What Sony Ericsson has in store for 2008
If you're partial to a Sony Ericsson handset, you've got plenty to look forward to in 2008. At the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona today, the mobile manufacturer announced no less than seven new handsets targeting a variety of audiences.
First up is my favourite, and recently covered, XPERIA X1. This Windows Mobile powered handset is a first for Sony Ericsson and as you may have read earlier today, I'm very excited about it.
In my excitement however, I may have overlooked the fact that Sony Ericsson has a further six handsets on show in Barcelona today.
Two handsets that Sony Ericsson believe will take touchscreen mainstream are the G700 and G900. Think of these as mini-organisers if you will, they both come complete with calender, contacts and other keep-yourself-organised functionality.
The G700 (pictured below, left) features a 3.2 megapixel camera and a 2.4" 240x320 screen. The G900 (pictured below, right) ups the ante, it packs a 5 megapixel camera and has the added benefit of built-in Wi-Fi.
Martin Winkler, Director Global Marketing and Head of Multimedia Web at Sony Ericsson says: "Sony Ericsson is delivering touchscreen and innovative organiser capabilities to a wide audience without compromising on the size or shape of the phone. Both the G700 and G900 have regular keyboards and are no larger than a regular phone. These phones are ideal for users that are only interested in making their lives simpler. It’s not about technology for the sake of it."
Expect both phones to become available in Q2 2008.
Official press release: Sony Ericsson takes touchscreen mainstream with two phones set to simplify your life
If you're not too worried about touch screen capability and think of your handset as your digital camera, don't worry, Sony Ericsson has you covered with two new additions to its Cyber-shot range, the C702 and C902.
Sven Totté, Head of Imaging Marketing at Sony Ericsson says: "The two new Cyber-shot phones that we have announced today share certain characteristics. Both phones place ease-of-use and best-in-class picture quality at the heart of their designs. Yet both appeal to different audiences. One is engineered to let you take more pictures in more places and the other is designed to look as stunning as the pictures it takes."
The C702, pictured below (left), places a 3.2 megapixel camera with auto focus and face detection at your disposal. It'll give you a 2.2" 240x320 screen, 160MB of memory and packs aGPS for your navigation needs.
The C902, pictured below (right), loses out with a screen size of 2" but makes up for that with the inclusion of a 5 megapixel camera with more features than you're likely to use.
Both new Cyber-shot phones will become available in Q2 2008.
Official press release: Sony Ericsson strengthens Cyber-shot™ phone range with two models that take photos further
That's not all, for the music lovers among us, there's also a new addition to Sony Ericsson's Walkman range in the form of the W980.
This clamshell phone-turned-walkman features a 2.2" screen (240x320), 8GBs of internal memory for your music collection, a 3.2 megapixel camera and FM radio. It's full of little design touches too, ranging from animated wallpapers to shake controls.
Ben Padley, Head of Music Marketing, at Sony Ericsson says: "The W980 Walkman phone really sets a new standard for music on your phone. We wanted to design a leading music player that we could combine with a feature-packed phone, all the while pioneering an audio experience that always left you wanting more. The W980 will surpass all expectations."
Expect to see the W980 in Q3 2008.
Official press release: Sony Ericsson puts music first in the W980 Walkman® phone to deliver a clear audio experience
We're almost done now, just one more from Sony Ericsson, the Z770. Labelled as the "your life in a clamshell" phone, the Z770 gives you HSDPA, a 2.2" 240x320 screen, Bluetooth and 32MB of internal memory expandable via an M2 memory card slot. It measures in at just over 15mm thick and will be available in Q2 2008.
Martin Winkler, Director Global Marketing and Head of Multimedia Web at Sony Ericsson says: "The Z770 is deceptively powerful for such a compact clamshell phone. It appeals to busy people who demand hassle-free email and high quality Web access on the move. These people need to be in-touch, need to be on top of their email, but don’t necessarily want a smartphone or PDA. The Z770 is the uncomplicated answer."
Official press release: Sony Ericsson puts ‘your life in a clamshell’ with the new Z770 web-enabled phone
I'm sure Sony Ericsson is feeling mighty good about itself right now, and so it should, that's quite a line up for 2008. With the addition of the XPERIA X1, Sony Ericsson has just about every market covered.
If I had one big complaint, it would be that the tired design behind the majority of Sony Ericsson's handsets is still being used. The G700, G900, C702 and C902 all carry Sony Ericsson's familiar but now frankly boring design scheme. That aside, there's a lot to be liked.
