14 DAY TRIAL // Today is an important day for Sony Ericsson, as the Swedish-Japanese company has announced 5 new mobile phones. Besides the high-end C905, there are also phones with fewer features and among them, the J132 and K330 models are really basic devices.
Both J132 and K330 come in candybar form factors and are created to be affordable, reliable and simple to use, hence they only include basic but useful features.
Sony Ericsson J132 measures 103 x 45 x 15 millimeters (4.1 x 1.8 x 0.6 inches), weighs 76 grams (2.7 ounces) and includes the following specs: a 1.5 inch CSTN display with 65K colors and 128 x 128 pixels, a dust-resistant keypad, FM radio, speakerphone, text messaging (with predictive input), torch functionality, polyphonic ringtones, alarm clock, calculator, calendar, timer and a battery capable of offering up to 9 hours of talk-time and up to 450 hours of stand-by time.
J132 will hit the market in the fourth quarter of 2008, in two colors: "Night Black" and "Heaven Blue". The handset will have a global version (J132, working on the 900 and 1800 MHz GSM frequencies) and a US version (J132a, coming with 850 / 1900 MHz GSM connectivity).
K330 is a bit more evolved than J132 and it also looks more stylish. The handset features a 1.7 inch TFT display with 128 x 160 pixels and 65K colors, Bluetooth, FM radio, torch functionality, WAP 2.0 browser, a VGA camera with video recording, MMS, speakerphone and so on. The K330 only measures 100 x 45 x 12 millimeters (3.9 x 1.8 x 0.5 inches) and weighs 75 grams.
As the J132 model, Sony Ericsson K330 will come in two GSM versions (for the US and for the rest of the markets), in two colors: "Green on Black" and "Gold on Black". The K330 will be available for purchase earlier, starting the third quarter of the year.
James Marshall, Head of Portfolio Marketing at Sony Ericsson, said about the new entry-level candybars: "There are certain phone features, such as a large phonebook and torch functionality, that are considered key to consumers in developing markets. We've made sure that both of these phones pack all of the essential features and appeal to anyone wanting a durable, no-nonsense mobile."
The retail prices of Sony Ericsson K330 and Sony Ericsson J132 are not set yet, but they'll surely be quite affordable.
