Sony Ericsson Adds To U.S. Assortment

Research Triangle Park, N.C.— Sony Ericsson is adding to its planned North American selection with its second megapixel camera phone, second EDGE-equipped phone and a next-generation PDA-phone that adds QWERTY keyboard.

All are GSM-network models.

The S710a is not only the company's second North American EGDE phone but also its second North American megapixel camera phone. As previously announced, the company's first EDGE phone, the Z500, is due in September or October, and the company's first megapixel camera phone, the 1.3-megapixel GSM/GPRS S700, is due by the end of the year (see TWICE, March 22, p. 40).

The P910a PDA phone, based on the Symbian v7.0 OS, is the company's first PDA phone with QWERTY keyboard, a minisize version that supplements its predecessor's onscreen virtual keyboard and handwriting recognition.

The company also unveiled its third camera phone with "dual-front" design. The K500 looks like a digital camera on one side and a phone on the other.

Here are the details:

The EDGE-equipped S710a, due in the fourth quarter with 1.3-megapixel camera, will join the EDGE-equipped Z500, which features VGA camera and push-to-talk (PTT) capability. Both EDGE phones feature 850/1,800/1,900MHz operation and Class 10 EDGE technology that downloads data at expected average speeds up to 120Kbps.

The S710a features 2.3-inch 262K color screen, photo light, 8x digital zoom and video capture but lacks the Z500's PTT feature. The S710a also features built-in Bluetooth and IR connectivity, as well as MemoryStick Duo slot. Weight is 4.83 ounces; talk time is up to seven hours; and standby time is up to 12.5 days. It supports Java and 3D game graphics.

The PDA phone, the P910a, is a GSM/GPRS model like its predecessor and ships in the third quarter. Its minisize keyboard, which consumers can use to tap out longer messages with their thumb, appears on the inside of a flip-open panel at the bottom of the phone. The phone also features 264K color touch screen in lieu of its predecessor's 64K screen for a 60-percent brighter display. The new model also boosts internal memory to 64MB from 48MB, and it operates in the 850/1,800/1,900MHz bands instead of its predecessor's 900/1,800/1,900MHz. It ships with included 32MB Memory Stick Duo card.

Distribution channels and pricing haven't been set, but it's expected to retail at around the same price as its predecessor, the P900, which was sold only on the Sony Ericsson Web site at $799 without activation.

The K500 dual-front camera phone, due in the third quarter, features VGA camera, 4x digital zoom and video capture.