Day: January 21, 2010

“NTT DoCoMo today unveiled its docomo Smartphone Xperia, manufactured by Sony Ericsson and known as the Xperia X10 in markets outside Japan, which is scheduled to go on sale in Japan this April. Built on the open Android operating system and powered by a 1GHz CPU, the docomo Smartphone Xperia with 4.0-inch touchscreen features Mediascape, a Sony Ericsson signature application for intuitive organization of music, photos and videos. If the new “infinite button” is pressed while playing a song, Mediascape searches for all content related to the artist across a broad range of media, both in-phone and online, such as music, videos and information. Another signature Sony Ericsson application, Timescape, intuitively organizes communication histories with each individual and provides quick mobile access to the user’s favorite means of communication. When the “infinite button” is pressed, Timescape presents one convenient view of all interactions with an individual, such as voice, e-mail (configuration required), Twitter, Facebook and mixi, a popular social network service in Japan. The phonebook also synchronizes with postings on Twitter and Facebook. The docomo Smartphone Xperia is compatible with FOMA HIGH-SPEED, DOCOMO’s HSUPA/HSDPA data-communication service for extra-fast 2.0 Mbps uplinks and 7.2 Mbps downlinks (theoretical maximums). It also is equipped for Wi-Fi, uploading videos and photos to YouTube and Picasa, and downloading applications from Android Market, allowing users to co-create an experience that is entirely unique to them. Google services such as Google search, Google Maps and Gmail are preloaded. The docomo Smartphone Xperia intelligently recognizes up to five faces from photos stored in the phonebook and automatically tags faces in photos taken with the handset’s 8.1-megapixel camera. The user can make phone calls or send emails to an individual by simply touching their tag in a photo.” via slashphone.com

“Sony Ericsson Vivaz, announced today, follows on from the Xperia X10 announced in November 2009, and is the second phone in the new family of communication entertainment phones coming to market in the first half of 2010. Sony Ericsson Vivaz will come to market in Q1 2010.

With Sony Ericsson Vivaz communication truly becomes entertainment with high quality HD video allowing consumers to produce and broadcast their best experiences with the latest video capture and sharing features.

• Capture – record spontaneous moments and memories in HD quality and crisp high resolution for a real-life video experience. The dedicated video key allows consumers to shoot video instantly with continuous auto focus for the perfect film every time.
• View – review video content in the standby panel or online via Wi-Fi on the 3.2 inch widescreen
• Share – upload via Wi-Fi onto YouTube and Picasa in high resolution while still using other features on the handset

The open platform also allows users to personalise their entertainment experience by downloading great applications through PlayNow and the Symbian Developer Community.

“User-generated content, especially video, is exploding on the web,” said Lennard Hoornik, Head of Marketing, Sony Ericsson. “With Sony Ericsson Vivaz™, we have created a mobile phone that makes it easy to catch life in high quality video and upload that self expression onto the web to share with the world. Sony Ericsson Vivaz™ offers beauty inside and out with an open and intuitive user experience allowing consumers to capture, view and share their lives and spontaneity in HD quality.”
Sony Ericsson Vivaz™ features the new design philosophy ’human curvature’, first introduced with the Xperia X10, which will become a consistent feature of Sony Ericsson’s portfolio going forward. Designed to mirror the shape of the human body, and at the same time delivering a precise and compelling phone interaction, Sony Ericsson Vivaz™ is instantly recognisable.

Sony Ericsson Vivaz™

• HD video – produce and broadcast your best experiences with the latest video capture and sharing features
• Social networking – easy access to social networks such as Facebook™ and Twitter
• 8.1 megapixel camera – capture life’s moments in high quality
• Face and smile detection – a perfect picture every time
• Sony Ericsson Media Player

Sony Ericsson Vivaz™ supports UMTS HSPA 900/2100 and GSM GPRS/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900, UMTS HSPA 850/1900/2100 and EDGE 850/900/1800/1900.

Sony Ericsson Vivaz™ will be available in selected markets from Q1 in the colours Moon Silver, Cosmic Black, Galaxy Blue and Venus Ruby.

Log on to The Sony Ericsson Product Blog for more information: http://blogs.sonyericsson.com/products

Sony Ericsson Vivaz™

Camera

• 8.1 megapixel camera
• 4x digital zoom
• Auto focus (photos)
• Continuous auto focus (video)
• Face detection (photos)
• Geo tagging
• Image stabiliser
• Photo light
• Send to web
• Smile detection
• Touch capture
• Video light
• Video recording (720p HD recording)

Music

• Album art
• Bluetooth™ stereo (A2DP)
• Media player
• Music player
• Music tones (MP3/AAC)
• PlayNow™
• TrackID™

Web

• Bookmarks
• Google™ search (from standby)
• Web feeds
• WebKit web browser

Voice

• Speakerphone
• Vibrating alert
• Video calling (main camera)

Messaging

• Conversations
• Email
• Handwriting recognition
• Instant messaging
• Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync®
• Picture messaging (MMS)
• Predictive text input
• Sound recorder
• Text messaging (SMS)

Design

• Auto rotate
• Picture wallpaper
• Symbian OS™
• Touchscreen

Entertainment

• 3D games
• Facebook™ application
• FM radio
• Java
• Twitter™ application
• Video streaming
• Video viewing
• YouTube™

Organiser

• Alarm clock
• Calculator
• Calendar
• Document readers
• Flight mode
• Notes
• Phone book

Location-based services

• A-GPS
• Google Maps™
• Wisepilot™ turn-by-turn navigation* (free trial version)

*The service may not be available in every market. For more information, go to www.sonyericsson.wisepilot.com

Connectivity

• 3.5 mm audio jack
• Bluetooth™ technology
• DLNA Certified™ (photos and audio)
• Micro USB connector
• Modem
• PictBridge printing
• Synchronisation
• TV out (VGA resolution)
• USB mass storage
• USB support
• Wi-Fi™

Preloaded applications

• Facebook™ – social networking
• Google Maps™ – navigation
• QuickOffice – Microsoft® Office viewer Road Sync – synchronisation
• SMS Preview – messaging app
• Twitter – social networking
• YouTube™ – video sharing
• Water Level – tool app
• Wisepilot™ – navigation
• World Mate – clock and weather app
• Rally Master Pro
• SSX Snowboarding

Screen

• 16.9 nHD wide touch screen
• 16,777,216 colour
• 3.2 inches
• 640 x 360 pixels nHD

Scratch-resistant
Accessories
In-Box:

• Sony Ericsson Vivaz™
• Battery
• HPM-60J Stereo portable handsfree
• 8GB microSD™ card
• Micro USB cable for charging, synchronisation and file transfer
• User documentation

Optional:

• Wireless Stereo Headphones HBH-IS800
• Stereo Portable Handsfree MH700
• SD USB Adapter CCR-80

Facts 1)2)

• Size: 107 x 521.7 x 12.5 mm
• Weight: 97 grams
• Phone memory: Up to 75 MB
• Memory card support: SanDisk microSD™, up to 16 GB
• Memory card included: 8 GB microSD™ card
• Operating system: Symbian S60 5th edition
• Processor: 720MHz
• Talk time GSM/GPRS: Up to 13 hrs
• Standby time GSM/GPRS: Up to 430 hrs
• Talk time UMTS: Up to 5 hrs 20 min
• Standby time UMTS: Up to 440 hrs
• Video call time: Up to 2 hrs 30 min

Availability and versions

Networks

• UMTS HSPA 900/2100
• GSM GPRS/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900
• UMTS HSPA 850/1900/2100
• GSM GPRS/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900

Available in selected markets from Q1 2010

Colour

• Moon Silver
• Cosmic Black
• Galaxy Blue
• Venus Ruby

Nokia has today announced plans to release a new version of Ovi Maps for its smartphones that includes high-end walk and drive navigation at no extra cost, available for download at www.nokia.com/maps. This move has the potential to nearly double the size of the current mobile navigation market.The new version of Ovi Maps includes high-end car and pedestrian navigation features, such as turn-by-turn voice guidance for 74 countries, in 46 languages, and traffic information for more than 10 countries, as well as detailed maps for more than 180 countries. “Why have multiple devices that work that work in only one country or region? Put it all together, make it free, make it global and you almost double the potential size of the mobile navigation market ,” explained Anssi Vanjoki, Executive Vice President, Nokia. “Nokia is the only company with a mobile navigation service for both drivers and pedestrians that works across the world. Unlike the legacy car navigation manufacturers, we don’t make you buy maps for different countries or regions even if you’re only visiting for a few days. We offer both navigation and maps free of charge, with all the high-end functionality and features that people now expect.”

“The large-scale availability of free-of-charge mobile phone navigation offerings using high-quality map data will be a game changer for the navigation industry,” said Thilo Koslowski, Vice President Automotive and Vehicle ICT at Gartner. “Such offerings will accelerate mass market adoption for navigation solutions and shift innovation focus to location-based services that go beyond traditional routing benefits.”For Nokia, removing the costs associated with navigation for drivers and pedestrians allows the company to quickly activate a massive user base to which it can offer new location features, content and services. This is part of Nokia’s strategy to lead the market in mobile maps, navigation and location-based services. The move is also in line with Nokia’s vision that the next wave of growth will be centered onthe location-aware, social internet — as the ‘where’ people are doing things becomes as important as the ‘what’ they are doing.

According to research firm Canalys, the number of people worldwide using GPS navigation on their mobile phones was approximately 27 million at the end of 2009. With this announcement Nokia potentially grows the size of this installed user base to about 50 million by enabling smartphone owners, with compatible devices and devices that will be made compatible shortly to activate free drive and walk navigationthrough a simple download of the new Ovi Maps. Nokia will further grow this base as it quickly adds more smartphones to the compatible devices list. Canalys also estimated in 2009 that the installed base of smartphones with integrated GPS was 163 million units worldwide, of which Nokia accounted for more than half (51%) having shipped cumulatively 83 million GPS devices. “This is a game changing move. By leveraging our NAVTEQ acquisition, and our context sensitive service offering, we can now put a complete navigation system in the palm of your hand, wherever in the world you are, whenever you need it – and at no extra cost,” continued Anssi Vanjoki. “By adding cameras at no extra cost to our phones we quickly became the biggest camera manufacturer in the world. The aim of the new Ovi Maps is to enable us to do the same for navigation.”

By removing the added costs for consumers Nokia expects to fuel the take-up of mobile maps and navigation providing its ecosystem of partners with clear business opportunities:

– For operators:

Nokia believes it will enable them to offer their customers a complete car and personal navigation package as well as encourage the take-up of data plans. An additional benefit for operators is that Ovi Maps uses a unique hybrid technology that is optimized for use on a mobile network. By using advanced vector graphics, plus an intelligent combination of pre-loaded and online maps, the new version of Ovi Maps uses a fraction of the bandwidth of the bulky bitmap technology used by most mobile map providers.