile ways to download your images
  • Store up to 500 images on the internal memory
  • Active touch control on the frame– remotes are things of the past
  • World clock – three time zones so you can set which time of the day it turns on or off

Don’t keep your Cyber-Shot™ images under wraps. Share them with friends and family through the IDP-100 – sleek, stylish, easy and high quality.

The IDP-100 is compatible with all phones featuring M2 card, micro SD, SD and MS Duo, USB interface or Bluetooth™. It will be available in selected markets in Q4 in dark grey.

Sony Ericsson IDP-100 At a glance

IDP-100

  • Size: 7” LCD screen
  • Aspect ratio: 4:3 or 16:9
  • Viewing angle: 140º (H)/140º (V)
  • Lifetime: to 50 per cent brightness: 10,000hr
  • Brightness: 200cd/m2
  • Panel resolution: 800 x 480 (WVGA)
  • Contrast ratio: 400:1
  • Connectivity: USB 2.0
  • Built in memory capacity: 128MB
  • Weight: 320g for media product without stand
  • Dimensions: W205XH145XD25
  • RTL: Week 44, 2008
  • Compatibility: All phones featuring M2 card, micro SD and MS Duo, SD, USB interface or Bluetooth
Link

G705 announced



Today Sony Ericsson announced the G705. Basically this phone is the C905 but with out the heavy duty camera hardware. Similar specs include 2.4" QVGA screen, QuadBand GSM and Triband HSDPA in the American Version, 2100 HSDPA in the Euro version, GPS, WiFi, Google/YouTube Integration. The camera is the standard 3.2MP, fixed focus with LED flash. It is going to be based on Java 8.4 with Project Capuchin like the C905.

The Euro Version will be available within 2 months while Americans must wait till Q1 2009.

Live your life to the full with the new Sony Ericsson G705

09 September 2008

Get your own personal assistant with the new Sony Ericsson G705 mobile phone. The 2.4” screen enhances the premium web experience, whether you are searching Google™ direct from your idle screen, checking emails through the phone’s Exchange ActiveSync™ capabilities or using Wi-Fi™ to access the latest news. The G705 lets you juggle your day the easy way.

London, UK – September 9, 2008 – This elegant slider phone, complete with large 2.4” screen, allows users to surf the internet at high speed with turbo 3G and its full HTML browser – just use the shortcut key and you’re straight through to Google™ search from the idle screen. Page a bit too small? Use the illuminated zoom web shortcut key or just tilt the phone and it automatically switches to landscape view.

“The G705 is ideal for those who need a bit of help organising their busy life.” said Catherine Cherry, Global product marketing manager at Sony Ericsson. “This life-enhancing phone has everything you need to keep track of your daily activities and is perfect for keeping in touch with friends. It also allows you to stay fully up-to-date thanks to the full HTML browser, email support, and desktop RSS feeds - all delivered at turbo 3G speeds.”

The G705 keeps you updated with the information most important to you via RSS feeds that are delivered straight to your phone’s desktop. Whether its sport scores or news from around the world, be the first to break that story to friends or work colleagues. Complete with 3.2 megapixel camera and video capabilities, upload your favourite and funny moments straight to the web for friends all over the world to see. Time to relax? Use the phone’s Wi-Fi™ connection to upload pictures, create a picture blog or download music and videos from your favourite web sites. Entertain your friends and family with all your great images on the 1GB memory card, or relax with the sounds you want through the built-in FM radio.

On your way to an important meeting but can’t find your way? The inbuilt aGPS combined with Google Maps™ for Mobile and Wayfinder™ navigation means that you will never have to ask for directions again – and it will even help you find a restaurant or bar to relax with friends and family.

Also announced today is the G705u, the first UMA enabled phone from Sony Ericsson. UMA enables users to seamlessly roam between the mobile network and local area networks thanks to GSM/Wi-Fi™ dual capabilities. The G705u is exclusive to the operator Orange in its territories.

In addition, Sony Ericsson is pleased to today announce a partnership with Google™ meaning that YouTube™ will be integrated into selected upcoming models from Sony Ericsson. This capability will allow users to instantly download and upload video directly from their phone to YouTube™. The G705 will be YouTube™ compatible and further models will be announced at a later stage.

The new G705
Stay one step ahead of the rest

  • Large 2.4” screen – view websites and emails with high clarity
  • HTML browser – surf the net how it was meant to be
  • Automatic rotation – switch from portrait to landscape with just a tilt of the phone
  • Google™ shortcut key – Go to Google™ from the idle screen with one key press
  • Inbuilt aGPS combined with Google Maps™ for Mobile and Wayfinder™ – never get lost again
  • Wi-Fi™ and DLNA certified™ – connect the way you want
  • 3.2 megapixel camera – snap and share your favourite images via Bluetooth™
  • YouTube™ compatible – upload videos or download favourite clips

Ditch the filofax and stay organised the stylish way with the G705.

The G705 and G705u (exclusive to Orange) support GSM/GPRS/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900 and UMTS/HSDPA 2100. G705 will be available in selected markets from early Q4 in the colours Silky Gold or Majestic Black. G705u (exclusive to Orange) will be available from early Q4 in the colour Luminous Black. The G705 will also be available in a version for American markets supporting networks GSM/GPRS/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900 and UMTS/HSUPA 850/1900/2100. G705 for American markets will be available early Q1 2009.

The Sony Ericsson G705 at a glance

Camera

  • 3.2 megapixel camera
  • Up to 3.2x digital zoom
  • Photo fix
  • Photo light
  • Video light
  • Video recording
  • Picture blogging
  • PictBridge printing
  • Video blogging
  • x-Pict Story™

Music/Entertainment

  • Bluetooth™ stereo (A2DP)
  • Media player
  • Mega Bass™
  • TrackID™
  • PlayNow™
  • Album Art
  • Music tones (MP3/AAC)
  • 3D games
  • Java™
  • FM Radio
  • Video streaming
  • Video viewing

Web/Internet

  • Full HTML browser with auto rotate
  • RSS feeds on desktop
  • Photo feeds
  • Web shortcut keys

Communication & Messaging

  • Speakerphone
  • Polyphonic ringtones
  • Vibrating alert
  • Video calling
  • Email
  • Picture messaging (MMS)
  • Predictive text input
  • Sound recorder
  • Text messaging (SMS)
  • Instant messaging
  • Microsoft® Exchange ActiveSync™

Design

  • Navigation key
  • Auto rotate
  • Picture wallpaper
  • Wallpaper animation

Connectivity

  • Bluetooth™ technology
  • Modem
  • Synchronisation
  • USB mass storage
  • USB support
  • Wi-Fi™
  • DLNA Certified™

Organizer

  • Alarm clock
  • Calculator
  • Calendar
  • Flight mode
  • Notes
  • Phone book
  • Stopwatch
  • Tasks
  • Timer

Location-based service

  • aGPS
  • Geo tagging of photos
  • Inbuilt aGPS
  • Google Maps™
  • Wayfinder™ navigation (three month trial version)

Accessories
In-Box:

  • Battery
  • Battery Charger
  • 1GB Memory Stick Micro™ (M2™)
  • USB cable
  • Stereo PHF
  • Sony Ericsson PC Suite
  • Media manager
  • User guide

Optional:
Bluetooth™ Headset HBH-PV720

Stereo Bluetooth Headset™ HBH-DS205

Desk Stand CDS-75
Facts and Figures 1)2)

  • Size: 95 x 47 x 14.3 mm
  • Weight: 98 grams
  • Colours:
  • Silky Gold
  • Majestic Black
  • Luminous Black (G705u only)
  • Screen: 262,144 colour TFT
  • Resolution: 240 x 320 pixels
  • Size: 2.4 inches
  • Phone memory: Up to 120MB
  • Memory Stick Micro™ (M2™) support
  • Talk time GSM/GPRS: Up to 10 hrs
  • Standby time GSM/GPRS: Up to 400 hrs
  • Talk time UMTS: Up to 4 hours
  • Standby time UMTS: Up to 350 hours
  • Video talk time: Up to 3 hours

Availability and versions
Networks:

  • G705 and G705u:
  • GSM/GPRS/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900
  • UMTS/HSDPA 2100
  • G705 (American version)
  • GSM/GPRS/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900
  • UMTS/HSUPA 850/1900/2100
  • Available in selected markets from early Q4 2008.
Link

Sunday, September 7, 2008

New C905 1 week impression in Czech



Mobilenet.cz has put up a nice impression of the C905. It is in Czech, so use your favorite translator to check it out. But the pictures and video are great of the device. Note though that this is still a proto and not the final hardware/firmware.

They also mention that the final version will have VGA video recording. That is something that I think a lot of people would enjoy. Lets just hope it pans out.

Link

Saturday, September 6, 2008

Project Capuchin SDK available for download, bridging Java™ ME and Adobe® Flash Lite™

Project Capuchin SDK available for download, bridging Java™ ME and Adobe® Flash Lite™

Sony Ericsson's Project Capuchin SDK is a set of APIs, a packaging tool, documents and getting-started tutorials that enables developers to bridge the Java™ ME and Adobe® Flash Lite™ programming environments and is available for download from the dedicated Project Capuchin Docs & Tools web section.

To make the Project Capuchin SDK as accessible as possible to both Java and Flash Lite developers, the components are available for download as the following separate files:

Tools

  • Swf2Jar 1.1, Project Capuchin packaging tool and user guide
  • Sony Ericsson Project Capuchin APIs

Technical docs

  • Project Capuchin Product Information document
  • Project Capuchin API Java documents
  • Setting up the Java environment for Project Capuchin Development

Tutorials

  • Getting started with Project Capuchin for Flash Lite and Java developers - includes reference applications

This SDK package will be added to with more tutorials and developer tools over time.

About Project Capuchin
Sony Ericsson's Project Capuchin allows developers to combine the richness of both Java ME and Flash Lite by encapsulating Flash Lite content in Java ME applications making content created by Adobe Flash technology appear as Java ME applications.

The Project Capuchin API and the Swf2Jar tool make it possible to use Flash Lite as the presentation layer and Java ME as the application logic, meaning that Flash tools can be used for UI design while still having access to all the phone services available to Java ME.

Project Capuchin takes advantage of Flash's strengths in fast UI deployment and well established designer tools, meanwhile Java's strengths are in services, security and a well developed distribution infrastructure.

"Sony Ericsson is dedicated to providing its customers with a best-in-class user experience, and our dedication to Project Capuchin marks yet another milestone to help developers bring the richest applications to users on a mobile device," said Rikko Sakaguchi, CVP and Head of Creation and Development at Sony Ericsson.

"Innovation is at its best with open development, and today we are proud to invite new and old developer partners to take advantage of the latest addition to the resources of Sony Ericsson Developer World."

Rikko Sakaguchi, CVP and Head of Creation and Development at Sony Ericsson.

C905: first Sony Ericsson phone with Project Capuchin
The Sony Ericsson C905 Cyber-shot phone is the first phone to support Sony Ericsson's Project Capuchin API. Developers who utilize the Swf2Jar 1.1 packaging tool will be able to test their applications on the C905 as it comes to market.

The C905 is a feature-rich, slider-style phone with an 8.1 megapixel camera and takes the number of phones supporting Sony Ericsson's Java™ Platform 8 (JP-8) and the Mobile Services Architecture (MSA) umbrella standard (JSR 248) to 15. Read more>>

More information:


Link

More pics of C905...

More Pictures of the upcoming C905 has been released. The 8MP photo monster should be released within a month or so.











My Nokia Lumia 920 Blog