New Sony Ericsson Cyber-shot phone packs high-end camera features

With the launch of its K770 Cyber-shot phone, Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications hopes to narrow the quality gap between dedicated digital cameras and mobile phones with integrated cameras.

The slim 14.5 millimeter phone, announced Wednesday, offers a range of features found in most quality digital cameras, including auto focus and 3x digital zoom.

A sliding cover protects the lens. Once in camera mode, the 1.9 inch screen becomes a viewfinder. Illuminated icons, which appear across the keypad, serve as one-click shortcuts to each of the camera's main functions, such as picture size and light.

The new Photo fix feature offers photo editing directly on the 3.2-megapixel phone, allowing users to correct photos taken under poor lighting conditions.

With a USB (Universal Serial Bus) cable, users can transfer photos to PCs, send them directly to a printers with the PictBridge application or upload them to the Internet. Pictures can be printed in A4 size.

The 256MB memory card can hold up to 200 high-quality photos.

The music features include wireless stereo headsets using short-range Bluetooth technology and a FM radio.

But the K770 is a phone, too.

The tri-band handset operates on the three frequencies used for GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications), GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) and 3G (third-generation) technologies: 900, 1800 and 1900.

The phone will be available in the fourth quarter of 2007. Pricing information was not immediately available.