File this under “we hope so,” as it’s clear that the version of Sony Ericsson (NYSE: SNE)’s first Android smartphone that can sing along AT&T (NYSE: T)’s 3G bands will be available. The official X10 page has been updated to reflect that, clearly showing a U.S. centric model that works on UMTS HSPA 800/850/1900 MHz frequencies. Yap, those are the ones that work on AT&T (and Canada’s Rogers (NYSE: RCI) Wireless for that matter). Here’s what it says:
UMTS HSPA 800/850/1900 only available for phones sold in Americas (except Brazil) and Australia. UMTS HSPA 900/1700 not available for phones sold in Americas. UMTS HSPA 1900/2100 available worldwide.
Nothing is confirmed at this stage, but it’s not like AT&T doesn’t offer any Sony Ericsson’s phones, already — i.e. the channel is somewhat open. And getting such a high-end device in the U.S. market is also of interest to the now struggling Swedish-Japanese handset maker. The only problem I see is how this reflects on the exclusivity of the AT&T-Apple (NSDQ: AAPL) releations. AT&T certainly can’t afford to miss the Android bandwagon, but Apple has the negotiating power more than any other company at the moment. We’ll certainly watch this carefully and let you know as soon as we hear something new. Stay tuned…
Ow, did anyone else feel like their wallet just got kicked in the crotch? At a Swedish press event, Sony Ericsson (NYSE: SNE) revealed that their Android-powered X10 to be released in February will be costing 6,000 Swedish kroner (which works out to $US 860 at the current exchange rate). Even among high-end smartphones that’s pretty steep, and considering SE’s history with selling the xperia brand unlocked, odds are we won’t see X10 carrier-subsidized for awhile. We’ve seen the super-slick user interface built on top of Android, 8 megapixel camera, slim profile, 1 Ghz processor, and 4-inch display, but it is a very small niche that will shell out that kind of money for this device. Anyone out there unfazed by the pricetag?
Sony Ericsson has a new plan to whip itself back into shape to compete with leaner and meaner mobile phone makers. The Japanese-Swedish joint venture is planning to close four facilities and cut some 2.000 jobs in an effort to streamline the company. Following a recent round of job cuts that left 450 employees at its Research Triangle Park R&D facility without work, Sony Ericsson (NYSE: SNE) has announced that it will be closing the RTP facility and cutting additional jobs around the world.
Sony Ericsson will close the doors to its RTP headquarters by the third quarter of 2010. The SE North American headquarters will move from RTP to Atlanta, with the R&D operations relocating to Redwood Shores, California. A facility in Miami, Florida will also be permanently close, alongside facilities in Kista, Sweden and Chennai, India. Sony Ericsson says that severance packages will be included, with some lucky employees getting a chance to apply for jobs in California or Atlanta.
The cellphone maker boasts 4.9% of the global mobile phone market, making it the No. 4 handset maker in the world. When it comes to smartphone market share, which we care about more than overall market share, Sony Ericsson isn’t really a big player. But, with leaned-out operations and attractive new handsets, like the Android-powered XPERIA X10, coming down the pipe, Sony Ericsson looks poised to make a big splash in the smartphone space in 2010.
In preparation for the incoming X10, Sony Ericsson (NYSE: SNE) has opened up a new tool for developers called WebSDK. As you might imagine, it allows developers to write mobile apps in web languages like HTML, CSS and JavaScript, not unlike Palm’s webOS or BlackBerry’s recently-launched widgets. The system is all based around the open-source PhoneGap project cooked up back in March. It’s not just Android getting the love – Symbian phones will also be compatible with WebSDK, and combined with the Kurara/U5 leak earlier today, Sony Ericsson is clearly not forgetting Symbian, even in the wake of their burgeoning Android romance.
The most promising thing coming from Sony Ericsson (NYSE: SNE) these days is the Android-powered X10, but not so fast – they haven’t put all of their eggs in one basket. This here is the Kurara, a Symbian smartphone with 8 megapixel camera with LED flash, ARM Cortex A8 600 MHz processor, 3.2″ touchscreen, and HD video recording at 720p. Also called the U5, the usual fixings like GPS, Wi-Fi (with DLNA support), 3.5mm, microUSB and HSDPA/HSUPA connectivity are packed inside. We’ll have to see more of the device to pass judgment, but maybe SE should take a hint from Motorola (NYSE: MOT) and focus on Android for the immediate future. No release date, target markets, or pricetag just yet, but we’ll be keeping an eye out.
Sony Ericsson (NYSE: SNE) UK’s X10 launch page has spelled out their launch window in black and white: February is the month to hold out for. The most we got out of the announcement of SE’s impressive Android handset was an expected release in the first half of 2010, so it’s good to have that narrowed down a bit. The X10 promises to be the biggest, baddest Android handset out there – an 8 megapixel camera, 1 Ghz processor, and 4-inch WVGA display put it head and shoulders above the HTC Hero, and will give the Motorola (NYSE: MOT) droid a run for its money. Their custom Timescape user interface is exceptionally slick, all practicality aside. If you’re interested in a prerelease tour, check out this video.
Just caught this – a brand new Sony Ericsson X10 commercial. All (or at least some) of the phone’s features are shown in real-world. Or at least that seems like the main idea behind the clip. I like the handset maker’s approach – it’s the experience they want to sell, not the specs, even though we’re talking about the high-end smartphone which is powered by Qualcomm (NSDQ: QCOM)’s 1GHz Snapdragon CPU. But I’m talking too much. Here’s a clip, enjoy it!
The Sony Ericsson Xperia ‘Pureness’ has made an appearance on the Canadian Sony Ericsson (NYSE: SNE) site… a move that will almost certainly see the device make its debut on a Canadian carrier in the near future. My money would be on a January 2010 launch, but we’ll have to wait and see.
If you check out the details on the ‘Pureness’, you’ll notice key features such as Bluetooth, an FM tuner, Exchange ActiveSync compatibility, and a very cool transparent scratch-resistant monochrome 1.8″ TFT display. Of course, all of the standard apps come preloaded as well, including your alarm clock, calculator, calendar, yadda yadda, you know the deal.
For those looking for a stylish new candybar, the Xperia Pureness could be the one. I’ll keep an eye open for availability and pricing when it becomes available.
LTE, Long Term Evolution, 4G, whatever you want to call it, was designed to be a complete IP based system. Many of you may be surprised to hear this, but when LTE became a standard, it only supported data. That’s right, 4th generation networks didn’t have an interoperable standard for voice and SMS. Several solutions have been proposed, and I’ve extended my support to VoLGA, but it looks like Nokia (NYSE: NOK) has decided IMS (IP Multimedia Subsystem) will be the way going forward.
Who supports the decision? AT&T, Orange, Telefonica (many of you know them as O2), TeliaSonera, Verizon (NYSE: VZ), Vodafone (NYSE: VOD), Alcatel-Lucent (NYSE: ALU), Ericsson, Nokia Siemens Networks, Nokia, Samsung and Sony Ericsson (NYSE: SNE). That’s a lot of companies. Their posse is called “One Voice Initiative” and now that the big boys have all decided on a standard, progress towards getting LTE networks up and running will start to pick up. Verizon and TeliaSonera are competing to see who will launch the world’s first commercial LTE network in 2010, but it’s going to quite a ways off until 4G coverage is equal to the current 3G footprint.
If anyone can point me (and IntoMobile readers) to a blog post or a book that explains how IMS works, that would be greatly appreciated. I’ve always avoided the standard since I thought it would never fly. Oh how wrong I am now.
Update: The One Voice spec has been published, check it out [PDF] if you’re a network engineer.
A quick bit of Canadian mobile news here, on Fido. It seems as though the discount Canadian carrier (run by the behemoth, Rogers (NYSE: RCI) (NYSE: RCI)) has released the Sony Ericsson T715A. The T715A is a slider with a 2.2″ 240×320 QVGA display, 3.2MP camera with video, Bluetooth, speakerphone, MP3 player and more. Pretty standard fare… Not ideal for the power user, but a nice solid device for those that need a steady performer for everyday calling and basic tasks.
The price? Try $50 on a 2-year term, or $200 month-to-month, prepaid, or for the device only. For all the details head on over to Fido.
Ow, did anyone else feel like their wallet just got kicked in the crotch? At a Swedish press event, Sony Ericsson (
Sony Ericsson has a new plan to whip itself back into shape to compete with leaner and meaner mobile phone makers. The Japanese-Swedish joint venture is planning to close four facilities and cut some 2.000 jobs in an effort to streamline the company. Following a recent 
In preparation for the incoming X10, Sony Ericsson (
Sony Ericsson (
A quick bit of Canadian mobile news here, on Fido. It seems as though the discount Canadian carrier (run by the behemoth, Rogers (
