Sony to Announce New Handheld in Japan Next Week

Update: The rumors included in this article have turned out to be true and Sony has announced the PEG-NR70 and PEG-NR70V. Read more about them here.

Sony will introduce a new member of its Clié line of handhelds in Japan on Monday, according to PC World. The article, which referenced Sony spokesperson Mina Naito as its source, has absolutely no details about the new model, only saying that the company will hold a press conference to show it off.

Fortunately, this is not the only source of information. According to an anonymous source, Sony will introduce not one but two handhelds on Monday.

One of these models will be available in Japan by the end of this month, and the other one will be out in early or mid April. There is no word yet when they will be available in the U.S or elsewhere.

The source had only one other piece of information. According to him, the new models have a different screen size from the company's current ones. He had no specifics.

While the only definite information available is that Sony will introduce a new model on Monday, it should be an interesting day.

Sony usually introduces new models in Japan before anywhere else. In the past, it has taken a month or so before they were available in the U.S. and even longer in the rest of the world.

Thanks to Crawford for the tip on the PC World article. -Ed

Related Information:

Article Comments

 (152 comments)

The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. PalmInfocenter is not responsible for them in any way.
Please Login or register here to add your comments.

Comments Closed Comments Closed
This article is no longer accepting new comments.

Down View Full Comment Thread

nice

Fzara2000 @ 3/7/2002 4:51:58 PM #
I wonder what the heck, different size means...how much bigger they gonna make it? till its smaller than a laptop, but won't fit in my pocket?

SONY ROCKS!

RE: nice
I.M. Anonymous @ 3/7/2002 4:58:33 PM #
Maybe they mean smaller, not larger. Like a Sony replacement for the REX... Or, how about a Memory Stick with an onboard PDA? :-)

RE: nice
I.M. Anonymous @ 3/7/2002 4:59:52 PM #
" nice
Posted by: Fzara2000 @ 3/7/2002 4:51:58 PM

I wonder what the heck, different size means...how much bigger they gonna make it? till its smaller than a laptop, but won't fit in my pocket?"

Mr Fzara2000 if you want to be a Troll, please be a Anonymous one. Different screen size could mean anything, smaller bigger, even different dimension.

RE: nice
I.M. Anonymous @ 3/7/2002 5:08:41 PM #
What about that flip around, swivel type screen that we saw pictures of several weeks back? Could it be something along those lines you think?

RE: nice
I.M. Anonymous @ 3/7/2002 5:10:57 PM #
anything is possible but the possibility is less than 1%. Also don't get your hopes too high. Different screen size could mean a virtual graffiti area.

RE: nice
SaxonMan @ 3/7/2002 5:21:19 PM #
yup i think it could be virtual grafitti

regards,
SaxonMan
Moderator-Handspring
--------------------------------------
may the holy palmostles be with you
http://www.modchip24.com/?PID5061
RE: nice
Edward @ 3/7/2002 6:00:45 PM #
I hoped (and predicted) that Sony would have a Super VZ (66mhz) device out by last christmas. Not so, but I imagine these could be SuperVZ based. The SuperVZ is also quite integrated with a built in MS controller I seem to recall.

A 66Mhz CPU would also be able to up the video quality (due to higher compression rates) available on the Clie. At the moment G-Movie underperforms compared to Teal Movie on quality and file size. I doubt that we will see virtual graffiti ... unless Sony is taking video seriously and included a Mpeg decoder chip in the unit (as they did with mp3), and the larger screen is only utilised by its output. That certainly tallys with Sonys track record, in fact I would put a small bet on them doing this. It would certainly make my day.

We should at least see a device that brings together the two audio technologies Sony uses: the MP3 and the sound chip from the T series. It would be great if the integrated a proper mixer so you can listen to system sounds and mp3's without the mp3 breaking pace.

If one is a wireless divice it is likely to be Japan only, but I will still fall off my chair with drool hanging from my lips. Integrated BT would seem logical at least.

Memory, 16Mb minimum is a cert for a high end device, although I'm not sure how PalmOS and the SuperVZ deals with 32Mb or more. What I would really like to see is 3d graphics chips stolen from the PS project ... but that is just a pipe dream!



RE: nice
Fzara2000 @ 3/7/2002 6:06:15 PM #
odds are, Sony won't make a smaller screen. Obviously they know how hard it is to read off of it, and if they're gonna release it to the japanese market, they won't have much luck.

SONY ROCKS!
RE: nice
crustyedgeofinnovation @ 3/7/2002 6:30:26 PM #
Fzara2000, i see you're back for your weekly "crappy comment" update, nothing good to say, as usual, next week put a bit more effort into your post...maybe mention Sony a bit more, or comment about how much your life sucks...

Different Operation System
I.M. Anonymous @ 3/7/2002 6:44:27 PM #
Different screen size probably means the new handheld will running pocketpc2002.

RE: nice
I.M. Anonymous @ 3/7/2002 7:02:52 PM #
"Different screen size probably means the new handheld will running pocketpc2002."

How is it that you found enough time to take one hand off your brick of a ppc and the other off yer willy to type that half baked, dim-witted message?

Alternative
skytraveler @ 3/7/2002 7:41:03 PM #
Is it possible that "different screen size" might mean a different resolution? Just my 2c

The SkyTraveler
RE: nice
Fzara2000 @ 3/7/2002 8:05:52 PM #
possibly...but how much better can you get then 320 X 320?

SONY ROCKS!
RE: nice
ahecht @ 3/7/2002 8:06:28 PM #
I really hope this is virtual grafitti!

RE: nice
Fzara2000 @ 3/7/2002 8:08:46 PM #
me too!!! Palm would die out then!

SONY ROCKS!
RE: nice
I.M. Anonymous @ 3/8/2002 4:26:55 AM #
Nope, Palm won't die out then.
Because you seem to forget that the models this new gizmo is supposed to replace (?) still aren't available in many countries.

One of the most important reasons - I think - that Palm is selling so much more handhelds than Sony is that their products are at least available worldwide within days of introduction.

Cheers,
Jan

RE: nice
I.M. Anonymous @ 3/8/2002 5:55:53 AM #
<< me too!!! Palm would die out then!!! >>

Fzara2000:

You need to GET OVER your notion that Palm is somehow going to die as a result of Sony. You were one of the ones saying Palm would die by the end of 2001 as a result of the N series--DIDN'T HAPPEN.

Palm's not going anywhere. Sony is still coming along, but Palm's not going anywhere.

This is the beauty of capitalism. Although competition breeds winners and losers, economic growth means BOTH win. If their competing for pieces of pie, then one gets a bigger piece and the other gets a smaller piece, except that the pie continually gets bigger, meaning even the smaller piece is STILL bigger.

Get a life...

New screen size is very intriging
I.M. Anonymous @ 3/8/2002 8:31:03 AM #
This rumour that the models will have a new screen size is very interesting coming in the light of the flip 'n fold PDA concept Sony showcased recently.

"New screen" size could mean so many things. It could mean the products will have re-sized 320X320. Though unless they are going for a really really small device I can't see the point of shring the screens the Clie series use. And by the same token, with form factor being important, I can see them increasing the screen dimensions.

I believe and hope that Sony intends to introduce soft grafitti. While its conceivable they could follow Handera's lead and produce a 160X240 screen, this would represent a drop in resolution. I am speculating that the device could have 320x480 screen. This isn't beyond their capabilities. Years ago they introduce the TR 55 camcorder, which was about half the volume of anything seen previously.

Of course its very easy sitting here as the arm chair pundit and speculating but imagine the flip 'n fold device running at 66mhz, built in BT, thumboard, digital audio. camera?

I would certainly be tempted to shell out for it.



RE: nice
I.M. Anonymous @ 3/8/2002 10:17:47 AM #
Or has the "different screensize" something to to with the new Sony-ericsson p800 smartphone with the new Symbian OS 7.0??????

Forbes on Palm and Bluetooth
I.M. Anonymous @ 3/8/2002 11:25:07 AM #
Forbes on Palm and Bluetooth
http://biz.yahoo.com/fo/020308/0308tentech_1.html

"A year ago, Bluetooth was a technology that was the butt of more jokes than anything else." To who? To those who didn't/don't sh@t about technology maybe. Why are these people not reading/doing there own research? Instead of talking BS on something they don't know nothing about. Yep, am indeed a little bit p.o

Why Bluetooth?

-Low power: No battery-sapping (like 802.11)
-Robust wireless connection method with a small footprint that makes it very well suited for millions of handheld devices
(A Bluetooth chip, designed to communicate in the 10m range, consumes only 1mW of power, compared to an 802.11b chip, which consumes more than 1W. A single Bluetooth chipset is also fairly small, with a size of 8x8mm, compared to the smallest 802.11b at 30x14mm.)
-Chips will be cheap (when volume kicks in)
-Bluetooth does not need a base radio station because every device can create a local network.
-Another advantage of Bluetooth as a cable replacement technology are the applications (e.g http://www.bluetags.com ). Retail kiosks, pay phones, and other public access points will support proximity services.
-Bluetooth also holds an advantage concerning voice communication. Here, Bluetooth can be used in a cordless phone within a 10m range, in an office environment or home, without the need for handoffs. Other WLAN technologies need voice-over-IP to support voice communication, which is not likely to happen soon.

Even with the recent delays, the progression of the Bluetooth standard is far ahead of the adoption rates of almost any other comparable technology. Many point to the sudden emergence of 802.11b as proof that Bluetooth has already been superseded by more advanced technologies. However, the truth is that the road towards 802.11b's success began over a decade ago in 1990 when the IEEE 802 Executive Committee established the 802.11 Working Group to create a wireless local area network (WLAN) standard. The b variant simply represents the emergence of a version of the standard that is a viable mass-market commercial solution. In comparison, Ericsson first began toying with the idea of a short-range wireless technology in 1994, four years after work on 802.11 began.

Furthermore, although the inspiration for Bluetooth occurred in 1994, real work on the technology as an industry standard did not start until the original Special Interest Group was formed in 1998. The 1.0 specification was released a mere two years ago in July 1999.

Another issue that was discussed in part 1 of this report is that of interference in the ISM band where Bluetooth operates. Many are under the impression that interference from everything from microwaves to other wireless technologies will make communication virtually impossible. The truth of the matter is that the combination of Bluetooth's frequency hopping algorithms and error correction schemes will minimize most interference problems. Studies have shown that the only time significant conflict occurs is when two technologies are placed in very close proximity.

The phony conflict
IEEE 802.11 and Bluetooth wireless technology
http://www-106.ibm.com/developerworks/wireless/library/wi-phone/


RE: nice
I.M. Anonymous @ 3/8/2002 11:50:58 AM #
"(A Bluetooth chip, designed to communicate in the 10m range, consumes only 1mW of power, compared to an 802.11b chip, which consumes more than 1W."

More than 1W? I think you got a little carried away in making your point. While I'm sure some cards consume that much, it's not fair to generalize. That's the specs maximum output. The *typical* it 100-500mW.

My Symbol 802.11b card consumes about 50mA at 3.3 volts (in line with the write current of a CF memory card) in maximum power saving mode, and 165mA in full power mode. So that's between 1/15th of a watt and half a watt.

RE: nice
I.M. Anonymous @ 3/9/2002 3:26:33 AM #
"I think you got a little carried away in making your point" What about his other points? He has some great valid points. Thanx for the informative post anonymous.


RE: nice
Bartman007 @ 3/9/2002 12:24:30 PM #
To correct an earlier post. The Handera has a 320x240 rez. Not a 160x240

RE: nice
I.M. Anonymous @ 3/11/2002 12:23:03 AM #
The new models T425 and T625 have been announced on Sony - Germany web site.

Just call me Russell Grant
I.M. Anonymous @ 3/11/2002 4:04:40 AM #
"Of course its very easy sitting here as the arm chair pundit and speculating but imagine the flip 'n fold device running at 66mhz, built in BT, thumboard, digital audio. camera?"


Bloody hell, I was bang on the money!... except teh Bluetooth, but hey the MS BT device is out so.....

Finally, a Clié that makes me *not* think about a Palm.
I.M. Anonymous @ 3/12/2002 1:05:02 AM #
Now *this* is one interesting Sony product. I like everything I see, except for the MP3 player. There just isn't enough memory to make it worthwhile for me. (I've got an iPod for MP3s.) And the video is intriguing, but no thanks.

But the screen size and memory are right on. (I don't think I'll bother with Memory Sticks.) The GPS module is trés cool!

And Sony has fixed the buttons!

How much more than the Japan prices will this cost us in the U.S.?



Now everyone can eat their words

I.M. Anonymous @ 3/7/2002 4:58:45 PM #
To everyone who keeps saying that things won't be done, can't be done, and that eveything they see are mockups, you can all sit back and relax and let Sony impress and amaze us.

Let us all be glad that competition is such that companies like Sony feel obligated to release new models on a bi-monthly basis.

I've got an N760C, and I'm just itching to get an even better Clie... let's wait and see what's coming out.

RE: Now everyone can eat their words
I.M. Anonymous @ 3/7/2002 7:55:07 PM #
Agree , thoose people now will understand anything could be possible . SONY always surprise them .

RE: Now everyone can eat their words
I.M. Anonymous @ 3/8/2002 2:28:34 AM #
"... anything could be possible ..."

Who knows? Maybe another 'paperwhite' monochrome screen like on the T415. If you have no morals about lying to customers, then maybe anything is possible.

RE: Now everyone can eat their words
I.M. Anonymous @ 3/8/2002 2:46:55 AM #
LoL after seeing the "un-discontinue" new of the Visor because of "popular demand" I also believe everything is possible too.

RE: Now everyone can eat their words
I.M. Anonymous @ 3/8/2002 4:34:20 AM #
hehe...

After much research and unlimited funding Sony has succeeded where no man has gone before...
From monday onwards it will be possible for a limited period to order your copy of the original Pilot, re-created by Sony!
Just kidding.

Dear mr. Sony,

On monday I will read PIC and see yet another pda that wont't be available outside the US and Japan.
Screw you.

Cheers,
Jan

RE: Now everyone can eat their words
I.M. Anonymous @ 3/8/2002 4:55:43 AM #
Usually most part of asia will have it one or 2 weeks after it's avaliable in Japan.

IT'S NOT NEW PALMS, IT'S NEW PHONES!!!!!!!
I.M. Anonymous @ 3/8/2002 1:22:20 PM #
IT'S NOT NEW PALMS, IT'S NEW PHONES!!!!!!!
Posted by: I.M. Anonymous @ 3/8/2002 1:07:35 PM

PLEASE LOOK AT THIS WESITE
http://www.sonyericsson.com/cebit/

Sorry folkes,
(Wah Wah)

Just thought you might like to know!

RE: Now everyone can eat their words
I.M. Anonymous @ 3/10/2002 1:21:57 PM #
Ah..yeah - sony makes Symbian smartphones with Ericson - this isn't news. Ed didn't mix thgis up - they are ALSO releasing new Palm devices.

It's new Palms *and* new phones.
I.M. Anonymous @ 3/12/2002 1:18:47 AM #
The two higher end Sony/Ericsson efforts look very nice.

I can't wait so see more on them.

I just hope that they *don't* go with Sprint, or Sprint alone. They have the worst coverage in my area. (When it's good it's fantastic, but usually, it's pretty poor.)

Cingular just put up a new antenna near me, and Verizon gives great coverage, although the signal sometimes a little noisey.

Either of those phones will compliment the new Clié rather nicely.

DA.BOMB.SONY.COM

sandbuck @ 3/7/2002 5:30:06 PM #
I know there are a lot of fierce Palm loyalists on this board. I own a 505 myself. But you can't deny that SONY is the best thing to happen to Palm OS computing. Who remembers how long it took us to go from the Palm Pro to Palm IIIxe? Sony has 86'd more designs that Palm has brought to market.

I give even odds that model 1 is the T7xx and model 2 is the Sony flipper w/ camera!

Here are some other probabilities:
-------------------------------------
10 or more posts whining that there 3 mo old Sony is obsoloete: -- 2:1

one or more post that starts out "WHATEVER" -- 3:1

two or more posts from a PPC troll that can't deal -- 1:2


RE: DA.BOMB.SONY.COM
Moosecat @ 3/7/2002 5:41:56 PM #
Whatever. My three-month old Sony is obsolete, and that's why I'm switching to PocketPC.

RE: DA.BOMB.SONY.COM
I.M. Anonymous @ 3/7/2002 5:44:18 PM #
Moosecat good job you combined all 3 whinnings in one shot :) pretty good use of connecting words too, A+

RE: DA.BOMB.SONY.COM
sandbuck @ 3/7/2002 5:45:13 PM #
I should move to Vegas

RE: DA.BOMB.SONY.COM
I.M. Anonymous @ 3/7/2002 5:58:45 PM #
Aww poor Moosecat wont have the latest toy to show off with anymore.
Jeez you old clie will still be doing all the things you bought it for
or
are you thinking the new model will be the same price as your old model and do more?

Top View Full Comment Thread
Achtung! Only the first 50 comments are displayed within the article.
    Click here for the full story discussion page...

Account

Register Register | Login Log in
user:
pass: