Original URL: http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/11/17/sony_ai_slimline_phone_rumour/
Sony Ericsson is to take Motorola and Samsung head on next year by launching an super-slim Walkman-branded candybar handset of its own, it has been claimed. Codenamed 'Ai', the phone is said to be a mere 9.4mm thick.
So claims Reuters, citing an industry throat. 'Ai', it seems, comes from Ai Sugiyama, a rather successful Japanese tennis player. Sony Ericsson has a thing about tennis at the moment - witness the Cyber-shot phone's ad campaign - or maybe Ms Sugiyama is the acme of skinniness as well as athleticism.
Sony Ericsson was the world's fourth most successful mobile phone maker during Q3 (http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/10/19/sa_world_phone_sales_q3_06/), according to market watcher Strategy Analytics. However, it showed year-on-year growth way beyond higher placed Nokia, Motorola and Samsung. The latter's global market share was 12 per cent, Sony Ericsson's 7.7 per cent, so it's capable of catching the South Korean giant.
Motorola took 21 per cent of the world market in Q3, largely thanks to the success of its RAZR handset. ®
Sony Ericsson set to stun with wafer-thin Walkman phone (6 February 2007)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/02/06/sony_ericsson_walkman_phone_launch/
Sony Ericsson ultra-slim Walkman spied on web (1 February 2007)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/02/01/se_w880_pics_posted/
Moto sees red with Ferrari phone (26 January 2007)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/01/26/moto_ferrari_phone/
Sony Ericsson eyes TV-phone market with Bravia handset (22 January 2007)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/01/22/sony_ericsson_bravia_phone/
Samsung launches HSDPA slider phone... again (27 December 2006)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/12/27/samsung_ships_z720/
Samsung to tempt developing world with $50 phones (8 December 2006)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/12/08/samsung_low-cost_phone_strategy/
Motorola unveils iTunes-less ROKR (5 December 2006)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/12/05/motorola_unveils_rokr_e6/
Nokia hammers out steel-cased handset (29 November 2006)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/11/29/nokia_unveils_6300_biz_phone/
Nokia launches budget 'iPod killer' music phone (29 November 2006)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/11/29/nokia_unveils_uma_clamshell_etc/
Sony and Ericsson get loved up over mobile TV (27 November 2006)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/11/27/sonyericsson_mobile_tv_deal/
Sony sounds clammy Cyber-shot warning (24 November 2006)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/11/24/sony_steamy_cyber-shot_warning/
Motorola Q Pro prototype pops up on web (13 November 2006)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/11/13/moto_q_pro_spied_on_web/
Samsung unveils WiMAX UMPC phone (7 November 2006)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/11/07/samsung_unveils_wimax_phone/
Motorola cuts black RAZR for Red AIDS charity (6 November 2006)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/11/06/moto_black_razr_for_red/
Orange bleats about Samsung's Blush (2 November 2006)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/11/02/hw_orange_samsung_blush/
T-Mobile inks tattoo'd RAZR deal (24 October 2006)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/10/24/moto_miami_ink_razr/
Sony Ericsson kit in demand as world phone sales surge (19 October 2006)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/10/19/sa_world_phone_sales_q3_06/