The Sony Ericsson Satio is getting some interesting new updates just before SE launches some brand new phones –good to see that product support for older phones does not die out with newer models.
Anyway, for those of you wondering why the Satio’s name sounds familiar, it may be because you have seen the major advertising campaign that Sony Ericsson has dished out for the smart phone –the one that involves people bouncing around on giant colored balls all over the world. It was a pretty big campaign that would have certainly cost millions –millions we think that the device was hard pressed to earn back.
Despite the amazing features and capabilities of the Satio, the device suffered from an early set of problems that severely crippled the phone’s firmware. The problem was so bad that retailers Carphone Warehouse and Phones 4U have suspended sales of the device until Sony Ericsson was able to release a fix for it.
In an amazing twist, the update actually improved the battery life of the device beyond its optimal listed rate –something that SE decided to use on the Aino and the Kita devices as well.
Anyway, the new update for the Satio will be bringing even more features to the SE smart phone. First off, Satio will now be compatible with video recording of 864 x 480 pixels (WVGA standard). The Satio will also be given more social networking integration with a Facebook app in the PlayNow menu, instant photo uploads to Facebook, video uploads to YouTube and threaded messages.
Media transfer has been enhanced with DLNA support and the user interface has been updated to improve performance. The update is also said to fix a few minor issues still present in the device.
Get to know more about the Satio update at Softpedia.
Sony Ericsson’s upcoming XPERIA X10 Mini will be coming next month and it looks like Vodafone will be carrying the new handset.
The new smart phone has been shown off at the Mobile World Congress and has taken plenty of us by surprise. We have already confirmed that the X10 would indeed have a mini version with the previous reports of the XPERIA Robyn, but nobody expected the device to be ready and on the floor at Barcelona, Spain.
The Robyn does not come alone too. Sony Ericsson has also brought out the XPERIA X10 Mini Pro. The Pro edition actually squeezes in a slide out QWERTY keyboard on the already small smart phone. With very few Androids sporting physical keyboards, the Mini Pro is sure to be a hit.
Speaking of surprise gadgets, there was also a third debutante at the MWC Sony Ericsson booth; the SE Vivaz Pro. Like the Mini Pro, this device also sports a physical QWERTY keyboard for the Symbian smart phone –though it drops the 8 mega pixel camera for a 5 mega pixel cam and still retains 720p HD video recording capabilities.
As expected both the Mini and Mino Pro share the exact same specifications. While it has yet to be confirmed that the existing 1.6 Android Donut will be updated, many are already expecting the update to Éclair to be available in matter of weeks. With the XPERIA X10 already coming this March, Sony Ericsson will have to update the OS else it gets left behind by its Android competitors.
It is estimated that the X10 Mini will be priced at £299.99 while the X10 Mini Pro will be £339.99.
Get to know more about the new SE XPERIA X10 Mini and Mini Pro smart phones at Mobile Choice UK.
It is not a surprise that Google has approached various mobile phone manufacturers to develop their Nexus series of mobile phones. After all, Google does rely on subcontractors for manufacturing.
As we all know, the prestige (if we can call it such) of making the Google Nexus One is none other than HTC. The Taiwanese mobile phone manufacturer has played a key role in the development of the Android operating system since day one. In fact, it was HTC that made the very first Android smart phone, the HTC Dream (commonly known as the G1).
When Google announced that it was going to make its own mobile phone, plenty of rumors rose as to who would be manufacturing the Android handset. HTC got pegged early on as a likely candidate, but no one expected that Sony Ericsson would be one of the companies Google approached.
According to Bert Nordberg, CEO of Sony Ericsson, the Swedish Japanese joint venture passed up an invitation from Google to make the Nexus One. The news came from a Swedish magazine interview and has gotten plenty of feedback online.
“What was Sony Ericsson thinking?”
So goes the general reaction of anyone who has read the news. After all, 2009 was full of nothing but bad news for the joint venture. Halfway through the year, they had to shut down facilities and offices –losing 2000 workers in the process. Near the holidays, major device Satio got pulled out of shelves from both Carphone Warehouse and Phones4U due to firmware problems and December saw the XPERIA X2 getting delayed to January.
2010 began with the fiscal reports that showed SE being in the deep red; deep as in to the tune of over 800 million.
Did Sony Ericsson refuse a critical lifeline?
Read more about SE refusing to make Nexus One at Mobile Choice UK.
This week has been full of surprises -thanks mostly to last Sunday’s Mobile World Congress.
The Japanese Swedish joint venture Sony Ericsson had its own share of news with the reveal of the new X10 Mini, X10 Mini Pro and the Vivaz Pro. Already we have seen many of the initial specs and images of the XPERIA X10, Vivaz and the Aspen –three major SE devices that many wanted see.
The XPERIA X10 is an Android smart phone that runs on the Snapdragon processor. It also has an impressive 4 inch capacitive touch screen and it uses the new Timescape and Mediascape user interface. The only flaw about this smart phone is that like most high end smart phones, it is not a good device for the general market. Not everyone will dish out the money for a Snapdragon powered behemoth.
SE’s answer to this is the X10 Mini and the X10 Mini Pro. Both of these two devices share the same watered down specs of the XPERIA X10, at the added bonus of a significantly smaller size and a cheaper price tag. The “Pro” in the second smart phone connotes the presence of a slide out physical QWERTY keyboard.
The Vivaz Pro is pretty much the same. It is a Vivaz Symbian smart phone with the ability to record in 720p HD video and has an additional slide out QWERTY keyboard. There is one more difference between the two devices; the Vivaz Pro only has a 5 mega pixel camera while the original Vivaz has an 8 mega pixel camera.
The Aspen Greenheart smart phone which runs the new Windows Mobile 6.5.3 Maldives OS is unlikely to ever get a Pro version since it already has a physical keyboard.
Read more about the new X10 Mini and Mini Pro devices at Stuff TV.
We don’t know the exact release date of the Sony Ericsson Vivaz, but the phone specifications are clear. The Smartphone continues the ‘human curvature’ design line, an observable sign of this brand. The Vivaz appears to have powerful entertainment tools integrated such as high quality camera. The YouTube feature offers the consumer video sharing with friends, but you can review the video before uploading.
Communication is becoming essential in everyday life for many users, so the creators of this smartphone have come up with a useful feature that will allow users to benefit from up to 13 hours of talk time and 440 hours of standby time performance. The battery performance is subject to the network and phone usage. Users can use Vivaz to communicate and show what is happening in real time, with the video calling option.
People associated with the business world normally find themselves traveling all the time, and for most business travellers it is important to stay connected to their associates constantly to perform their jobs functionally. The Sony Ericsson Vivaz creators have thought about this and employed a web browser, called WebKit and Web feeds. Users will have all necessary information with their Vivaz; which will functionally let them perform their everyday tasks easily. The Vivaz will compensate for laptops and computers and it is lightweight for users to experience it to the best of its potential; while keeping important contacts, pictures and utilizing the internet. Users can browse Google and bookmark any website that they need.
Using the smartphone helps consumers utilize effective time management skills as well. For most in the business profession, time is money. Users can easily read their emails on their phone, while drinking coffee at a coffee shop or while just having a chat with their friends while using instant messaging. Communication platforms on the mobile phone are as simple as using the Internet: users can use text messaging, SMS, picture messaging, instant messaging, email or and they can stay regularly in sync with their Microsoft exchange email server with ActiveSync.
The Sony Ericsson is a DLNA Certified phone. The connectivity palette is interesting as users can connect to their personal computers with USB connectivity, and move files between hard drives. Wi-Fi compatibility allows users to make use of high-speed Internet on hotspots and in airports.
A Wisepilot turn-by-turn navigation is helpful if users are on the road and they need help finding their destination on a GUI. If they are not accustomed to that, the Google maps can be their next option or they can use GPS based services. Consumers will find the easiest way to print or the view the images and videos made with the easy connectivity with the USB ports and wireless networking. If users want pictures or documents printed, there is a PictBridge application that will help them easily accomplish that. The use of the Symbian OS give users access to thousands of useful applications that they can add to their phone makes the features of the mobile phone indispensable.
Nothing makes a mobile device stand out more than using green engineering.
While Sony Ericsson may be having problems as a company (major financial loses an all, see their fiscal earnings for 2009 to see what we mean), they still manage to deliver some of the best standards in mobile phone manufacturing. The Japanese and Swedish joint venture has been continuously producing mobile phones under their Greenheart eco-standard and they have shown that it is possible to make an environmentally friendly mobile phone without compromising form, style or functions.
This is the very same concept behind the newly announced Sony Ericsson Aspen. This business model device is set with a 2.4 inch touch screen display and a full QWERTY keyboard in portrait orientation. The candy bar phone possesses that signature hard look of SE devices along with the solid lines and heavy form factor; initial images of the device shows that the phone is available in silver and black variants.
Another great feature about the Aspen is that it runs the new Windows Mobile 6.5.3 operating system. With previous announcements that Microsoft is planning to unveil the new OS at the upcoming Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, we might also possibly see the Aspen being announced too. Officially, this new WinMo phone is expected to be available come second quarter of 2010.
The coming of this WinMo device could not have been at a better time. Sony’s previous WinMo device, the XPERIA X2 has not fared well in the mobile industry. While SE still has the Vizaz, the X10, Elm, Hazel, Robyn and Kanna, they still lack a decent Windows Mobile device -having the Aspen rounds up the list nicely.
For more details and up close images of the upcoming eco friendly Windows Mobile phone from Sony Ericsson, head straight to the SEMC Blog.
In this modern day and age, more and more people are using the internet to keep in touch with friends and family. Whether it be through simple emails, or by using social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace, people all over the world are talking to each other, and thanks to technology it is possible to send an email in the UK, for it to be received only 10 seconds later in Australia.
All technology develops and changes all the time and mobile phones are no exception to this. For the last couple years mobile phones have used new technology to allow people to use Facebook and MySpace directly from their phone, but there have often been troubles such as loading speeds or incorrect layout. The new phone from Sony Ericsson, the Xperia X10 is a phone designed especially for communication purposes.
Using a special new program called Timescape, all your conversations and text messages are grouped in one window. Basically, you can view all your messages from Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, your emails and text messages in the same window to save you going from page to page which many get confusing and be a time hassle, especially if you are in a hurry. You can also reply to all the messages from this one window, which is great for fast replying to various messages. The Sony Ericsson phone comes complete with a built in FM radio, designed for giving you your favorite music whilst on the go, in places where you may not be able to listen to loud music. A wireless headset is included to make sure you do not disturb other people. The phone is due in Q1 2010 when we will be able to pick up the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 on contract.
The new Sony Ericsson Elm looks just like your normal phone. It performs just like you would expect from a phone. And it has all the same features as a standard phone would have. But there is something that sets it apart from other phones. The new Sony Ericsson Elm is the latest handset in a new range of environmentally friendly phones that use various different methods of production to reduce the impact on the environment.
Using mainly recycled household plastic for the body the Elm helps to cut down on harmful chemicals used in the normal manufacturing of phones and also saves the customer a bit of money. The way the phone is made is also environmentally friendly, with the factories using new technology to reduce the amount of emissions released. Aside from the environmental benefit the new Sony Ericsson phone brings, it also has some great features to go with it.
The 5 megapixel camera allows even the most professional photographer to get great results from what you are using, and will be more than adequate to take photos of your favorite times and help to preserve good memories. After taking the photo, you can apply some basic editing on the phone, and then transfer to a computer via USB. Or alternatively, you can use the built in Facebook application to upload the photo directly onto your Facebook, great for saving you time and effort. With many widgets for you to set, you can be just a click away from your favorite applications, saving you going through the menus to get to what you want. The new Elm from Sony Ericsson is due to be released in the first quarter of 2010, perfect for those of you with some Christmas money left over to spend.
Pushing forward against all odds can seem like a bit of folly for some, but this is one of the reasons why Sony Ericsson managed to stay on top of the game despite many consecutive years of losses. The financial state of the company is not transparent for us to see, but judging from the joint venture’s 2009 losses, it is obvious that they just might need a Hail Mary pass if the company is going to survive next year.
Simply put, Sony Ericsson lost about 836 million Euros and unless they generate some big sales this year, many are predicting that the company might not be able to keep up.
Bert Nordberg thinks otherwise:
“The refreshed portfolio, coupled with the business transformation programme has started to positively impact our financial results.
We will continue to focus on returning the company to profitability by establishing Sony Ericsson as the communication entertainment brand based on an exciting portfolio of mid- and high-end products, such as our recently announced Android-based phone, the Xperia X10.
2010 will still be challenging as the full benefit of cost improvements will not impact results until the second half of the year, however we are confident that our business is on the right track.”
Folly? The words came straight from the president of Sony Ericsson. This is not blind bravado, aside from the much anticipated Snapdragon Android XPERIA X10, the SE Vizaz, Kanna and Robyn are also due to be released this year. There is also a growing demand for the eco-friendly Greenheart phones (it has also been reported that SE is working on a new Greenheart WinMo phone).
Indeed, unlike the rest of us looking back at SE’s problems and why the company had a bad performance; Sony is pushing forward and focusing on what it can do to perform better.
Back in June Sony Ericsson announced two new handsets, the Naite and the C901, that were to be part of their new ‘GreenHeart’ series. These phones were aimed at the environment-conscious phone users with many features designed to make the phones more ‘green’. While some of these features were commendable, such as using less disposable packaging and toxic materials, some of it just seemed a bit gimmicky and almost as though Sony Ericsson was cynically trying to cash in on the current hullaballoo about carbon footprints and melting icecaps.
A few months on and Sony Ericsson has now released some new phones into the range – the Elm and the Hazel. The names of these two phones certainly sound a lot greener than ‘Naite’ and ‘C901′, but are their specifications any greener?
The specifications of the two phones are virtually identical with the main difference between the two handsets being in the physical design and appearance. Both the Hazel and the Elm are produced from non-toxic materials and largely using recycled plastic, as well as coming in reduced packaging. Both phones will use ‘e-manuals’ that are contained on the phone, and not in paper booklet form in the box. While this is great in reducing paper usage, it may not be such a good idea if you need to refer to the phones booklet for help if your phone is not turning on. The two new phones both feature the rather silly and not-really-that-green ‘Walk Mate’ application. This is an app that calculates how much CO2 you are not emitting by choosing to walk rather than drive, and it does this by calculating the distance you have walked. In other words, it’s a fancy pedometer.
But like with the release of the Naite and C901, the question still remains that if Sony Ericsson is truly committed to saving the environment why are they not implementing these features on all of their phones? The small benefits gained by reducing wasteful packaging with these two phones will be eclipsed by the fact that they make up a very small share of an otherwise highly wasteful industry.
To be fair to Sony Ericsson, they have stated that they are aiming to make all of their phone accessories compliant with their GreenHeart policies by 2011, and to reduce their total CO2 emissions by 20% by 2015. If you leave the cynicism aside, these are actually two quite nice phones with some great features that benefit from playing some part in helping the environment and also have a nice ergonomic design to them. Both handsets will be released in early 2010, with the release of the Hazel following the Elm. So, stay tuned for some great Sony Ericsson Hazel and Sony Ericsson Elm deals closer to that time.
The Sony Ericsson Satio is getting some interesting new updates just before SE launches some brand new phones –good to see that product support for older phones does not die out with newer models.
It is not a surprise that 
This week has been full of surprises -thanks mostly to last Sunday’s Mobile World Congress.
We don’t know the exact release date of the 
People associated with the business world normally find themselves traveling all the time, and for most business travellers it is important to stay connected to their associates constantly to perform their jobs functionally. The 
Using the smartphone helps consumers utilize effective time management skills as well. For most in the business profession, time is money. Users can easily read their emails on their phone, while drinking coffee at a coffee shop or while just having a chat with their friends while using instant messaging. Communication platforms on the mobile phone are as simple as using the Internet: users can use text messaging, SMS, picture messaging, instant messaging, email or and they can stay regularly in sync with their Microsoft exchange email server with ActiveSync.
A Wisepilot turn-by-turn navigation is helpful if users are on the road and they need help finding their destination on a GUI. If they are not accustomed to that, the 
Nothing makes a mobile device stand out more than using green engineering.
In this modern day and age, more and more people are using the internet to keep in touch with friends and family. Whether it be through simple emails, or by using social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace, people all over the world are talking to each other, and thanks to technology it is possible to send an email in the UK, for it to be received only 10 seconds later in Australia.
The new 
Pushing forward against all odds can seem like a bit of folly for some, but this is one of the reasons why 
Back in June 
The specifications of the two phones are virtually identical with the main difference between the two handsets being in the physical design and appearance. Both the Hazel and the Elm are produced from non-toxic materials and largely using recycled plastic, as well as coming in reduced packaging. Both phones will use ‘e-manuals’ that are contained on the phone, and not in paper booklet form in the box. While this is great in reducing paper usage, it may not be such a good idea if you need to refer to the phones booklet for help if your phone is not turning on. The two new phones both feature the rather silly and not-really-that-green ‘Walk Mate’ application. This is an app that calculates how much CO2 you are not emitting by choosing to walk rather than drive, and it does this by calculating the distance you have walked. In other words, it’s a fancy pedometer.
packaging with these two phones will be eclipsed by the fact that they make up a very small share of an otherwise highly wasteful industry.