Sony Ericsson’s Aspen Windows Mobile Cell Phone Arrives

Sony Ericsson has introduced a new Windows Mobile (6.5.3) phone, named Aspen, to their portfolio of diverse mobile devices. The phone, available later this year (Q2) in Iconic Black and White Silver, features a 2.4 inch (240×320, 65k color) TFT touchscreen and a QWERTY keyboard. Other notable specifications include A-GPS, Wi-Fi, FM radio, and Bluetooth (A2DP) to ensure you’re fully connected. Don’t forget about the MicroSD compatibility, although Sony will not be including any MicroSD card so you’ll need to purchase one. This phone is pretty standard fare with a 3.2 megapixel camera and 4x digital zoom.

It’s kind of surprising not to see 8 megapixels on the Aspen, as Sony Ericsson seems to be integrating that into every other phone they are releasing these days.

Sony thoughtfully added a 3.5mm headphone jack as well as a stereo speaker, which is great because it’s frustrating to use phones that don’t have that these days. I think the USB connector is Micro USB though, instead of Mini USB which I would rather prefer.

It’s officially under SE’s Greenheart line, boasting a Greenheart software panel within, power saving modes, eco-mate application, electronic manual, waterborne painting, and some of the components (charger, box, etc) are made of recycled materials.

The software experience is pretty loaded – it has access to the PlayNow store, and includes applications such as: Windows Live Messenger, Facebook, Twitter, CNN, YouTube, Skype, Google Maps, and custom stylings courtesy of SPB Mobile Shell 3.0. It also boasts a PDF reader, Microsoft Office mobile, Outlook mobile and much more. For additional business support, you’ll be happy to know it is compatible with Exchange (via ActiveSync) and has full E-mail capabilities.

Battery life:

  • Talk time GSM/GPRS: Up to 10 hours
  • Standby time: GSM/GPRS: Up to 450hrs
  • Talk time UMTS: Up to 8 hours
  • Standby time: UMTS: Up to 600 hrs
  • Music listening time: Up to 12hrs

On a side note, I am very concerned with Sony Ericsson releasing phones for three separate mobile operating systems (Windows Mobile, Android, and Symbian). Not many other manufacturers are going down this path and I feel that its stretching the company too thin. While I understand diversity and choice are important in the market, and it opens up a greater market share, this seems like a bad choice. Sony Ericsson’s market share and profits have been slumping in recent years, and they should really focus their efforts on two operating systems at a maximum and pouring all of their resources into that. What do you think?

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03
Feb 2010
POSTED BY Christopher MacManus
POSTED IN

Hardware, Mobile

DISCUSSION 11 Comments
  • darious

    oh, no, no… sony ericsson….
    “windows” duh…
    thats why you lost me (and many along with me)
    im not going back with this news anytime soon

  • arakasd

    It looks like blackberry phone does it do the same.

  • moremobiles

    You would like this phone since you pick it up at the first time. After my previous phone, this is a huge improvement. My friend sent it to me as a birthday gift. The quality of display dinformation is pretty good. Buttons are convenient and visible.

  • http://cellphones4us.com/ Cellphones4us

    …so much more convenient than all those Sony Ericsson phones with the keyboard on the back. It looks like blackberry phone does it do the same.

  • http://mobilephonehut.co.uk/ Mobilephonehut

    The Aspen follows a similar style to earlier Greenheart phones, but looks like a BlackBerry style physical form with a scaled down QWERTY keypad beneath its screen. The screen itself is a 2.4″ TFT display and a high resolution of 320 x 240 (QVGA) to provide a sharp and detailed rendering of the Xperia Panels interface.

  • henriquemarsh

    I am very concerned about Sony Ericsson will release three separate mobile operating system (Windows Mobile, Android and Symbian). Not many other manufacturers are going down this road, and I think that extends to the company too thin. While understanding the diversity and choice are important in the market, and opens a larger market share, this seems a bad choice. market share from Sony Ericsson and profits were collapsing in recent years and should focus its efforts on the two largest operating and pour all their resources to do so.
    memory stick

  • henriquemarsh

    I am very concerned about Sony Ericsson will release three separate mobile operating system (Windows Mobile, Android and Symbian). Not many other manufacturers are going down this road, and I think that extends to the company too thin. While understanding the diversity and choice are important in the market, and opens a larger market share, this seems a bad choice. market share from Sony Ericsson and profits were collapsing in recent years and should focus its efforts on the two largest operating and pour all their resources to do so.
    memory stick

  • http://www.videocommobilephones.in Extertain

    Nice article

  • http://olivemobiles.com Olive mobiles

    no i dnt like sony ericsson.

  • Kamlesh sharma

    I bought this phone on August 24 2010 from mobile store within two months I had to go to sony service center for two times. With 15k price it lacks very basic features like call recording secondary camera screen is too small for touch screen. I curse myself ..and regret my decision of buying this phone its a complete crap … never ever buy this phone

  • http://cellphonetrackers.org/how-to-reverse-look-up-a-mobile-phone-number.html Cell phone lookup

    Another QWERT keboard cell phone, so Sony finally give up on Symbian? LOL.