Well, this is just
great timing. What we're looking at here is supposedly a Sony Ericsson smartphone, which seems to sport a five-inch screen and a hinged slide-out keyboard like the
HTC Shift and the
Eking S515. Even if this prototype turns out to be legit, our tipster -- who has a solid track record -- says it's only running on Android 2.1 and that development is in its infancy while low-level drivers are being tested. Well, we can probably wait, except we're also told that internally SE doesn't appear to have any plans for 2.2 yet. Cue the angry tomatoes and eggs, but bring us a
PSP phone any day and we'll call off the rally.
Update: We've received word from a second highly-trusted source who says that the display is 5.5 inches (too big to fit in the front pocket), and runs a clean Android 2.1 install. Oh, and it's
launching in the fall.
Update 2: We've been told that the device has now been pushed to CES 2011.
posted June 4th 2010 2:34AM
@Kohai
Cos what it's called is technically the most important feature.
"Hey Jim, look what I bought, it's my new netbook with phone capabilities"
@suicidebob
But if have to take it out of a backpack it will sound strange ;-)
What I mean is that these are becoming "another thing" they are not phones anymore.
Also I don´t think that the phone capabilitie is it´s most important feature.
I presume that people who buys this phone will, almost for sure, have another "real" phone for making calls. I´m seen this right now.
@Kohai
I agree. 5" = NOT A PHONE. It doesn't even look like a phone.
If someone wants a qwerty phone, better wait for the Samsung Galaxy S Pro which Samsung confirmed is in the works.
@Kohai Quote "cannot be called phone, minimun tablet or even netbook with phone capabilities..."
Isn't this what the idea of "Smart Phones" were to be? Simply a netbook with phone capabilities.
@Tentcityanthem
I don´t think so.
The "phone" part in smartphone as I understand implies some kind of portability and usability (one hand use).
You can have a smartphone with dimensions within "pocketability".
This BIG screens I think are more orientated to web surfing or productivity apps rather than for being connected to mail or making calls.
Sony needs to worry about getting the X10 in the hands of everyone that wants one (I don't even see them at Sony Style yet) and get it updated to Android 2.2 before they get caught up making a clown sized phone that probably won't even come out 'til 2012.
i hope it has a smaller, less springy version of a chicklet keyboard, i have never been to fond of regular phone keys
Sony-Ericsson will announce this phone next month and set a release date for sometime in late 2011. The phone will finally hit shelves in 2014 with eclair where it will be mired by bugs and poor battery life.
Haters flame on...
@SamTime
hahaha so true, I got an X2, which was announced ages ago with crap hardware, then released with crap software that couldn't be used. Then after 4 month they released the MR2...
at least it's usable now...
@SamTime 2014 is pretty quick for SE. I think the bundle with Duke Nukem Forever is more realistic. ;)
With the amount of horsepower expected in the PSP2, who has a single doubt in his mind it won't have a SIM card slot and a virtual keypad?
The PSP phone is coming, but I don't think I'll bite in... 3DS is more revolutionary.
YES! Finally something to replace my HTC Advantage!
...this must be the rumoured "Sony Ericsson X10 pro"
What can I say? SE is working hard these days! If that phone has a 5.5 inch screen, than they will make a BIG mistake! I hope that phone has 5 inch screen, or 4.8 inches. 5.5 inches is too much.
If this has HDMI out and the usual excellent Sony build quality (what Sony do best), I'm sold.
Anything too far over 4" and a phone becomes a MID. Remember how well those did?
@jellotime91
The same could be said for screens larger than 3 inches a few years ago. Then that size moved up to 3.5-3.7. Now we're asking for > 4 inch screens.
The size that people are willing to accept is ever changing.
@BigJayDogg3
We are? I am sure as hell not asking for >4".. It's overkill and makes for a huge device I can no longer fit in my pocket, which defeats its purpose.
The difference is that the 3" and 3.5" screens did not adversely increase the size of the device. In fact, the iPhone was only slightly taller and was slimmer than most phones it intended to replaced, and it had the largest screen on the market.
@jellotime91
Have you seen the response to the EVO? If that isn't asking for devices greater than four inches (4.3 in this case) I don't know what is. The Streak has a fairly positive response as well. And that's a full five inches.
The HD2 and EVO are only slightly wider and taller than the iPhone, the phone it intends to compete with.
@BigJayDogg3
It's not really competing when the devices are segregated to only one carrier. The Palm Pre did very well on its release, why? Because people on Sprint wanted something similar to an iPhone. Look at how amazingly well the Pre is doing now... The Droid did very well on Verizon, why? People on Verizon wanted something similar to an iPhone. Sales of the Droid have dwindled to say the least, despite Verizon's HUGE marketing campaign.
In countries like Canada, where the Droid (Milestone), and the iPhone, or the Pre Plus and the iPhone, or the Xperia X10 and the iPhone are on the same carrier, the story is MUCH different.
I think the stupidest decision Apple ever made was limiting the iPhone to one carrier. Now they are in serious trouble with Android.
In any case, the EVO hits that goldilocks zone, it's only slightly larger than an iPhone and yet the screen is huge. If the screen is 5", that's .7" more diagonally. That WILL adversely change the size of the device to the point where it is no longer pocketable.
too boku! no bang-bang!
Between HTC and Sony, Apple had better watch out.
@BigQid
yeah, they're running scared. BTW when do you think SE will get about to release this phone, they're aren't exactly the quickest to the market.
SE announces new 5 inch Android phone, per SE, phone should be released 4th Q. 2017.
well it is sony ericsson so why bother putting the latest software on their new "great" device and the other is that I highly doubt that it will release this fall, again as it is sony ericsson we are talking about
I was happy , till the 5inch part ...
@JiMMaR that's what she said
i dont get it....a few years back making phones smaller and smaller was all the rage. now everyone is hell-bent on making them bigger.
I think 5" is the pocketable limit. And I wouldn't mind a higher resolution than 800x480 to justify that size.
@tallfella No you proved my point. Those things are exactly what aid usability. You don't create folders for the fun of it. You don't add widgets just because you can. You add those things to you're homescreen because they make you're homescreen more useful than a blank grid of icon. You multi-task, to *shock* complete multiple tasks at once.
That's usability. If stripping away features and the resulting simplicity it offers is what you're looking for maybe you should take a look at the JitterBug.
holy fucking fuck. I thought the EVO was the biggest size I would drool over comfortably..
Meh.
Sent from my EVO 4G
Looks like the closest thing to an HD2 with a real keyboard. Hopefully by fall there will be some better options out there.
Bigger, Badder, Better. That's the American way.
Part of me hopes this is more like the Dell Streak, in that they're marketed as tablets and not phones. This is the only way it would stand a chance.
DELL STREAK KILLER