Industry News

‘Simple sophistication’ sums up the Sony Ericsson T250, announced today. The stylish metal finish of this compact phone gives it a premium feel that up until now has been the preserve of high end models. Add to this a feature set that makes it easy to stay connected, either with friends or the latest news, and you have the perfect partner for keeping in-touch with style.

“Now you can have quality design and finish in a phone without the high-end price tag,” says Steve Walker, Head of Product Marketing at Sony Ericsson. “We realise that some people want just a straightforward phone, but we don’t feel that this should equate to straightforward design. Although technically the new T250 focuses on doing just the basics well, its advanced design clearly resembles the more premium T650.”

Of course, the T250 is not only about style. For easy communication the T250 has a speakerphone that lets you share your call with others in the room, predictive text input for fast text and picture messaging, and an in-phone calendar that comes in handy for noting key dates or appointments.

Based on consumer feedback, an built-in FM Radio is included on the T250 for music and news around the clock. The T250 kit includes a stereo handsfree headset. To complete the picture, an on-board camera allows you to capture your favourite moments, share them with your friends, or save them in the phone’s memory as a pocket photo album.

With a colour choice of Black or Silver, it’s difficult to determine which is the more elegant. Whichever you choose, though, be sure that the T250 will get you noticed.
The Sony Ericsson T250 will be available in two versions (GSM/GPRS 900/1800 and GSM/GPRS 850/1900) and will ship in selected markets from Q3 2007.

Sony Ericsson T250

www.Ring-Tones.co.za: Sony Ericsson, the manufacturer that pioneered the development of smartphones, today unveils the P1 as the latest addition to its P-series range.

“In one sense the Sony Ericsson P1 is an evolution of our P-series smartphones, as it pushes forward the best attributes of its predecessors,” says Steve Walker, Head of Product Marketing at Sony Ericsson. “At the same time there are also significant improvements in design, speed and battery performance.”

Building on the feature set of earlier models, the Sony Ericsson P1 supports a wide range of push email solutions and Web browsing applications, plus connectivity via hi-speed UMTS and Wireless LAN (WiFi™). Add to this its compact size and multimedia capabilities and the P1 is the complete mobile office. It is based on the Symbian™ operating system (v9.1) and UIQ 3.0, an open platform that offers broad potential for multimedia applications from operators/carriers, content owners and third party developers.

In short, the P1 is a device as small as a standard phone that offers flexible ways to work:

* Dual function keyboard - full alpha-numeric (e.g. QWERTY) text input combined with one hand phone usability
* Choice of text input method including handwriting and word completion
* Push email enabled including support for Exchange ActiveSync™ and BlackBerry® Connect™
* Integrated WLAN and VoIP enabled
* 3.2 megapixel camera with business card scanner
* Large 2.6” touchscreen with a Transflective Display that is easier to view in bright light conditions

Push email and remote working
Always being connected while on the move is now a normal part of working life. The Sony Ericsson P1 gives you the ability to handle your corporate or personal emails, contacts and calendar wherever you are. It offers support for a broad range of push email services including Exchange ActiveSync™ and BlackBerry Connect and allows for remote wiping of email and PIM data; something critical in the event of the phone being stolen or misplaced.

The Sony Ericsson P1 lets you read and edit documents on the move, whether Microsoft Word, PowerPoint or Excel. It also ships with a desk stand and USB cable in-box, making it straightforward to synchronise with your PC.

High speed connectivity
Both UMTS and integrated WLAN provide for high-speed Web browsing and data downloads, plus email at a rate and performance you enjoy from your office desktop. The Sony Ericsson P1 is also VoIP enabled for making calls over the internet.

Striking visuals
Surfing the Web is intuitive thanks to the Opera™ Web Browser that displays pages in horizontal, wide screen aspect. The large, touchscreen QVGA display can be seen and used even in bright environments due to the Transflective Display. The 3.2 megapixel camera takes great shots to store or share via Picture Blogging and is also a useful tool for work purposes. It does away with the need to collect stacks of business cards when travelling. Just take a close-up shot of a business card and the card scanner transfers the contact details directly into the phonebook.

Quality downtime
As well as a business tool, the Sony Ericsson P1 also serves as an advanced multimedia companion. Its music and video player mean that you can take your favourite tunes and video clips with you on the 512MB Memory Stick Micro™ (M2™) provided. Catch the latest news via the on-board FM Radio or stream mobile TV direct to the large screen. Whichever you choose to do, with the P1 you are never short of options.

The Sony Ericsson P1 is a Tri-Band GPRS 900/1800/1900 and UMTS 2100 handset with Wi-Fi 802.11b. It will be available in selected markets from Q3 2007.

www.Ring-Tones.co.za: Sony Ericsson announces two new phones that are borne out of their designers love for the materials and colours found in the natural world. The Sony Ericsson T650 fuses illumination effects with a stainless steel finish and scratch-proof mineral glass, whilst the S500, a slim slider phone, reveals desktop and menu themes that change over time.

The Sony Ericsson T650 is all about detail. The illumination effects on the keypad and the sides of the phone interact with animations on the screen. As these animations move across the display they set off waves of light around the keypad, which stand-out against the reflective stainless steel finish.

Take a look at the Sony Ericsson S500 and expect the unexpected. Open the 14mm slim slider to reveal colour accents and ever changing desktop themes. You set the in-phone themes and external light effects to change when you want - with the seasons, as day turns to night or when the weekend begins.

“It’s the details that set these phones apart,” explains Steve Walker, Head of Product Marketing at Sony Ericsson. “Our designers have taken inspiration from nature and the Nordic light to produce phones that are beautiful to look at and alive with energy. They appeal to those that want to celebrate their individuality and express themselves through their choice of phone.”

Sony Ericsson T650

* Detail in design stainless steel casing and scratch-proof mineral glass display
* Alive with technology desktop animations linked to light effects on the keypad
* Without compromise 12.5 millimetre slim 3G phone with 3.2 megapixel camera and media player

Powerful by nature Advanced communications, multimedia functions and connectivity are all second nature to the T650. This slim 3G phone conceals a high performance feature set. The 3.2 megapixel camera with auto focus takes excellent shots, and the 1.9-inch, scratch-proof screen makes it easy to shoot and view your pictures. The mineral glass display is placed directly onto the screen, which makes the colours more intense, improves visibility in bright environments and widens the viewing angle of the screen up to 170 degrees.

As individual as you Once you have taken your pictures, the T650 lets you to share your memories with friends next door or family across the world. You can show your photos on the screen, attach them to messages or post them on the Web using picture blogging.

Designed for everyday When it comes to keeping you entertained, the T650 is a natural. Its media player lets you to listen to your favourite tunes wherever you are, and thanks to the latest Bluetooth™ technology it’s possible to stream music directly from your phone to a headset. A stylish accessory, such as the Stereo Bluetooth™ Headset HBH-DS980 is the perfect partner here and is also announced today.

Stands out within the crowd At just 12.5 millimetres thin, the Sony Ericsson T650 builds on the design heritage of the T610 and steps up as a no-compromise 3G phone that balances form with function.

The T650 will be offered in a choice of two colours – Growing Green and Midnight Blue – and will be a Dual mode UMTS 2100 -GSM/GPRS 900/1800/1900 phone.
It will be available in selected markets from Q3 2007.

Sony Ericsson S500

* Ever-changing themes and illuminations that change as day turns to night hidden illumination
* Style with substance 2.0 megapixel camera revealed when the slider opens
* Individual colours Mysterious Green and Spring Yellow

Intelligent design Beyond the Mysterious Green and Spring Yellow exteriors, effort has been made to bring design alive with the Sony Ericsson S500. The visuals on the desktop or phone menu can change automatically as the seasons pass or as day turns to night. Hidden illumination appears to highlight a certain event and the keypad glows with energy when the slim slider is opened.

Vibrant images Have fun taking shots with the 2.0 megapixel camera and share moments of your life as they happen. Take a picture of where you are and blog it straight away. You can also send pictures or video to any mobile phone or email address.

Style with substance The S500 offers more than stunning aesthetics. Add colour to your free time with a media player and expandable Memory Stick slot. So you choose what size of music library is right for you. You can even add a music accessory such as the Music Bluetooth™ Receiver MBR-100 and play your phone music direct through your home stereo. Play 3D games or access the Web browser for easy surfing on the move.

Joined up thinking The S500 arrives with everything you need to connect your phone to your computer. Transfer your favourite music from PC to phone using Sony Ericsson Disc2Phone music management software. Or move images from your phone to your computer without the need for any software. When the S500 is connected, it appears as a drive on your computer. It also features Bluetooth™ 2.0, giving you same fast, robust connection to other Bluetooth™ devices as the T650.

The Sony Ericsson S500 is a 14mm slim 2.5G slider phone (GSM/GPRS/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900), available in either Mysterious Green or Spring Yellow.
It will be in the shops in selected markets from Q2 2007.

www.Ring-Tones.co.za: Helsinki, Finland and Beijing, China - Nokia's "Project 95" will take Peter Schindler - a seasoned traveler - on a 20,000-plus kilometer, Nokia-solely-sponsored, road-trip across China. Peter will be equipped with various Nokia Nseries devices, most notably the Nokia N95. He will keep a record of his excursions by maintaining a mobile blog that shares his thoughts and images taken through his Nokia N95, which can access the internet anytime and anywhere.

"I am looking forward to this adventure, driving across China," said Peter, who has traveled by himself over one million kilometers throughout Europe, the United States, and Asia. "I am eager to explore the modern lives of Chinese people; their thoughts on life and their expectactions for the future. The Nokia N95 will allow me to share my experiences with people around the world."

The Nokia N95 will be Peter's most important and powerful partner. The Nokia Nseries flagship device was launched in September 2006 and will debut in China in May 2007. The all-in-one multimedia computer features an innovative 2-way slide design, an integrated Carl Zeiss five megapixel camera, GPS* and multimedia player. The device features a large 2.6", 16.7-million-color QVGA display - allowing users to watch and record videos, listen to music, take high-quality photos, browse the internet, use instant communication, search on the internet, and access e-mail while on the move.

"Project 95" will also raise funds for the China Youth Development Fundation (CYDF) to support sports and education programs for children in remote regions. When the trip ends, Nokia will put the car that Peter drives for auction, the Caterham Superlight R300 sports car - proceeds will be donated to the CYDF. The public can also contribute donations through various channels during the road trip.

"It is more than just a road trip. It is a journey to discover a real and modern China," said Dan Wong, Vice President, Sales and Channel Management, Multimedia, China Area. "This very spirit of discovering reflects the essence and capabilities of Nokia Nseries multimedia computers." Peter's 95-day adventure will cover 20 provinces and municipalities across China.

Please visit project95.sina.com.cn for updates regarding Peter's adventure. Peter will also share pictures and videos with netizens - taken with his Nokia Nseries devices.

Netizens can also actively participate in the journey: they can advise a route for Peter, ask Peter to deliver personal greetings to friends, and vote on a name for Peter's car, among other things - all through project95.sina.com.cn.

Peter will commence his journey in Shanghai on May 9 and conclude the trip in Beijing on August 12.

www.Ring-Tones.co.za: Style and value-conscious consumers now have another way to make a great impression - with the Nokia 2505 unveiled today. One of Nokia's sleekest fold-style phones for the CDMA market, the Nokia 2505 offers a unique smooth-back design that makes the phone as ergonomic to hold as it is to carry in pocket or purse. The Nokia 2505 is expected to be available in selected markets in Asia/Pacific, Middle East, Africa, China and Latin America during the 2nd quarter of 2007.

In addition to the eye-pleasing exterior, the bright 65,536 color display helps to accentuate the end-user experience. Consumers can personalize their Nokia 2505 by using the pre-loaded ringtones and wallpapers or by downloading new ones. The Nokia 2505 meets practical needs as well with easy-to-use functions including text messaging, speaker phone, calendar, a personalized voice reminder and an alarm clock.

Nokia 2505

"The Nokia 2505 offers a slim, elegant and innovative design that appeals to the fashion sense across all consumer segments" said Larry Paulson, vice president and general manager of Nokia's CDMA business. "Nokia also recognizes that many functions, including an FM radio and quick-press flashlight are of particular importance to entry market consumers, and were included as standard features on the Nokia 2505."

Other features included with the Nokia 2505 to provide additional convenience to consumers include pre-loaded games, a 300-contact phonebook, up to 3 hours of talk time and 156 hours of stand-by time.

www.Ring-Tones.co.za: In emerging markets around the world, mobile phones are often shared among families and even entire villages. To meet the needs of these customers, many of whom are first-time buyers, Nokia today introduced two new mobile phones designed to meet the unique needs of a shared mobile device, the Nokia 1200 and Nokia 1208 phones. Both of these phones introduce the industry's first call-time tracking application and multi-phonebooks to make phone sharing simpler and more efficient.

In order to help manage airtime costs, the call-time tracking feature allows consumers and village phone entrepreneurs to pre-set a time or cost limit on individual calls, automatically ending the call after the limit has been reached.

The easy-to-use multi-phonebook lets customers set up personal phonebooks unique to that user and save specific contacts to that user's phonebook. The Nokia 1200 and Nokia 1208 each come with 5 available phonebooks, so it is possible for an entire family to share a phone, and for each of the family members to manage their own phonebook.

"The sharing of a mobile phone allows many consumers in entry markets to experience the benefits of mobility firsthand - an experience that might otherwise not be possible," says Soren Petersen, Senior Vice President, Mobile Phones, Nokia. "With the industry-first features found in the Nokia 1200 and 1208, Nokia continues to address the needs and aspirations of people in emerging markets by making its mobile phones accessible to more consumers and enabling positive community development."

Noikia 1200 mobile phone.

The Nokia 1200 and Nokia 1208 also come equipped with additional features tailored to entry markets such as one-touch flashlights, localized languages, a teaching mode that allows non-experienced users to quickly learn how to master the phone, while a seamless keypad also protects the phone from dust, another reality of rural mobile phone use. The Nokia 1200 phone is offered with a monochrome screen, while the Nokia 1208 features a colour VGA screen.

The Nokia 1200 will be available in the second quarter of 2007 with an estimated retail price of 35 EUR before subsidies or taxes. The Nokia 1208 will be available in the third quarter of 2007 with estimated retail price of 40 EUR before subsidies or taxes.

www.Ring-Tones: Featuring contemporary metallic accents and strong feature sets, Nokia brings a compelling combination of form and function to the entry market with today's announcement of the Nokia 1650 and Nokia 2660. Both of these entry-level devices are designed to give consumers more features and a higher level of design than would be expected from such affordable devices.

"Whether the consumer is a first-time buyer who has little experience with mobile phones, or a more well-versed customer looking for a new mobile phone for personal or business use, each will find what they need in one of these new products," said Soren Petersen, Senior Vice President, Mobile Phones, Nokia. "Creating a mobile phone that combines an intuitive user interface and easy-to-use functions with an attractive design is at the heart of Nokia's entry market strategy."

Nokia 1650 phone offers an aspirational design and practical features.

Nokia 1650
Designed to deliver a wide range of mobile features, the contemporary Nokia 1650 phone offers an aspirational design and practical features to help consumers balance their personal and professional lives. Supporting up to 75 local languages, the Nokia 1650 comes equipped with a flashlight, music-on-the-go via FM radio and MP3-grade ringtones. With an integrated application that allows for a pre-set time limit to be set for each call, the Nokia 1650 answers the need for cost control that is especially important in entry markets. Nokia estimates that the retail price for the Nokia 1650 will be around 55 EUR, excluding taxes and subsidies.

Nokia 2660

The Nokia 2660 phone features a fold-style design with dual screens.

, packed with features designed to allow entry market consumers to stay connected to work, family or friends. The Nokia 2660 features GPRS technology for email and Internet access, Bluetooth support, music on-the-go via FM radio, MP3 ring tones as well as enough memory for a 500-entry phonebook. An integrated handsfree speaker function and long battery life add an extra measure of convenience for Nokia 2660 owners. Nokia estimates the retail price for the Nokia 2660 to be around 85 EUR, excluding taxes and subsidies.

The Nokia 1650 and Nokia 2660 will be available in the second quarter of 2007.

www.Ring-Tones.co.za: Building upon its belief that entry level handsets can be both attractive and affordable, Nokia today introduced two new handsets to its portfolio - the Nokia 2630 and Nokia 2760. In addition to a stylish design, each model also offers easy-to-use cameras and Bluetooth technology, enabling customers to take their entertainment with them wherever they go.

"The progressively stylish design of the Nokia 2630 and Nokia 2760 phones offer a striking visual and tactile impact, but also incorporate a feature set designed to enhance the total user experience," said Soren Petersen, Senior Vice President, Mobile Phones, Nokia. "And by including a camera and Bluetooth technology, we are enabling entry consumers to share their experiences on the go."

The thinnest handset in Nokia's portfolio at a mere 9.9 mm.

Nokia 2630
The thinnest handset in Nokia's portfolio at a mere 9.9 mm, the Nokia 2630 balances a modern design with a full range of features to meet the needs of emerging market consumers. An easy-to-use camera combined with Bluetooth technology allows images to be easily sent, shared, stored and printed. Convenient productivity tools such as email, MMS, calendar and a calculator satisfy the work side of life, while features such as an FM radio, with direct access shortcut key and MP3 ringtones satisfy the entertainment side

The stylish Nokia 2760 features a digital camera.

Nokia 2760
The stylish Nokia 2760 features a digital camera, giving many consumers their first experience with digital photography, and Bluetooth technology to make it easy to share the photos that they capture. The Nokia 2760 also features video recording, video playback, and FM radio. The combination of Bluetooth and GPRS creates a convenient way to access data on the go for email and Internet. It also features extra large storage to save up to 1000 contacts in the phonebook. Consumers who want to save special text messages to share with friends and family will be delighted by its large capacity for storing SMS messages.

The Nokia 2630 and Nokia 2760 will be available in the third quarter of 2007. The estimated price for the Nokia 2630 will be around 85 EUR and for the Nokia 2760 around 90 EUR, excluding taxes and subsidies.

www.Ring-Tones.co.za: Nokia reinforced its preeminent position in emerging markets today with the launch of seven new products that provide functions and features specifically designed for consumers in these markets. The event, held in New Delhi, India underscores Nokia's commitment to consumers in emerging markets.

"India is very important to Nokia and to the global mobile communications industry as a whole," says Soren Petersen, Senior Vice President, Mobile Phones, Nokia. "One of the fastest growing markets in the world, India is also home to several Nokia facilities, including R&D and manufacturing. We're very proud to be part of their growth."

The new products announced today include:
- Nokia 1200 and Nokia 1208: Utilizing new industry-leading phone-sharing and call-tracking technology, these two new products are aimed at the first-time mobile phone consumer worldwide;
- Nokia 1650 and Nokia 2660: Contemporary phones that combine functionality with attractive design;
- Nokia 2505: The latest phone for entry CDMA markets in Asia/Pacific, Middle East, Africa, China and Latin America;
- Nokia 2630 and 2760: Fashionably-designed phones that convey style and status, combined with Nokia's easy-to-use feature set.

"Innovative phone-sharing technology, contemporary design and easy-to-use features combine in these new products to empower consumers in entry markets," said Petersen. "As the clear market leader, with more than one-third of global market share, Nokia works to understand the needs and aspirations of consumers. We put this understanding into practice by developing products and applications that are relevant, easy-to-use and simple to understand, which is especially important for first-time users in emerging markets around the world."

The new products will be available in the second and third quarter of 2007 in select markets. Estimated retail prices, before applicable taxes and subsidies range from 35 to 90 EUR.

www.Ring-Tones.co.za: Just in time for Mother's Day, Motorola, Inc. (NYSE: MOT) debuts the deep, jewel-tone finish of the new MOTORAZR V3i in purple. Unlocked for GSM, the purple MOTORAZR is available exclusively online at http://www.store.motorola.com.

"The MOTORAZR V3i in purple is the first of many exclusive products that will be available at MotoStore," said Jeff Miller, vice president, Motorola. "The bright purple color makes this handheld the perfect gift for women who appreciate style, design and the latest technology."

The MOTORAZR V3i delivers the ultimate combination of design and technology. Beneath the stunning exterior lies a large internal color display as well as quad-band and Bluetooth wireless technology(1). With enhanced visual features, the integrated 1.23 megapixel digital camera and full screen view-finder features a zoom and video capture.

Pricing and Availability

MotoStore is exclusively offering the vibrant MOTORAZR V3i in purple at the perfect price of $239.99, or a family pack that's twice as stylish at only $383.99 for two. The device will be sold unlocked and is compatible with any existing GSM service.