The Ericsson eStore is directly targeted at mobile operators rather than at end users – it allows carriers around the world to easily set-up and offer an application store to their customers.

According to Ericsson, the eStore application marketplace is designed for any mobile phone and, unlike other app stores, it includes a high number of applications from day one – more than 30,000 apps (both free and paid – the paid apps can be bought via your phone’s bill).

Ericsson says that the eStore is accessible as of now here – and it is, it’s just that it doesn’t seem to be fully functional.

Developers can also take advantage of the eStore – since they can develop only one app that will be published via multiple carriers.

The client framework for widgets and apps across multiple channels and devices for the Ericsson eStore is provided by Opera Software.

Via Press release

• Apple allows developers to provide free copies of iPhone apps through App Store
• LG Application Store launched in Asia, only for Windows Mobile
• RIM’s own App Store: BlackBerry Application Storefront, ready in March 2009
• Samsung launches mobile app contest for the Omnia II
• Android Market reaches 20,000 apps, obviously still behind the Apple App Store

The two companies have singed a 3-yr agreement and they plan to start the rollout in the first half of this year. The 84Mbps HSPA network should cover most of Denmark, as well as four major cities in Sweden (most probably including Stockholm, Göteborg and Malmö).

The upgraded network will allow 3’s subscribers to easily enjoy Web applications and services like videoconferencing, social networking and online gaming.

As you may recall, Ericsson and 3 launched Europe’s first 21Mbps network in 2009.

“We were the first to launch turbo 3G in the Nordic region and now we are first signing up for the world’s fastest 3G. Our Scandinavian customers are sophisticated users with high demands in terms of mobile broadband services. Ericsson is evolving our network so we can meet these demands and give our customers true connectivity, wherever they are – from city office to country cottage,” declares Peder Ramel, CEO at 3 Scandinavia.

Ericsson and 3 have also announced the upcoming deployment of Sweden’s first 900MHz 3G network, which will improve coverage for the 84Mbps network.

Via Press release

• 3 Scandinavia and Ericsson to launch Europe’s first 21 Mbps network in 2009
• The world’s first LTE network fails to live up to expectations?
• Bell to Deploy HSPA Network by Next Month
• Sprint announces 17 new WiMax (4G) markets for 2009
• AT&T to upgrade its 3G network to HSPA 7.2Mbps

Reportedly, 3 Scandinavia and Ericsson are working together to upgrade the current HSPA networks that 3 owns in Sweden and Denmark. In consequence, select regions from the two countries will benefit from the new and ultra-speedy network starting the first half of 2009.

3 was also the first carrier to launch a Turbo 3G network in the Nordic countries, and now the company wants to be the first to raise the Mbps bar to 21.   

Needless to say, the upcoming 21 Mbps network will allow 3 Scandinavia’s subscribers to transfer data and browse the Web at blazing speeds – provided that they have a good handset, of course.   

Source: Ericsson

• Ericsson, 3 Scandinavia to launch the world’s first 84Mbps HSPA network
• TeliaSonera launches 4G / LTE network, Samsung GT-B3710 LTE dongle
• The world’s first LTE network fails to live up to expectations?
• TeliaSonera starts work on world’s first 4G commercial wireless network
• NTT Docomo’s LTE network pre-launch starts today

HSPA (High-Speed Packet Access) is the world’s most widespread form of 3G broadband, capable of providing download speeds of up to 14.4 Mbit/s (in theory) and up to 7.2 Mbit/s in already existing deployments; according to Ericsson’s data, there are 185 commercial networks around the world using this standard.

The built-in HSPA modules will allow the owners of Dell laptops to enjoy seamless roaming while traveling through a region covered by one of these, as well as use the GPS and the positioning software.

Dell laptops will have HSPA&GPS modules from Ericsson built in them starting with the second quarter of this year:

The pricing details are not yet released.

This is not the first time that Ericsson strikes such a deal, having signed the first contract for their mobile broadband modules with Lenovo back in February. Lenovo’s ThinkPad laptops now come with integrated mobile broadband and GPS.

Ericsson estimates that by 2011, approximately 200 million laptops will be sold each year, and half of them will have HSPA broadband modules integrated.

Via: Ericsson

• Ericsson: Mobile broadband will have 1 billion users by the end of this year, almost 4 billion in 2015
• Ericsson and Intel team up for HSPA on MIDs
• AT&T to upgrade its 3G network to HSPA 7.2Mbps
• #CTIA 2010: T-Mobile Announces Dell 10 Mini, to Launch HD2 and CLIQ XT Tomorrow
• T-Mobile Dell Streak 7 gets official, supports T-Mobile’s 4G

Here we see the Symbian UIQ powered little number, sporting a different color from that which it had when it first appeared two weeks ago. The multitude of buttons are seen in full now and up close, and I have to say it’s quite well arranged for something that’s nearly cluttered.

The Sony Ericsson BeiBei will be a touchscreen Walkman phone touting Symbian 9.3 OS with support for demand paging. I highly suspect if the white version pictured here, if it ever does go into production like the black one, will have different/ modified specs. Now can Sony Ericsson please just release this smart phone now?

Via SEMC

• Sony Ericsson beibei pics leaked
• Sony Ericsson G702 “BeiBei” gets FCC approval
• Sony Ericsson BeiBei pics in the wild, again
• Sony Ericsson W902 gets nicknamed Patty, to be announced with W595 on July 22nd
• Sony Ericsson Mix Walkman launched by Vodafone UK

The Sony Ericsson W580, meanwhile, is also getting an additional color for its range, which is Velvet Red, a bright variant of the plain color red. Like the K660, nothing will change with the features and specs of the W580 so old-users who decide on taking the new models at face value will definitely feel at home.

Via: Feelphones

• New Color for the Sony Ericsson S500, W580
• Sony Ericsson C901 and W395 – the official names of Filippa and Yao
• Sony Ericsson C903 and C901 Cyber-shot phones officially unveiled
• LG Velvet is Italy’s Cookie Plus GS500
• Sony Ericsson W380 Walkman launched

But tell that to the marketing department of some cellphone vendor. For the guys and gals working there, it’s like saying saying that special effects and gadgets are not important in the next James Bond movie.

So the megapixel war in a cameraphones will continue for years to come, just as it continues in a digital still camera category today. This year we will see 8 megapixel cameras in mobile phones, and the next year…

The next year we are getting to 12 megapixel camera range in your mobile handset. Thank’s to the newly announced Ericsson U500 mobile platform.

The features of Ericsson U500 chipset include:

• high quality camcorder
• 12 megapixel camera
• 800 x 480 WVGA display support
• advanced 3D gaming and 3D User Interface
• CD quality audio performance
• high resolution video for a true mobile TV experience

The Ericsson U500 combines three ARM11 CPUs and hardware accelerators, ARM Mali200 GPU and digital baseband into a small, cost and energy efficient package that can be easily fit into an advanced mobile multimedia handset.

Commercial availability of Ericsson U500 is slated for the first half of 2009.

• Samsung’s MEMS shutter for camera phones to bring better photos
• Sony Ericsson might go crazy with a 12 MP camera phone
• Sony Ericsson Cybershot with 3x optical zoom and WVGA display to be launched this week. Only in Japan, unfortunately
• Sony Ericsson is working on automatic zoom for it’s cameraphones
• Samsung 8 megapixel Camera phones are (almost) here