Sony Ericsson is poised to launch an Android-based, PSP Go gaming smartphone, according to reports. It is understood the smartphone, which is rumoured for an October launch, will run Google’s Android 3.0 Gingerbread operating system along with PlayStation’s own gaming eco system. According to reports, Sony’s PSP Go-like smartphone is a landscape slider with a gaming D-pad and instead of a joystick, a long touchpad.
A press release graced our inbox and we were pleasantly surprised at what it said – the Sony Ericsson XPERIA X8 is official, Sony Ericsson dusted off the Walkman brand with the Yendo and finally, the Sony Ericsson Cedar joins the GreenHeart ranks.
As we’ve already heard Sony Ericsson now reconfirms it’s working to bring Android 2.1 to their XPERIA X10 lineup, while the the big X10 should get 720p video capture too. These updates are coming in Q3 this year.
The Sony Ericsson XPERIA X8 is like a grown up X10 mini. It features a 3″ HVGA (320 x 480) screen with a scratch resistant surface, a 600MHz CPU running Android 1.6 with the same customizations that the X10 mini has and Timescape too.
The camera on the Sony Ericsson XPERIA X8 is a 3.2MP snapper and the phone comes with a 2GB microSD card in the box. As far as connectivity goes, it offers quad-band GSM/EDGE, 3G with HSPA, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and GPS. The Sony Ericsson XPERIA X8 will run for 259 euro.
Next up is the Sony Ericsson Yendo with Walkman. In terms of design and size, it’s very similar to the XPERIA X10 mini (though it’s 10mm taller at 93.5 x 52 x 15.8 mm and 81g). Although it appears to have the same UI as the X10 mini, it’s actually running a proprietary Sony Ericsson OS. The screen on the Yendo is a 2.6″ QVGA TFT unit.
The Yendo features a touch-enabled version of Sony Ericsson’s excellent Walkman interface along with Facebook, Twitter and Orkut integration. The Sony Ericsson Yendo is more like a Walkman with phone functionality added, so its specs are not very exciting in phone terms – dual-band GSM/EDGE, 2MP camera, Bluetooth with A2DP, FM radio and a 3.5mm audio jack.
Finally, the Sony Ericsson Cedar is from the GreenHeart line, complete with the Human Curvature design and recycled materials. It weighs just 84 grams and it features quad-band GSM/EDGE, 3G with HSDPA, a 2MP camera that can record VGA video at 30fps.
The Sony Ericsson Cedar boasts Widget Manager 2.0, which gives you access to social networks right from the homescreen.
The Sony Ericsson XPERIA X8, Sony Ericsson Yendo and the Cedar are scheduled for release in the third quarter of this year.
Sony Ericsson announced two new phones today under their music-centric Walkman line. Called the Sony Ericsson Zylo and Sony Ericsson Spiro W100, both devices sport a vertical slider form factor and social networking integration, to go with the PMP-like capabilities.
Designed to be “affordable without compromising on features,” the pair comes with all of the Walkman brand’s familiar strengths – a robust music player, TrackID, an FM tuner and access to the PlayNow music store. Taking things a step further, they go heavy on the social networking too, providing built-in integration with both Facebook and Twitter.
On the higher-end of the scale, the Sony Ericsson Zylo features a 2.6 inch display (320 x 240 resolution), a 3.2 megapixel camera with video recording, accelerometer sensor, aGPS, HSDPA, stereo Bluetooth, 260MB of internal memory and microSD card support (up to 16GB). It comes teeming with software features too, including Google Maps, MS Exchange ActiveSync, Google Search, NetFront browser, 3D gaming, YouTube, Flickr, Picasa and more. Support for the lossless FLAC format debuts on this phone, which will be available in either black, silver or pink colors.
The lower-end Sony Ericsson Spiro, on the other hand, features a 2.2 inch screen (320 x 240 resolution), a 2.0 megapixel camera module with video recording, GSM/GPRS/EDGE connectivity, stereo Bluetooth and microSD card support. Apart from being a decent PMP, it can double as a torch light too. It will be available in two shades of black (Contrast and Stealth), pink and green.
Both music handsets will hit stores in the third quarter. No details on pricing, but the “affordable” comment on the press release gives me hope.
Sony Ericsson has just added two new members to its Xperia family, the Xperia X10 mini and Xperia X10 mini pro models, that get detailed and pictured below. Announced during the MWC 2010 debut events, these devices come with similar specs, aside from bigger size and sliding QWERTY keyboard of the X10 mini pro handset.
These are both Android devices that also make good use of the Sony Ericsson Timescape feature, gathering all the communication in a single menu. Four corner control is also supported, thanks to 5 customizable icons that’ll allow the user to handle applications, calls and the web.
The Xperia X10 mini and X10 mini pro pack a 5 megapixel camera with autofocus, geotagging, video recording, Bluetooth Stereo A2DP, PlayNow, TrackID and a webkit web browser.
Facebook and Twitter are also supported, as well as Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync, FM radio, video streaming, A-GPS, Google Maps and WiFi. There’s also a 3.5mm audio jack on board of both devices, that support Android Market, as well as Google Talk and use a 2.55 inch TFT touchscreen display.
The new Xperia X10 phones run Android on a 600 MHz Qualcomm MSM7227 CPU, they come with 128MB of internal memory, plus a bit extra thanks to the microSD card slots. These devices will debut in selected markets starting Q2 in Black, Red, Silver, Lime, Pink and Pearl White.
After a few sneak peaks last month, today we received official word of the Sony Ericsson Aspen – the Windows-based smartphone formerly known as the Faith.
Style-wise the Aspen look to be an elegant Blackberry Bold / Nokia E-series hybrid, and nestled in it’s natural environment (atop a broadsheet, next to a coffee cup and shaded by a plant) it looks every inch the executive’s companion.
Specs-wise, the Aspen ships with the latest version of Windows Mobile – 6.5, a 2.4 inch QVGA TFT screen + stylus, WiFi, A-GPS, 3.2 megapixel camera, Micro USB and a 3.5mm jack.
Add to that a whole host of handy applications including Adobe PDF Reader, Microsoft Office Mobile, Google Maps™ plus handwriting recognition and you have a serious productivity tool on your hands.
The Aspen is also Sony Ericsson’s first GreenHeart™ device, with reduced harmful substances used both in its construction and its packaging, plus a power-save mode.
As a security measure, The Aspen also comes with a discreet security function – Microsoft MyPhone – that erases phone and call data if the phone is lost or stolen.
Overall, the Aspen looks like it possesses what many of Sony Ericsson’s latest offerings, e.g. the Satio, seemed to have lacked – a focus. Could the Aspen then be the phone to revive the ailing company’s fortunes?
Sony Ericsson have finally let slip the name of the Kurara – it’s the Sony Ericsson VIVAZ!
Here are the features:
Symbian 60 5th Edition, 8.1 megapixel autofocus camera with image stabilization, face detection, 720p HD video capture, FM radio, AGPS, Wi-Fi, TV-out at VGA resolution, and a 3.2-inch WVGA touch display.
When the Vivaz launches this quarter it’ll be available in a variety of hues – Moon Silver, Cosmic Black, Galaxy Blue, and Venus Ruby.
So, if you’re a fan of the easy-to-use Symbian OS, but didn’t feel the Satio was up to scratch, then the Vivaz might just be the handset for you!
The Sony Ericsson Karina concept phone is pictured below and it combines the Walkman and Cyber-shot brands into a 11.9mm thick smartphone that runs Windows Mobile.
Sony Ericsson Karina Concept Gets Detailed
Karina supports GSM, HSDPA, WiMAX 802.16e, Bluetooth 3.0 and comes with a 3.2 inch HWVGA TFT LCD display, the TI-OMAP 3430 platform (Samsung ARM Cortex A8 CPU, PowerVR SGX 535 Graphics 28MT/s) and 256MB RAM. There’s also 1GB of internal memory on board, a microSD-XC card slot, a 3.5mm audio jack and a microUSB port.
Sony Ericsson Karina Concept Gets Detailed
Windows Mobile 7 is running the show on the handset, in a customized version and the device also packs a 1500 mAh Lithium Polymer battery. At the back of Sony Ericsson Karina you’ll find an 8 megapixel HD camera, with 720p video recording support, a mechanical lens cover, LED flash and a 1/3.2 inch Sony Exmor CMOS sensor.
I have to say that Razec did a great job with this Windows Mobile 7 phone that combines the features of a smartphone with the ones of a cameraphone and we hope to see more of these handsets in 2010!
Driving the eco-bandwagon into the mobile phone market, Sony Ericsson has just gone and launched a pair of green phones today, the Sony Ericsson Elm and the Hazel.
Elm and Hazel like the trees – the nice green trees.
“The Sony Ericsson Elm and the Sony Ericsson Hazel phones offer consumers a green choice without compromising on features or fun” say the company in a press release.
So, names aside, what’s so green about these handsets?
1. Less energy and raw materials are used in their manufacture and packing:
- Made out of recycled plastics
- Free from hazardous chemicals
- The instructions booklet is not printed on paper but is an e-manual in phone
- Packaging has been minimised
2. The Greenheart phones are designed to be more energy-efficient
- Low power consumption charger (EP300 GreenHeart(TM))
- Clearer voice technology should mean lower volume is required
- A Widget Manager application, which allows users access to their social networking page via the stand-by screen and quickly switch between different social networks, reduces the battery-wasting waiting time.
3. They come with apps for helping you cut down on CO2 and energy use in other areas of your life..
- Walk Mate eco application
- Green calculator
Those two are no slackers in functionality as they come with Wi-Fi, GPS and pioneer social networking integration via homescreen widgets. They also pack some innovative sound enhancing technologies such as Noise Shield, Clear Voice and Intelligent Volume Adaptation.
Both the Elm and the Hazel have splash-resistant, curved designs meant to fit better in the palm of your hand.
The Sony Ericsson Elm and Hazel pack 5 megapixel auto focus cameras, Wi-Fi connectivity and GPS receivers complete with the preinstalled Google Maps and Wisepilot mapping applications.
The Sony Ericsson Hazel has a thickness of 16 mm and a weight of 160 g. It packs a 2.6-inch 16M color QVGA display.
The Sony Ericsson Elm has a thickness of 14 mm and a weight of 90 grams. The Elm screen however is only 2.2 inches with 262K color support and QVGA resolution.
Again, both the Elm and Hazel have quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE support and dual-band HSPA (2100/900). Interestingly the devices are also HD Voice ready thanks to the AMR-WB audio codec.
Sony Ericsson *feature* phones are also obviously getting in on the game of social networking. The company is introducing a new homescreen widget system. It would allow direct integration with services such as MySpace, Facebook and Twitter.
Another first from Sony Ericsson is the online backup of personal information at sonyericsson.com. There are no further details about the service mentioned, but we guess you’d be able to recover all your info if your phone gets stolen.
Both the Elm and the Haze have rich multimedia features including support for SensMe, TrackID, and MegaBass. Screen auto rotation is also available thanks to the built-in accelerometer.
Interestingly, Sony Ericsson mention a microUSB charger in the retail packages of both phones, which would make them the second and third phones by the manufacturer to feature that port after the XPERIA X10. Unfortunately, it’s clearly visible from the shots that the Hazel and Elm both have proprietary FastPorts on their sides.
The Sony Ericsson Elm will be available in Metal Black and Pearly Rose from Q1 2010. The Sony Ericsson Hazel will be available in Superior Black and Passionate Rouge from Q2 2010
The Sony Ericsson Satio and the Aino just got an firmware update. The firmware updates are now available at Sonyericsson.com
Changelog:
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