Sony Ericsson Ships 3G Z1010 Phone

Sony Ericsson will start shipping out its 3G (Third Generation) enabled mobile handsets within days, including to key Middle East markets where the service is available.

“We are in the final stages of testing of the model with a number of telecom operators who have commissioned 3G in their markets,” said Jan Wareby, corporate executive vice-president and head of sales and marketing.

“Sony Ericsson is very clear in that it does not want to make products that are not as good as the GSM phones already available in the market. Issues such as a longer battery life had to be addressed.

“With the new model, we believe we have a 3G phone ready for the global market.” Telcos such as Etisalat, which launched 3G in the UAE late last year, has cited inadequate supplies of 3G enabled handsets as a key factor in holding back the spread of these services.

For Sony Ericsson, the second half of last year saw a marked turnaround in its fortunes after an extremely tough two years prior to that.

Last year, it sold just over 27 million handsets, with markets such as Europe, Asia Pacific, and the US. The gains were led in particular by two models – the T610 and SO505i.

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