Sony Ericsson unveiled the Sony Ericsson Xperia Acro

Sony Ericsson unveiled the Xperia acro, a new addition to the Xperia range, designed specifically for the needs of users in Japan. The Xperia acro builds on the success of the product family with a 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, and runs on the latest Android platform, Gingerbread 2.3. Best-in-class imaging and display technology features from Sony, the perfect enabler for its mobile TV functionality.

Bert Nordberg, President, Sony Ericsson said, “We are delighted to be introducing this flagship model to Japan. In this sophisticated market, we are listening to consumers and are happy to adapt our products to fit in with requirements which they believe to be an essential part of the mobile experience. We expect that they will be pleased to have such a uniquely adept premium smartphone and look forward to a new wave of consumers experiencing the world of Xperia”

The Xperia acro provides an excellent multimedia experience, powered by a Reality Display with Mobile BRAVIA Engine and presented on an extra wide 4.2” screen. The 8.1 megapixel camera with ‘Exmor R for mobile’ enables the capture of low-noise, high quality images and HD video (720p), even in low light. Pictures and videos can then be shared in HD on a HDTV through a built in HDMI-connector.

Sony Ericsson Xperia acro – Key features

• Human Curvature design and form factor
• Mobile TV functionality enabling live TV viewing
• Infrared port enables data sharing with other infrared enabled devices
• Mobile wallet: Instead of paying with cash, cheque or credit cards, a user can use the Xperia acro to pay for a wide range of services and digital or hard goods.
• Extra wide 4.2” multi-touch Reality Display with Mobile BRAVIA Engine to ensure ultimate multimedia and viewing experiences
• Sony Exmor R for mobile delivers best-in-class low-light photography and video capture
• 8.1 megapixel camera and HD video recording capability
• 1GHz CPU, Adreno 205 GPU

Sony Ericsson Xperia acro will be available in Japan from this summer in Black and White.

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Sony Ericsson unveiled the Sony Ericsson Xperia Acro

Sony Ericsson unveils the new Xperia mini and Xperia mini pro

Sony Ericsson unveils the new Xperia mini and Xperia mini pro, the latest additions to its Xperia family. Building on the success of the original mini series, these innovative smartphones come packed full of features, powered by a 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, and run the latest platform of Google’s Android, Gingerbread 2.3. Beautifully designed, Xperia mini and Xperia mini pro both integrate best-in-class imaging and display technology from Sony, including Reality Display with Mobile BRAVIA Engine and HD video recording (720p).

The products offer a full multimedia entertainment experience. Xperia mini and Xperia mini pro enable access to over 150,000 apps on the Android Market and has a 3” scratch-resistant, multi-touch glass screen. The improved user interface allows up to 16 apps displayed on the home screen. Facebook inside Xperia™, a feature just announced for the Xperia family, provides a unique social media integration.

Xperia mini pro brings the optimized slide-out keyboard with smart functionality first seen on the Xperia pro to a compact smartphone. A subtle but fast Type & Send functionality eliminates the need to open a dedicated app for each type of message, and Smart Keyboard triggers predictive messaging actions automatically when the user slides out the keyboard. Xperia mini pro also comes pre-loaded with Office Suite and McAfee antivirus software, letting consumers manage documents and e-mails instantly and securely while on the move.

Steve Walker, Head of Marketing, Sony Ericsson said, “We wanted to provide consumers even greater choice across the Xperia range, while building on the success of the original mini series. These turbo-charged smartphones now contain even more power, enhanced functionality, a larger screen and premium features unique to Sony Ericsson. They are packed full of features, making them a perfect choice for consumers looking for all the benefits of Android and Sony in a beautiful and easy to use compact form factor.”

Sony Ericsson also unveils today a new integration, Facebook inside Xperia, which will be included in the new Xperia mini and mini pro and soon to be available across the wider Xperia range. Facebook inside Xperia integrates social connections throughout the phone, by making Facebook immediately accessible from the most used areas of the phone such as the picture gallery, music player, phonebook and calendar. As people are becoming increasingly reliant on their smartphones for instant communication, Sony Ericsson is enabling people to ‘like’, share and comment more easily than ever before with Facebook inside Xperia.

Sony Ericsson Xperia mini – Key features

• World’s smallest Android smartphone with HD video recording
• Reality Display with Mobile BRAVIA Engine
• Place up to 16 apps in the corners of your home screen
• Over 150,000 apps on Android Market™
• Facebook inside. Keeping your friends closer

Sony Ericsson Xperia mini pro – Key features

• Ergonomic keyboard and smart functions for fast messaging
• HD video and Reality Display with Mobile BRAVIA Engine
• Synch your email and view office documents safely on the go
• Place up to 16 apps in the corners of your home screen
• Over 150,000 apps on Android Market

Sony Ericsson Xperia mini pro and Xperia mini with HD will be available globally in selected markets from Q3.

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Sony Ericsson unveils the new Xperia mini and Xperia mini pro

Nokia starts measures to align workforce and site operations with new strategy

To deliver on its new strategy, Nokia today announced plans to align its global workforce and consolidate site operations. These measures are part of Nokia’s target to reduce its Devices & Services non-IFRS operating expenses by 1 billion euros for the full year 2013 in comparison to the full year 2010, as announced last week.

Earlier today, Nokia announced plans to form a strategic collaboration with Accenture that would result in the transfer of Nokia’s Symbian software activites, including about 3,000 employees to Accenture. In addition, Nokia also plans to reduce its global workforce by about 4,000 employees by the end of 2012, with the majority of reductions in Denmark, Finland and the UK. In accordance with country-by-country legal requirements, discussions with employee representatives started today.

Nokia also plans to consolidate the company’s research and product development sites so that each site has a clear role and mission. Nokia expects the expansion of some sites and the contraction or closure of others.

All employees affected by the reduction plans can stay on the Nokia payroll through the end of 2011. Nokia expects personnel reductions to occur in phases until the end of 2012, linked to the roll-out of Nokia’s planned product and services portfolio. During this period, Nokia intends to ramp up its capacity for the development of Nokia smartphones based on the Windows Phone platform, the company’s broad range of mobile phones and its services portfolio.

“At Nokia, we have new clarity around our path forward, which is focused on our leadership across smart devices, mobile phones and future disruptions,” said Stephen Elop, Nokia president and CEO. “However, with this new focus, we also will face reductions in our workforce. This is a difficult reality, and we are working closely with our employees and partners to identify long-term re-employment programs for the talented people of Nokia.”

Nokia is launching a comprehensive social responsibility program for employees and the communities likely to be affected by the personnel reductions. The program will be led locally, with local partners and stakeholders, and senior management support.

“We are offering those who are losing their jobs a range of options, from individual re-employment support and re-training to making investments to promote innovation and working with a variety of partners to create new opportunities,” Elop continued.

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Nokia starts measures to align workforce and site operations with new strategy

Accenture to provide future smartphone ecosystem services to Nokia

Nokia and Accenture today announced plans for a strategic collaboration in which Nokia would outsource its Symbian software activities and transition about 3,000 employees to Accenture. At the same time, Accenture would provide mobility software services to Nokia for future smartphones.

The collaboration, which is subject to final agreement, calls for Accenture to provide Symbian-based software development and support services, with the expected transition of about 3,000 Nokia employees to Accenture. The companies expect completion of the final agreement during summer 2011, and expect the transition of employees by the end of the calendar year 2011. Transitioning employees, located in China, Finland, India, United Kingdom and the United States, will initially work on Symbian software activities for Nokia. Over time, Accenture and Nokia will seek opportunities to retrain and redeploy transitioned employees.

This collaboration also includes plans for Accenture to provide mobility software, business and operational services around the Windows Phone platform to Nokia and other ecosystem participants. Under the proposed agreement, Accenture would become a preferred partner for Nokia’s smartphone development activities, as well as a preferred provider of services.

“Mobility is a key area for Accenture,” said Marty Cole, chief executive, Accenture Communications and High Tech group. “This collaboration with Nokia will enhance our ability to help clients across multiple industries leverage mobility to advance their business agendas. It is a real win-win for Accenture and Nokia”.

“This collaboration demonstrates our ongoing commitment to enhance our Symbian offering and serve our smartphone customers,” said Jo Harlow, executive vice president for Smart Devices, Nokia. “As we move our primary smartphone platform to Windows Phone, this transition of skilled talent to Accenture shows our commitment to provide our Symbian employees with potential new career opportunities.”

Accenture and Nokia have been working together since 1994. In October 2009, Accenture acquired Nokia’s professional services unit that provides engineering and support of the Symbian operating system to mobile device manufacturers and service providers, and which then served as a key building block in Accenture’s Mobility services portfolio.

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Accenture to provide future smartphone ecosystem services to Nokia

Android: Skyfire launches 4.0 version mobile browser with 8 new features

Today Skyfire, maker of the award-winning and popular mobile browser, announces the release of Skyfire 4.0 for Android, its highly anticipated next-generation Android browser. Skyfire 4.0 for Android allows users to personalize their SkyBarTM toolbar, while adding eight new SkyBar features. While the basic browser and toolbar will remain free to Android users, Skyfire is also introducing a premium in-app purchase to enable its Video feature, which draws on Skyfire’s cloud-based servers to optimize videos from across the web. As a thank you to over 3 million early beta users of the app, all existing users will be “grandfathered” in for free access for the lifetime of their device.

Skyfire’s SkyBar toolbar is now scrollable and customizable, allowing for a larger and more personalized number of features to be positioned on the toolbar. Beyond the ‘Video’, ‘Facebook’, ‘Fireplace’, ‘Popular’, ‘Ideas’ & ‘Like’ buttons, Skyfire has added full Twitter, Groupon and Google Reader integration, a ‘Share’ button, Sports, News and Finance feeds, and a ‘Settings’ button.

Skyfire for Android is one of the most popular applications in the Android Market and has seen over 3 million downloads since launching in April 2010. The mobile browser was upgraded to critical acclaim in November 2010 with integrated social media and Facebook capabilities, and the app currently has a user rating of 4.5 stars out of a possible five stars, based on tens of thousands of reviews in the Android Market. This latest update will continue to build on Skyfire’s strong track record of innovation.

With v4.0, Skyfire for Android will begin offering its video optimization as an optional $2.99 premium feature, unlocked via an in-app purchase after a three day free trial. The feature pays for itself for most users around the world by allowing users to watch more video with less data usage (where users have capped or metered data plans), as well as increasing battery life.

As part of a special, limited time offer, Skyfire is offering the video optimization feature free to all Verizon customers downloading Skyfire 4.0 for Android. Skyfire will be available in the VCastTM Apps section of the Android Market for Verizon users during this promotion.

Skyfire 4.0 for Android, including the video optimization feature, will remain free for all of the over 3 million beta testers around the globe who have used the app to date, in gratitude for their support in helping Skyfire grow and improve.

“With Skyfire 4.0 for Android, we’re enabling users to customize their browser toolbar to fit their interests, from sports, to social networks, to finance, news, and local deals,” said Jeff Glueck, CEO of Skyfire. “While the basic browser will remain free, with the launch of Google’s Android In-App purchase platform, the time has come to make our video cloud acceleration service a premium feature that reflects the investment we make to support each user in our cloud. We deliver state-of-the art web video tuned to your current mobile connection bandwidth, saving 75% on average data loads. For users who enjoy web video, or who are on metered data, the service can pay for itself in the first month of use.”

New Features in Skyfire 4.0 for Android include:

Customizable SkyBar – Skyfire’s toolbar is now configurable and expandable, enabling users to create their own flavor of Skyfire experience. With the new scrollable SkyBar, users now have access to fourteen Skyfire features and have the ability to enable, disable and position each button as they see fit.

New SkyBar Features –Skyfire has added eight new features:

o Twitter – Login to the ‘Twitter’ Button to have one-touch access to Twitter streams. Tweet, search, and check in with the Twittersphere without leaving the Skyfire browser. (And yes, watch videos shared on Twitter with just one click.)
o Groupon – With the ‘Groupon’ Button, the SkyBar is now delivering nearby deals so you can do a quick check on the deal of the day at all times.
o Share – Easily share websites, articles, pictures & videos with the touch of the ‘Share’ button, a feature previously accessible through the Skyfire menu.
o Google Reader – Use the ‘Google Reader’ Button to keep up with feeds from your favorite sites. Google Reader keeps you in the know by constantly checking your favorite news sites and blogs for new content.
o Sports, News & Finance – Three new buttons, ‘Sports’, ‘News’ & ‘Finance’, have been added to the SkyBar to bring one-touch access to the latest events.
o Settings – The ‘Settings’ button could easily be labeled the ‘Customize’ button. Use this to enable, disable or position SkyBar features to your personal preferences.

· General Tips – We’ve added a host of new in-browser tips, tricks & tutorials to help users get them most out of browsing with Skyfire.

Download: https://market.android.com/details?id=com.skyfire.browser

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Android: Skyfire launches 4.0 version mobile browser with 8 new features

Apple: We sold 18.65million iPhones this quarter

Apple today announced financial results for its fiscal 2011 second quarter ended March 26, 2011. The Company posted record second quarter revenue of $24.67 billion and record second quarter net profit of $5.99 billion, or $6.40 per diluted share. These results compare to revenue of $13.50 billion and net quarterly profit of $3.07 billion, or $3.33 per diluted share, in the year-ago quarter. Gross margin was 41.4 percent compared to 41.7 percent in the year-ago quarter. International sales accounted for 59 percent of the quarter’s revenue.

Apple sold 3.76 million Macs during the quarter, a 28 percent unit increase over the year-ago quarter. The Company sold 18.65 million iPhones in the quarter, representing 113 percent unit growth over the year-ago quarter. Apple sold 9.02 million iPods during the quarter, representing a 17 percent unit decline from the year-ago quarter. The Company also sold 4.69 million iPads during the quarter.

“With quarterly revenue growth of 83 percent and profit growth of 95 percent, we’re firing on all cylinders,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “We will continue to innovate on all fronts throughout the remainder of the year.”

“We are extremely pleased with our record March quarter revenue and earnings and cash flow from operations of over $6.2 billion,” said Peter Oppenheimer, Apple’s CFO. “Looking ahead to the third fiscal quarter of 2011, we expect revenue of about $23 billion and we expect diluted earnings per share of about $5.03.”

Apple will provide live streaming of its Q2 2011 financial results conference call beginning at 2:00 p.m. PDT on April 20, 2011 at www.apple.com/quicktime/qtv/earningsq211. This webcast will also be available for replay for approximately two weeks thereafter.

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Apple: We sold 18.65million iPhones this quarter

Reuters says Apple will ship iPhone 5 in September

Apple’s next-generation iPhone will have a faster processor and will begin shipping in September, three people with direct knowledge of the company’s supply chain said. The production of the new iPhone will start in July/August and the smartphone will look largely similar to the iPhone 4, one of the people said on Wednesday.

The iPhone introduced in 2007 with the touchscreen, on-demand application template now adopted by its rivals remains the gold standard in the booming smartphone market. Reports on the timeline of the new iPhone launch vary, though it is largely expected that Apple will likely refresh its iPhone 4 later this year. The sources declined to be identified because the plans for the new iPhone were not yet public. An Apple spokeswoman in Hong Kong was not available for comment.

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Reuters says Apple will ship iPhone 5 in September

Sony Ericsson net profit down

Mobile handset maker Sony Ericsson Tuesday said first-quarter net profit fell as the company suffered from a lack of new products and supply chain disruptions after the earthquake and tsunami in Japan. Sony Ericsson, a joint venture between Sweden’s Telefon AB L.M. Ericsson and Japan’s Sony Corp., said net profit in the three months ended March 31 fell to EUR11 million from EUR21 million in the same period a year ago when there was an extraordinary tax benefit. The company forecast modest growth for the global handset market for 2011.

“We accelerated our shift towards an Android-based smartphone portfolio, with smartphones comprising over 60% of our total sales during the quarter,” said Sony Ericsson’s Chief Executive Bert Nordberg.

Earlier this year, Sony Ericsson launched its latest range of Android smartphones, including the Xperia Play which includes gaming functions from Sony’s PlayStation console, the very thin Xperia Arc high-end phone, and the Xperia Neo which is a smaller mid-range phone reminiscent of the Arc. However, the new additions to the London-based company’s portfolio haven’t been available on the market long enough to help boost first-quarter earnings.

Revenue for the first quarter ending March 31 was EUR1.15 billion, down from EUR1.41 billion, while operating profit was EUR19 million, down from EUR20 million.

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Sony Ericsson net profit down

Lunch with ‘Anna’, the Nokia E6 and Nokia X7

Nokia this week launched the Nokia E6 and the Nokia X7 to add to their already existing range of symbian^3 devices the N8, E7, C7 and C6 to bring the total to six. The new device E6 adds to the E-Enterprise Business range made popular by the E71 and latterly the E72. The X7 compliments the line-up of the X-Music Media devices.

The X7 is a 4″ AMOLED music-media centric device and from the rear looks similar to the C6 in that it has a curvature to the back of the handset to add to the design asthetics. Above you can see the slot for the sim card and memory card. The camera is 8 megapixel with a dual-led flash. The X7 is sealed -stainless steel meaning that you do not have access to remove the battery and it uses Gorilla glass for the display. The first of this design concept arose in the N8. This helps to reduce the depth of the product that would almost certainly increase in size if it required a removable battery compartment. I personally have not found a ‘downside’ to this arrangement though you do need to know how to reset the handset on the odd occasion in which a third-party application may cause it to freeze and not turn-off. Ovi maps have recently been updated and you can now check-in using Ovi maps. Ovi maps is the free walk and drive navigation software offered by Nokia. The X7 has 8GB of data built-in and can take additional memory cards up to 32GB in size.

The comparison shot above shows the X7 with its 4″ display alongside that of the smallest symbian^3 device,s the C6. The C6 has CBD – Clear Black Display which gives it better colour optomisation both in on screen displays and particularly for viewing in direct sunlight. The X7 lacks this but compensates by the larger display and improved space for clarity along with AMOLED display. The new innovative design of the X7 sees it arrive with angled corners on all four sides accompanied by a grid/grill feature in the same positions. However, do not mistake these for quadruple speakers. There is only two speakers on this design, lower-left and lower-right when viewed in landscape mode and I was informed it is still mono and not stereo. However, it gives very good sound quality both in music and in watching media. But, I still felt rather disappointed by the design of the four speaker grid/grill which naturally leads one to think that they are all speakers.

Nokia X7 v Nokia C6 (side)

Nokia X7 v Nokia C6 (rear)

The Nokia X7 as part of the new operating system ‘Anna’ more about that later finally arrives with onscreen QWERTY in portrait mode. I say, finally as it is something users have been asking for since the release of the Nokia N97. Not everyone uses their phone in landscape. For some the double hand-use becomes too awkward. For others, who grew up with the T9 system before the evolution of full qwerty keypads or landscape qwerty, portrait mode is the preferred mode of use and still is in respect of calls, texts etc. So, we can all rejoice though it may be a little late for some who have jumped ship to the E-series or to BlackBerry devices for that choice. Although the qwerty resembles closely that of a traditional computer keyboard there is a learning curve in that letters appear direct, one on top of another, which does not replicate a real keypad where letters are diagonal to one another. However, these devices and the software are prototypes so perhaps the ‘final’ version is not yet a blue-print and we can see some changes more akin to the Apple Keypad or Gravity which has it ‘just right’. Alternatively, Nokia may consider that as a music/gaming device the X7 will be used less for its key-entry functions than perhaps devices with dedicated keypads.

X7 qwerty portrait (Anna)

Gravity qwerty portrait

C6 Nokia landscape (symbian^3)

Gravity qwerty landscape

The Nokia X7 will debute in two colours initially, the black and the silver. The black is discreet and does not give the game away about the function or power of the device. However, the silver accentuates the grilled design beautifully. The silver is reflective and holds a better position with regards to the ‘wow’ factor and the appreciation for the design concept as a whole.

The X7 with a close-up view of its 8 megapixel camera.

The new software ‘Anna’ will arrive with new icons and here is a glimpse of them in work on the X7.

The second phone released this week is the E6 which follows the E71 and E72 in its design category. This is the phone I have been calling for – ‘the hybrid’. The E6 incorporates ‘touch’ with ‘qwerty in one package. For too long people have had to make a choice between a touch device or a phone with physical keys. And, let’s face it, not everyone likes touch and not everyone likes qwerty. Here, the solution is solved, giving the consumer a mix of two valuable inputs to facilitate their needs. The use of touch is spread throughout the touch screen display with the additional use of the four-way cursor and qwerty keyboard for text input amongst other options. As it was my first time with both the X7 and E6 and my own phones being the C6 and iPhone 4, it was a bit confusing to me when to touch or when to use 4-way etc. However, this will not be a problem for an owner of the E6 who will quickly recognise and become knowledgeable as what to use when and where. I am unaware as to whether the option exists to completely turn-off the touch if you desired to use your phone via qwerty, 4-way input only. The E6 has a 8 megapixel camera with dual-led flash which is an improvement upon the E72 camera. However, auto-focus is an attraction most had looked forward to seeing in the E-series and Nokia could and should have improved upon this. The E6 has five, yes FIVE standby screens – should you actually need that many. I find myself struggling with 3 but its there if you want to use it. As the E6 has a smaller screen display and is landscape only, it may serve its purpose well. The E6 has 8GB of built in memory and can take additional memory cards up to 32GB in size and ram is now increased to 256mb.

I was adamant that the E6 was larger in depth than the E72 and that it weighed more. Prompty an E72 was whipped-out of a bag to show me that the E6 is indeed slimmer and smaller than the E72. Incredible! Congratulations Nokia. The E6 is equipped with USB on-the-go.

The E6 will arrive complete with a full version of Office allowing you to read, write and amend documents on the phone and this will be updated free-0f-charge throughout the devices lifetime.

E6 v C6 (front)

E6 v C6 (rear)

E6 white, E6 black alongside the E72

E6 white, E6 black, E72

The E6 has a volume up and down key and key-lock. In addition it has a middle button which when pressed, becomes red which shows it has muted the phone conversation. A great, easy option for dedicated users who really need to mute calls during those sensitive moments.

E6 usb slot.

E6 on/off button and 3.5 headphone slot.

Comparison view of the keyboards of the E6 and E72. If you look closely you will see that the E6 has slightly larger keys and the keys each have a new tactile design to aid keyboard use. The new 4-way cursor has a metal surround and feels more direct and central in scrolling through menus.

We met ‘Anna’ for the first time today. ’Anna’ is the new symbian operating system which will arrive on our shores very soon. Nokia have stated ‘Anna’ will be here for the second quarter which could mean anything from May to August but the hope is that May will be a good month. The new devices will ship out of the factory with ‘Anna’ on them. The pre-existing devices N8, E7, C7 and C6 will also get to meet ‘Anna’ in her new guise. New icons and a new browser are central to ‘Anna’s’ make-up. The prototypes in use did have versions of ‘Anna’s’ browser. The browser has new options and better onscreen use and icons for better clarity and ease of use. Pinch and zoom worked without a hitch which was great to see. I did not feel the speed of the new browser but I believe the network was rather slow that day and as it was a prototype I am assured this will be faster when it is ready to ship.

Today was not about the ‘big bang’. It was about consolidation and bring the improvements required for symbian^3 to remain a force within the market. Nokia are re-aiming symbian^3 as their mid-range phone and as such the E6 slips in smoothly alongside the BlackBerry range in its aim to grab more of that market with better corporate use and functions with touch-screen as an added incentive with an upgrade in the camera for those out-of-hours use. The X7 is comparable in size to the E7. It is a music-media centred device but I am not sure that with the likes of the Sony Ericsson Xperia Play whether this device really improves on what has gone before. It has a larger screen to its aid but without dedicated, suitable game and media beyond what we have now I can not see that it will ‘rock the world’. A four quad speaker, 8 megapixel camera with xenon and some hard-core games would be a total different story. Perhaps Nokia is saving this for their entry into Windows.

Anna will bring a new Symbian user experience to consumers with new standard icons, qwerty text input, a fast browser with Ovi Maps and public transport information. The new software in addition is aimed at business users offering enterprise grade security with encryption and e-mail features along with usability enhancements. The new symbian software nick-named Symbian Anna will appear on newly shipped devices of the Nokia N8, Nokia E7, Nokia C7 and Nokia C6-01 and will be available for download on those handsets of the same models already on the market.

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Lunch with ‘Anna’, the Nokia E6 and Nokia X7

HTC Sensation – Official Press Release

HTC today introduced the HTC Sensation, a smartphone that shines a spotlight on entertainment with HTC’s new HTC Watch video service. Crafted with premium design elements, the HTC Sensation features the company’s latest HTC Sense experience that puts people at the center by making their smartphones work in a more simple and natural way.

“Smartphones have evolved into pocket-sized entertainment centers that enable people to take their favorite content with them wherever they go,” said Peter Chou, CEO of HTC Corporation. “The HTC Sensation takes this even further by combining the great new HTC Watch entertainment experience with the latest HTC Sense experience to deliver a powerful, evolved multimedia smartphone to our customers.”

“The HTC Sensation integrates multimedia content with relevant, thoughtful features, bringing an exciting new dimension to Vodafone’s smartphone range. The HTC Sensation will be available first in key Vodafone markets from Q2,” said Patrick Chomet, Vodafone’s Group Terminals Director. “The strength of Vodafone and HTC’s partnership is a marker of our commitment to offer our customers truly compelling and market-leading mobile experiences.”

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HTC Sensation – Official Press Release

Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc and Xperia Play launching in India

After its heart-thumping global unveiling, Sony Ericsson has announced the launch of its latest Xperia portfolio for India, today. Including the cleverly designed Xperia arc, and the much-awaited PlayStation certified gaming smartphone Xperia PLAY, the communication entertainment brand has integrated the Android 2.3 Gingerbread platform, the camera technologies of Sony, and its own capabilities to bring the best communication experience to its users.
Sony Ericsson’s new Xperia portfolio is designed to provide the best multimedia experience to consumers. The new phones will enable users to access to the worlds of both Android and Sony, all integrated into beautiful, and easy-to-use devices. The Xperia arc is empowered by the Sony Mobile BRAVIA Engine, making superior quality entertainment on mobile phone a reality; it will also cater to those who are looking for the best imaging experience through Sony’s award winning Exmor R technology; the Xperia PLAY combines a PlayStation–quality gaming experience, with the very latest Android smartphone technology, and is designed for on-the-go gaming and entertainment enthusiasts.

According to Pawan Chadha, Country Head – India, Sony Ericsson, “At Sony Ericsson, our endeavour is to constantly enhance user experience. The launch of the Xperia arc and PLAY is an important development for the brand in India, and with Sony technologies incorporated into our portfolio, we aim to become game changers here. As social and digital media continue to change consumer experiences, our portfolio will complement this phenomenon, and take communication entertainment to the next level.”

Adding more to the launch, Sony Ericsson has also initiated a core marketing initiative with Tata DOCOMO. “Living up to our strategy of ‘Doing the New’ and bringing innovative services and solutions for our customers, we are pleased to announce the launch of the Sony Ericsson Xperia arc and PLAY on the Tata DOCOMO network,” said Mr. Sunil Tandon, Head of Mobility Services & Device Management, Tata Teleservices Limited. “At Tata DOCOMO, our endeavour is to bring to life the myriad possibilities opened up by our world-class 3G network. Real-time video and multi-player gaming are among the top applications of 3G speed and these devices provide an opportunity to bring these to life,” he added.

According to a recent report ‘Mobile Youth Around the World’ by media research firm Nielson, the Indian mobile phone market offers immense growth opportunity for smartphone, given that only 10% of the Indian youth have smartphones and 90% of them still have feature phones. With social applications, and entertainment becoming the key mantras for mobile adoption in India, Sony Ericsson is optimistic about its new smartphones in the market. According to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), the number of telecom subscribers in the country passed the 800 million mark at the end of January 2011, with an overall wireless density of 65%.

To leverage these trends, Sony Ericsson has invested in marketing campaigns that will help grow the brand’s market share in the country. “Sony Ericsson’s new portfolio is designed to cater to the current trends in the youth market. Our marketing campaign will bring alive our collaboration with Sony and Android, through the Mobile BRAVIA engine, Exmor R and PlayStation. Given these properties, Sony Ericsson will invest substantially in experiential marketing. We will increase consumer touch-points to enable our audience to touch, feel, and live our phones,” added Mr. Chadha.

The new Sony Ericsson Xperia smartphones run on a 1 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon platform that provides advanced processing power and concurrency capabilities, and lets users run multiple advanced apps simultaneous with minimal drag on performance or battery life. Highlighting this collaboration, Dr. Sandeep Sibal, Country Manager and Vice President of Business Development for Qualcomm India and South Asia, said, “We congratulate Sony Ericsson on the launch of Xperia Arc and PLAY. These devices are enabled by Qualcomm’s highly integrated Snapdragon MSM8255 mobile processor, which combines GHz processing power, rich graphics based on Adreno 205 GPU, top-notch 8Mpixel and 5Mpixel cameras with HD video, noise cancellation, best-in-class 3G HSPA connectivity and ultra responsive multi-touch experience while providing extended battery life. This compelling combination of superior performance, unique design and exceptional user experience makes the Xperia arc a delight for the discerning smartphone user that requires a best of breed camera and HD camcorder for capturing and sharing experiences, while Xperia PLAY offers a whole new experience for gaming enthusiasts that still need great camera capability.”

Here is the first dekko at Sony Ericsson’s latest product line-up…

Sony Ericsson Xperia arc

MRP: Rs.32,000

Colours available in market: Midnight Blue & Silver

Slim, lightweight and strong, with perfect ergonomics, the Xperia arc comes with reality display powered by the Sony Mobile BRAVIA Engine Premium materials, and is amazingly slim – just 8.7 mm. Powered by Android Gingerbread (2.3), the arc is loaded with apps; so whether you need a co-pilot, or suggestions for dinner, the location of the petrol station, or health apps, pop in at the Android Market store for more. The stylish arc also comes with a suite of HD games. Choose and start playing because the game is all yours!

Want more? Document your dramas on YouTube, your stills on Picasa. Shoot it and show it, in stunning HD direct on your TV. Fancy the film without the noir? The Exmor R sensor captures movies and stills in low light and turns them into shining epics!

Sony Ericsson Xperia PLAY

MRP: Rs.35,000

Colours available in market: Black & White

The first ever full featured Android smartphone with real console controls for immersive gaming, the Xperia PLAY is the only PlayStation certified smartphone, and geared up for console gaming with preloaded games. The dedicated controls on this Android Gingerbread (2.3) device are designed to play, whenever and wherever you want to. The lower power consumption plays longer than a regular phone! Its excellent graphics, 3D effects, and six axis motion controls allows consumers to play games on-the-go. At launch, more than 70 titles are available for download from the Sony Ericsson channel on Android Market™ through wi-fi and 3G, and optimised for game play on Xperia™ PLAY. With this, it takes less than four minutes to download a game on wi-fi!

In terms of games, BackStab, the stunning action/adventure thriller game will exclusively be available on Xperia PLAY devices for a month, capitalizing on the phone’s outstanding graphic capabilities and revolutionary controls. A leading developer and publisher. Gameloft has tied up with Sony Ericsson to take the next step in immersive gaming on a smartphone.

[Via]

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Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc and Xperia Play launching in India

Sony Ericsson Neo delayed

Mobile handset maker Sony Ericsson Friday said it has delayed the timing for the broader launch of its Xperia Neo phone until early in the third quarter due to supply chain disruptions resulting from the earthquake in Japan.
Sony Ericsson, a joint venture between Sweden’s Telefon AB L.M. Ericsson and Japan’s Sony Corp., said the broader launch of the Neo phone was initially scheduled for late first quarter or early second quarter 2011.

“Xperia Neo has already been introduced to the marketplace in limited quantities,” Sony Ericsson said.”However, due to supply chain disruptions resulting from the situation in Japan, we have shifted the timing of Xperia Neo’s broader launch and it is now planned for early third quarter.”

The company added that it has told its operator customers and distributors that some volumes of its Xperia Arc and Xperia Play phones have been affected by supply chain distribution in addition to the Xperia Neo phones.

[Via]

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Sony Ericsson Neo delayed

Sony Ericsson Xperia PLAY launching with over 60 games

Sony Ericsson Xperia PLAY, the world’s first PlayStation certified smartphone, is now on sale in shops in the UK, Germany,Netherlands, Austria, Switzerland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Russia, Hong Kong and Taiwan with further availability in an additional 6 markets over the next 2 weeks. The Xperia PLAY launches with more than 60 games from the industry’s biggest content providers including Sony Computer Entertainment, Gameloft, Electronic Arts and Glu Mobile. The range of games available to download at launch is a combination of original PlayStation titles, well known 3D titles that take the full advantage of the graphical capabilities and controls of Xperia PLAY as well as popular casual games all optimized for the unique game pad.

Sony Ericsson has formed partnerships with over 20 developers from big publishers to independents, from middleware providers Havok and Unity to engaging Android developers, to ensure a steady flow of new titles for Xperia PLAY. Some of the highlights include:

• Assassins Creed Altair’s Chronicles HD – One of the most popular gaming franchises, with action, puzzles and stealth gameplay set in the Middle East of the Crusades
• Need for Speed – Grab the wheel of the fastest, hottest, and most powerful cars in the world. One of the most successful video game franchises of all times.
• Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell – The latest instalment in this key franchise. Special Forces operative and renegade Sam Fisher returns to fight a corrupt secret agency.
  • Dungeon Defenders Second Wave – Stunning graphics, intense gameplay and exclusive on Xperia PLAY.
  • Gun Bros – Choose your weapon and join the ‘Freakishly Rugged’ action heroes Percy and Francis Gun as they take on a terrifying menagerie of alien beings.
  • Galaxy on Fire 2 – Escape into space with hours of deep gameplay and mind blowing graphics in this space exploration game.
  • Guns ‘n’ Glory – You lead a gang of bandits in this popular and award-winning casual tower defence game with a hilarious western theme.
  • Worms – Send your worm platoons into battle in this award-winning turn-based strategy game.
  • Zenonia 2 – The lost memories – Classic and popular RPG. Numerous quests following an epic storyline.
  • Backstab – An epic 3^rd person pirate adventure that incorporates intense sword fights and other dynamic combat modes. Launching on April 14^thexclusively on Xperia PLAY.
  • N.O.V.A.2 – Awesome graphics and intense multiplayer gameplay. This First-Person Shooter makes its Android debut exclusively on Xperia PLAY.

In addition Sony Ericsson is happy to confirm that Asphalt 6 – the latest instalment of one of the leading and top-selling racing games will be available for free exclusively on Xperia PLAY.

The games are downloadable via the “Xperia™ PLAY launcher”, an application that is activated by sliding open the gamepad. The “Xperia PLAY launcher” recommends games and enables consumers to search for top titles optimised for Xperia PLAY on Android market.

There is also a range of PlayStation original games available at launch (in select markets initially). These are comprised of a pre-install of the PS One classic Crash Bandicoot and a further 5 PlayStation original games available to download via the PlayStation Pocket application in Xperia PLAY.

• Cool Boarders 2 – Time to pick up that snowboard again and rip through the snow with 16 intense racetracks.
• Destruction Derby – Original car carnage. Buckle yourself into a new car and destroy it but send your opponents to the junkyard first.
• Jumping Jack Flash – A first person platformer like no other. Leap around 6 colourful worlds in the cockpit of a robotic rabbit, hunting for the evil galactic property developer Baron Aloha.
• MediEvil – Resurrected 100 years later you have returned to defeat the sorcerer Zarok. Perhaps the world’s least worthy hero, you set out to save the land once again–for the first time.
• Syphon Filter – Become Gabe Logan: Guerrilla war expert. A man on a personal crusade to bring down an international terrorist ring and eliminate a deadly virus.

More games from Sony Computer Entertainment will be added to Xperia PLAY on a regular basis.

Dominic Neil-Dwyer, Head of Market Development at Sony Ericsson commented: “It’s great to get Xperia PLAY into consumers’ hands at last. This is just the start and the future is exciting based on all the interest and support we have from the game industry. A steady stream of fresh innovative content will be coming to Xperia PLAY over the coming months.”

Xperia PLAY will be available in the following markets starting from today and in the next two weeks: United Kingdom, Germany, Austria, Spain, France, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Netherlands, Switzerland, Singapore, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Russia, India and Portugal. As announced at Mobile World Congress Xperia PLAY will be in stores in the US market with Verizon Wireless this spring.

Appendix: Games available within the first week of launch:

• Bruce Lee Dragon Warrior from Digital Legends (pre-installed)
• FIFA 2010 from EA Mobile (pre-installed**)
• Sims 3 from EA Mobile (pre-installed**)
• Star Battalion from Gameloft (pre-installed**)
• Tetris from EA mobile (pre-installed**)
• Asphalt 6 from Gameloft (free to download)
• Dungeon Defenders: Second Wave from Trendy Entertainment
• Galaxy on Fire 2 from Fishlabs
• Assassins Creed from Gameloft
• Need for Speed SHIFT from EA Mobile
• Worms from EA Mobile
• Nova 2 from Gameloft
• Modern Combat Black Pegasus from Gameloft
• Guns n Glory from Handygames
• Reckless Racing from Polarbit
• Real Football 2011from Gameloft
• Gun Bros from Glu Mobile
• Racer Luma from Arcade/Unity
• Cordy from SilverTree Media
• Aporkalypse from Handygames
• Brothers in Arms Global Front from Gameloft
• Guerrilla Bob from Angry Mob Games/Unity
• Let’s Golf 2 from Gameloft
• Zenonia 2 from Gamevil
• Cyberlords from Handygames
• Guitar Hero Warriors of Rock Mobile from Glu Mobile
• Age of Zombies from Halfbrick Studios
• Spectral Souls from HyperDevBox Japan
• Splinter Cell Conviction from Gameloft
• Air Attack from Art in Games/Unity
• Armageddon Squadron from Polarbit
• Uno from Gameloft
• InfeCCt from Handygames
• Spiderman total Mayhem from Gameloft
• Millionaire City from Digital Chocolate
• Avatar from Gameloft
• Raging Thunder 2from Polarbit
• Homerun Battle 3D from Com2us Games
• Aftermath XHD from Jakyl
• I Must Run from GameLion
• Baseball Superstars 2011from Gamevil
• Ground Effect Pro from Jakyl
• ZeNonia from Gamevil
• Super KO Boxing 2 from Glu Mobile
• Farm Story from Team Lava
• Wave Blazer from Polarbit
• Soccer Superstars from Gamevil
• Battle Bears from Skyvu
• Tower Blocks New York from Digital Chocolate
• Super Dynamite Fishing from Handygames
• Iron Sight from Polarbit
• Toonwarz from Polarbit
• Restaurant Story from Team Lava
• Escape from AMA
• Raving Babies from AMA
• Bakery Story from Team Lava
• Denki Blocks! Deluxe from Jakyl
• Rollercoaster Rush from Digital Chocolate

PlayStation original games:

• Crash Bandicoot from Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.
• Cool Boarders 2 from Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.
• Destruction Derby from Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.
• Jumping Jack Flash from Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.
• MediEvil from Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.
• Syphon Filter™ from Sony Computer Entertainment

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Sony Ericsson Xperia PLAY launching with over 60 games