Head over to MobiltyToday as they examine, in gory detail, what they’re calling “The ultimate Windows Mobile phone anyone can ask for… ” My only question is this: what if I never asked for a WinMo phone from Sony Ericsson? What if I asked for the charm and power of a UIQ-powered P800, my first and favorite smartphone? What if asked for a logical addition to the S-E family instead of some weird HTC-designed monstrosity? What if I asked for some S-E phones on these shores? I’m happy they’re trying, but this ain’t the direction they should be taking if they want to hit the big time.

Read More

Get ready for yet another mobile music store, this time from Sony Ericsson. Yup, that company’s still around.

SE will launch Play Now Plus in “a few weeks” in Sweden. The music service will initially be available to Telenor subscribers, a wireless carrier there. The service will cost 99 Swedish crowns (about $15) a month for unlimited downloads.

If all of this sounds awfully familiar, give yourself a gold star. Nokia launches Comes With Music next month in the UK, a similar mobile music service. And don’t forget that Amazon MP3 comes pre-installed on the T-Mobile G1. Granted, the phone doesn’t have a headphone jack, but these phones aren’t designed with living, breathing human beings in mind, people with common and easy-to-predict needs and expectations.

These new ladies watches, dubbed the MBW-200, come in multiple styles and pair with most Sony Ericsson phones. They have a mini OLED display and buzz when your phone is ringing and also let you control music playback.

I played with the first generation of these a few years ago and I just couldn’t understand what they were trying to offer here. It’s a watch that buzzes. Why can’t your phone just buzz discretely? Which consumer, man or woman, is so concerned about discreteness that he or she needs to see who’s calling on the face of their watch? Is this some sort of Japanese thing, like the toilets that play birdsong when you poop? What is going on here?

via Giz

In fact, they’ll even create a viral campaign based on a square-jawed man who can’t seem to remember where and who he is. I’m not quite sure what this has to do with a high-end phone that will probably spell the end of Sony Ericsson as a respected manufacturer of mid-range smartphones, but who are we to judge the instincts of highly paid marketing professionals tasked with convincing a jaded public that the X1 is still relevant.

via Pocket-lint via Eng

But not for the US. We’ll have to wait another few months before they make a similar announcement. To showcase all the gloriousness that is the X1, SE will be streaming a live webcast for all to watch on the 15th. The webcast will consist of an in-depth hands-on demo and the world premiere of Johnny X. What the crapcakes is Johnny X?
Read More

Oh, hey! It’s the SE TM506, that pretty little green 3G flip we mentioned a few weeks back. Last anybody knew, it was set to launch sometime in early September – turns out, that meant today.

You can nab T-mobile’s first HSDPA handset at any of the normal T-Mo outlets for a cent short of $80 after a 2-year blood pact and a $50 dollar rebate. If you’re itchin’ for more, check out the full specs after the jump.

For the full specs on this one, head over to MobileCrunch >>

I was about to eat some fiber today but I basically cleaned myself out after reading about the Xperia X1 SDK that enables programmers to add panels to their X1 and be “be spoilt for choice” in the ability to add and remove those panels at will. If you recall, the X1 runs Windows Mobile and has panels. These panels are ways of looking at information – you could have a gaming panel, a To Do panel, and a panel reminding you that the X1 is a hunk of garbage – all accessible from one easy-to-access place. When can you get the X1? Probably never because S-E can’t seem to get it’s head around selling phones in the US. Now you see why I’m so excited, right?

So there you have it: the extent of Sony-Ericsson’s ingenuity. Adding panels to Windows Mobile 6.1. If I wanted panels I’d hire a contractor.

Read More

Hey, not a bad deal here for a sorta-nice emergency pre-paid phone. You can pick up a refurbished Sony Ericsoon Z750 from AT&T for $39.99, which includes a $25 prepaid card. So the whole getup ends up costing you less than the three disgusting Chipotle burritos you’re going to try to scarf down at lunchtime today.

The Z750, in case you’re wondering, is a 3G phone! That means lighting quick access to AT&T Mobile Music streaming, I guess. Plus, it’s a world phone that works on a wide range of GSM networks.

Add all the crap I mentioned above, plus an external OLED screen, 2-megapixel camera with video capture, Memory Stick Micro expansion, and stereo Bluetooth and you’ve got yourself a pretty nice little backup phone.

Packages & Deals List [AT&T via PhoneNews]

This one has been hanging out in the rumor mill for a few weeks now, but now Sony Ericsson’s gone and made the official announcement.

Just in time for the T-Mo 3G rollout, the TM506 flip is Sony Ericsson’s first handset to support T-Mobile’s high-speed offerings on the AWS spectrum (1700/2100). Also packed beneath its shiny shell (offered in Chrome/Amber or Emerald) are a 2 mp camera, aGPS, and Bluetooth 2.0 w/ A2DP support. No word yet how much change this one will set you back, but look for it at all the normal T-mo outlets in early September.

Check out the full specs over at MobileCrunch >>

It’s been some time since SE has had a device on T-mobile, but that’s going to change when Sony Ericsson officially launches their UMTS/HDSPA mobile on September 3. That’s good news for folks in NYC, Vegas and Austin since their 3G network is up and running. The TM506 also features a 2-megapixel camera and stereo Bluetooth. It will come in green/black and amber/black.

via T-mo News

The T700, Sony Ericsson’s latest candybar, has been known (and seen) under it’s codename “Remi” for a few weeks now. Nothing too exciting here, but that’s become a bit of a trend with all of the SE announcements since the C905.

The Specs:

• 2″ TFT display
• Quad-Band (850/900/1800/1900 MHz) with UMTS/HSDPA 2100 Mhz
• Stereo Bluetooth
• 3.2 Megapixel Camera w/ self portrait mirror
• 10mm thick body
• Built-in Stereo Speakers

Availability in “selected markets” come Q4 2008, with Black on Silver, Black on Red, and Shining Silver color variants.

Sony Ericsson will release a James Bond edition Cyber-shot C902 to tie in the with release of the new, cursed Quantum of Solace movie. The phone will ship with a memory card with pre-loaded Bond content.

Sounds a lot like The Dark Knight phone that just came out. Hopefully it’s not as gimmicky.

As it stands, the C902 is a pretty decent phone (from what I’ve read—never used it myself) in and of itself, so movie phones shouldn’t be totally screwed if they decide to pick it up.

The Sony Ericsson Walkman cellphones turn 3-years-old this year, so SE is releasing three more such phones, the W902, W595 and W302. They’re all, let’s face it, essentially the same music phone we’ve seen for God knows how long, but there are a few new features that you might enjoy.

There’s TrackID, which attempts to recognize the name of a song “listening” to it. (Have similar services ever worked for you?) Also, there’s a Shake control mechanism that lets you change the playing song with the flick of your wrist. I don’t know how useful that’d be when your scrunched between 30 people on the subway during your morning commute, but it’s certainly one of those “hey, check out what this can do” features.

If you’re into reading action-verby press releases, be my guest.

Read More

Mobile phone maker Sony Ericsson has announced they will be letting 2,000 workers go, as they try to regain market share. The company reported an operating loss of $3.1 million dollars for the second quarter as compared to a profit of almost $500 million a year ago.

The company hopes to ride out the current credit crunch by cutting operating costs up to $600 million a year. In June the company had issued a profit warning and sales for the quarter were down 9.4%.

Sony Ericsson chief executive Dick Komiyama said, “The measures we are taking are aimed at becoming a faster, more agile and more cost efficient organization that can continue to create innovative products that excite consumers.”

This commercial for Sony Ericsson’s W63S is currently airing on Japanese TV stations. It’s kind of original but it really creeps me out. The person in the video is Oguri Shun, a famous Japanese actor.

What’s the Swedish phrase for “we’re screwed”? Quick, someone ask Sony Ericsson, it must know.

Right, so Sony Ericsson said today that its second quarter pre-tax net income and sales would be “negatively affected by moderating demand of mid-to-high end mobile phone.” It seems people would rather spend their dollars and euros and pounds (oh my!) on actual necessities rather than on flashy cellphones that are more status symbol than anything else. Remember: if all you need is a phone, those cheap/free phones that come with most plans work just as well as the shiny, expensive ones given to celebrities to tote around.

Barron’s also notes that RIM and Palm had rather dismal numbers for the second quarter, too, so it could be an industry-wide slowdown rather than merely a Sony Ericsson problem.

Joining the list of other products announced by Sony Ericsson at their press event in Singapore are three Bluetooth headsets: the HBH-PV715, 720, and 740. No pricing announced, hittin’ the shelves in Q4 08.

Read More