Sony Ericsson wants to streamline your mobile experience, the phone
maker explained in a Sept. 28 announcement that introduced LiveView—a
tiny remote control for smartphones running Google’s Android operating
system.
The LiveView remote control, which measures 3.5 by 3.5 by 1.1
centimeters and features a 1.3-inch color OLED display, can be clipped
to a wristwatch, say, or a cuff. It then connects to a phone through
Bluetooth, offering a mirrored experience. With LiveView, a user with
his or her phone tucked away in a handbag or back pocket can control
the phone’s MP3 player, see who’s calling, mute the ringer on incoming
calls and receive Facebook and Twitter updates, instant messages and
RSS feeds. It can also display calendar events—reminding users of
events—as well as other phone applications.
A LiveView Manager, according to Sony Ericsson, will soon be
available in the Android Market to help users find LiveView-enabled
applications. Additionally, the manager will be available preinstalled
on some devices or come in bundles, called Experience Packs. One such
Pack, the Sony Ericsson Fitness Pack, will be geared toward exercisers
and include a SportyPal Pro application and a carrying case for the
phone.
The first Packs, like the LiveView remote, will arrive in select markets during the fourth quarter of 2010.
“It is our ambition to be the communication entertainment brand and
this includes being the most open mobile phone brand on the market,”
Mikael Henriksson, head of creation and offering planning in Sony
Ericsson’s Extras group, said in a statement. “We believe in openness
and offering consumers a wide range of applications to choose from.”
LiveView is compatible with a Make It Mine open platform for
developers, and Henriksson adds that LiveView is the first Sony
Ericsson accessory to be compatible with the Android platform, “which
gives developers an opportunity to be creative and develop the next
must-have innovative application.”
LiveView will initially be compatible with the Sony Ericsson Xperia
X10, X10 mini and X10 mini pro smartphones, as well as the Samsung
Galaxy S and the HTC Desire. It comes with a clip and wristband, as
well as a micro USB charger.
Pricing, as well as battery life details, have not yet been
released. A visit to the LiveView site offers little hope for a
fourth-quarter U.S. debut.
Enterprise Mobility News & Reviews 
