Europe : Sony Ericcson has confirmed that the Z1010 will hit the UK in the next few weeks. The declared target was 1st Quarter 2004.

Yet it is not known for certain which operator is taking the Z1010 - my personal feeling is that Hutchison 3G will take the handset.

Last reports indicated that the trend-setting 3G mobile would be available in January, 2004. However, Sony Ericcson say the phone was always targeted for the first quarter of 2004.

This is Sony Ericsson's first 3G handset and will certainly bring a much needed sparkle to the 3G market. The phone remains in the final stages of operability verification pending final release to operators.

A great number of people are delaying buying a 3G phone until the Z1010 becomes available.

The clamshell Z1010 is designed to give consumers the best possible experience of imaging, messaging and connectivity apps using 3G.

Optimised for video conferencing and video applications, it features two inbuilt cameras, two displays, video support and a host of other features.

This fully featured dual mode UMTS/GSM-GPRS mobile phone will be Sony Ericsson's first in a line of 3G-products made available for the consumer market.

It was demonstrated featuring video calls and streaming video applications, in a live 3G network in Cannes back in November, 2003. The Z1010 focuses on easy-to-use multimedia messaging, taking advantage of the capacity and capability of 3G networks. For this, the clamshell Z1010 features two displays and two cameras. The main display is a full graphic 65K colour display and a grey scale status display is located on the front panel of the phone, for easy access to information when the phone is closed.

The integrated camera is easy to use for capturing still images and video, which can then be sent as MMS or e-mail. There is also a dedicated video call camera placed below the main display, so while the camera is filming the user, he or she can watch the other party in the display. To be able to easily move information between the Z1010 and other devices, as well as for memory extension, the phone features Sony Memory Stick Duo(TM) technology which makes it easy to transfer images, video clips and music files to and from the phone.

Z1010 product features :
Imaging Entertainment
Video Call Audio and video:
TwinCam MPEG 4, H.263, MP3, ACC, AMR
VGA for still UMTS 384kbit downlink
QCIF for video Polyphonic Sound 24 voices
UMTS 64kbits uplink WAP2.0
GPRS 4+2 Java MIDP 1.0
Dual displays:
176x220 pixels/65 536 colors
101x80 pixels/4-level grey scale

Messaging Connectivity
SMS/EMS/MMS/MMS video Bluetooth long range
Wireless village Sony Memory stick Duo(TM), 16MB
e-mail included
USB true connector - 12Mbit