Posts in Mobile Phones
Sony Ericsson Bluetooth Watch coming
Juniper Foo | Sep 28, 2006
Wanna own a Sony Ericsson-branded watch? Well, no, the Swedish-Japanese partnership isn't diversing into timepieces (yet). Instead, the company is exploring other vehicles aimed at adding "extra dimensions to your mobile life". In this case, a Bluetooth-enabled Quartz timepiece that, by the way, tells time just like any regular wristwatch.
So what, you wonder, would you need Bluetooth in a wristwatch for? According to the media release, the MBW-100 is designed to enable control of your phone's music right from your wrist, from Play to Pause and Skip. Although given that your phone has to be close enough for playback through the loudspeakers to be effective, this isn't so much a useful feature as a nifty idea.
Probably more handy is the watch's ability to alert you to who's calling, with the Caller ID displayed on an OLED panel beneath the watch place. And if it's someone you'd rather not connect with at the moment, there's a helpful reject button. There's also an SMS/MMS alert feature.
Specs-wise, this timepiece is rated for a standby Bluetooth time of up to seven days, analog time-keeping of up to seven additional days, and is compatible with the Sony Ericsson K610, K610i, K618, K790, K800, V630, W710, W850, Z610 and Z710. It's also resistant for up to 30m.
The company had a little help from watch maker Fossil in coming out with analog timepiece. The 187g MBW-100 isn't going to win any design prizes, and it's too chunky to appeal to the female demographic. However, if you fancy being well-connected, the good news is the MBW-100 will be shipping to Asia in Q4. No local pricing was given, but Sony Ericsson has priced it at about 300 euros (US$381). Available in silver, with limited editions in black.
Meanwhile, in for a penny, in for a pound. Besides lending a hand, or wrist, with the MBW-100, Fossil will be introducing its Abacus MobileWear and Fossil Caller ID watches. These will seamlessly link to most of Sony Ericsson Bluetooth-enabled phones. No further details were available on these at press time.
Click here for more information on Sony Ericsson's latest handsets and accessories.
Sony Ericsson unveils the W830i, K320i and Z558i
Reuben Lee | Sep 28, 2006
The Japanese-Swedish mobile maker today announced three new handsets--the W830i slider, K320i candy bar and Z558i clamshell--for the Asian market. The W830i slider offers a similar design and features as the W850i announced earlier, but sheds the onboard 3G for EDGE support. According to the company, the W830i will be configured out-of-the-box for the PlayNow 3.0 direct music download service which features Sony BMG artists as well as operator over-the-air (OTA) music download services.
The Z558i is the first non-Symbian handset from Sony Ericsson to sport a touchscreen with Chinese, Thai and English text recognition. It also comes with one-touch SMS access, 262K-color screen, a memory expansion slot and 1.3-megapixel camera. Finally, the K320i is a triband model designed for both work and play, with features such as automatic Bluetooth pairing, PC synchronization and support for push email. Also onboard are a camera and media player.
The three new phones are due to roll out in the fourth quarter of 2006 in selected markets. Get the full coverage of the new handsets here.
Nokia 5300: Music phone for the masses
Reuben Lee | Sep 27, 2006
Following the launch of the new N-series handsets, the Finnish mobile phone maker turns its focus on the mainstream music crowd with three new cellular offerings--the 5300 XpressMusic, 5200 and a revamped 3250 XpressMusic. These were unveiled at the Music Connects event held for regional press in Manila.
Taking the spotlight at the show was the 5300 XpressMusic phone, a compact triband slider with dedicated music control buttons (beside the screen), a 1.3-megapixel camera, FM radio (with Visual Radio) and microSD expansion slots (supporting up to 2GB). The 5200, an entry-level version of the 5300 XpressMusic, also sports a similar slider form factor but offers a lower-resolution camera, single music access key and a bundled 256MB card. As for the new 3250 XpressMusic, Nokia has given it a color makeover while throwing a 1GB microSD card into the box. The expandable memory slot is able to support up to 2GB microSD flash media.
All three handsets are slated for a Q4 launch. You can read more about them in our Music Connects coverage .
Nokia N75 makes its debut in the US
Reuben Lee | Sep 27, 2006
At the Open Studio 2006 event held in New York, Nokia unveiled yet another clamshell addition to its N-series lineup, the N75. Touted as the smallest N-series handset to date, the N75 will come equipped with a 2-megapixel camera, 16-million-color QVGA display and 3D stereo speakers. Like most of the other N-series phones, the new clamshell will also sport 3G connecivity, the Mini Map browser, microSD expansion slot and an onboard multimedia player.
The Nokia N75 is expected to be launched first in the US in the fourth quarter of 2006. However, at press time, we could not confirm if the N75 would eventually make its way to Asia. (Click here for more larger pictures of the N75: 1, 2)
CNET Asia's full coverage of the Open Studio and Music Connects events in Manila can be found here:
Nokia N95 takes you further with GPS
Reuben Lee | Sep 26, 2006
The long-rumored N95 finally made its debut at today's Nokia product launch held in Manila, the Philippines. Possibly the most feature-packed Nokia handset to date, the N95 is the first of the N-series phones to incorporate a built-in GPS (Global Positioning System), 5-megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss lens, HSDPA (also commonly referred to as 3.5G) as well as a unique two-way sliding mechanism. Combined with Wi-Fi, 3G, VGA video capture and Nokia's Series 60 Symbian platform, the N95 is certainly close to being the ultimate toy for the tech geek.
Unfortunately, if you are planning to get this phone for Christmas, tough luck. The N95 is expected to launch only in the first quarter of 2007. Also unveiled at the Manila event are three other N-series handsets, the N91 with a bigger 8GB hard drive as well as the new music editions of the N70 and N73. Click here for the full coverage.
Crave is...
The name says it all. Crave is our new blog about cool gadgets and other crushworthy stuff.
Drop us an email if you have tips or suggestions.
Crave for...
» Mobile Phones (967)
» Digital Cameras (566)
» Notebooks (697)
» PC & Peripherals (759)
» Handhelds (354)
» Printers (50)
» Home AV (649)
» Music & Play (533)
» Gadgets (1195)
» Future Tech (244)
Previously...
){kind=link}
){kind=link}
){kind=link}
Copyright © 2008 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy.
