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SAN DIEGO—Hey, it’s all about my life, not your network.
That’s the disruptive thinking that Sony Electronics—not Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications L.P., the wireless handset maker—is following in launching a Wi-Fi-only device (no monthly cellular service fees!) for Voice over IP communications, instant messaging and entertainment. The device is known as the “Mylo,” or “my life online,” according to the company.
The Mylo enables users in a Wi-Fi hotspot to talk over VoIP, send instant messages or Web-based e-mail with a QWERTY keyboard, perform Internet browsing, listen to music and share photos. The device carries 1 gigabyte of internal flash memory, or users can obtain the optional removable memory card.
The Mylo is said to be targeted at the 18-to-24 year-old demographic and will be available for about $350 online, at Sony’s retail stores and at retailers in college towns beginning in September.
Sony partnered with Yahoo Inc. and Google Inc. to integrate their instant-messaging services, and with eBay Inc.’s Skype VoIP service.
Sony’s device is aimed at the same market—and contains many of the same features—as Nokia Corp.’s 770 Internet tablet.
