Engadget

Sony Ericsson MT15i / Vivaz 2 ensnared by Eldar Murtazin, given glowing preview

Vlad Savov — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 02:31:00 EST

The choice of Android Gingerbread handsets just grew by one, courtesy of the Sony Ericsson MT15i and Russia's premier mobile reviewer, Eldar Murtazin, who has put it through his rigorous preview cycle. The typically curmudgeonly gent was pleasantly surprised by SE's latest (and entirely unofficial) handset, claiming that the company "has developed and is about to launch truly cutting edge devices and ... has almost nothing to fear in the hardware department as well." He has praise for the above-average front-facing cam, the endurance offered by the 1500mAh battery, and the 854 x 480 res on the Reality Display -- though he does warn that Sony's Bravia Engine is only used when consuming multimedia and therefore has limited impact on improving output quality.

Internally, you're looking at 512MB of RAM and a 1GHz Qualcomm MSM7630 with Adreno 205 graphics, all of which resulted in perfectly smooth, lag-free operation. In spite of its many pluses, Eldar describes the MT15i as a phone targeting the mid-range, which invites all sorts of delicious pricing speculation, though we're not entirely sure we agree with his postulation that this handset will be called the Vivaz 2. The Xperia branding up front and the replacement of Symbian with Android would collectively suggest it'll bear an altogether new name when it's unveiled -- which we'll go ahead and presume is going to happen at MWC next month.

Sony Ericsson MT15i / Vivaz 2 ensnared by Eldar Murtazin, given glowing preview originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 20 Jan 2011 02:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Sony Ericsson Vivaz coming September 5th to AT&T

Ross Miller — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 10:49:00 EST

In the mood for a good Ma Bell camera phone (emphasis on the camera more than phone)? Sony Ericsson and AT&T have just now decided to bring the Symbian S60-packing Vivaz stateside, still touting a 720p autofocus HD video mode and a 8.1 megapixel camera. Price of entry is $80 on contract (after $50 mail-in rebate) and according to the press release will hit retail September 5th in Galaxy Blue -- or should you like a more specified celestial color, a Venus Ruby option will be offered online for a limited time. Just don't forget it's a resistive screen; lose the stylus or you'll be keeping a fingernail long for about two birthdays. Press release after the break.

Continue reading Sony Ericsson Vivaz coming September 5th to AT&T

Sony Ericsson Vivaz coming September 5th to AT&T originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 25 Aug 2010 10:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Sony Ericsson Vivaz pro lands FCC approval

Chris Ziegler — Thu, 06 May 2010 11:35:00 EST

We can imagine the conversation going something like this:

"Hello, FCC speaking. How can I help you?"
"Hey, Sony Ericsson here. So basically, we took this phone you guys already approved, and just... you know, slapped a keyboard on it. We cool?"
"Well, no, we aren't 'cool.' Go ahead and submit another set of test results and we'll get back to you."
"But..."
"...no 'buts.' Just do it." (click)

And that, you see, brings us to this filing for the Vivaz pro. It's not a North America-bound version -- there's no 850 / 1900MHz or AWS 3G -- but at least it'll get you some high-speed data if you're in 900 or 2100MHz markets (read: Europe). And heck, it might even make an original Vivaz owner or two jealous in the process.

Sony Ericsson Vivaz pro lands FCC approval originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 06 May 2010 11:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Sony Ericsson Vivaz review

Richard Lai — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 16:31:00 EST

Sony Ericsson's no stranger to phones with decent cameras, and the Vivaz with European 3G frequencies aims to be one of them; after all these months we've finally got hold of this S60 device, which is the first phone capable of continuous autofocus on 720p video recording courtesy of its speedy 720MHz Cortex A8 and PowerVR GPU. Compared to its predecessor, the Vivaz bears a similar button layout and GUI to the Satio's, but lacks a front-facing camera, Fast Port (replaced by a micro-USB port and 3.5mm headphone jack), and a slide cover for the camera. The resistive touchscreen (sigh, more on that later) has been downsized from 3.5 inches to 3.2 inches but retains a similar resolution (640 x 360), while the camera sensor is also scaled down from 12.1 megapixels to a more sensible 8.1, possibly for the sake of picture quality and component cost. But enough with the comparison -- let's get cracking with the review.

Gallery: Sony Ericsson Vivaz review

Continue reading Sony Ericsson Vivaz review

Sony Ericsson Vivaz review originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 06 Apr 2010 16:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Sony Ericsson Vivaz available on Vodafone, Satio looks on with envy

Chris Ziegler — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 07:14:00 EST

If you don't have a need for a physical keyboard -- or you're just not willing to wait long enough for the Vivaz Pro to come to market -- then you might want to take a gander at Sony Ericsson's plain-Jane Vivaz now that it's available from Vodafone in the UK. The Symbian-powered slate features a 3.2-inch WVGA display, 8.1 megapixel still camera, and 720p video capture with continuous autofocus -- a truly unique feature for a cameraphone at any price. As is usually the case with these guys, you're able to score the Vivaz for a big, fat naught on contract as long as you're willing to pony up at least £30 (about $46) a month on your plan.

Sony Ericsson Vivaz available on Vodafone, Satio looks on with envy originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 13 Mar 2010 07:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Sony Ericsson launches Vivaz pro, now with more QWERTY

Sean Cooper — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 14:00:00 EST

Loved Sony Ericsson's Vivaz but not the ~~awkward name~~ form factor? No biggie, as SE's seen fit to launch a "pro" version of the set replete with QWERTY slide out keypad today at Mobile World Congress. The handset's other specs pretty much line up with what we saw launched in January: very usable 720p video capture, a 640 x 360 wide HVGA touchscreen display, S60 5th Edition (so says the press release, though an SE-tweaked Symbian^2 or Symbian^3 seems more likely), mountains of connectivity options, apps, gee-whiz camera functions, and will ship in both North American and global 3G variants with quad-band EDGE. Digging through the specs, we're a little concerned that somehow the Vivaz pro's megapixelry has slipped from a decidedly more pro-ish 8.1 in the original Vivaz to 5.1 in this venture -- so we're guessing the form factor has something to do with it. Of course there's no firm shipping date, but look for it in white or black sometime in the second quarter of this year.

Continue reading Sony Ericsson launches Vivaz pro, now with more QWERTY

Sony Ericsson launches Vivaz pro, now with more QWERTY originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 14 Feb 2010 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Sony Ericsson Vivaz shows up in multicolored Dutch hands-on (Update: video!)

Vlad Savov — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 05:14:00 EST

The former Kurara caterpillar has now sprouted into a Vivaz butterfly, and what do you know, all its lustrous color options have already been handled and explored by Dutch site All About Phones. We're told that early leaks and spy shots did a disservice to the handsome styling of the handset, which borrows some design cues from the Xperia X10. It's smaller than you might think, apparently, and a delight to handle, though the back has an unfortunate taste for fingerprints. The Symbian S60 5th onboard is said to be "remarkably fast," and an improvement over the implementation on the Satio. We couldn't resist snatching one more photo with all four hues on display, which can be found after the break, but you'll have to read that source link for the full dish and photoshoot.

Update: Hey, SE has been kind enough to supply us with a developer preview video, which you'll find right after the break, thanks XRX.

Continue reading Sony Ericsson Vivaz shows up in multicolored Dutch hands-on (Update: video!)

Sony Ericsson Vivaz shows up in multicolored Dutch hands-on (Update: video!) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 21 Jan 2010 05:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Sony Ericsson Vivaz is official: 8.1 megapixels' worth of Symbian

Chris Ziegler — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 12:05:00 EST

We get the impression that Sony Ericsson didn't intend for this release to go out quite yet, but for what it's worth, we've now got official word that the rumored Kurara is the real deal -- and it'll be known as "Vivaz." Yes, Vivaz. Okay, now that you've had a moment to recover, let's take a look at the specs: S60 5th Edition (we're surprised they don't refer to it as a Symbian build in the release, but whatevs), 8.1 megapixel autofocus cam with image stabilization, face detection, and 720p video capture, FM radio, AGPS, WiFi, TV-out at VGA resolution, and a 3.2-inch WVGA (or 640 x 360... the PR lists both) display. It'll be available in four colors -- Moon Silver, Cosmic Black, Galaxy Blue, and Venus Ruby -- when it launches this quarter in both North American and global 3G variants with quadband EDGE. If you can get over the name, you love Symbian, and the Satio isn't for you, this might be your new objet d'envy for the first few months of the year. Follow the break for a hip-looking Sony Ericsson dude showing off the goods.

Update: And it appears Burson-Marsteller has pulled the release, so yep -- it wasn't supposed to go out yet. Enjoy!

Gallery: Sony Ericsson Vivaz official: 8 megapixels' worth of Symbian

Continue reading Sony Ericsson Vivaz is official: 8.1 megapixels' worth of Symbian

Sony Ericsson Vivaz is official: 8.1 megapixels' worth of Symbian originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 20 Jan 2010 12:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments