Sony Ericsson "Kate" due in two months?

Sony Ericsson will start off 2009 with a new mid-range Cyber-shot phone, a new leak from SEMC says. Nicknamed the "Kate," the C510 should adopt the familiar candybar form factor but carry a 3.2-megapixel camera and the features of newer Sony Ericsson camera phones, including face and smile detection as well as a camera-friendly interface. Autofocusing and basic flash would also give it better image quality in less than ideal conditions.

That device should be in stores as early as February, according to the claim, although it's not known whether it will be announced ahead of time in a low-key introduction or else will be announced at February's Mobile World Congress show with availability soon afterwards.

Two additional phones are also due soon after that improve the technology further still. One, the "Filippa," should appear near the C510 and will mostly represent an upgrade with the same form factor, a five-megapixel camera, and Xenon flash. The "Frances" would come later and would switch to a slider design, include image stabilization, and would also bring assisted GPS.