China Unicom rolled out five smartphones this week with prices of less than 10,000 Yen (about $111) in an effort to spur demand for its 3G services, Trading Markets.com reported. Among the choices is Sony Ericcson's M1i (below), which runs Windows Mobile 6.5.3 and includes "professional" and "lifestyle" interfaces that are said to have been crafted using Spb Mobile Shell 3.0 software. (For full details of the Spb product, see our earlier coverage, here.)

Sony Ericsson's M1i

Though finished in black, the M1i appears to be essentially identical to the Aspen, a device that made its debut last February as Sony Ericcson's third Windows Mobile phone. (As such, it followed the Xperia X1 and Xperia X2.)

The M1i/Aspen was clearly designed as a messaging-oriented phone, similar to the RIM BlackBerry, or to other Windows phones such as HP's iPAQ Glisten, Samsung's SPH-i350 Intrepid, and a variety of others. Like these competitors, the device has a QWERTY keyboard on its front panel, combining that with a relatively small display (2.4 inches and 320 x 240 pixels in this case). Unlike various earlier messaging phones, however, the Aspen also includes a touchscreen, says Sony Ericsson.

With an undisclosed processor and memory complement, the M1i is said to offer assisted GPS, WiFi, Bluetooth, an FM receiver, and a 3.2 megapixel camera with self-timer. Other hardware features include stereo speakers, speakerphone capabilities, an accelerometer for screen rotation, a microSD slot (a 4GB card comes with the phone), a 3.5mm headphone jack, and a microUSB port, according to Sony Ericsson.

Telephony consists of quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE and either dual-band or tri-band UMTS/HSDPA/HSUPA at 900/2100 or 900/2100 MHz, the company adds.

Sony Ericsson's Aspen was touted as offering a variety of software, some or all of which is presumably carried over to the M1i. Applications include Skype software for VoIP, plus clients for CNN, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube websites. The Aspen also offered an Adobe PDF reader, Google Maps, and Microsoft's Office Mobile software, Sony Ericsson added.

According to Sony Ericsson, the M1i will provide eight hours of talk time on UMTS networks and 10 hours on GSM. Standby time is 450 hours on GSM or 600 hours on UMTS, and the phone provides 12 hours of music playback, the company adds. Weight is spec'd at 4.58 ounces (130g), and dimensions at 4.6 x 2.36 x 0.49 inches.

Finally, the M1i's "GreenHeart" credentials apparently involve recycled plastics, water-based paint, an energy-efficient display, and a manual that's provided electronically instead of on paper. Sony Ericsson claims these alterations reduce the carbon-dioxide emissions of the phone by 15 percent.

A video promoting the M1i in its earlier Aspen incarnation
Source: Sony Ericsson
(click to play)

Further information

The Sony Ericsson M1i is available from China Unicom, says Trading Markets.com, whose item on the device may be found here.

More information on the M1i may be found on Sony Ericsson's website, here. Information on Sony Ericsson's GreenHeart program may be found here.

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