Sony Ericsson announces the S500 and T650 phones

The T650 is styled very similar to the old T610, but obviously with many more features than the popular phone from 2003.

This is a 3G phone, with a 3 megapixel camera, which still manages to incorporate an mp3 player without having the typical Sony Ericsson Walkman colours. It is a slightly smaller and lighter version of the K810, and it can compete with the Samsung D900 and U600, the only thing missing is a bigger internal memory – the T650 has just 16MB compared to 60MB on the Samsung phones.

- Size: 104 x 46 x 12.5 mm
- Weight: 95 g
- Screen: TFT, 256K colours, 240 x 320 pixels, 1.9 inch
- Camera: 3 megapixel, 2048x1536 pixels, autofocus, video, flash; secondary videocall camera
- Memory: 16 MB internal memory, expandable with Memory Stick Micro (M2)
- Connection: GPRS, HSCSD, 3G, Bluetooth and USB
- Messaging: SMS, MMS, Email
- Phone Type: Standard

Sony Ericsson’s second announcement is for the S500, which basically seems like a neater version of the Sony Ericsson W850i. It is slightly thinner and lighter, but still has the same 2 megapixel camera, Walkman music player, and although the 3G aspect has been removed EDGE and HSCSD have been added.

- Size: 99 x 47 x 14 mm
- Weight: 94 g
- Screen: TFT, 256K colours, 240 x 320 pixels, 2.0 inch
- Camera: 2 MP, 1600x1200 pixels, video
- Memory: 12 MB internal memory, expandable with Memory Stick Micro (M2)
- Connection: GPRS, HSCSD, 3G, Bluetooth and USB
- Messaging: SMS, MMS, Email
- Phone Type: Slide

This is an attractive phone, with good features, the only downside is the 2 megapixel camera – obviously this will keep the cost down, but with more and more 3 megapixel phones being released (and even a couple of 5 megapixel ones) we expect more than just 2 megapixel on new phones now.

Expect the S500 to be released around July 2007 and the T650 in late summer.

Sony Ericsson T650 Stands Out Within the Crowd

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.

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.

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.

Smart attack: Sony Ericsson T650, S500, P1 and T250

Fashion phones are taking the UK by storm and Sony Ericsson doesn't want to ignore all you fashionistas out there -- so it's come up with a couple of attractive new handsets: the S500i and T650i. These are set to compete with phones such as the LG Prada and Motorola Krzr looks-wise, but what do they offer on the inside?

The T650i (second from left) is a slim, 3G-enabled candybar phone with a 3.2-megapixel camera and a rather interesting keypad, which is made up of square keys and performs a light show in conjunction with the various on-screen themes. The T650i feels rather solid, as it's partially made of stainless steel.
The S500i (second from right) is a slider phone that comes in a stylish green or yellow casing and has lights on either side, similar to the Nokia 6300, that light up when you receive a call or text message. There's also a time-sensitive theme that changes the colour of the S500i's interface to suit the time of day, and a 2-megapixel camera.
Of course it's not all about looks and Sony Ericsson knows it, so it's also launched two other handsets: one called the T250, a mid-range, straightforward candybar handset (left); and the P1 (right), a slim smart phone that's the successor to the P990i.
We rather like the T250, because the keypad is easy to use and it has an FM radio. The T250 is also quite slim, measuring 13mm thick, so it will slip into your pocket without too much trouble. It does only have a VGA camera, however, so if you're looking for a cutting edge handset you might want to check out the P1.
The Sony Ericsson P1 is a thin smart phone that comes with a 3.2-megapixel camera with auto-focus, a camera feature lacking on many smart phones. The P1 also comes with support for push email, including BlackBerry and Exchange servers, and there's also 3G and Wi-Fi connectivity for high-speed Web browsing and data access.
All these new handsets will be available sometime this year and probably come free with a monthly contract. Expect full reviews soon. -Andrew Lim