Sony Ericsson warned the world just over a fortnight ago that things wouldn't be too rosy when it came time to announce Q2 results, and rosy things are not. Even though the handset maker was hoping and praying to break even at the end of the quarter, net profits ended up falling through the floor to the tune of 97%. As predicted, weak sales of mid-to-high-end mobiles were blamed for the bulk of the bad news, and it did affirm that conditions would remain rough for the rest of the year. Granted, the looming launch of the Xperia X1 should help matters a bit, but without a new stable of low-end cellies to send to emerging markets, it'll be a long road back to the top. Unfortunately, SE's sagging position in the market has left it slashing 2,000 jobs across the globe, though it didn't say exactly where the cuts would be made. It's okay SE, there's only one place to go when you're laying on the bottom... or something like that.

[Image courtesy of Flickr]

Read - Sony Ericsson's Q2 earnings
Read - Sony Ericsson plans job cuts

No surprises here but at least Sony Ericsson's C905 Cyber-shot is now official. As a camera, we're talking Xenon flash, face detection, image stabilization and 8.1 megapixels crammed into a tiny sensor of unspecified make or dimensions. As a phone we're looking at quad-band GSM (9-hours talk / 380 hours standby) and tri-band UMTS/HSDPA 850/1900/2100 on the C905a worldphone variant. It also comes packing an auto-rotating, 2.4-inch scratch-resistant QVGA display, aGPS with Google Maps, A2DP stereo Bluetooth, TV-out, 2GB of included Memory Stick Micro (M2), and WiFi with DLNA support when this slider is loosed upon the globe in Q4. Check the gallery here.

So that rumored K820 has turned out to be the C902, and that waterproof model? Not so much waterproof -- just "splash and dust resistant" -- and it's the C702. Starting on the bottom, the 3.2 megapixel C702 touts one-handed camera use for those spur-of-the-moment shots when you're doing something, like, totally extreme that would necessitate the use of a splash resistant phone to begin with. GPS also finds its way on board, and Sony Ericsson is bundling Google Maps for Mobile (good call) to get the mapping done. Moving up, the C902 is a 5 megapixel beast with autofocus, face detection, a generous flash, and 160MB of storage before you add anything on with the Memory Stick Micro slot. Both models feature Cyber-shot branding and will be available in the second quarter; they'll come in two versions -- one with UMTS 2100 and one rocking quadband EDGE alone. Look for the C702 in Speed Black and Cyan Blue, while the C902 will do its thing in Swift Black and Luscious Red (pictured).

Waterproof phones are no stranger to Sony Ericsson's Japanese division, but for the rest of the world, they're a slightly rarer occurrence. A couple shots have surfaced over on SEfanatics that seem to show a new model from the company -- a model clearly not destined for the Japanese market, we'd wager -- getting drenched with H2O. Now granted, they could be preparing a video demonstrating how to destroy one of their phones, but the more plausible explanation is that there's a waterproof model for the global market in the pipe that'll probably be introduced very, very shortly at MWC. Even better, the model in question shows Cyber-shot branding by aid of a 3.2 megapixel cam, making us wonder if we'll actually be able to snap shots in the deep blue. Probably not, but it'd be cool, huh?

[Via IntoMobile]

When you hear "K" and "Sony Ericsson" in the same phrase, the camera is usually the first thing that comes to mind -- and if these alleged shots of the K820i turn out to be legit, that's a fair association to make. The K820i appears to be a pretty stunningly gorgeous candybar featuring a 5 megapixel cam (with the requisite Cyber-shot branding, of course), camera controls across the sides of the display, and a sliding cover for the lens. Something tells us we'll know more about this one very shortly.

[Thanks, Khattab]

Just in case two recently announced Sony Ericsson mobiles weren't enough for one day, along comes the K630 to quell your grumbling. This handset sports a slightly less impressive feature set than the other two newcomers, but it ought to put a noticeably smaller dent in your wallet to compensate. Nevertheless, the K630 will be available in Havana Gold and Quick Black and will feature HSDPA, Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync preloaded, a two-megapixel camera, 256MB M2 card, built-in Media Browser, an FM tuner, support for MP3 / AAC / WMA formats, Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP, video recording at 15fps and USB connectivity. Mum's the word on pricing at the moment, but look for it to land in "select markets" during Q4. Check out a video of the device right over here.

[Thanks, tootie_boy]

A Chinese site has scored pictures of what is claimed to be the successor to the recently-released K850, in turn the successor to the lauded K800 "Wilma" that ushered in Sony's "Cyber-shot" camera branding to the world of handsets. Actually, all they really managed to score was the device's shell, which reveals a couple interesting tidbits: it'll maintain the K850's bizarre square keys, and it alleges to sport a 3x optical zoom. With that kind of lens power, it's pretty much a foregone conclusion that there'll be a 5 megapixel sensor lurking under that protective cover (if not greater), making Sony Ericsson's next round of product announcements a potential boon for shutterbugs. Stay tuned.

[Via Gearfuse]

She's here and right on schedule. Meet Victoria, Sony Ericsson's latest candybar to wear the Cyber-shot crown. Officially unveiled as the K770, the 14-mm thin cameraphone features a 3.2 megapixel, autofocus camera with LED photo light, and 1.9-inch QVGA display just like we heard. It ships with a 256MB M2 card and goes tri-band GSM with 2100MHz UMTS 3G for Europe. She's expected sometime around Q4 for an undisclosed price.

We aren't insinuating that you should attach any level of truth to these rumors just yet, but the boards of Esato are alive with murmurs of a few new SE handsets that could be launched as early as tomorrow. Amongst the mobiles that we could hear more about (officially) in the coming day is the Cyber-shot-branded "Victoria" -- which will supposedly be 14-millimeters thick and sport a 1.9-inch QVGA screen, five color options, and a 128MB M2 card bundled in -- and the still elusive "Veronica." Additionally, we could also be treated to the W350, a Cyber-shot clamshell / Cyber-shot slider, and new "accessories" to boot. Best of all, though, is that you've just a single day left to find out if there's actually any substance to these whispers, but if it does prove true, it certainly won't be the first time.

[Via PocketPicks]

[Via Mobilewhack]

The friends at GSM Arena has slapped up a very nice review of the baby Cyber-shot – the K550. This relatively small, 14 mm thick quad-band GSM / GPRS / EDGE device (850, 900, 1800, 1900), packs most of the goodies that we have come to expect from the Sony Ericsson team. Included is a 2 megapixel camera, Bluetooth for handsfree goodness, M2 slot to augment the system memory -- a 512 MB card is included, and even an RDS-enabled FM radio. What this handset does lack, however, is 850 MHz support, and sadly this is a bit of a bust for the NA market. Considering this is a low to mid range device, it has to have some shortcomings; including a lower-than-we-would-like-it resolution screen, the keys appear as if a heavy text messaging session might make your fingertips bleed, and the word is the camera quality is sub-par for a Cyber-shot branded phone. On the plus side, if the price is right, the great feature set will likely outweigh the negatives mentioned above. It does seem Sony Ericsson is starting to suffer from 'Nokia-itis': new handsets galore – but we are beginning to see a fair bit of rehash.

Edit: As astude reader johnnie points out - this device supports 850 MHz which of course makes it a quad band device.

Well, looky here, if it's not Sony Ericsson's mysterious new Cyber-shot phone we first saw a couple months back! It turns out that the candybar (in a decidedly more pale shade than the last time around) is allegedly the K770i, codename "Li." With a 2 megapixel autofocus shooter, Memory Stick Micro M2 slot, and lowly EDGE data, we suspect there aren't many folks getting all worked up over this one's release, but hey -- choice is good, right?

It comes as no surprise to see that Sony Ericsson was looking for a little FCC love for the K790a variant of their "Wilma" Cyber-shot branded phone, sporting 3.2 megapixels of picture-takin' happiness behind its sliding rear cover. With support for GSM 850, 1800, and 1900, this is a phone T-Mobile and Cingular users can really sink their teeth into -- and given SE's strategy of selling direct off its website, we can all cross our fingers that this thing might be showing up in American hands before too long now that the ceremonial FCC blessing ritual has taken place.