Idou camera phone offers 12.0 mega pixels of portable performance

by Stevie Smith - Feb 16 2009, 10:11

Despite offering up a hefty 8.0 mega pixels of camera performance in a mobile phone platform, the Samsung Memoir’s front-running market positioning has lasted just 10 days after Sony Ericsson this week unveiled its superior 12.0 mega pixel Idou handset.

While most handset users probably won’t even notice the difference in picture quality between the two phones, the (presently codenamed) Idou handset is also worth noting in your tech diary as it sees Sony Ericsson finally embracing the iconic smartphone form factor first popularised by Apple’s trend-setting iPhone.

Specifically, the Idou will come complete with GPS capabilities, a generous 3.5-inch touch-screen display (640x320) that includes a 16:9 aspect ratio, and also the Symbian (Foundation) operating system. And, according to Sony Ericsson, the final device will provide users with a sleek and appealing handset that blends features and functions plucked from Sony’s Cybershot (camera) and Walkman (phone) product lines.

The Idou, which is presently tied to the prototype stage of its development, is expected to make its official appearance in the second half of 2009 attached to Sony Ericsson’s emergent “Entertainment Unlimited” label.

And, in a move that matches the Samsung Memoir, Sony Ericsson has also revealed its upcoming W995 handset, which is likely to arrive in Q2 and includes the power of an 8.0 mega pixel camera.

It also carries many of the hallmarks usually association with the Walkman range thanks to a 2.6-inch QVGA display screen, HSDPA and Wi-Fi connectivity, integrated speakers, and up to 8GBs of memory expansion.

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