Sony Ericsson recognizes that market conditions have changed very rapidly and action must be taken to ensure that it can remain competitive in the dynamic and fast-paced telecommunications industry. Today the company confirms that it is beginning to implement a plan to align its operations and resources worldwide to meet an increasingly competitive business environment and to help restore its capability for profitable growth.

At the time of its Q2 2008 financial results announcement on 18 July, Sony Ericsson  committed to making cost savings of Euro 300 million over the next twelve months, which includes a total headcount reduction worldwide of around 2,000 people (including both employees and consultants).

Sony Ericsson confirms that today internal announcements were made about which sites and functions would be affected by these headcount reductions. There will now follow a period of consultation between local management, employees/consultants and employee representatives to determine which positions at each of the affected sites will be eliminated.

More information regarding Sony Ericsson’s global alignment plans will be shared at the time of its Q3 2008 financial results on 17 October.

Sony Ericsson, a 50:50 joint venture by Sony, a FIFA Partner, and Ericsson, announces that it has been appointed the Official Mobile Phone Handset of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. This appointment is effective immediately and forms part of the Digital Life category, which FIFA Partner Sony Corporation, one of Sony Ericsson’s parent companies, acquired in 2005.

Speaking in Lund, Sweden, to an assembled audience of journalists, Lennard Hoornik, Corporate Vice President and Head of Global Marketing said, “We are very excited about this announcement. At Sony Ericsson we feel we are uniquely placed to be a champion of football fans worldwide, using the marketing and promotional rights this agreement grants us to make Sony Ericsson handsets and accessories an integral part of the fan experience. Our role in football will be to use our sponsorship to innovate the experience of fans and give them greater access to football."

The Sony Ericsson sponsorship runs to the end of 2010 and includes the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. As the official mobile handset of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, Sony Ericsson will enjoy various category exclusive rights globally and will be designated a FIFA World Cup Sponsor. Sony Ericsson will also have access to other FIFA properties.

The agreement with FIFA enables Sony Ericsson to partner with one of the world’s most popular sports and adds to the existing Sony Ericsson sponsorship portfolio. Sony Ericsson will apply the knowledge gathered from its continuing successful sponsorship of the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour, the largest sponsorship of professional women’s sport, to engage with consumers through new and exciting experiences.

Hoornik added, "The 2010 FIFA World Cup is one of the world's leading sporting events and is watched across the world by millions of fans.  It will be these fans that we focus our engagement in football on; using our relationship with FIFA and our handsets to enable them to get closer to the game in new ways and enjoy the 2010 FIFA World Cup. We are looking forward to using our handsets to capture and share their football experiences."

Sony Ericsson will announce further details of its FIFA World Cup sponsorship plans in due course.

Panels

Browser

Google Maps & GPS

Music Player

Camera UI

Illumination

[Source]

Thanks to the recently posted photo of the unknown Sony Ericsson device at Unofficial Sony Ericsson Blog, we got some information about upcoming Sony Ericsson mobile phone from Walkman family.

The codename of the phone is Rika and looks like it's a Walkman version of the recently announced phone from G series - Sony Ericsson G705...

You may think that Sony Ericsson continues to copy its own devices and it's a just another copy phone... Well, maybe it is, but at least it's a copy of the great device :)

There is not much known about its specifications, but I don't think that there will be much differences between those two phones, except of the Walkman player, maybe more internal memory and better sound (Well, at least I hope so.)

Sony Ericsson has announced the call for submissions for its second annual Sony Ericsson Content Awards. Designed to honor outstanding achievements in mobile content development, the 2008 Awards are open to all mobile developers who have created content, applications or services for Sony Ericsson mobile phones. In 2007, developers from around the world were recognized with RealNetworks, BitCycle, Opera, Gracenote, Metronize/Clavitones and Vringo winning awards.

Beginning today through November 30, 2008, developers may enter their submissions via the Sony Ericsson Content Awards website. This year Sony Ericsson has broadened the award categories to inspire greater innovation from developers around the world. Finalists will be selected in December and the 2008 winners will be announced in an official online ceremony on February 5, 2009.

“Sony Ericsson is very proud to unveil its 2008 Content Awards and celebrate bringing the best and most innovative content from mind to market,” said Björn Ahlberg, Head of Sony Ericsson Content & Services. “We highly value our relationships with content creators and developers, and as equal partners within the mobile ecosystem, together we can create unique propositions and experiences for consumers.”

Sony Ericsson’s annual Content Awards underscores its highly regarded global developer support program and web portal Sony Ericsson Developer World which enables developers to achieve business success by providing the documentation, tools, training, technical and go-to-market support during the entire development process.

Judged by a panel of industry experts who will evaluate the nominees based on ease of use, entertainment factor, innovation, look and feel, uniqueness, creativity and audio performance, the 2008 Sony Ericsson Content Awards will celebrate achievements in seven categories:

• Being Productive
• Going Green
• In-Car applications
• Mobile Entertainment
• Lifestyle Experiences
• Themes & Graphics
• XPERIA X1 Panels

“Through leveraging a diverse portfolio of tools and support, the global development community has been empowered by Sony Ericsson to create applications easily, quickly and securely that provide rich mobile experiences for consumers on their mobile phones,” said Roger Entner, Senior Vice President Communications Sector, Nielsen IAG. “Sony Ericsson’s Content Awards are testimony to the innovations that can benefit everyone within an open ecosystem.”

Winners of the 2008 Sony Ericsson Content Awards will be brought to Lund, Sweden, for an exclusive behind-the-scenes two-day mobile content workshop where they will have the opportunity to network and share resources with their peers and executives from Sony Ericsson.

Beginning today, developers can learn more about the 2008 Sony Ericsson Content Awards and submit their entries by visiting Sony Ericsson Content Awards website. Throughout the year, this dedicated Awards web site will be updated with profiles of the finalists and judges, and visitors can read additional information, including content creator bios, partner success stories and blogs posted by the team behind Sony Ericsson Developer World.

Sony Ericsson unveiled today the Bluetooth Car Speakerphone HCB-108 has a sleek Nordic design and lets you talk conveniently when you are on the move – attach easily to a car visor with no wires, no fuss and no hassle. The speakerphone offers market-leading talk time and can be easily switched between vehicles, if you’re used to jumping between a company and family car, or simply use it in the office as a conference speakerphone. Just unclip the speakerphone, swap it over and off you go.

“The new Bluetooth Car Speakerphone HCB-108 is ideal for those who need to keep in touch on the move, and we are thrilled to be able to offer consumers a product with such unrivalled talk time.” said Jacob Sten, Head of the accessories division at Sony Ericsson. “The new Bluetooth Speakerphone HCB-108 is our most affordable car speakerphone in the range, but without compromising on the premium feel and stylish design that you can expect from Sony Ericsson.”

With the impressive 25 hours talk time and a standby time of up to one month, the Bluetooth Car Speakerphone HCB-108 lets you enjoy crystal clear conversations and superior true duplex audio quality with echo reduction, noise cancellation and Digital Signal Processing (DSP) for longer than ever.
 

 

The Bluetooth Car Speakerphone HCB-108 will be available in selected markets from early Q4 in the colours Black and Silver. It will be showcased at the Paris Car Show, in conjunction with Saab, from October 4, 2008.

 

Sony Ericsson HCB-108 at a glance

In-Box:
Bluetooth car speakerphone HCB-108, Visor clip, Cigarette lighter adapter CLA-61, User guide/Bluetooth warranty leaflet

Facts and Figures
Size: 119 x 61 x 14 mm
Weight: 93 grams (inc clip)
Colours: Black, Silver
Talk time: Up to 25 hrs
Standby time GSM/GPRS: Up to 700 hrs
Digital Signal Processing DSP, Noise cancellation, Echo reduction, Bluetooth 2,0

Sony Ericsson has unveiled its first digital photo frame - Sony Ericsson IDP 100.

With a sleek dark gray finish, Sony Ericsson IDP 100 supports a variety of ways for photo transfer, like: Bluetooth, USB flash memory, M2 card (Memory Stick Micro), microSD. SD or MS Duo. Photo frame is equipped with 7" WVGA display and with Auto-rotation function, lets you display photos in either landscape or portrait format and can be mountend on a wall or sat on a table. The built-in memory is up to 128MB, so it will let you to Store up to 500 images...

The photos can be displayed and managed with the touch sensitive control menu in the frame. In addition, the Digital Image Correction (DIC), included with the IDP-100 will ensure the photos are displayed to perfection as it automatically adjusts your images – this includes colour correction, tone enhancement and even edge enhancement.

“Memories are priceless and irreplaceable” said Jacob Sten, Head of the accessories division at Sony Ericsson. “The IDP-100 Digital Photo Frame is the perfect companion to your Cyber-shot™ phone and lets you display your favourite moments easily and in high quality for all to see. However, it’s not just mobile phone users that can benefit from the IDP-100. We are proud that the frame receives, stores and displays up to 500 still images through a variety of options. Once uploaded they are automatically rotated, enhanced and re-sized to fit the frame - so that you can enjoy your memories instantly.”

Sony Ericsson IDP-100 At a glance

Size: 7” LCD screen

Aspect ratio: 4:3 or 16:9

Viewing angle: 140º (H)/140º (V)

Lifetime: to 50 per cent brightness: 10,000hr

Brightness: 200cd/m2

Panel resolution: 800 x 480 (WVGA)

Contrast ratio: 400:1

Connectivity: USB 2.0

Built in memory capacity: 128MB

Weight: 320g for media product without stand

Dimensions: W205XH145XD25

RTL: Week 44, 2008

Compatibility: All phones featuring M2 card, micro SD and MS Duo, SD, USB interface or Bluetooth

It will be available in selected markets in Q4 in dark grey.

Here we got some of the first screenshots from the Sony Ericsson XPERIA X1 - X Panel... Hmmm, looks awesome :)

      

[Source]

Except of the first in-depth demonstration of Sony Ericsson XPERIA X1, the web cast, which I have mentioned in the last post, will also premiere the first episode of an alternative reality thriller Johnny X.

Johnny X is about a young man with amnesia desperately piecing together his identity. The webisodic thriller comprises nine episodes, created to demonstrate the rich, immersive and experiential elements of the Xperia X1.

The storyline follows Johnny X on his mission to rediscover his identity. As he finds out more about his lost life in a race against time, he updates his XperiaX1 with new content to piece together his personality and identity, reflecting how the phone can be personalized to suit users’ individual lifestyle and needs. Will Johnny X find out who he really is before it’s too late?

“Producing the Johnny X thriller has given us an engaging platform to demonstrate all the capabilities and features a user can experience with the Xperia X1 phone,” said Lennard Hoornik, Head of Marketing at Sony Ericsson. “The panel interface is a perfect way to reflect your personality and can be tailored and changed to suit your exact needs at any given time. No two Xperia™ X1 will ever have the same combination of panels on the phone; we are all individuals and deserve to have a phone that reflects that. ”

Over a three-week period, one new episode of Johnny X will be posted online at www.sonyericsson.com/Johnnyx every Monday, Wednesday and Friday starting on Monday, September 22. Check out the trailer for the series at www.whoisjohnny-x.com

Sony Ericsson today announces 30 September 2008 as the official launch date for the most awaited Windows Mobile smartphone from Sony Ericsson - Sony Ericsson XPERIA X1 – initially available to consumers in the UK, Germany and Sweden. The handset will be available in other markets across Europe, Asia and Latin America throughout Q4 2008.

APAC: Indonesia, Singapore, Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Malaysia, Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam
Western Europe: Spain, France, Italy, Switzerland, Netherlands, Austria, Norway, Denmark, Belgium, Portugal
Central Europe: Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic
Middle East: UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait
Africa: South Africa
Latin America: Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Paraguay and Bolivia

Availability dates for North America, China, Australia and Russia along with other countries not mentioned above will be announced by local markets in the coming months.

To start the countdown to the launch of Xperia X1, Sony Ericsson will host a live global webcast on September 15 at 13:00 GMT + 1, offering viewers the first in-depth demonstration of the handset.

The official global launch of the Xperia X1 will take place at Tent London as part of London Design Week between September 18 – 21st. Journalists are invited to attend the official Tent London opening party on Friday evening 19 September 2008 to see the Xperia X1 and meet with Sony Ericsson spokespeople.

To register to view the web cast and Q&A session with Xperia X1 Senior Product Manager Magnus J Andersson, please visit: www.sonyericsson.com/premiere

“We are extremely pleased with the innovation and new user experience we have created for consumers on the Xperia™ X1,” said Rikko Sakaguchi CVP and Head of Creation and Development at Sony Ericsson. “The in-depth demonstration on the web cast will showcase how this handset is truly unique. The nine panel eco system puts the user in total control of the primary experiences available on the phone and allows consumers to personalise the panel interface to suit their needs and lifestyle. The Xperia™ X1 has the highest quality screen on the market, four-way navigation keys and optical joy stick to give a stressless browsing experience and, with its super fast processor and network speed the Xperia™ X1 really bridges the gap between personal, entertainment and work mobile needs.”

Today Sony Ericsson announced the recently leaked device from Generation Web class - Sony Ericsson G705 (And Sony Ericsson G705u - exclusive to Orange).

Of course it's hard to make any serious conclusions before its release, but If you'd asked me, this phone is some kind of bright light within the last announcements. Why? Well because:

This elegant slider phone is complete with large 2.4” (262K colour, 240x320 pxls) screen, allows users to surf the internet at high speed with turbo 3G and full HTML browser, which means, G705 is powered with UMTS/HSDPA. With the illuminated zoom web shortcut key or just with tilting the phone, it automatically switches to landscape view.

Phone is equipped with a 3.2 megapixel camera with Up to 3.2x digital zoom, Photo fix, Photo light, Video light, Video recording, Picture blogging, PictBridge printing, Video blogging, x-Pict Story. Integrates aGPS module combined with Google Maps for Mobile and Wayfinder, Wi-Fi with DLNA, Bluetooth stereo (A2DP), FM Radio and starting from the G705, upcoming further phones will be YouTube compatible, which will gave you availability to upload or download favourite videos clips. Phone memory is up to 120MB and supports Memory Stick Micro (M2) memory format, phone will come with 1GB memory stick.

“The G705 is ideal for those who need a bit of help organising their busy life.” said Catherine Cherry, Global product marketing manager at Sony Ericsson. “This life-enhancing phone has everything you need to keep track of your daily activities and is perfect for keeping in touch with friends. It also allows you to stay fully up-to-date thanks to the full HTML browser, email support, and desktop RSS feeds - all delivered at turbo 3G speeds.”

Facts and Figures:
Dimensions: 95 x 47 x 14.3 mm, 98 grams
Screen: 262,144 colour TFT, 240 x 320 pixels, 2.4 inches
Phone memory: Up to 120MB with Memory Stick Micro (M2) support
Talk time GSM/GPRS: Up to 10 hrs
Standby time GSM/GPRS: Up to 400 hrs
Talk time UMTS: Up to 4 hours
Standby time UMTS: Up to 350 hours
Video talk time: Up to 3 hours
Networks:
G705 and G705u:
GSM/GPRS/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900
UMTS/HSDPA 2100
G705 (American version)
GSM/GPRS/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900
UMTS/HSUPA 850/1900/2100

In-Box:
Battery, Battery Charger, 1GB Memory Stick Micro (M2), USB cable, Stereo PHF, Sony Ericsson PC Suite, Media manager, User guide

G705 will be available in selected markets from early Q4 in the colours Silky Gold or Majestic Black. G705u (exclusive to Orange) will be available from early Q4 in the colour Luminous Black. The G705 will also be available in a version for American markets supporting networks GSM/GPRS/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900 and UMTS/HSUPA 850/1900/2100. G705 for American markets will be available early Q1 2009.

Plans for the Symbian Foundation and the evolution of Symbian OS as the leading, open platform for mobile innovation continue to receive strong support from companies throughout the mobile ecosystem.  Today, Acrodea, Brycen, HI Corporation, Ixonos, KTF, Opera Software, Sharp, TapRoot Systems and UIQ Technology are adding their endorsement for the planned foundation.

Since June 2008, 40 companies have confirmed commitment to the initiative, including the ten initial board members: AT&T, LG Electronics, Motorola, Nokia, NTT DOCOMO, Samsung Electronics, Sony Ericsson, STMicroelectronics, Texas Instruments and Vodafone.

"The mobile phone industry is a very dynamic industry that continues to evolve and develop” said Mats Lindoff, Sony Ericsson Chief Technology Officer, on behalf of the initial board members. “We are happy to see that so many developers and partners in the industry have expressed their support for the plans for the Symbian Foundation, as this will help drive the next level of innovation needed to deliver new user experiences on mobile phones."

"As a long time member of the Symbian Platinum Partner Program, Acrodea is excited by plans for the Symbian Foundation." said Junya Tsutsumi, President & CEO of Acrodea. "We are convinced that this initiative will be the start of a new era for mobile development.　The Symbian Foundation will allow Acrodea to bring the highest level of service to our customers and end users in a timely manner on a global basis and we will enthusiastically participate in this endeavour.  Acrodea intends to build closer relationships with other foundation members, helping them meet increasing needs for customization of user experience. "

"Brycen welcomes plans for the Symbian Foundation", said Masaru Fujiki, President and CEO of Brycen Co., Ltd.  "With support already announced by many organizations, we believe the foundation will offer mobile users a wider range of cutting edge products at lower cost.  We will support the work of the Symbian Foundation with versions of our embedded RDBMS products operating on the unified Foundation platform. Combining our technology with the open platform will allow us to offer more efficient global application development and innovative services with high added value, which we believe will enable device manufacturers and service providers to create more attractive products."

“HI CORPORATION sincerely welcomes plans to establish the Symbian Foundation, which will unify the platform and enable leading-edge development for the mobile industry", said Kazuo Kawabate, President & CEO of HI CORPORATION.  "We will optimize our “MascotCapsule” series 3D rendering engine for the Symbian Foundation platform. This will allow developers to focus on differentiation through enriched content and user experience.  With the establishment of the Foundation, we expect to see innovative 3D applications across multiple devices, such as 3D Concierge which will bring brand-new experiences to users.”

"Ixonos welcomes plans for the Symbian Foundation and is committed to becoming a member", said Kari Liuska, Vice President, Business Operations at Ixonos Plc.  "With strong mobile expertise and business understanding, Ixonos shares the vision that the foundation's open software platform will be crucial for future success.  Hundreds of Ixonos people are developing new features and platform components for mobile devices every day, as part of the current ecosystem. We believe that this open and complete software platform will create new business opportunities and expand the customer base.  The Symbian Foundation will enable a new community to build compelling, device independent software and services to transform the lives of users".

“KTF welcomes the Symbian Foundation initiative,” said Tae-Sook Ha, Vice President, Head of Terminal Laboratory in R&D Group, “As a leading wireless communications company in Korea, KTF is working hard to enhance the quality experiences for its customers. We believe that innovation around the Symbian Foundation platform will accelerate this effort with a wide range of open opportunities. We support the plans for the Symbian Foundation and intend to contribute to its work to deliver devices and services which exceed consumers’ expectations.”

"Symbian Limited was one of the first companies to to support Opera's vision of how the Web one day would be available on any device. Today, that vision is becoming reality." said Jon von Tetzchner, CEO, Opera Software. "As the market leader in standards-driven, cross-platform Web browsing innovation, we expect to offer our expertise in developing compelling and captivating Web browsing experiences. We look forward to the opportunity to join the foundation and help drive the ongoing evolution of the leading mobile operating system."

“Sharp welcomes plans for the Symbian Foundation”, said Yuji Arai, Group Deputy General Manager, Communication Systems Group. “We believe its activities will establish a leading open platform for mobile.  Participating in the work of the Symbian Foundation and adopting the platform will enable us to concentrate resources to deliver more appealing devices more quickly to a worldwide market.  We are convinced that this mobile platform will accelerate innovation in the mobile industry and increase customer satisfaction.”

"We're excited about the plans for the Symbian Foundation and believe it will increase the proliferation of innovative products and services to mobile consumers," says Bob Bicksler, CEO of TapRoot Systems. "Our talented and deeply experienced engineering team has worked in this space for quite some time and we look forward to continuing our work within the Symbian Foundation ecosystem.  We expect our handset and semiconductor customers will accelerate the introduction of new smartphones through the open Symbian Foundation platform."

“A common platform for user experience, applications and services, with broad industry governance of its development, will provide opportunities to innovate and differentiate and be an excellent step in the evolution of mobile phones” says Johan Sandberg, CEO at UIQ Technology.” We will be happy to contribute to the work of the foundation, based on our extensive Symbian OS experience, understanding of touch technologies and our unique abilities to differentiate and innovate to achieve world class user experience."

Since plans for the Symbian Foundation were announced, hundreds of organizations have registered their interest in joining the foundation via the website at www.symbianfoundation.org.

As previously announced, the plans for the establishment of the Symbian Foundation and royalty-free licensing of foundation software are:

   1. The acquisition of Symbian Limited by Nokia, expected to close in Q4, 2008, subject to regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions.
   2. Software assets are contributed to the foundation, including Symbian OS and S60 by Nokia, UIQ technology by Motorola and Sony Ericsson and MOAP(S) by NTT DOCOMO and Fujitsu.
   3. This contributed software will be available under a royalty-free license to foundation members from the first day of Symbian Foundation operations, expected 1H 2009.
   4. The Foundation will work to unify the platform, with the first unified foundation release expected in 2009.
   5. The foundation will work to make the platform available in open source by June 2010 (two years from the Symbian Foundation announcement)

Ramanath Bhat, Application and Product Planning for the Xperia X1, talk about the phone’s unique panel interface and the benefits of publishing the Windows Mobile SDK for Xperia X1.

Demonstrated at July's British International Motor Show in London, UK, Sony Ericsson and Saab have collaborated to use a P1 smartphone, with an UIQ 3 touchscreen application and Bluetooth, to remotely control elements of Saab's 9-X BioHybrid concept car.

Sony Ericsson collaborates with many car manufacturers to optimize the in-car experience for responsibly using mobile phones to make and receive calls and play music. Visit www.sonyericsson.com/car to find out more.

When the General Motors Europe Advanced Design Team started developing the Saab 9-X BioHybrid concept, the focus was on re-defining the conventional premium compact car for younger target groups that favor progressive design, efficient performance and easy access to high tech communications. The Saab 9-X BioHybrid shows how progressive Saab design combines with smart features and responsible, rightsizing performance.

Seamless driver and co-driver, car and phone integration was in integral element in the development. The idea was to use one or multiple phones as central hubs for the driver and co-driver to interact with the car and each other. This bi-directional communication allows the phone to control personalized functions in the car.

To turn this idea into reality, they selected the Sony Ericsson P1 and W960 phones as they matched Saab's technology needs and collaborated with Sony Ericsson Developer World to develop an UIQ 3 application as a proof of concept.

"Sony Ericsson is well known for its progressive design and high level of innovation. Therefore we felt that this would be a good match to the Saab brand. One of our main challenges was to make sure that we choose the ideal device and software to ensure the seamless integration with the car systems," says Anthony Lo, Director of Advanced Design at General Motors Europe.

"It is a question of technology performance as well as experience in working with it. We have already used Symbian OS technology in previous projects with positive results so it is a system we have confidence in. Bluetooth technology supplies a direct link between car and phone and is not dependent on network infrastructure or influenced by mobile network coverage limitations."

The Saab 9-X BioHybrid concept car was premiered at the Geneva Motor Show 2008. Saab and Sony Ericsson used the 2008 British International Motor Show in London as another platform to showcase the collaboration of "seamless car & phone integration".

Application overview

The UIQ 3 application pairs the P1 or W960 with the car via Bluetooth and allows the end-user to remotely select exterior or interior functions using the phone’s touchscreen. You can:

• Control ambient lightning
  
• Control front and rear seat settings
  
• Lock the car
  
• Open the tailgate
  
• Switch on and off the lights (blinkers, main lights…)

In addition it fully interacts with the entertainment and navigation systems of the concept car and allows driver and co-driver to share content, e.g. the co-driver can upload his personal maps to the system with a separate device.

  

The UIQ 3 application uses the RSocket class to communicate with a RFCOMM port on the car. The interaction between the UIQ 3 application and the car is handled by a proprietary protocol on top of RFCOMM. Each icon in the UI represents either a sub menu or a car function. By touching an icon, the sub menu is opened or a command describing the desired car function action is sent to the car, which interprets the command and carries out the action. The proprietary protocol is also used to send information in the other direction allowing the car to deliver status updates to the UIQ 3 application. Updates are made visible in the application UI by modifying the action icons.

The 9-X BioHybrid also took things a step further by demonstrating how the phone can be seamlessly integrated with the car's onboard systems to become the main technological interaction between driver, passenger and car.

The driver with a P1 and the passenger with a W960 have both their phones synchronized with the car, allowing the passenger to send information via the car's dashboard display to the driver, for example, to transfer updated navigation route information.

The near future

Concept cars are a preview of the near future and accelerate the process of getting elements of the concept car into the real, consumer automotive market.

"Similarly to the integration concept that we worked on with Sony Ericsson, the Saab 9-X BioHybrid features additional conceptual innovations that you might see in future passenger cars. For instance switching regular rear view mirrors for high resolution cameras. Although exterior mirrors are currently required by regulations, the concept of using cameras instead of exterior mirrors on the 9-X BioHybrid means you could use a phone application to remotely check if your car is safe and not being damaged or stolen," suggests Anthony Lo.

Sony Ericsson today published its Software Developer Kit (SDK) for Xperia X1 and invited developers and content creators to capitalize on the opportunities offered by developing mobile content for the phone. Whether it is music, photography, email or instant messaging, gaming, social networking or video applications, developers can now create a host of unique multi-media entertainment and content for the Xperia X1 for consumers to enjoy.

Xperia X1 brings a totally new experience to mobile phone users by introducing nine easy-to-use, interactive panels which sit on the touch screen interface of the phone.

Developers can use the Windows Mobile SDK, free of charge, to produce a wide variety of panels to meet the consumer’s demand for a rich, individualised multimedia experience on their phone. Users of the Xperia X1 will be spoilt for choice as they personalize their handset with panel applications to suit their mood and lifestyle.   Whether it is a search engine, advanced calendar or social networking application, music or film catalogue, sports or news related content, the panels enable you to access any information – quickly and directly – with a simple tap on the 3” super high resolution touch screen.

“Sony Ericsson is committed to providing its customers with rich, open content environment to make their mobile experience more enjoyable and entertaining,” said Rikko Sakaguchi , CVP and Head of Creation and Development at Sony Ericsson. “Making the Windows Mobile SDK available for free to developers and mobile content creators will accelerate the development of new panels and applications for the Xperia X1, offering consumer choice and personalisation.
The Xperia X1 will offer the richest mobile user experience, putting the world at the fingertips of the user.”

Entertain yourself:

• Customise your Xperia X1 panels so you are a touch away from your favourite content – music, film, TV, sports
• Or, be the envy of your friends by watching TV or film clips in DVD quality on the three-inch high resolution touch-widescreen
• Get picture happy on the 3.2 megapixel camera and show the images in crystal clear clarity on the 800 X 480 pixels screen
• Access the latest 3D mobile games by simply touching a favourite gaming panel you have selected
  

Make your personal life a little easier:

• Access all your contacts and calendar entries wherever you are, as the Xperia X1 can automatically sync with your PC making sure you never miss a birthday, anniversary or meeting
• Search or book a holiday in your lunch hour by going online via a travel panel
• Add your local supermarket website and do your weekly food shop in just a few taps on the bus on the way home
• Read the latest restaurants reviews, look up cinema listings, call a friend or reply to personal email on the move using the full QWERTY keyboard
• Find that bar, restaurant or hotel using Assisted GPS and Goggle Maps for mobile when you’re on vacation or a business trip
  

Work on the move:

• Windows Mobile 6.1 makes working on the move easier with easy access to work emails and Microsoft® Office Mobile applications, such as Excel, Word and PowerPoint
• Always stay up-to-date with colleagues and important appointments by syncing the handset to Microsoft Outlook on your work PC

“The X1’s panels are a simple but immersive way of interacting with content, services and applications that will delight and engage consumers,” said Todd Peters, corporate vice president, Mobile Communications Marketing Group, Microsoft Corp. “Sony Ericsson’s X1 is a fantastic demonstration of how to harness the power of Windows Mobile to connect people to the things they care about most.”