Multimedia Makes Waves at Cell Phone Show

Mar 27, 11:38 PM

Current Headlines: By The Associated Press

ORLANDO, Fla. - A core theme emerging at product launches for this week's CTIA Wireless 2007 cell phone technology show is how to make mobile video and music devices less confusing.

That's the hope of a small, youth-oriented cellular service named Helio, a joint venture between Earthlink Inc. and Korea's SK Telecom Co. that on Monday unveiled a $295 handset called Ocean.

Billed as the first "dual-slider," the Ocean marks one of the more radical attempts to simplify the intersection between phone calls, text communications, portable media players and mobile Web access.

For making calls, the screen side of the device can slide vertically to expose a number pad. For typing e-mail, text messages and instant messages, the Ocean can be turned horizontal and slide up along a different track to expose a full typewriter keyboard.

The handset also has a separate microprocessor to run the media player, which Helio claims will allow 15 hours of music listening on a single battery charge.

An integrated inbox displays all forms of written communication, combining e-mail, text messaging and instant messaging from the major portals in one place, instead of forcing users to toggle between applications.

Samsung Electronics Co. and Sony Ericsson are also expected to make waves at the show, which opens today, by trying their hands at cobbling an easier-to-use combination phone and music player.

Samsung's lightweight UpStage, offered in the United States by Sprint Nextel Corp., has a phone on one side and an MP3 music player on the other.

The phone side has a number pad and small screen for dialing calls and typing text messages, while the reverse features a large screen and touch-sensitive controls to navigate through song lists and view digital photos, video and Web pages.

It costs $299, but is available for $149 with a two-year Sprint contract.

Sony Ericsson, owned jointly by Japan's Sony Corp. and Sweden's LM Ericsson, introduced the latest addition to its Walkman phone lineup.

The W580, the first slider Walkman phone, is 0.55 inch thick and weighs 3.3 ounces. Sony Ericsson says the W580 offers up to 30 hours of music play time.

The company didn't announce a price or say which service provider will offer the it, though it's based on a wireless technology that's used only by AT&T Inc.'s Cingular Wireless and T-Mobile USA among the major U.S. carriers.

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