14 DAY TRIAL // Before anyone jumps to any conclusions believing that the soon to be Sony Ericsson clamshell has been inspired in any way by the N93, it looks like the patent for the phone was filed some time before Nokia actually developed the N93.
Moreover, in Asia there are several Sony Ericsson mobile phones coming in this form factor, including the W44S Bravia phone that flips open on its side, so this wouldn't really be the first time Sony Ericsson has used this design.
For description purposes, the phone does in fact resemble the N93 as design and will be a camera phone according to an insider.
According to the patent filling from 2003, the device will have a multi-directional hinge that allows the phone to be used in a variety of layouts.
There was no official, or for that matter, an off the record confirmation that Sony Ericsson will in fact release such a mobile phone any time soon. All we can do is hope that Sony Ericsson will finally decide to provide those nice phones they ship in Asia for the rest of the world.
In the meantime, for the people that are interested, this is what the abstract states: 'An ergonomic clamshell housing for a mobile device with a camera comprises a housing with a hinge mechanism that pivotally connects a display section to a camera section.'
The hinge mechanism allows the display and camera sections to rotate relative to each other between at least a first folded position and a second folded position. When in the first folded position, the display and camera sections are folded in a side-by-side relation such that the display and camera lens face each other. When in the second folded position, the display and camera sections are folded in a side-by-side relation such that the display and camera lens face away from each other.