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Sony Ericsson's Paris phone gets demoed in video
If you just can't get enough news about Sony Ericsson's forthcoming Symbian UIQ touchscreen phone -- currently known as Paris -- perhaps this promo video of the thing in action can help. Sure, these appears to be pre-renders, but it does whet the appetite for things to come with the device, and who can complain about that pop-up weather app and confirmation that this will have a flash for its camera? Also, the dude in the clip sports a totally stylish cardigan. Watch the whole thing after the break and see for yourself.[Via PHONE Magazine]
More shots of Sony Ericsson's still-unannounced "BeiBei"
Sony Ericsson's leaky enough so that we've had no problem believing that the BeiBei is dead real, but as we've seen with the M610i, a very real and very well-developed Sony Ericsson prototype by no means guarantees a release. That being said, we're starting to get pumped that this one might live long enough to see a store shelf or two -- particularly considering that it's said to rock UIQ 3.3 and looks a heck of a lot better now in its dark, handsome color scheme that the last time we saw it. So, anyone want to get a launch date pool going? This quarter? Next? 2009?[Via Unofficial Sony Ericsson Blog]
UIQ 3.3 announced
Ahead of CTIA -- and ahead of a possible Windows Mobile 6.1 announcement -- UIQ Technology has announced that UIQ 3.3, based on a Symbian 9.3 foundation, is now available to manufacturers. It's not a revolutionary build by any stretch of the imagination; in fact, the firm itself says that it includes "incremental enhancements" designed to keep up with changing requirements in the marketplace. Headlining features include Opera 9.5, support for Opera Widgets (widgets do seem to be the rage in mobile these days), and a dedicated widget "dashboard" for managing the little bits and pieces of content the user is tracking. The 3.3 SDK is already available, so with any luck, we should see devices in the marketplace before the century's out.%Gallery-19269%
Google Maps for mobile gets native on UIQ
There you go, now all you UIQ3 types can finally raise your mobiles and celebrate a bit of native love by way of Google Maps for mobile designed specifically for your devices. For those that don't know -- or don't care -- the native app will likely be able to take advantage of your device's touchscreen, full screen mode, and will support My Location. Sure, we know that Palm, BlackBerry, Windows Mobile, Symbian S60, and iPhone have had this for just about forever in mobile terms -- since months is this biz is like years in others. Though, we feel that the UIQers left out in the cold deserve their day in the sun. So, go forth, install, and get properly oriented Google-style.
Sony Ericsson's "BeiBei" to be unveiled Wednesday?
The Unofficial Sony Ericsson Blog is reporting that Sony Ericsson's rather stellar showing at Mobile World Congress isn't quite over yet. As you might recall, the joint venture owns UIQ, so it would make some good sense that it'd save a couple surprises for UIQ's MWC press conference, which doesn't go down until the tail end of the show on Wednesday. One of those surprises might just be this, a UIQ-powered candybar going by the codename "BeiBei" that features a dizzying (and frankly, nonsensical) array of navigation buttons and a fairly buttoned-up appearance that should appeal to businessfolk. Another possible UIQ debut is said to be "Paris," a higher end device. If this all pans out, it was rather brilliant of Sony Ericsson to let the X1 fervor calm down before launching another volley, wasn't it?
Motorola Z12 in the wild?
The Z10's fresh out of the gate, but it probably serves Motorola well to be thinking well, well ahead -- like 5 megapixels worth of ahead, for example. The so-called Z12 "Skarven" has been rumored for a few months now, and this fairly legit looking shot claims to have a wide swath of the Z series lined up for a family portrait: Z8, Z10, and Z12, from left to right. It allegedly runs UIQ (much like the two kick sliders before it) appears to feature some touch sensitive controls up front, and should feature the aforementioned high-end cam, integrated GPS, and a two-bedroom, one-bathroom flat for all we know. With any luck, we might find out a thing or two at MWC in a few days.
Sony Ericsson M610i may not be released, but it's reviewed
Pay close attention here -- odds are this is as close as you'll ever get to the mythical M610i from Sony Ericsson. For most of us, that's just fine, but for others, this could be a pretty heart-wrenching 9 minutes and 28 seconds as our Polish reviewer takes us through a painstakingly detailed rundown of the stillborn UIQ handset's hardware and software. The video's host takes note that the phone features WiFi, an Opera-based browser (labeled as "experimental" but flawless in real-world use), a 208MHz processor, 128MB of RAM along with about 181MB of user storage, and Bluetooth; what the phone doesn't feature is a camera, and that's what would've made the device a potentially compelling choice for buttoned-up business types that can't have a cameraphone (read: P1i) on the premises. Keep your chins up, though, UIQ faithful -- this thing's so stale at this point that we've gotta believe there's already something better in the pipe.[Via My-Symbian.com]
Hands-on with the Motorola Z10 banana slider
The Z8 is so 2007, and we're ready for something new to satisfy our insatiable banana phone needs. Technically this form factor is called a "kick slider," yes, we understand that, but who wouldn't rather own and use a banana phone? Anyway, the Z10 is a marvelously attractive phone, owing largely to a tastefully metallic casing that's reminiscent of the platinum V3xx (and we mean that in a complimentary way). Our time with the phone was all too brief, but we got the impression that the Z10's implementation of UIQ -- like the Z8's before it -- is an awesome implementation of Symbian that could easily give S60 a run for its money if only Motorola would take the time and R&D dollars to proliferate these kinds of phones a little bit more than they do. Sadly, the Z10 features HSDPA only on the 2100MHz band, and we got absolutely no impression from Team Moto that there'd be any Americanized version on the way. Lucky you, Europe!%Gallery-12853%
Sony Ericsson releasing P5i superphone mid-2008?
Originally rumored for an announcement as early as tomorrow, icaka over on Esato's forums is now reporting that Sony Ericsson's new be-all, end-all superphone -- the so-called P5i -- has been sent back to the shop for retooling and won't make a public debut until May or June of next year. While it could be argued that the P1i is hot (or at least warm) off the factory line, a top-5 phone manufacturer certainly can't rest on its laurels -- and if the listed specs here are even close to accurate, they're staying up on their game: think 2.8 inch VGA display, integrated GPS, WiFi, 5 megapixel camera with autofocus, HSUPA (yes, UPA, not DPA), and 128MB of RAM on board. Even better, it'll all be packed into a slim, light slider form factor that allegedly looks something like this concept art. Sounds just a smidge too good to be true, we know. Then again, by the time mid 2008 rolls around, is there any line item here that shouldn't be standard fare on a high end handset? Here's hoping![Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Symbian, Nokia, Microsoft and Apple downplay Android relevance
Palm's not the only company that isn't afraid to speak out on the Open Handset Alliance. Nokia, Microsoft and Symbian made it most clear today that they don't perceive danger from the new initiative and corresponding Android OS, with Nokia stating it quite bluntly: "We don't see this as a threat." Microsoft was a bit more on the defensive. "It really sounds that they are getting a whole bunch of people together to build a phone and that's something we've been doing for five years," said Scott Horn, from Microsoft's Windows Mobile marketing team. "I don't understand the impact that they are going to have." The Symbian folks stated the obvious: "If Google was not involved the industry would have just yawned and rolled over," said John Forsyth of Symbian. "We take it seriously but we are the ones with real phones, real phone platforms and a wealth of volume built up over years." UIQ was a bit more optimistic about the OHA, saying that "Generally, it's positive for the industry." Apple wasn't as commital either way. "We have a great relationship with Google and this doesn't change anything," said Apple spokeswoman Natalie Kerris. "They are certainly an important partner for iPhone."
Sony Ericsson M610i offered through eBay, not Sony Ericsson
Somewhere below the mighty P1i in Sony Ericsson's UIQ-based smartphone lineup lies the M600, a phone that introduced the world to one of the most bizarre QWERTY keypad styles we've ever seen -- a style Sony Ericsson continues to sporadically use today. Thing is, the M600's getting awfully long in the tooth, and we've been waiting on the long-rumored (and FCC-confirmed) M610 for a long freakin' time now. It may still be getting tweaked deep within Sony Ericsson's labs, but at least one prototype example has strayed far enough from home to find itself listed on eBay's German site. Bearing the trademark "SE123" found on prerelease Sony Ericssons, the thing certainly looks legit -- though we're not really convinced it looks better than the M600 it's destined to replace. Then again, maybe that's why it hasn't been announced yet.[Via Unwired View]
Nokia N95 gets iPhone-like screen rotation via rotateMe app
This looks to be a pretty handy app, rotateMe for Symbian OS 3rd edition devices -- a version for UIQ is also available -- lets you quickly switch between portrait and landscape modes on your handset. The neat bit is that by apparently making use of the N95's camera sensor, iPhone-like switching will become possible with the upcoming v2.0 software. Word has it that we can expect the auto switch feature in November but until then you can either run it manually or just watch the vid after the break again and again.[Via All About Symbian]
Motorola Z10 spotted in the wild
We'd already heard that Motorola's Z8 successor, the Z10, would be landing in October (or sometime in Q4), and it now looks to have indeed made it out into the wild, as evidenced by the above shot courtesy of the TamsS60 blog. In case you missed it, this one runs on Symbian 9.02 with the UIQ 3.2 interface, and packs a 3.2 megapixel camera, quad-band GSM / EDGE and HSDPA connectivity, 90MB of internal storage, and a microSD slot for expansion, among other features. According to TamsS60, it also boasts a so-called "video slideshow" mode that'll let you piece together a presentation consisting of text, images and video on the fly. Hit up the read link below for a couple of even blurrier shots.
Motorola buys into UIQ
Nokia and Sony Ericsson are typically considered Symbian's two patron saints, but little ol' Motorola's got skin in the game too with the Z8 in the marketplace and the Z10 just around the corner. Moto's been warming up to UIQ, the Symbian shell favored by Sony Ericsson -- problem is, Sony Ericsson owns 100 percent of the platform company, which we presume makes for some awkward conversations between UIQ and Moto about the manufacturer's future products (seriously, would you want to share your most closely guarded secrets with a competitor's division?). It's all good, though: Moto's agreed to take 50 percent of UIQ off Sony Ericsson's hands, with both companies saying that they'll be working together in the future to push UIQ and its development platform. Of course, Motorola's commitment to Windows Mobile still seems plenty strong, but we're all for smartphone diversity.
Two new Moto handsets outed: say hello to the RIZR Z10 and ROKR E8
Motorola is expecting a couple new and rather glossy additions to its family, namely the RIZR Z10 (pictured on left) and the ROKR E8. The E8's face will between various modes based on what you're doing, from keypad to music controls for example, it also has some tactile feedback so you know you've actually input something on its smooth black surface. The ROKR E8 has a multi function "Omega Wheel" for zooming through your tunes and navigating, 2GB of internal storage, expansion via microSD, and the sad word -- rumor of course, so we can hold out hope -- that it won't feature 3G connectivity. The RIZR Z10 is a Symbian 9.02 handset sporting the ever so lovely UIQ 3.2 interface, quad-band GSM / EDGE, HSDPA in some alien frequency, a 3.2 megapixel shooter, 90MB of internal storage with the old standby, microSD, if you need more space. The E8 should be landing Q1 of 2008, and the Z10 should be shipping Q4 this year for round about €400 (about $550).Read - Motorola ROKR E8Read - Motorola RIZR Z10
Hands-on with the Sony Ericsson P1i
Believe it or not, Sony Ericsson's P1i has one of the richest, most storied family trees in the smartphone world. Technically, it could be said that the phone can trace its roots all the way back to Psion's EPOC-based organizers, but more practically, the P1i is a direct descendent of the R380, the first Symbian-powered phone and a device that made more than a few jaws drop with its versatile design and expansive touchscreen. What's our point? Simply that this brushed metal-clad beast has some work to do to live up to its ancestry, lest a few P800s start rolling in their graves -- and with WiFi, a 3.2 megapixel cam, and UIQ 3, it seems equipped for the job. Read on for our quick take!Thanks to the good folks at Wireless Imports for the hookup!%Gallery-6120%
A closer look at Sony Ericsson's W910 and W960
With six handsets, three new Bluetooth watches, and an array of new accessories and peripherals, Sony Ericsson went for broke with today's announcement (heck, we'd go so far to say that they should've teased even a little more than they did). Obviously that's a lot to digest, so we wanted to zoom in on the W910 and W950 -- the company's newest and fanciest Walkman-branded units -- and take a look at just what it is that sets them apart. Read on for details.
Sony Ericsson makes K850, W910, W960, others official
Yeah, the new batch of watches is pretty cool, but let's be honest -- at the end of the day, the handsets themselves are the real deal, and Sony Ericsson didn't disappoint with today's reveals. The Gracenote slip-up outed the three hottest of the bunch, the K850, W910, and W960. The K850 is the follow-on to the lauded K790 / K800 with a 5 megapixel cam, NetFront browser, and tri-band HSDPA (North American bands mercifully included) and quadband GSM plus EDGE. The W910 and W960 are beasts of Walkman phones, offering 3G data, 2 megapixel and 3.2 megapixel cams respectively, and -- in the case of the W960 -- UIQ 3.1 and a full 8GB of onboard storage. Also-rans in today's lineup include the not-for-US-consumption K530, a 14mm 3G candybar, and the low-end Z250 and Z320 flips. Look for 'em all in the second half of the year. Check Engadget Mobile for a plethora of eye candy!Read - Z320 and K850Read - W910 and W960Read - K530Read - Z250
Sony Ericsson M610i "Lizy" sees FCC approval
So is it the "Elena" or the "Lizy?" We'd previously though that Sony Ericsson's upcoming M610i bore the "Elena" codename, but the FCC filing for this sucker just came through with "Lizy" plastered all over it. No bother; the important thing is the device itself, which seems to be a promising upgrade to the M600 and will probably slot in right under the recently-announced P1 in Sony Ericsson's UIQ-based smartphone lineup. Highlights include a triband UMTS radio (no 850 -- surprise, surprise), Bluetooth, WiFi, and that love-it-or-hate-it QWERTY keypad rocker buttons to access letters. No word on release or pricing just yet, but we figure we can't be too far off from an official announcement.[Via Unwired View]
Pimp your handset with free UIQ themes
If you have a hankering to tweak your UIQ 3.0 handset's look and feel, UIQ Technology has you covered with a series of downloadable themes for your viewing enjoyment. Compatible with Sony Ericsson W950, P990, M600, and soon the Motorola MOTORIZR Z8, these themes alter the shape and color of the user interface controls, wallpaper, and even device sounds. Released as part of the UIQ Themes campaign, there were originally supposed to be 5 themes available, but we can peep six on the theme page. We definitely think that the 6th and last is the best of the lot; a Gaudi inspired trencadis named Barcelona.
