Mobility Watch

Friendly advice:  Don’t go Googling the words “Bluetooth lawsuit” unless you’re prepared to sort through a zillion entries.

This is not the suit by Verizon Wireless customers complaining about their Bluetooth functionality being crippled.  Or the suit claiming that Bluetooth headsets are dangerously loud.  It is also not an identity theft suit filed by the Viking warrior Harald Bluetooth, for whom the technology was named.

In this case, a foundation set up to defend patents on work done by universities is suing Nokia, Samsung and Matsushita (Panasonic) for infringing patents related to Bluetooth technology developed by the University of Washington.  The foundation has apparently been negotiating with these firms for years to reach a settlement, without success.

Bluetooth was first developed by scientists at Ericsson in Sweden in 1994.  But it seems an undergrad named Edwin Suominen refined Bluetooth technology while studying at the university, and the control of the patents related to his work reverted to this foundation. 

(I’d like to say that I was doing something important when I was an undergrad, such as refining Bluetooth technology.  I’d like to, but I can’t.)

No comment yet from the companies named in the suit.  CSR, the manufacturer which makes chips which are involved in the suit, isn’t named as a defendant - but says that the suit is “without merit”. 

At this point I wouldn’t worry about your Bluetooth capabilities being turned off suddenly.  But users of BlackBerrys are still recovering from the stress caused by the recent threat of a service cutoff, related to a patent infringement lawsuit against the parent company RIM. 

These legal things can get awfully messy.

Bluetooth, Nokia, Matsushita, Panasonic, Samsung, Ericsson, BlackBerry, RIM, University of Washington,   Edwin Suominen

[via Newsday]

P990i goes 3G, using the latest version of the most used operating system for smartphones the Symbian OS 9.1, making it a powerful and effective business tool. 

You can access the internet anywhere and everywhere, receive and send emails, take pictures and videos you can be really proud of.  Use the most fastest existing wireless networks and the most advanced to experience high quality video calling and messaging.

[via sonyericsson.com]

Seems everyone’s getting into the Blackberry/smartphone lookalike act-alike groove.  The Motorola Q and Samsung’s SGH-i320 are just two recent examples.  Here’s Sony Ericsson’s latest entry into the category - the M608c.  It’s now being released in China, but we understand from Mobile Whack that it’s also recently received FCC approval, so it may show up in the U.S. soon, possibly for GSM carriers Cingular or T-Mobile.

The M608c went with a modified-QWERTY keyboard a la Blackberry’s SureType, with each key representing two letters instead of one.  Touchscreen navigation is included - and Blackberry is clearly the target here, with push email and corporate intranet access high on the specification list, plus Opera’s web browser.  If you prefer the Symbian operating system to Blackberry or Windows Mobile, this may be the phone for you.  (We don’t see EDGE capability or Wi-Fi, however.)  The final price point will have a lot to do with how successful this phone might be in the U.S.   

[via Sony Ericsson, Mobile Whack]

Sony Ericsson, one of the big mobile phone makers said it’s net profit rose 91% to $182 million, compared to $94.7 million in the same period in 2005. This is largely attributed to the higher than expected sales of Sony Ericsson’s walkman series.

It sold 3.9 million Walkman-branded phones in the second quarter, up from around 2.5 million in the 1st quarter. There are 10 million walkman-branded phones sold since it was launched.

Honestly speaking, I really like the walkman series. It is a nice piece of equipment. Great design and functionality, and cool colors. Sony’s deep experience in producing music gadgets has given them a big advantage in creating a unique merger of mobile phone and music player.

[via telecomasia ]

Another excellent phone from sony Ericsson. Awesome business features such as
Z525a business features Bluetooth™ – Connect without cables to PC and other Bluetooth™ devices
New: - Push to talk (PTT) – effective multi-party voice messaging over mobile networks
Business card exchange – Exchange business cards and place them directly in contacts
Calendar, contacts, tasks, notes and email - PC synchronization
GPRS – Data transfer for easy download of email and mobile Internet content
Infrared port – Wireless communication between phone and PC for synchronizing and transferring images and other content
Messaging – SMS, MMS, email
Sound recorder – make voice notes on the go
Speaker phone – handsfree comfort
WTLS – for secure mobile Internet banking and payments

Fun features such as

PlayNow™ – more for your phone You have new Z525a music tones or games waiting for you online. PlayNow™ is a unique Sony Ericsson mobile entertainment download service which gives you easy access to updated offers of premium mobile phone entertainment. Click once to go online. Take your pick. Download straight to your phone.

The most talked about feature, which I personally like, is the sophisticated UFO like light pattern when you receive a call or a message.  The phone lights at the sides.  It is best viewed in a dark room so turn off your room lights and call your phone.

[ via sonyericsson ]

Small enough to fit in your pocket but with a superb enough sound quality. That’s what I can say about this sonyericsson portalble speakers. It allows you to share music with friends while on school or during coffee breaks in the office.

Drawing its power from the mobile phone, the MPS-60 is a truly portable music accessory. Through the phone menu you can select tracks and adjust the volume. All you need for a succesful music experience is your music mobile phone and the MPS-60 (and your favorite music, of course).

Compatible with Sony Ericsson phones
W710i
Z710i
W300i
Z525a
W810i
W600
W800

Consumer behavior studies are often so predictable it’s hard to figure why invest the money in doing them.  Example:  comScore Networks’ latest wireless phone study lists the phone models that we spend the most time researching, that is, the ones me spend the most time drooling over over.  Here’s the top ten, during the first quarter of 2006:

1] Motorola RAZR V3C
2] Palm Treo 650
3] Motorola E815
4] Palm Treo 700W
5] Motorola RAZR V3
6] Samsung A900
7] Motorola Pebl
8] Sony Ericsson Z520A
9] Nokia 6101/6102
10] LG C2000

It’s mostly the higher-end phones on this list.  Although the Motorola Q came out too late to be ranked, comScore indicates the Q’s product page on the Verizon Wireless website got more than 100,000 unique visitors in the second half of May.

Then there’s the list of phones we actually get.  Here’s that top ten list, based on first quarter 2006 online orders:

1] Sony Ericsson Z520A
2] Nokia 6101/6102
3] LG C2000
4] Motorola RAZR V3C
5] Motorola RAZR V3
6] Nokia 6061
7] Samsung SGH-X497
8] Samsung SCH-A950
9] Motorola  V276
10] Motorola I870

More of the low-cost or no-cost phones do well here.  According to comScore, phones like the #1 Sony Ericsson Z520A went to customers free more than two thirds of the time.  Same goes for the #2 Nokia 6101/6102s.

By the way, Motorola scored the highest market share of any manufacturer in this survey at 38 percent.

[via comScore]

The upcoming Sony Ericsson Z710 is designed for the corporate crowd. It has business-friendly features, which include push e-mail support and RSS feeds for news updates and traffic reports direct to your phone. I can also be synchronised with your PCs phone book and calendar as well as USB 2.0 support. A standard 64MB Memory Stick Micro is supplied but you can expand this to 1GB.Sony Ericsson Z710 clamshell design allows for a large external LCD screen but maintaining a small compact overall look. It fits nicely in your pocket.
The Z710 also features the Access NetFront full HTML browser. It also has the latest Bluetooth 2.0 with HDR (high data rate) for fast data transfer with other Bluetooth devices. The Z710 also supports Bluetooth streaming in stereo (A2DP).

Ericsson Z710 is a Quad-band EDGE/GPRS phone and is available in Twilight Black or Metallic Sand. Shipping start sometime 3rd quarter 2006.

Sony Ericsson Z710i

Coming soon

One of the phone I’m watching is this Sony Ericsson Z710i. Its a sophisticated clamshell phone for fast and effective calling, messaging and data communications. This clamshell phone has these neat features  all in a stylish, classy design.

This small phone is equipped with a 2.0 megapixel camera. The Sony Ericsson Z710i allows you to capture the moment, no matter where you are. If you the casual photographer and don’t require 6 megapixel details, then this one is right. You can leave your camera behind and just use this.

Organize and synchronize. Z710i has Bluetooth™ technology for PC-to-phone calendar and contacts synchronization. Push e-mail gets your email straight to your phone and RSS feeds keep you updated on the latest news and events.

[via sonyericsson.com ]

Walkman® music phone.

Step into a new era that’s all about the music. W600 goes above and beyond your typical mobile phone, giving you the power of Walkman™ anywhere. The innovative form factor is 360° swivel action, so you can talk with the phone opened, closed, or angled to your own style. EDGE technology gives you faster data transfer, and W600 supports all existing GSM network frequencies, creating a reliable world phone. Plug in your headphones, crank up the volume and experience the music-phone revolution.

Unlimited possibilities
The 360° swivel-action form factor allows freedom to speak your style out loud. Whether you’re talking or taking photos, countless possible angles are in your hands. The built-in music media player and 1.3 megapixel camera can be accessed with the touch of a button. Specially designed thumb buttons complement the full-color screen, enhancing your gaming experience. W600 is available in three colors: Vibrant Orange, Universe Blue, and Orchid White. Get the best of function and fashion, all in a single handset.

Key features
Walkman™ media player
Mega Bass™ and stereo widening
Stereo headset, USB cable and Applications Suite supplied
1.3 megapixel camera

[more at sonyericsson.com ]