Yeah, the just-announced C905 plugs a gaping hole in the high end, but Sony Ericsson's in desperate need of as many smartphones as it can get its hands on right now -- and a smartphone is one thing the C905 is not. The flagship P1i isn't getting any younger, neither the G700 nor G900 are inspiring a lot of emotion, and the M610i (which wasn't particularly fascinating to begin with) was canceled before it ever hit the market. Could the Paris -- or P5, or P10, or whatever it's called -- and the G702 BeiBei have met the same fate? That's what the Unofficial Sony Ericsson Blog is claiming, suggesting that intense criticism from sites that got early peeks at the devices let to their untimely demise while leaving the window open for a possible limited release in Asia (not unlike the Motorola MPx, if our memories serve us correctly). The way we see it, Sony Ericsson's just a little too oblivious to be that responsive to the user community (case in point: M2 cards), so we're more keen to chalk it up to technical glitches or a homegrown realization that the devices just weren't what the market needed. By the same token, it seems like they can't afford to throw these efforts out the door altogether; it'd put them hopelessly far behind the competition in the smartphone arena, so hopefully they're just retooling and learning some lessons as they go.

If you just can't get enough news about Sony Ericsson's forthcoming Symbian UIQ touchscreen phone -- currently known as Paris -- perhaps this promo video of the thing in action can help. Sure, these appears to be pre-renders, but it does whet the appetite for things to come with the device, and who can complain about that pop-up weather app and confirmation that this will have a flash for its camera? Also, the dude in the clip sports a totally stylish cardigan. Watch the whole thing after the break and see for yourself.

[Via PHONE Magazine]

Those looking for a smartphone revolution on the wings of Sony Ericsson's forthcoming Paris (or whatever the heck it's called) need look no further than another model already in the company's stable: the touchscreen-equipped G900. At least that's the intel we're getting from mobile-review, a site renowned for its uncanny ability to get access to pretty much any device it chooses well ahead of release -- and often before announcement. Software builds and hardware specs in current prototypes of the Paris floating around are apparently dead ringers for the aforementioned G900, save for the obvious form factor change, rocker style QWERTY keypad, and integrated GPS. Those changes that will allegedly see the Paris get a €50 premium over its little brother for a grand total of €400 (about $628) when it launches in September; in the meantime, there's some screen shot entertainment in mobile-review's quick take, and given the overwhelming leakiness of this thing so far, we imagine there's plenty more where that came from before it ships.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

The so-called Paris halo phone from Sony Ericsson has been rumored as a successor to the P1 seemingly since before the P1 even existed, promising a sliding QWERTY rocker keypad, HSDPA, serious shooting power, and a fashion sense that should let it fit in both in social and corporate settings with equal aplomb. It's a minor detail, granted, but now it looks like we know what to call it: P200. That's the official model number being floated by a leaked profile document on Sony Ericsson's site, though the mention of mere QVGA resolution to fill the rumored 2.6-inch display is a pretty big downer. With high-res displays finally becoming a big deal in smartphones this year, we can imagine a decent number of shoppers passing over this one thanks to that little indiscretion alone. Last chance to send this one back to the drawing board and swap out the display, guys!

[Via Cellpassion]

Enough of these overly pixelated, totally fuzzed-out captures of something supposed to Sony Ericsson's Paris -- we're looking at the real deal now. This definitely sexy slider has somehow fell in front of someone without hands a-shakin', and a smattering of distinct images are waiting just below in the read link. If you just like to be teased, the snapshots show a 5.0-megapixel camera and confirm that the keypad touts a two-character-per-button layout similar to the P1 -- but really, there's nothing like seeing it for yourself.

[Thanks, Kevin]

Man, if this phone turns out to be real, we can only imagine the cringes on the faces of Sony Ericsson execs knowing that its precious new UIQ superphone is in the process of being scooped in the most excruciatingly long, drawn-out process imaginable. The "Paris" is making yet another appearance over on se-nse, this time slid open to reveal a sliver of its QWERTY keyboard. It uses the same operating principle as the P1 and the M600, with two letters assigned to each side of each button; on the Paris, the buttons appear to be half black and half white. Could be hot, could be shockingly ugly, but we really won't know until Sony Ericsson's willing to either debunk this whole charade or give us some actual press shots.

Update: Yep, they're all black; light is reflecting off one side of the concave buttons. How boring!

Okay, seriously, Sony Ericsson, it seems pretty clear-cut that your closely held secrets have leaked out into the public domain here -- either that, or there's a pretty extensive conspiracy in the user community to fleece everyone with similar-looking fake shots -- and either way, it's about time you step forward and clear the air. This here is the latest shot of the so-called Paris that's floating around the interwebs, and while the screen looks more fake than ever, the phone itself matches up nicely with what we've seen before. With UIQ 3.3 in the cards, this could be the phone that finally takes the "other" Symbian platform from niche to glamor and glory, but only if the mothership can get it released in a timely fashion. That's you, Sony Ericsson, so get to it.

se-nse is spilling some more beans on its supposed leak of the P5 "Paris" smartphone, and put simply, UIQ fans are (or should be) salivating uncontrollably right now. And when we say "salivating uncontrollably," we mean like to the point that they're unable to present themselves in social situations because there's just this really disgusting stream of spittle constantly flowing out of their mouths. Got that visual? Okay, now check it: the blog is reporting that the Paris will sport a touchscreen display (capacitive, it seems), a semi-QWERTY keypad in the same vein as the M600 and P1, WiFi, 3G (maybe in a global flavor for once?), GPS, and preinstalled Google Maps, all sitting atop UIQ 3.3. If this is real, it gives the XPERIA X1 a nice little run for its money atop the Sony Ericsson food chain, does it not?

[Via Slashphone]

The Unofficial Sony Ericsson Blog is reporting that Sony Ericsson's rather stellar showing at Mobile World Congress isn't quite over yet. As you might recall, the joint venture owns UIQ, so it would make some good sense that it'd save a couple surprises for UIQ's MWC press conference, which doesn't go down until the tail end of the show on Wednesday. One of those surprises might just be this, a UIQ-powered candybar going by the codename "BeiBei" that features a dizzying (and frankly, nonsensical) array of navigation buttons and a fairly buttoned-up appearance that should appeal to businessfolk. Another possible UIQ debut is said to be "Paris," a higher end device. If this all pans out, it was rather brilliant of Sony Ericsson to let the X1 fervor calm down before launching another volley, wasn't it?

Hold tight Europeans and Japanese -- if reports straight from a showcase in Paris are to be believed, you'll be able to get your palms around Toshiba's inviting G900 "this month." Of course, with but a few days left until July, it will only be a matter of hours before this hunch is proven true or false, but considering that it did already pass through the gates of the FCC, it's not too far fetched. So, do let us know if you're able to locate one across the pond in the coming days, will ya?

[Via PocketPCThoughts]

Here in the US of A, we like to do things the old fashioned way. Case in point: when we're looking for a way to track availability of parking spaces in real time, we turn to satellite radio for the answer (okay, fine... bad example). In France, Carriers Orange and SFR have teamed up with NavX, V-Traffic, and a number of other firms to take an arguably simpler approach to the problem. A new feature on Orange's portal (and we're guessing SFR's as well) enables users to search for nearby parking garages with available spots; cell triangulation can estimate the phone's position, or the user can enter a location manually. Of course, only garages explicitly participating in the system will be listed, but seeing how everyone has a phone, we could imagine the holdouts losing business at a brisk pace.

[Via The Wireless Report]

Ring any bells? It seems everyone's favorite Herbie Fully Loaded actress has gone and gotten her Blackberry compromised this week, which was then used to send her pals "disgusting and very mean messages." Lohan's spokesperson assures us that the messages weren't sent by Lindsay herself (whew), so if you've gotten a text from her recently telling you to buzz off, rest assured, she still loves ya. Furthermore, she's suggesting that the culprit might be one Paris Hilton, herself a victim of trendy device theft not long ago -- we think the lesson to be learned here is that mobile devices with full keypads are best kept out of celebs' hands.

[Thanks, Jimmie Geddes]

In what may be the first step towards a possible "nightmare scenario" where you can't walk around an urban area without your phone being deluged with spam, a French advertising firm has installed small transmitters on billboards and posters around Paris that offer downloads or discounts to passersby. Luckily the Bluetooth-based system being deployed by JCDecaux is strictly opt-in, meaning only those mobile users who want the swag-on-the-go will be bothered, and they can further limit intrusions by choosing to just receive ads about topics that interest them. Ironically, this commercial endeavor evolved out of a project by France's National Institute for Research in Computer Science and Control to provide assistance for the disabled, but the project was scrapped and JCDecaux purchased the exclusive license for the underlying technology. The same team that worked on the government research is also developing another innovative fusion of advertising and cellphone, in the form of billboards called UbiBoards that change their displays based on characteristics of the majority of the people in the vicinity by pulling demographic data from their handsets.

[Via textually, picture courtesy of Kameleon]