Vodaphone 802se World Phone
This is my ultimate dream-tech-global-features-rich-has-everything mobile phone! Not only is the 802se a Tri-Band GSM but also has UMTS capabilities (for use in Asia), a 1.3MP Digital Camera w/ LED Light element, plays MP3/MP4 as audio or ringtones, has Flash and SVG-tiny support, uses a MemoryStick Duo (up to 1GB!), is Bluetooth and Infrared, and the list goes on...
The major drag about this phone is that Vodaphone locked in an exclusive deal with Sony Ericsson to release this make/model unit in both the EU and Asia to work only with their Vodaphone Live 3G-Streaming Media services. SO the only way your going get this baby to work on your Cingular network is to buy one on eBay unlocked for upwards of $580 dollars. This is such a rip as it retails in Akihabara for around $360.
I could fly to Japan, grab like 10-20 handsets, get them unlocked by the local underground tech dealer, fly back to the US, post them on eBay for $480, and still make a profit enough to cover my airfare. SO, I just don't get the greed factor.-on the phone with my friend Jonathan.
All I want to do is evangelize solid tech, get better products released here in the US, so we all who can appreciate them, can use them, that's all I ask! And what about MUJI not being in the US yet, common guys get your act together! Another great retail product environment that would stomp all over Crate and Barrel and Restoration Hardware. I emailed them and they said they were exploring their options... Blah!
PS> The 3GSM Word Congress in Cannes (14th -17th February) was the presenting ground for a newer GENERIC version of this phone called the z800i. It should be released in Q2 of this year. I still like the 802se w/ Japanese characters on the keypad though. The cool factor on that is worth the extra effort IMHO.
View: Vodaphone 802se Sony Ericsson Japan
Download: Desktop Images Sony Ericsson Japan