Mobile News and Mobile Info

Well, that’s what TechDigest reckons – and they are following up on evidence that the SE-Blog found on the Sony Ericsson site!

For those of you that had forgotten the specs:

4?, 800 x 400 touchscreen2G: 850/900/1800/1900 (Quad-Band)3G: 900/2100 (Dual-Band); HSDPA (10Mbps), HSUPA (2Mbps)8 megapixel camera with autofocus and 8 x digital zoomLED FlashImage StabilizationSmile ShutterFace DetectionVGA Video RecordingPOP3, SMTP, IMAP4, MS Exchange e-mailminiUSB, 3.5mm AV connectorBluetooth (2.1), Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11g), AGPS

4?, 800 x 400 touchscreen

2G: 850/900/1800/1900 (Quad-Band)

3G: 900/2100 (Dual-Band); HSDPA (10Mbps), HSUPA (2Mbps)

8 megapixel camera with autofocus and 8 x digital zoom

LED Flash / Image Stabilization / Smile Shutter / Face Detection / VGA Video Recording

POP3, SMTP, IMAP4, MS Exchange e-mail

miniUSB, 3.5mm AV connector

Bluetooth (2.1), Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11g), AGPS

So I guess within a couple of days we’ll see how the rumours are – but if it’s true then we have got a real smartphone shootout on our hands over the Christmas period!!

T-Mobile is Sony Ericsson’s main partner in the U.S. and now we have the two companies launching the mid-range clamshell, Equinox, on October 28th. Specs wise, there’s GPS on board, quad-band (850/900/1800/1900 MHz) GSM and dual-band (2100/1700 MHz) HSDPA radio, 3.2-megapixel camera, 2.2-inch QVGA screen, Bluetooth, FM radio, YouTube client, and so on. The key differentiating point of the Equinox is its “eye-catching night effects” feature that allow users to set different “pulsating light effects” for their favorite contacts. Kinda nerdy, don’t you think?

Anyway, to celebrate the launch, Sony Ericsson engaged its sexy ambassador, Maria Sharapova, who will make an appearance at the grand opening of a new T-Mobile store in Los Angeles on October 31st. At the event, the Swedish-Japanese company will hold a Maria Sharapova look-a-like contest, with prizes including Maria-style VIP treatment for a day, Sony Ericsson Equinox phones and Sony’s VAIO computers.

In addition, Sony Ericsson is organizing “Get Your Glam On” sweepstakes beginning November 9th. The winner of the contest will get a trip to Los Angeles to meet Kim Kardashian and receive the makeover from her personal glam squad…

Bad news, good news, and potentially great news time, folks. First with the bad: Sony Ericsson posted another loss for its fiscal third quarter, to the tune of 164 million euro (about $244 million US), blaming a large chunk of that on a drop in sales. Sales dropped year-over-year 40 percent to 1.6 billion euro, and unit shipments comparably down 45 percent. That’s the bad, now what’s good for SE is that its secured more financial backing to reshape its future into something more profitable. External financing totals a reported 455 million euro ($676 million US), 255 million of which is already in the company’s position and 200 million as a two-year backup. SE also managed to beat analyst estimates, losing less than anticipated, and that’s gotta induce some bittersweet smiles in the corporate boardrooms… oh, the potentially great news? Well, SEMC blog has boldly announced that the Android-imbued Rachael (a.k.a. XPERIA X3) is due out this November, same specs as we heard before and two color options, Sensuous Black and Luster White. Unfortunately, we’re not seeing exactly where this news is coming for, so until SE speaks the magic words, we’re considering it a rumor for now — but we’re hopeful.

To date, we’ve only seen renderings of Sony Ericsson’s upcoming Android handset, the XPERIA X3 (code-named Rachael), but today we’re seeing some of the first hands-on pictures, blurry as they may be. The gallery shows the phone app, on-screen keyboard, locked, and home screen, so there’s not much to write home about, but it’s reassuring to see a concrete device. If you’re looking for more eye candy, pictures of a white version have also surfaced, accompanied by renders created using screenshots from thesupposed user interface video. One of our commenters suggested that UI is actually a separate app which can be turned off if you prefer the vanilla Android interface, which would explain why we’re seeing the basic home screen here. Combined with the fact that the default background on the proper device shots corroborate with the video, this Timescape UI may very well become a reality. Can’t wait to pick up this bad boy? The latest rumours are pointing to a January launch.

We’ll confess – Sony Ericsson‘s XPERIA X2 is going to have quite the time attracting attention now that the Android-equipped X3 is all but confirmed, but those who aren’t yet ready to ditch Windows Mobile may be interested in seeing the first video unboxing of the Q4-bound smartphone. Unfortunately, the actual box that it’s emerging from is one of those ultra-plain units given to employees and the like when carrier testing is in full swing, but hey — a box is a box. Have a peek in the read link below, but be sure to bring a cup of patience. You’ll see.

We’ve barely gotten used to the possibility that Sony Ericsson‘s upcoming XPERIA X2 will command a whopping $850+ dollars at retail, and now we’re hearing that the X2’s sequential successor, the XPERIA X3, will be going live in January of 2010. Mobile Crunch is reporting on an as-yet unconfirmed rumor that Sony Ericsson’s XPERIA X3 will make its debut as the company’s first Android smartphone in time to usher in the new year.

The XPERIA X3 packs a 4-inch 800 x 400 touchscreen, 8.0-megapixel camera, 3G data, WiFi, GPS and a whole bunch of Androidy-goodness. If previous leaks pan out, the XPERIA X3 Rachel will also sport a slick, custom Android UI (custom user interfaces are coming left and right these days).

There’s talk that Sony Ericsson is thinking of ditching Windows Mobile altogether, which just might have something to do with SE’s expedited X3 launch window. But, keep in mind, this is all speculation. We’ll know more about the X3 in due time. In the meantime, drool over this X3 Rachel UI video:

It’s not like we didn’t know this already, but Sony Ericsson has now officially confirmed an October UK release for its latest pair of handsets. The half-Swedish, half-Welsh mobile empire has set the seventh day of the tenth month of whatever year this is as the date for a nice little corporate get-together and unveiling of whatever little details haven’t been seen or pored over by now. The Aino slider hopes to capture fans with its slender looks and PS3 Remote Play skills, while the Satio (formerly known as the Idou, pictured) works the multimedia phone crowd with a 12.1 megapixel cam and a 3.5-inch 16:9 display. The latter was recently handled by Engadget Spanish, who found it underwhelming and somewhat sluggish — but rest assured, we’ll be getting a lot more fingerprints on these touchscreen devices in the coming weeks.