Swede new Sony Ericssons

Barely weeks after the 3GSM World Congress in Cannes, Singapore media witnessed the announcement of four new Sony Ericsson models. In particular, the K750i and W800i could very well be the hottest phones in 2005.

Tagged under Sony Ericsson's imaging category, the K750i is a stylish 2-megapixel camera-phone with autofocus, red-eye reduction, active lens cover, onboard photo light and optional PhoneFlash MXS-60 for stronger lighting, plus a Cyber-shot-like user interface. Remarkably, 8R-sized prints developed from photos snapped with the K750i look really impressive. Throw in more goodies like a 262K-color TFT, Bluetooth, supplied 64MB Memory Stick PRO Duo, MP3 player and FM radio, and you have one unbelievably feature-rich mobile that's only missing 3G and the kitchen sink. The K750i will be available in Q2, 2005. It remains to be seen what price users will have to pay for such abundance.

On the other hand, the W800i epitomizes Sony Ericsson's other emphasis on entertainment. Branded as the world's first Walkman mobile phone, the W800i plays MP3 and AAC music file formats with its one touch Direct Music button. Up to 30 hours of playback are possible by switching the phone off while leaving the music player on. Also sporting a 2-megapixel camera sensor with autofocus, active lens cover and photo light, the whopping 512MB Memory Stick PRO Duo card supplied tops off what is simply music to our ears. You'll have to wait till Q3, 2005, though for this model.

Sony Ericsson also introduced two other models for the budget-conscious mass market. The K300i triband camera-phone packs a VGA sensor with 4x digital zoom and an onboard 12MB memory for storing around 500 images. The J300i, on the other hand, has exchangeable Style-up phone covers, eye-catching colors and loop antenna as well as a fun Rayman 3 Java game, but lacks an onboard camera. Both models support Sony Ericsson's PlayNow content download service for additional ringtones and games. The K300i will be available in March while you can expect the J300i some time in Q2, 2005.

Besides the new models, the company re-highlighted the two 3G UMTS handsets announced last month: The sleek-looking, well-sized K600i candy bar with 1.3-megapixel camera and active lens cover, and the Z800i which packs a 1.3-megapixel MotionEye rotating camera and Memory Stick PRO Duo expansion in a clamshell form factor. Estimated launch dates for both models will be in Q3, 2005.

Sony Ericsson produced some outstanding mobile phones in 2004 including the K700i and S700i. Based on what we've seen so far, it's unlikely we'll be disappointed this year, either. Watch out for full reviews here at CNETAsia.

Model Names	Availability	Specifications
Sony Ericsson K750i	Q2, 2005	Triband; 2-megapixel camera with autofocus; MP3, AAC playback; FM radio; video recording and playback; Bluetooth; 32MB internal memory; supplied 64MB Memory Stick PRO Duo
Sony Ericsson W800i	Q3, 2005	Triband; 2-megapixel camera with autofocus; MP3, AAC playback; dedicated music buttons; video recording and playback; Bluetooth; supplied 512MB Memory Stick PRO Duo
Sony Ericsson K300i	March 2005	Triband; VGA camera; video messaging, recording and playback; MP3 ringtones; 3D games; speakerphone; voice dialing; 12MB internal memory
Sony Ericsson J300i	Q2, 2005	Dualband; Speakerphone; MP3, AAC playback; voice dialing; 3D games; 12MB internal memory
Sony Ericsson K600i	Q3, 2005	Triband; 3G-enabled; 1.3-megapixel camera with flash; video recording and playback; email; Bluetooth; MP3 ringtones
Sony Ericsson Z800i	Q3, 2005	Triband; 3G-enabled; 1.3-megapixel camera with flash; video recording and playback; email; Bluetooth; MP3 ringtones