Sony Ericsson today announced its latest smartphone, "Live with Walkman," which runs Android 2.3 Gingerbread and features Qriocity support with deep Facebook integration.
The phone targets entertainment-oriented consumers and includes a 3G radio, Sony's xLOUD to enhance audio output, and TrackID to help people identify and share currently playing music. The handset also includes a dedicated "Infinite" button that pulls up users' Qriocity music library and enables them to share songs on Facebook.
Nikolaus Scheurer, Sony Ericsson's head of product marketing, describes the rationale behind Live, which is designed with entertainment in mind.
"Consumers want smartphones to deliver a rich and social entertainment experience," Scheurer said. "Rather than a one dimensional music experience, they want instant and seamless access to new content, combined with the ability to share and connect with their friends."
No word yet on a release date or price, but reports suggest Live will hit shelves during the fourth quarter, possibly in October.
If it debuts this fall, Live will face competition from the long-awaited iPhone 5. Apple plans to release its iCloud service at that time too, providing an alternative to Sony's Qriocity music service.
Sony Ericsson's new device will also have to compete with the popular iPod, which makes up one-third of Apple's mobile sales.
Sony Ericsson may not beat out the competition in its Live debut, but it leverages the company's deep ties in the entertainment industry and may find an audience with music-oriented customers. And given Sony Ericsson's recent business slide following the Japan earthquake and massive data breach, the company could use whatever boost the device can give it.
No comments:
Post a Comment