Sony-Ericsson reveals HSPA ExpressCards, headset
updated 03:40 pm EST, Sun February 10, 2008
S-E EC400 Card and Headset
Sony-Ericsson has finished up its announcements in Barcelona with word of a 3G ExpressCard line and a stereo headset. The EC400 and its GPS-equipped counterpart the EC400g are Sony-Ericsson's first mobile Internet cards to provide HSPA while using the ExpressCard format; both plug into the EC/34 slot of Mac OS X and Windows PCs to provide up to 7.2Mbps downstream in peak conditions as well as up to 2Mbps for uploads. An auto-configuring process ensures a near pain-free setup process, the company explains.
Either is capable of full world roaming at all speeds, including legacy EDGE and GPRS connections; the GPS of the EC400g allows GPS-aware apps to find their position without a separate receiver. Sony-Ericsson ships the broadband adapters by mid-2008.
Music- and video-capable phones are served by the newly unveiled HPM-77 Stereo Portable Handsfree headset, Sony-Ericsson says. Already bundled with the W980, the wired headset is meant to provide better audio quality than stock earbuds but also sports an in-line mic to take calls. It ships as a separate item in June.
