SonyEricsson P900 – boxed and ready

The pen is mightier

SonyEricsson has sold around a million of its P800 smartphone, making it the most popular single PDA model on the market. Although you'd never know it, as the device is outsold by other phones and has a negligible presence in the US consumer market. But it's set to unveil the P900, on October 26, according to reports. Unlike the long-awaited, then delayed P800 which basked in months of pre-publicity, SonyEricsson has attempted to keep the successor a closely guarded secret, refusing to release a photograph or even acknowledge the name.

Without too much success. Comprehensive reviews, some based on prototypes, have emerged in the past 48 hours - the best is at Mobile Review [in English ], and members of HowardForums have early units, complete with packaging.

Mobitopia has a summary of the changes here. The P900 is more conservatively styled, abandons the physical contact buttons that Ericsson first used in the R380, and which gave the P800 a bulky convex shape, in favor of an integrated (but removable) flip, making the phone slimmer. Better screen quality, a camcorder and a real stylus top the other improvements.

SonyEricsson P800 owners must be a vain lot: the P900 features a tiny mirror underneath camera mounted on the back: so you know what you look like, before you go out.

The P900 expected to be in the channels in time for the Christmas rush. Its closest competitor, the Treo 600, arrives in volume at the end of next week Handspring executives said at this week's launch. ®