Features

Sony Ericsson Launches Five New Handsets

By Sophia Mayengbam

Sony Ericsson has introduced five new mobile phones line-up, including two Walkman phones, two flip phones and one with the capability of recognising handwritten Chinese-character. The joint venture company has already released more than 20 new models, so far this year. Last year 30 models in all were introduced.

Fig 1: Sony W850 Walkman

The first of two new Walkman phones is the W850, the company's first GSM/UMTS 'slider'. It features a full horizontal mode camera, Bluetooth, Walkman Player 2.0, comes in black or white, and will be offered in EMEA.

The Walkman player 2.0 simplifies navigation through music genres, playlists, individual songs or music albums and there’s also a TrackID feature powered by Gracenote Mobile MusicID. It can also record straight from the radio. It will cost more than 380 euros before subsidies and taxes, Sony said.

Fig 2: Sony W710 Walkman

The W710 Walkman phone includes a motion sensor and a new fitness application that measures steps taken when walking, or running speed, distance and time. The EDGE/GPRS phone will be available in graphite or violet, and comes in the W710i variant for EMEA and the Americas, and the W710c for mainland China.

A strap and special earphones are designed for wearing it during a work-out. The phone also features a 2 Megapixel camera with digital zoom and comes supplied with 512MB Memory Stick Micro. It will be priced between USD 250 and USD 380 before subsidies and local taxes, Sony said.

Fig 3: Sony Z710

Of the two flip phones Z710 EDGE/GPRS handset is designed to suit business class users. Jan Wдreby, Corporate Executive Vice President, Head of Sales and Marketing, Sony Ericsson said, “It offers many features that today’s business people expect in a phone such as easy synchronisation with a PC to keep calendar and contacts up to date and its sophisticated, yet casual design fits today’s professional lifestyle.”

It will come in two variants, the Z710i for EMEA and the Americas and the Z710c for Mainland China and will be priced between USD 250 and USD 380. It has a 2 megapixel camera and connects via most 2G GSM networks.

Fig 4: Sony Z550

Sony Ericsson’s Z550, finished in a combination of premium brushed metal and high gloss material, is a classy partner for work and leisure with universal appeal.

“The Z550 has an exclusive, understated feel that’s a tribute to our iconic phone the T610, and features a 1.3 megapixel camera, unusual for a phone in this sector” said Jan Wдreby, Corporate Executive Vice President, Head of Sales and Marketing, Sony Ericsson.

The Z550 connects easily to a PC for transferring multimedia files and synchronisation with your phone book and calendar. The phone also has full HTML internet browsing and optional Bluetooth headset and car-handsfree kit for wireless freedom on the move.

The Z550 GPRS phone will be offered as the Z550i in EMEA and the Asia-Pacific, and as the Z550c in Mainland China. The model will be priced at between USD 190 and USD 250.

Fig 4: Sony M606c

The slim M608c phone and messaging device features a touchscreen and Chinese handwriting recognition software. M608c is a combination of mobile phone and PDA based on new symbian OS 9.1 and UIQ 3.0 and offers users customisation opportunities to buy personal productivity and other applications from the Sony Ericsson Application shop.

“M608c is tailor made for China and comes from a strong global portfolio of UMTS products that Sony Ericsson has now put in place in readiness for the eventual introduction of 3G services,” said Gunilla Nordstrom, Corporate Vice President of Sony Ericsson and President of Sony Ericsson China.

The M608C is available in Granite Black and Crystal White.

Sony Ericsson said all the five new mobile phones will start shipping in the third quarter in various markets around the world.