Sony Ericsson introduces the K500

Press Release:

The fun never stops with the K500 as it has the design, graphics capabilities and superb viewing clarity to make it ideal for gaming. The large 1.9 inch 65K TFT colour screen and MultiAction™ joystick make it a pleasure to view and play games. Fast and smooth game play is assured by a graphics platform – Java 2.0 and Mascot Capsule® Engine Micro3D Edition from HI Corp - especially created for fast-action, graphics-rich mobile applications. The K500 has enough internal memory (12MB) to store up to 170 2D or 45 3D games which can easily be downloaded from operator portals or Sony Ericsson Fun & downloads. Sony Ericsson’s developers program is supporting game developers around the world with the necessary tools to bring out new and exiting Java games. Combined with the Gameboard EGB-10 accessory, the K500 can double up as a fully fledged gaming console.

Making the most of the extensive imaging features in the K500 is easy thanks to intuitive design and clever user interface. The dual front design gives instant access to the 4x digital zoom camera, bringing new levels of spontaneity to capturing still pictures and video clips. The camera is activated by opening the lens shutter, and then it is easy to capture still images or the funniest home video scene and play it back on the K500 to friends. QuickShare™ enables images and video to be taken and sent in just a few clicks via MMS or e-mail.

The visual appearance, ringtones and expression of the K500 can be changed at any time. Creativity can run wild, as there is no limit to the amount of wallpapers, themes and ringtones that can be downloaded or created, so the K500 can be easily personalised to match a mood, an outing, an outfit or simply the time of day.

The K500 has an impressive 12MB memory, which means it can download and store a vast array of games, movies, music videos and ringtones from the ever increasing universe of download sites.

Finding or creating the right ringtone is a breeze with the K500. Downloading tones is made super easy with PlayNow™ - simply click to get online, pre-listen to songs from a frequently updated selection, then click to download. The new ringtone is placed in the phone in just 3 clicks and the cost is charged automatically to the phone account. There will also be a selection of free content available on PlayNow™. Musicians will love the 4-track Music DJ ™ application which makes it possible to create ringtones complete with drum loops, bass lines, keyboards and other sound effects.

The K500 will come in the following editions:

K500i Triple Band 900/1800/1900 MHz
K500c Triple Band 900/1800/1900 MHz for China Mainland
K506c Triple Band 900/1800/1900 MHz for China Mainland
K508i Triple Band 900/1800/1900 MHz
K508c Triple Band 900/1800/1900 MHz for China Mainland

The K500-series will be available in Q3 2004