CTIA: Sony Ericsson Intros New Mobile Phones

By Marie Lingblom and Christina Torode, CRN
iApplianceWeb
(03/19/03, 09:45:27 PM EDT)

New Orleans, La. -- At this week's CTIA Wireless 2003, Sony Ericsson unveiled a GPRS/WLAN PC Card and several GSM and CDMA mobile phones with new features such as integrated digital cameras and expanded personalization capabilities.

The company also raised the curtain on an online application shop for its P800 integrated PDA/phone. The shop is built with technology and services from Handango, a Hurst, Texas-based platform and mobile software developer, said Steve Walker, director of product marketing at Sony Ericsson. Handango markets more than 25,000 applications for more than 8,000 software partners.

The P800 runs on the latest version of Symbian OS v7.0, an open operating system, and incorporates the UIQ pen-based user interface. Open standards enable the download of corporate applications or games based on Java, C++ and Visual Basic.

Walker told CRN that IBM and AppForge are each working to develop additional applications for the P800.

"IBM is actually going to start reselling this product to enterprises because a lot of enterprises want a very specific set of applications that are relevant to their own business," Walker said. "They don't want to buy something off the shelf; they want a customized package and that's what IBM is doing."

The online application shop, he said, is an enhancement to Sony Ericsson's existing developer program that allows developers to download a variety of tools and receive different levels of support, based on membership levels.

The GC79 GPRS/WLAN card is geared toward mobile professionals and offers a wide choice of connectivity options, Walker said. It should be available during the second quarter, he added.

Sony Ericsson's two new CDMA mobile phones include the T608 and the T606. Both feature a large 65,536-color screen and 128 x 128 pixel resolution. Both have a graphical user interface, including a five-way navigational joystick for gaming, and 16-voice polyphonic sound.

They measure 4.2 x 1.9 x .75 inches and weigh 3.5 ounces. The phones, scheduled for availability during the second quarter, have an internal antenna and lithium battery.

The CDMA T608 features Java and is integrated with Bluetooth technology, which allows it to communicate with other Bluetooth-enabled products via a radio link. The T608 also comes with advanced voice operation capabilities and personalization options such as picture caller ID.

The T606 includes two-way Short Messaging Service, voice recognition and BREW functionality to download ring tones, games, images and other applications from the Internet via the phone's wireless Web browser. A CommuniCam MCA-25 snap-on camera accessory can be purchased and used with the phone's picture caller ID feature.

Sony Ericsson's new GSM mobile phones, the T310 and the T316, focus on gaming and the youth market.

Christopher Ambrosio, director of wireless device strategies at Strategy Analytics, said the new mobile device announcements are good news for the market.

"It is encouraging to see several vendors introducing, not one or two, but several devices at the show," said Ambrosio.

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