Super-thin Sony Ericsson W880i finally unveiled
Sony Ericsson have today announced the much anticipated Sony Ericsson W880i.
The new super-thin Walkman phone has been the subject of much gossip for some time, with various leaked shots of it featuring almost every week.
Indeed, if it wasn't for that other mobile phone, the W880i (or 'Ai', as it was codenamed) would have been the only thing worth talking about so far this year!
Read on for more details of the Sony Ericsson W880i.
The Sony Ericsson W880i Walkman phone
As you can see from the pics, the W880i is thin - just 9.4mm, which puts it firmly in the superthin category currently occupied by many a designer phone.
Unlike some designer thin-phones, though, the W880i doesn't skimp on features - this is a Sony Ericsson y'know!
Key features include a 2 megapixel camera, 3G connectivity, Bluetooth audio streaming, video recording and playback, 1GB of storage (via Sony's Memory Stick Micro format), a picture blogging app, web browser, RSS feed reader and video telephony.
Oh, and being a Walkman phone, an MP3 player as well - but you knew that, didn't you?! Actually, the music features of the W880i are extremely good. Not actually can you store up to 900 tunes internally, you can stream your tunes to and from your PC or HiFi via Bluetooth, using the phone as a remote control.
Although more and more phones are offering this facility now that Bluteooth streaming is being supported by more and more new HiFis, it's nice nonetheless to have good quality software on your phone that's custom-built for such streaming to make the whole process smooth and intuitive. Being a Walkman phone, you can bet the W880i's Bluetooth streaming app is extremely slick.
So there you have it - the Sony Ericsson W880i. Forget that other music phone that everyone was banging on about recently, and get yourself one with proper breeding!
The Sony Ericsson W880i release date is Quarter 1 2007 - which makes it, er, about now!
The official word
And for those of you who want even more details, here's the press release:
At just 9.4mm thin, the W880/W888 is the slimmest Sony Ericsson phone yet and combines the full Walkman® phone experience with a device that fits easily into your pocket. The 1GB Memory Stick Micro™ (M2™) provided in-box gives you room to store up to 900 full length tracks*, whilst the host of innovative music applications (such as Walkman® Player 2.0 & Disc2Phone) make it easy to get music onto your phone in the first place & search through play lists once its there. All of this, plus a 2.0 megapixel camera, is packed into a UMTS phone that's as slim as a standard CD case.
"Our Walkman phones have proven to be phenomenally attractive to our consumers - we have sold 20 million Walkman® phones since launch - and we are continuously developing the portfolio to extend their appeal," says Steve Walker, Head of Product Marketing at Sony Ericsson. "The W880/W888 and W610 prove how the Walkman® phone can appeal to different lifestyles - the W880/W888 is a hi-specification device that looks every bit as good as it sounds.
The W880/W888 represents a milestone in the Walkman® phone portfolio. Although without doubt one of the slimmest music phones available with a 1GB capacity, the true beauty of its design is seen in the brushed stainless steel finish and the stand-out colour variants; either Steel Silver or Flame Black.
Of course, the W880/W888 is about more than just good looks. The Disc2Phone music management software allows the user to transfer their tracks easily and with no fuss from PC straight onto the phone. With Bluetooth Audio Streaming, all of that music can be enjoyed wirelessly on a Stereo Bluetooth Headset such as the HBH-DS970, or by streaming music directly to a home or car stereo (via the new Music Bluetooth™ Receiver MBR-100). Importantly for a music phone, all of this functionality has been introduced without having to compromise on battery life. The W880/W888 delivers up to 18 hours music listening time & features a Flight Mode which allows the phone to be switched-off in mobile-prohibited environments.
The W880 Walkman® phone is a UMTS 2100 GPRS 900/1800/1900 music phone and will be available in selected markets from Q1 2007. The W888 Walkman® phone is a GSM variant, minus the video telephony functionality, intended specifically for China where 3G services are not established.
The Perfect Musical Accompaniments
Sony Ericsson also announces 2 new music accessories that make your Walkman® phone a complete music listening centre. Users can listen to the music on their phone in hi-fi sound quality with the Bluetooth™ Music Receiver MBR-100. This discreet accessory streams music via Bluetooth™ from the user's phone straight to a home or car stereo, using the phone as a remote control to alter the volume or skip through tracks. The 3.5mm input or RCA cable provided fits most home or car hi-fi systems. The MBR-100 was announced in January 2007 and will be available from Q1 2007.
Of course, if a user wishes to share their tunes, no matter where they are, they can do this with the Portable Speakers MPS-70. Light on power as well as weight, these compact speakers plug into the phone, contain an FM antenna for improved radio reception and will also run off the phone's battery. Tuned for Sony Ericsson phones, the MPS-70 delivers great sound and, with a design that's a true match for Walkman® phones, no one will want to leave home without them. Available from Q2 2007.
Sony Ericsson W880i Specification
- 1GB Memory Stick Micro™ (M2™) in box
- Walkman® player 2.0
- Up to 18h music playback Flight mode
- Disc-2-phone
- OMA DRM 2.0
- TrackID™
- PlayNow™
- Bluetooth Audio Streaming (A2DP)
- Streaming audio/video
- 2.0 megapixel
- camera
- Horizontal camera UI
- Picture Blogging
- Video recording and video playback
- PictBridge
- VideoDJ™
- PhotoDJ™
- Face warp application
- IM & Presence
- Full HTML browser with RSS
- Video Telephony
- Bluetooth 2.0
- Memory Stick Micro™ (M2™) slot
- USB Mass Storage
- PC Synchronization and Java MIDP 2.0
- 9.4mm thin
- Stainless steel finish
- 1.8" QVGA 262k TFT display
- UMTS 2100
- GSM 900/1800/1900
- Talk time: Up to 6 hours 30 mins (GSM)
- Music Playing time: Up to 20 hours
- Standby time: Up to 425 hours
- Available in selected markets from Q1 2007
