Omio News Blog

Sony XPERIA X10 Mini/Mini Pro Go Pink And Gold, X10 Gets Cases Of Many Colours

The cutesy stylings of Sony Ericsson’s XPERIA X10 Mini and X10 Mini Pro go a huge step closer to ending up in ladies purses today, with word from SEMC Blog that they will soon receive a couple of eye-catching new colourways.

The X10 Mini is soon to get fetching gold accents across both the front and rear of the device, whilst the QWERTY-capable X10 Mini Pro is due a hot pink makeover.

Both are tipped for release in ‘selected markets’ from September, and will be dangling from equally garish Hello Kitty lanyards soon after.

Whilst the original Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10 is being left out of the official fashion parade, tech manufacturer Elecom is set to fix all that by releasing no less than eight different coloured protective cases for the bulky Android offering. Available in the usual colours as well as British racing green, a fairly austere brown as well as a frightening gold leaf affair, each set comes with a screen protector and rear case shell to keep your X10 safe and swanky. Check them all out here.

Only available in Japan at the moment, expect to see them span the globe in the near future.

Source: SEMC Blog / Akihabara News

Sony Ericsson Vivaz Pro: Now Available To Buy On O2

The Symbian-powered Sony Ericsson Vivaz Pro has now arrived on O2, adding a slide-out QWERTY keyboard to the high-def snapping handset.

Available in black and white, the Vivaz Pro retains the curvaceous looks and responsive 3.2-inch display of the original Vivaz, with the 5-megapixel camera able to record and capture HD video as well as offer one-touch uploads to YouTube.

The Vivaz Pro comes with the obligatory Facebook and Twitter widgets, whilst 3G and wi-fi offer speedy connectivity.

Sony Ericsson Vivaz Pro deals see the handset available for free from £30 per month with 300 minutes and unlimited texts. At that price point, the Vivaz Pro certainly straddles the luxury end of the mobile market, but offers a wealth of multimedia goodness in the bargain.

To be honest, we’re liking the whole ‘phone + keyboard = Pro‘ thing…more of them please!

Sony Ericsson Vivaz FIFA World Cup Edition Launched

Sony Ericsson has launched a special edition of the Vivaz to commemorate the biggest sporting event in the world (apart from the Olympics), the World Cup.

The Sony Ericsson Vivaz FIFA Edition is much the same as the original handset – an impressive multimedia device with an 8.1-megapixel camera and HD video recording capabilities.

Powered by Symbian, the touchscreen wonder sports a 3.2-inch display and has all of the connectivity options covered, from Wi-Fi to 3G and GPS navigation with Google Maps.

Available in black and silver, the Sony Ericsson Vivaz FIFA Edition is chock full of content exclusive to the device.

As well as a demo of new EA Mobile’s FIFA 10 game, the Vivaz will have a dedicated Football Fan app pre-installed to keep you informed of every goal as it happens, a bevy of statistics to solve any pub disputes, as well as footage of classic World Cup moments.

The exclusive Football Fan app also makes you able to spread the word on the latest matches, with Facebook and Twitter integration enabling you to revel in the glory or share the defeat with friends after every game.

In addition to all this footy booty, relive the days of ‘gots’, ‘needs’ and ‘shiny’ cards with an official Panini World Cup Sticker Album, bundled with the handset for free.

Sony Ericsson Vivaz FIFA deals are already available, with the cheapest being a free handset, 300 minutes and unlimited texts for £25 per month.

Sony Ericsson XPERIA X2 Facing Release Woes In The US?

The sad tale of the Windows-powered XPERIA X2 from Sony Ericsson continues, with its protracted journey to release in the U.S. seeing yet further delays.

Previously with a shipping date of ‘on or about’ April 29th for the X2a US model, the handset then slipped to a date of May 11th, and then to May 12th as shipments failed to materialise…

We know what happened to the Sony Ericsson XPERIA X2‘s UK release late last year, with Vodafone taking the handset round the back of the barn once it fell at one fence too many during internal testing.

Whilst the XPERIA X1 faced its share of trouble making it to shelves and proved a tad disappointing, the Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10 also saw delays but was far more impressive upon eventual release, taking Android in an exciting (if multi-touch free) direction.

Let’s hope that the X2 befalls the fate of the latter and quick, as Windows Phone 7 is looming and is pegged to relegate all of these WinMo 6.5 devices to the scrapheap. Are you prepared to spend $599.99 on a phone with a six-month ‘Best Before’ date?

Source: WMExperts

Try Out XPERIA X10′s TimeScape And MediaScape With Interactive Demo

One of the most interesting things about the new Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10 is the crazy customisation of Google’s Android operating system, with apps like TimeScape and MediaScape offering a user experience quite unlike any other mobile.

Unfortunately, it’s also one of the most difficult things to describe in words, so it’s great that Sony Ericsson have an interactive demo up on the internets to play and get to grips with.

Simply go here to swipe and stab at your very own (virtual) XPERIA X10. Choose between a black and white model (the latter currently exclusive to Orange), and select from an array of scenarios to discover just how the super fast processor and huge touchscreen of the new Sony handset handles things.

From using the camera and sending a text to browsing through contacts and even setting up Wi-Fi connections, the simulator goes into some pretty graphic detail about Sony’s latest smartphone.

Try it out, let us know what you think!

Source: Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10 Device Simulator

Sony Ericsson and 3UK Offers Free Spotify With XPERIA X10 and Vivaz, ‘Journey Inspired’ Playlists

Eight of the UK’s brightest young things in music have been brought together by Sony Ericsson and 3UK to create custom Spotify playlists based on their recent travels.

The newly-launched Music Everywhere site enables you to listen to soundtracks inspired by the journeys of artists as varied as The Stereophonics, Keane and dance quartet Delphic.

Created in honour of the new Android-powered Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10 and Sony Ericsson Vivaz being bundled with two months of free Spotify Premium on 3, you can join The Courteeners as they trek from Lincoln to Liverpool to the driving beats of Kasabian, or follow Amy MacDonald as she flies over Copenhagen to the lilting melodies of Beach House.

For 2 months access to the music streaming site, new phone owners should simply text “Spotify” to 39000. After the two months are up, Spotify reverts to a cost of £9.99 per month, added to your bill.

More Books Than Games on iTunes App Store

If you thought that Sony and Amazon’s fear of Apple marching in and ruling the e-reader market as they did with mobile gaming was irrational, recent data from app advertiser Mobiclix is a stark realisation.

For the first time, books have outnumbered the number of games in the iTunes store, with more than 26,000 virtual tomes on the platform since the iPhone was released.

Against the 24,000 games currently available, it is proof that the iPhone is becoming an increasingly popular and viable platform for reading on the move.

Having said that, what commonly tops the download chart often weighs heavily in favour of the game…perhaps there are more people publishing books than there are reading them?

Reasons for this trend are many – transferring a new bestseller into an app is a quick and simple process compared to developing a platform game or complex shooter – but these statistics still show that the iPhone is built for more than just digital distractions.

Rest assured that Apple are watching proceedings closely, and developing a great basecamp from which to launch the iPad and its forthcoming iBooks service as a serious challenge to Amazon’s Kindle.

via Textually

Sony To Challenge iPhone and iPad With PSP Phone?

This may be one of those ‘Terminator’ rumours in that it will not die, but recent reports are reigniting the story that Sony are prepping a PSP-style handset to combat the dominance of the iPhone and iPod Touch in mobile gaming.

The Wall Street Journal says a Sony ‘PSP Phone’ is in the works, and will combine Sony’s many strengths by adding netbook and e-book functionality as well as gaming credentials to a mobile device.

With Apple’s imminent iPad soon to challenge the netbok space as well as threaten the e-reader market by delivering books, magazines and newspapers to a handy portable gadget, the need for Sony to retaliate in this market is essential.

It certainly looks likely, with word that their download service is soon to spread beyond consoles and enable myriad devices access to movies and music (and rebranded as Sony Online Service), as well as CEO Howard Stringer pledging support to Sony’s blower division at this year’s Mobile World Congress, it seems the manufacturer is due to put its full weight behind a true challenger to the iPhone, iPad and the App Store in one fell swoop.

With the pricey PSP Go failing to strike a chord with mobile gamers and their share of the mobile phone market dwindling in recent months, Sony’s joint venture with Ericsson could certainly benefit from a second wave to follow the forthcoming phalanx of Android phones including the XPERIA X10, X10 Mini and X10 Mini Pro.

Will the PSP Phone mark a return to Sony’s halcyon Walkman era or simply be a jack of all trades and master of none? Time will tell.

Source: WSJ via Electric Pig

Sony Ericsson Vivaz On Vodafone Sees Red : Network Bags Exclusive Ruby Colour

The futuristic curves of the Sony Ericsson Vivaz take on a redder hue today, as Vodafone unveils the 8-megapixel camera packing multimedia device in an exclusive ruby colourway.

With pre-orders for the red Sony Ericsson Vivaz expected to be honoured as early as 9th March, the handset will be available on Vodafone for free on a £30 per month tariff, offering 600 minutes and unlimited texts into the bargain.

With dedicated buttons for the snapper and recorder and a 3.2-inch widescreen touch display, HD videos are in the palm of your hand thanks to the Sony Ericsson Vivaz.

Sony Ericsson Vivaz Red deals should be on Omio by the time you read this!

Tweet For Free On 3 Phones For February And March

With some saying the Twitter whale is more powerful than ever as teens flock to the next trend, 3 UK are offering free access to the micro-blogging site on mobiles.

For all of February and March, whether accessing the mobile site itself or using the swanky app available on savvy phones like the INQ Chat 3G and Sony Ericsson T715, tweeting both messages and pictures is entirely free.

Zero. Zip. Gratis.

Charlotte Blanchard, Director of Products and Services at 3, said; “We want to make the internet as easy and affordable to use on your mobile as on your PC.  Our 3G network is built for services just like Twitter, so throughout February and March we’re encouraging our customers to give it a try.”

This offer is available for existing subscribers as well as new sign ups and is a great addition to the already online offerings from the 3 network, including Skype calls and instant messaging.

May we suggest that you start your voyage into the chatty world of Twitter by following us on @omiodotcom? We’re very interesting!