Sony Ericsson has just unveiled a concept Symbian Foundation platform based phone called Idou. It's actually more than just a concept as it is said to become a real device, but at the moment it is in a very early stage so many things may change until then. Detailed information/specifications and release date will be announced later this year but the device is supposed to become available in the second half of 2009.

Idou is a part of The Entertainment Unlimited consumer proposition announced today at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. Bringing together rich content, unique applications and best in class entertainment experiences, the new consumer proposition is based around three key promises:

* Uniting best in class entertainment experiences into one offering such as the Walkman music experience, the Cyber-shot imaging experience, Java gaming and messaging integrated with services and applications.
* Broadening entertainment experiences by seamlessly integrating the mobile phone into other devices in the home letting consumers share and enjoy top quality entertainment content through a variety of channels including TV, PC and Hifi systems.
* Fusing communication with entertainment by removing barriers and offering unlimited sharing opportunities, multiplying the value of people's entertainment experiences through a host of innovative web applications and Sony Ericsson's Play Now offering.

Capture moments, talk through pictures and share all your experiences like never before with the 12.1 megapixel camera, intuitive touch features and Xenon flash. Tap directly into your favourite videos and tracks with the full-touch media menu and feast your eyes on movies, TV-series and video clips in true 16:9 widescreen format (3.5" display). Based on what will become the Symbian Foundation operating system, thousands of applications are available online letting you install new applications and download exciting content from PlayNow to make the Idou truly yours.

The demo unit showcased in Barcelona was equipped with a very "introductory" development build of the OS so it's hard to speculate now how the final version will look like. Based on the first release of the Symbian Foundation platform, it will be a successor to the current S60 5th Edition. As a "Symbian Foundation Certified" device, it will be cross-compatible with all other Symbian Foundation based devices of other brands (e.g. Nokia or Samsung) and hopefully also with existing 3rd software that now works fine e.g. on the Nokia 5800. The UI of the Idou will follow Sony Ericsson's UI design, including e.g. the Media Bar, Walkman Player, icons and menu style known from other Sony Ericsson phones.

More: Idou presentation @ SonyEricsson.com, Press release. Comment on Idou on our Discussion forum.

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It's Christmas time, time of gifts and joy. We've also prepared a Christmas gift for you! Now you can buy any Symbian OS software you want at the My-Symbian Software Shop with 25% discount! This means that you can save 25% off the price, and, if you buy 4 programs, then you'll actually save enough to get a 5th one for free! All you need to do is to enter SYMBIAN25 discount code on the shopping cart screen and 25% will instantly be deducted from the total price. This offer is limited to a certain number of orders, so don't wait or it may be too late! Start browsing our giant catalog of Symbian OS software now. Promotion details can be found here.

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Not a Symbian OS device and not even a phone, but it's such a nice and useful piece of technology providing the best mobile web browsing I've ever experienced, that it's really worth introducing to Symbian OS phones' users and recommending as an accessory for owners of S60 and UIQ smartphones with small, low resolution screens. Read our Nokia N800 Internet Tablet review to find out what it is, how it works and how it can replace or enhance the functionality of your S60 or UIQ smartphone.