 Admittedly, the best phone Sony Ericsson reps had in their possession was out of our camera's reach this year. Behind closed doors, we got a quick walkthrough of the Sony Ericsson Idou, the company's upcoming, Symbian-based flagship phone. With a 12-megapixel camera and a unique smartphone interface, the Idou is sure to get plenty of attention when it launches late this year. But the phone we saw was still incomplete, and reps admitted there were still bugs to be worked out. We asked the company why this high-end device won't get the company's premiere Xperia branding and panels interface, and representatives were sheepish in their response, simply explaining that there would be plenty more to learn about the device in the months to come.
Sony Ericsson T707
 This mid-range feature phone was announced shortly before the CTIA 2009 show in Las Vegas, and we got a chance to check it out on the show floor. Clearly, Sony Ericsson and Nokia see things from a similar perspective, as this phone features some of the highlights we've also seen on recent Nokia devices. Like the Nokia 7205, the Sony Ericsson T707 features a fashionable flip design with a hidden OLED screen on the exterior. The phone will have fast 3G networking, including a model that will support AT&T's HSDPA network, so perhaps we'll see this phone stateside after its official second quarter release.
The key selling point seems to be the personalized light effects and gesture controls. We've seen these ideas on other Sony Ericsson phones before, especially on the Sony Ericsson W580i. The Sony Ericsson T707 doesn't get the Walkman music player (shame), or even a Cyber-Shot app (too bad), even though it does sport a 3.2-megapixel camera. In person, we found the design to be as sparkly and shiny as you'd expect, but it lacked some of the class and supermodel thinness of Nokia's recent releases.
Sony Ericsson W995 super Walkman phone
 Honestly, reading through the specs for the Sony Ericsson W995 Walkman phone, we're not sure why Sony Ericsson pigeonholed this phone into the Walkman lineup. After all, it gets the Walkman player and the dedicated music controls, but that isn't even half the story. The new flagship for Sony Ericsson's music phones also gets an 8-megapixel camera, along with a host of camera features including auto focus, face detection and even some image stabilization. So why not call this a Cyber-Shot? In fact, the phone goes even further, packing in Wi-Fi and tri-band HSDPA, which means it should be a capable Web browsing phone, and it will be able to surf AT&T's 3G networks.
We weren't in love with the design. In person, the phone is a bit boxy. We've always liked Sony Ericsson's Walkman music player app, but we've never been fans of the overlapping circle design for the buttons on the phone's face. We also didn't love the numeric keypad. It just seemed very plain for a flagship device. Remembering how thin the 2-year old Sony Ericsson W880i felt in our hands, it's a shame to see the Walkman family put on so much weight. Still, these are much more than simply music phones today, and video lovers will enjoy the bright, colorful 2.6-inch screen. And all buyers will appreciate the 3.5mm headphone jack, a rarity on S/E Walkman phones, which usually rely on the Pop Port and a headphone adapter.
Sony Ericsson C903 Cyber-Shot phone
 Similar in many ways to the Sony Ericsson C905 we saw last June, the Sony Ericsson C903 follows the company's new cameraphone design aesthetic. From the back, these phones look more like Sony's point-and-shoot cameras, which is a good thing, since Sony has some very cool and thin camera designs. The C903 features a 5-megapixel shooter, and a range of Cyber-Shot camera features, including auto focus, image stabilization, and a BestPic mode that will fire off a bunch of shots and help pick the best of the bunch.
In person, the Sony Ericsson C903 has a great look for a cameraphone. Decked out in glossy paint, we loved the lens cover on the back that slides down to reveal the camera and fire up the Cyber-Shot app. Of course, the proof is in the pudding with cameraphones, so its really all down to images, but in terms of style, Sony's Cyber-Shot line has never been better.
Sony Ericsson W508 Walkman phone
 The Sony Ericsson W508 is a Walkman phone in the vein of the Sony Ericsson W980, another Walkman clamshell phone with external music controls. The Sony Ericsson W508 is a bit more mid-range, so it lacks features like the 8GB of internal storage or the FM transmitter on the W980, but it still retains the Walkman DNA, and that's good, because the Walkman music player has always been one of our favorite mobile music apps. The Sony Ericsson W508 does get the shake features from the Walkman family, so you can skip to the next music track just by shaking the phone.
The Sony Ericsson W508 has a 3.2-megapixel camera, which is a nice addition. To keep things personal, Sony Ericsson will offer some color print faceplates for this phone, though we actually liked the device in the steely grey color the company had on hand. With its blue accents, it was a nice, slick phone. Nothing to write home about, but certainly worth a look for a mid-range, music-centric clamshell.
Click here to see full specifications of the new Sony Ericsson phones.
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